Before we get started, here are a few words defined to help you understand the letter:
Avarice: excessive desire for wealth or gain (hhmm, not much avarice in the world today, she says flippantly).
Philological: Study of literature or language.
Complacency: self satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiency.
In this letter, Wormwood notes a lull in the war and wonders how he should take advantage of this lull. Should he use "Stupid confidence," or anxiety about the future? This question brings about a discussion of time. Time is defined as the past, present and future.
What is so bad about living in the past?
Why would the devils want us to avoid living in the present?
Which virtues look to the future?
How should we look to the past, present and future?
***Search for quotes about "living in the present" on google. Post your favorite quote here, remember to note the author.***
12 comments:
When you live in the past, your mind is always re-living what happened in the past. You should move on, and not worry so much about what has happened.
If we live in the present, we are closer to God. In the present freedom and actuality are offered by God to us.
I'm not sure how to answer the third question... :(
Well, we should forget the past, and..well, no, don't FORGET the past, but just let it go, and focus on today. We have to learn from the past.
In the present, we should be totally open to what God has to give us. Screwtape said, "The Present is all lit up with ETERNAL rays." And to the future, we shouldn't be anxious about what COULD happen, and we don't need to worry about it!
What is so bad about living in the past? We will miss opportunities for today, and there seems to not really be a benefit in it. Gratitude for what has been given to you in the past is okay, just don't dwell on every aspect of the past.
Why would the devils want us to avoid living in the present? We would focus more on what we are doing, on our actions and our words. And if we focus more on the way we act and talk in the moment we will most likely make better decisions than if we are worrying about what happened yesterday, or what will happen tomorrow. Freedom is only offered in the present time, if we are focusing all our energy on the past or future we really aren't free in the present, are we?
Which virtues look to the future?
Fear, avarice, lust and ambition.
How should we look to the past, present and future?
We should learn from our mistakes in the past so we won't make them again, live in the present to live in freedom, and look to the future with responsibility but not worry. Also look to the future for eternity.
Here are a few quotes.... i couldn't decide on one ;):
When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. ~Alexander Graham Bell
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present. ~Babatunde Olatunji
We are always getting ready to live but never living. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is. ~Author Unknown
When I am anxious it is because I am living in the future. When I am depressed it is because I am living in the past. ~Author Unknown
Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized. ~Leo Buscaglia
The future is no place to place your better days. ~Dave Matthews:)
One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. ~Dale Carnegie
Pile up too many tomorrows and you'll find that you've collected nothing but a bunch of empty yesterdays. ~The Music Man
Sorry if I stole them all! :)
P.S. Just an example that Dave Matthews ROCKS! He has that quote AND a violinist in his band. Permanently! GO Dave GO!
1) bad for who?
2) "the Present is all lit up with eternal rays"
3) none? I don't know.
4) because.
Quotes) You shouldn't chase after the past or place expectations on the future. What is past is left behind. The future is as yet unreached. Whatever quality is present you clearly see right there, right there.
–Buddha
You shouldn't be consumed by the past, and you're shouldn't be obsessed with the future.
You should live in the now, and enjoy each moment.
-unknown
We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.
-John Newton
Let the credit card companies market as they will, the only thing that's priceless is Now.
-Caleb Baylor Hive
Forever is composed of nows.
-Emily Dickinson
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.
-Babatunde Olatunji
When you are looking to the past...
Oh Darn! Cephia that is what I was going to say!
WHY do you always have to reply first?? WHAA!
Anyways what Cephia said..
Question 2 When we live in the present we live in what God calls Eternity.
Question 3 I am drawing a blank...Uh.....Could someone explain this to me??
Cephia I glanced over at yours again...:{ Can I agree with you??
AND I AM NOT TRYING TO COPY!!!!!
PLEASE?
Ha ha! I always get on this blog early in da morning. Like, I think I got on here at 9:00!
NO! You are NOT copying. Trust me. If you were, I'd tell you.
Oh, ker-snarf a blat. I totally forgot about the whole quote thing. AAAHHGGGHHH!!!! Where can I find some good ones?!?!
What is so bad about living in the past? you only pay attention to what has happened and not what is happening now, so if you pay attention to the present you can make better choices.
Why would the devils want us to avoid living in the present? because that is the best time to live to make a good life, God wants us to live in the present because it brings us closer to him.
Which virtues look to the future? fear lust ambition and avarice
How should we look to the past, present and future? look to the past remembering and learning from mistakes, look to the present paying attention to not make the same mistakes as the past, look to the future prepared.
If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven't done much today. ~Author Unknown
Cephia- google "quotes about living in the present".
1) If you live in the past, you can continue to harp on bad times; which can sicken your body and soul.
2) Because then we would only be focused on what is happening then and now, and not worried or too hopeful for what is to come in the future.
3) Fear, Avarice, Lust, and Ambition.
4) We should remember the good times of the past, and let the bad times slide. We should keep our eyes open in the present, thinking about what we could do to improve the time we are in now. As for the future, do not worry, and be hopeful (but not too hopeful to where if what you wished for didn't happen...you would forever harp on it) for what is to come. Know that God has it all laid out for you.
I'll look up the quotes and post my favorites later. :)
When you live in the past you waste a lot of time(and energy) on trying to bring those moments back to life. And if you live in the past you can't exactly enjoy the things going on in your life at that moment!
When we live in the present we can enjoy what is happening at that moment and just feel free, instead of stewing over what has happened or fretting over what is to come.
The virtues that look to the future are fear, avarice, lust and ambition. (though would we really call those virtues???)
We should hold on to memories, but not live in them. We should enjoy the now, and enjoy the sense of freedom living in the present creates. And we should not try to plan our entire future, but just look forward to it.
As for the qoutes, I found many that I liked. But I will only post a few of them , since many of them I liked have already been posted =D.
One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us. ~Michael Cibenko
I can't wait all my life
On a street of broken dreams.
~Journey, "It Could Have Been You"
The past is a good place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. ~Author Unknown
Today is the greatest
Day I've ever known
Can't live for tomorrow,
Tomorrow's much too long.
~Billy Corgan, "Today"
The future is no place to place your better days.
~Dave Matthews
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