Podcasts about littleness

2/21/2025 | Today's daily devotional by C. H. Spurgeon on SermonAudio: Title: Blessing on Littleness Subtitle: Faith's Checkbook by Spurgeon Speaker: C. H. Spurgeon Broadcaster: Prince of Preachers Event: Audiobook Date: 2/21/2025 Bible: Psalm 115:13 Length: 1 min.

Series: N/AService: Sun AMType: SermonSpeaker: Shipley, Ben

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Today's devotion is written by Megan Hjelmstad. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bisdailydevo/support

In every moment we're either choosing to identify with a smaller selfish self or our holiness. This choice happens all day long, and by recognising the choice for holiness more and more often we can transform our consciousness.  In this episode, Jennifer shares how she's been able to apply the teachings of ACIM to assist her in giving up resistance to Love and to the habit of playing small. To learn more about A Course in Miracles please visit JenniferHadley.com. For the transcript of this episode and more please visit LivingACourseinMiracles.com. Every day can be a day of healing and transformation if we're willing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is a very important section in A Course in Miracles. "Littleness Versus Magnitude" makes it clear that we are falling short in our definition of ourselves. We are accepting a level of limitation that is "tolerable," and then we define this as "Happiness." We are not content, and now we can actually admit it. Jesus tells us, "Be not content with littleness. But be sure you understand what littleness is, and why you could never be content with it. Littleness is the offering you give yourself. You offer this in place of magnitude, and you accept it. Everything in this world is little because it is a world made out of littleness, in the strange belief that littleness can content you." The fact is we are not content. Can we drop all of our seeking to improve ourselves when we see that we already have everything at our inner disposal? The Holy Spirit can lead us to realize our Magnitude, but only when we stop our attempts to "make up a false heaven." We have made ourselves the "CEO of Hell." And when we admit this is so, and let go of false control, we can invite the Holy Spirit into our awareness to guide us to our Magnitude.

There are a ton of ways that size differences can be eroticized, from age play to giantess porn to vore fantasies. This week, we share our thoughts and feelings on various forms of size kink. Littleness vs. Age Play | Vore | Eating & Swallowing | Cannibalism (7:52–11:40) | Giantesses | Tinies | Toy Story | Human Size Variations | Kissing | Height Preferences | Gender | CNC | How to Emphasize Size Credits:Music by PROTODOMEArtwork by Addison FinchBecome a patron to support the show and get access to our private Discord, monthly bonus episodes, and your name mentioned on the show.

We are arrogant to reinforce our "littleness" with thoughts like "I am not good enough. Others are more deserving than me. Etc." We over compensate with self-inflating thoughts like "I am so much better than everyone else." "Littleness or Grandiosity" will never satisfy us. Yet, we are Exalted in the Grandeur of our Creator. We share this Grandeur, this Light, with Everyone. The Glory of God pulses through us, and we have to feel this Divine Power in our very blood. The Love we share with everyone attests to this Grandeur. Beauty is everywhere. Divine Appreciation is the doorway into heaven. We can step into this awareness so easily, if we so choose to give up the illusions of "littleness" and "grandiosity."

Join Sophie, Chloe, Casa, and Rosie as they discuss the highly-contentious, oft-speculated, fantastical concept of Littleness... without diapers!  They also review some diaper-alternatives... what do they call those?  Pull-ons?  Make sure to join the SubscribeStar to vote on future bets and get exclusive mini-episodes! ^_^Find us on Twitter @TheUsualBetEmail us at theusualmailbox@gmail.comwww.subscribestar.adult/sophieandpudding ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Join Sophie and Chloe as they discuss procedural TV shows, but with Little protags!  Also, the Gelato Convention meets to formalize some war crimes against Littles.  Make sure to join the SubscribeStar to vote on this week's bet and get exclusive mini-episodes! ^_^Find us on Twitter @TheUsualBetEmail us at theusualmailbox@gmail.comwww.subscribestar.adult/sophieandpudding ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Join Sophie and Chloe as they sing one of Sophie's new parody songs and discuss the dissonance between birthdays and Littleness.  Sophie also accomplishes an impossible feat: asking for something she wants! *audience gasps* Make sure to join the SubscribeStar to vote on this week's bet and get exclusive mini-episodes! ^_^Find us on Twitter @TheUsualBetEmail us at theusualmailbox@gmail.comwww.subscribestar.adult/sophieandpudding ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

"If someone loves you so purely, it's impossible to not love them back." WE'RE BACK!!! Haha wow it's been a while! Dom and Nathan reunite after FOCUS training and interview one of their very good friends, Zach Lipecki. Zach is a second year missionary at Winona State University, and in this episode we dive deep into how Zach fell in love with St. Therese and her spirituality and how we can live by her example in our own lives. We hope you all enjoy listening! We are praying for you. We are fasting for you. We love you all deeply. Thank you for listening! God bless, IRON SHARPENS IRON

Join Sophie and Chloe as they discuss how Littleness doesn't always come easily, and the feelings that go along with that. Make sure to join the Patreon to vote on future bets and get exclusive mini-episodes! ^_^Find us on Twitter @TheUsualBetEmail us at theusualmailbox@gmail.comwww.patreon.com/sophieandpudding ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Little children can't wait to grow up. When they have a birthday, they are filled with joy that they are one year older. And yet, as little children, they are still dependent upon their parents in many ways. The same is true of us in a spiritual sense. We often want to “grow up” and to become great saints, attaining great things for God. And yet, we must often remind ourselves that we are still children. In our “littleness” before God, we are now and ever will be fully dependent upon Him for all our needs. Recognizing this fact is essential to becoming a great saint and growing in holiness. We become great by becoming small (See Diary #779).Reflect upon your littleness before God. Compared to the glory and power of the Almighty, we are small and weak. But God sees our littleness and He desires that we run to Him in complete confidence. Entrust yourself to His Mercy and run to Him. Realize that it is only by humbly admitting your total dependence upon Him that you are made strong through His embrace. Lord, I do run to You and cling to You in my need. You are All-Powerful and glorious beyond measure. May I rely upon You in all things and continually seek You with my whole being. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Featuring Casa, verified Science Bear and renowned floor baby!  You can find him on Twitter @casabear178Join Sophie, Chloe, and Casa as they discuss diaper fraud, security cameras, Littleness as a personality trait vs. Littleness as a kink, and being Little from a boy's perspective.  Make sure to join the Patreon to vote on this week's bet and get exclusive mini-episodes! ^_^Find us on Twitter @TheUsualBetEmail us at theusualmailbox@gmail.comwww.patreon.com/sophieandpudding ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

It is a grace from God to see ourselves as we are. And what will we see if we see ourselves this way? We will see our misery and nothingness. At first, this may not be all that desirable. It may even seem contrary to the dignity we have in Christ. But that's the key. Our dignity is “in Christ.” Without Him, we are nothing. We are misery and nothingness by ourselves (See Diary #256).Today, do not be offended or afraid to acknowledge your “nothingness.” If it does not sit well with you at first, beg God for grace to see yourself as you are without Him. You will quickly see that without our divine Savior, you are truly miserable in every way. This is the starting point to a deep gratitude in that it allows you to more fully realize all that God has done for you. And when you see this, you will rejoice in the fact that He has come to meet you in this nothingness and has lifted you high to the dignity of His precious child.Lord, may I see my misery and wretchedness this day. May I come to understand that without You I am nothing. And in that realization, help me to become eternally grateful for the precious gift of becoming Your dear child in grace. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reflecting on the call to be a subordinate spouse, Jackie Ulmer invites us to become small so that Christ can shine bright in us.

India Policy Watch #1: The Anatomy of DecentralisationInsights on topical policy issues in India— Pranay KotasthaneThe human-made floods in some parts of Bengaluru generated much furore. Writing about it in our previous edition, RSJ remarked:The way the political economy is structured right now, it is difficult to see how there will be enough devolution of power and finances to a city. A big city most often is a bankrupt political orphan in India. It doesn't look like changing any time soon.I share his anguish. However, I remain hopeful because there are many global examples of cities first committing themselves to and then rescuing themselves from the tyranny of half-hearted decentralisation. Decentralisation: Take 1The term decentralisation is a catch-all term in public policy. There was a time when it was touted as the solution to all ills. But many PhD dissertations, journal papers, and World Bank projects later, we understand it better now. Throwing some light on this concept can help us put a finger on what's exactly wrong with Indian cities. Let's begin by understanding the three forms of decentralisation — deconcentration, delegation, and devolution. Deconcentration is the simplest form of decentralisation. As the name suggests, it means decentralising functions and responsibilities. For example, if you can submit a passport application in Mysuru instead of having to come to the state capital, this function can be said to have been deconcentrated. The various government branch offices and grievance centre kiosks are examples of deconcentration. Delegation means that specific functions are carried out by another organisation or the government nearest to the citizen on behalf of the more distant government. In the Indian case, the plethora of state public sector enterprises (SPSEs) for public transport, power distribution, and water distribution are examples of delegation. For example, BESCOM is a Government of Karnataka company tasked with the responsibility of supplying electricity to the state capital.Devolution is the most comprehensive form of decentralisation. Devolved units hold defined spheres of autonomous action. Policy implementation and authority shift to the government nearer to the citizen. This typically means having elections at the subnational level. For example, Indian states are devolved units with clearly defined responsibilities, and tax revenue handles in the Constitution.With these definitions at hand, we have one way to diagnose the dismal performance of our city governments: the Union-State government relationship is characterised by devolution, while the State-local government relation is characterised by delegation and deconcentration. Elections do take place at local government levels. After the 74th Amendment in 1992, some more functions were devolved to urban local bodies. And yet, they hardly enjoy autonomy and authority in any defined sphere. State governments tightly control resources, personnel and plans, treating local governments as deconcentrated implementing agencies. Decentralisation: Take 2There's another way to see the Indian experience in light of decentralisation theories. Decentralisation can happen along three dimensions — political, administrative, and fiscal. These dimensions are further characterised by four factors: authority, autonomy, accountability, and capacity. The USAID Democratic Decentralisation Programming Handbook has a helpful framework that combines these three dimensions and four characteristics. In the chart below, here's how I think India's urban governments fare on the twelve parameters at their intersection. My crude classification into three categories is subjective and based on my understanding of local government public finances. Even so, this framework can offer valuable insights into India's urban governments. First, they are characterised by poor capacity across all three dimensions of decentralisation. Hardly surprising. But here's something more interesting: urban governments in India do pretty okay on administrative decentralisation, not so well along the political dimension, but score a big zero on the fiscal dimension. Devesh Kapur writes, “At the heart of state-building is a fiscal story”. And so, it's not unexpected that the sorry state of fiscal decentralisation is a powerful reason behind the abject failure of our urban governments. The Way AheadAnd so, to fix our cities, we need energy and focus on improving along the fiscal decentralisation dimension. And how exactly do we get there? In this talk below, organised by the Bengaluru Navanirmana Party, I propose a few ideas for the Bengaluru government:“Wherever possible, charge”: underpricing leads to overconsumption. Cities ought to get better at generating non-tax revenues.Strengthen the State Finance Commissions. It's amazing how bad they are, despite the example of the stellar performance of Union Finance Commissions. Untied grants through the state finance commissions are imperative for devolving critical political and administrative functions to urban local governments. Rent out property owned by city governments. Simplify laws for regulating businesses in the city so that trade license fees can go up. Capitalise on the property tax potential.India Policy Watch #2: This Moment is Precious Insights on topical policy issues in India — RSJThe more perceptive among you, dear readers, might have espied a certain pattern in my posts over the past six months. On the one hand, my tone has been steadily bullish on the medium-term prospects of the Indian economy. Almost four months back, in edition #168, I concluded that the then-nascent Ukraine war and the inflation roiling the developed world have put India in a sweet spot among global economies. I wrote:“I'm not often optimistic on these pages. But the way the stars have aligned themselves, India does have an opportunity to revive its economy in a manner that can sustain itself for long.”Then in edition #182 (Aisa Mauka Phir Kahan Milega?), I sort of doubled down on this:“For India, all of this is a golden opportunity. China will remain busy with these transitions that it has wrought upon itself. The jury is still out on whether it will have a soft landing on them. Global businesses that started seeking more resilient and cost-effective alternatives to China during COVID-19, are now convinced that they must employ a ‘China + 1' model to safeguard their long-term interests. There are only that many economies that have the labour pool, capital and a business environment that can take advantage of this shift away from China, however gradual.There is a high likelihood of a golden decade ahead for MSMEs in India if it plays its cards right.”In the past couple of weeks, there has been a flurry of reports from global research firms echoing the same sentiments. IMF, usually the last to know what's happening around the world, also seems to have cottoned on to this trend. This week its chief Kristalina Georgieva said that “despite global uncertainty and headwinds, India continues to be a bright spot in the global economy.” The proximate reasons are evident all around. Domestic demand is strong, inflation isn't the runaway kind, the bank balance sheets are stronger and cleaner than ever, and we seem to be seeing off the peak of the commodity cycle. The other large emerging markets have their own troubles. South America is in the throes of one of its ‘how to shoot yourselves in the foot' scenarios. Brazil is going through its most fractious election campaign ever, with the hard-left rhetoric of Lula seemingly ahead of Bolsonaro. That's been enough for Bolsonaro to again take a leaf out of Trump's playbook and raise doubts about the integrity of the electoral process. Venezuela has a Hugo Chavez bhakt running against a populist ‘outsider' who wants to upend the system and start fresh. Turkey has an autocrat who turns macroeconomic theory on its head in running its economy. South Africa is muddling through, and Russia is mostly an international pariah at the moment. Indonesia and smaller economies like Vietnam and Laos are possibly the only emerging markets that can claim to be in a similar zone as India. There's no competition, really.On the other hand, I have called out India's remarkable ability to lose its way because of either overconfidence or distracting itself with a ‘zero return' nationalist agenda of aatmanirbharta or some random ‘One Country - One X' ideology. Like I wrote in edition #182:“…not overdoing aatmanirbhar Bharat beyond the rhetoric and remaining an open and liberal democracy that convinces others that it will have sufficient checks and balances to not lose its way. These are the basic block and tackle moves to capitalise on the opportunity.Because the only lesson to learn from a possible China misstep is that overdetermined leadership and top-down economic thinking eventually fail.”It becomes challenging to plan for India's long-term prospects because of this dichotomy of being bullish on its economy while being worried about social harmony. I mean, one day, you applaud the entrepreneurial spirit taking root in small-town India and the other day, you hear another state enacting some love jihad law.It is like that E. B. White quote:“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to savour the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” Anyway, for the sceptics on either side, I will try to go beyond the evidence that people are good at avoiding. There are structural reasons why both these arguments about India hold.Let's tackle the issue of why India is in this sweet spot.Firstly, in the past few years, there's been a retreat from globalisation, or hyper globalisation , as Dani Rodrik would put it. This was somewhat inevitable if you go by Rodrik's trilemma: it is impossible to enjoy the fruits of integrating with a hyper-globalised economy, national sovereignty and being a democracy simultaneously, because only two of these things can be achieved at any one time. Rodrik believes that eventually, most large economies will choose national sovereignty and democracy and retreat from globalisation. This has come to a pass all over the world now. India, which has always been somewhat ambivalent about globalisation, now finds it doesn't stick out because of this stance. This retreat has meant that any economy with a large domestic market is at a relative advantage. Through a fortuitous mix of demographic dividend and periodic fiscal stimulation, domestic demand in India is going strong. This will attract capital flow into the economy.Secondly, the widespread adoption of digital means for production and distribution has meant the traditional constraints of infrastructure and labour laws aren't as binding as before. The national digital infrastructure in India (JAM, FASTag, UPI, etc.) is among the best in the world, and there's evidence now that they are improving domestic efficiencies across multiple sectors. Even surface transport, railways and ports have improved substantially in the last few years. These are nowhere near world-class, but the improvement is sufficient to reduce service costs across industries. Also, while ‘retail' corruption remains an issue in India, even the most prominent critic of the current government will admit that large-scale institutional corruption is a thing of the past. There are allegations of crony capitalism which might come back to bite in future, but for now, India provides as good a level playing field as any other emerging market.Thirdly, the aftermath of the pandemic has been surprisingly benign for India. The extended credit scheme for small businesses, free food distributed through PDS for BPL families and the restrain shown in keeping the fiscal deficit in check appear to have paid off. The national-level vaccination drive has all but erased the memory of those traumatic days of the second wave. Contrast that with China's botched vaccination policy that is still hurting its economy. I will confess I didn't see this scenario unfolding. Even the Ukraine war and the rise in oil price has been managed well. In continuing to buy oil from Russia (now in INR) and allying with the US on Quad, India seems to have manoeuvred the geopolitical storm well. Despite strong misgivings in some quarters (with good reasons), the key institutions (central bank, market regulators) have stayed objective and independent in their policy thinking. The bar on strong and independent institutions in emerging markets is set really low, and India seems to be scaling it easily. Finally, the freedom to raise or issue debt in its own currency, the inflating away of debt that's happening now and the flexibility of the labour market, all mean India isn't in any near-term danger of stagflation that's spooking the west.Many of the above factors can be credited to the sound policy measures taken over the past two decades. And, there's, of course, the good fortune of being in the right time at the right place.All good. So, why do I harp on the risks of social harmony and overdetermined leadership? Well, the history of many emerging countries is replete with such moments of opportunity in their history. Barring a few exceptions, most have failed to capitalise on them. They didn't get their economics wrong. Most often, they failed on political and social fronts.It turns out that being a functional, liberal democracy does improve your odds of getting this right. However, in most cases of failure, countries turned more illiberal, assuming it won't hurt them. Curbing freedom of expression, compromising judicial integrity, restricting voting rights of minorities and abusing coercive power of the State are classic moves here. This is abetted by creating an ‘us' versus ‘them' construct that takes over everything. The blame for any shortcoming can be laid at the doors of ‘them', who typically include the old elites, intellectuals and some hapless minorities. Once this template is set, the divisiveness in the society between ‘them' and ‘us' is played up at every opportunity. The pitch is queered further by the revisionist history project to redress past wrongs, the mindless glorification of the nation, a continuous search for enemies among the ‘them' and escalating levels of punishment for any deviation from the norm. The middle continues to shrink, and debates and compromises become rare. Everything is maximal. Many people think these moves won't hurt the economy because in markets, as the Indian aphorism goes, ‘paisa bolta hai (money talks)'. This is both a flawed understanding of economics and a complete disregard for history. A society that loses its middle ground makes terrible choices. And that shows up in the economy.We have a tremendous economic opportunity because of the way cards have fallen in our favour. And we are making the classic mistakes in potentially fomenting social trouble and losing the opportunity again. I don't understand why it is difficult to hold these two ideas together in our brains and find a way forward.There's a possibility that this dichotomy could be solved if there were public discussions on these issues together. But it is rare to find that kind of a platform where a dispassionate and constructive discussion about India's future is possible. Those who believe in the ‘sweet spot' thesis have very little inclination or a sense of historical perspective to appreciate the existential risks of social disharmony. They are happy nodding off to ‘this is India's time' lullaby. While the others who bemoan the loss of what's often called the idea of India cannot believe India could be, by design or happenstance, sitting on a golden opportunity under this regime. There must be a catch somewhere and they spend inordinate amount of time looking for it. It reflects the barren intellectual landscape prevalent in India that we cannot acknowledge and debate these in good faith. You can only be monotheistic. There can only be one truth. Those who reject it are enemies. It's a pity really. India Policy Watch #3: The Nature of Competitive Federalism in IndiaInsights on topical policy issues in India— Pranay KotasthaneIt's rare for semiconductors, federalism, and favouritism to appear in the same story. But the last week did blow up a political storm that combined the three. Vedanta-Foxconn signed a much-publicised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a display and semiconductor fab with the Government of Gujarat. All was good. but then came the news that the consortium turned down the Maharashtra government's reportedly superior offer, leading to accusations of the Union government having a hand in favouring Gujarat. Keeping regional and partisan politics aside, how should we parse this news? Are there frameworks to help us appreciate such events?At first, it appears encouraging that states are vying to kick off advanced manufacturing. It seems to be a perfect illustration of the merits of what is known as Competitive Federalism. States compete for investments, woo investors, and the best one “wins” the prize. Didn't the Prime Minister say in his independence day speech that "it is the need of the hour that besides cooperative federalism, we need cooperative competitive federalism. We need competition in development”?To answer these questions, it is worthwhile to understand the “competitive federalism” rubric. This term gained prominence in public finance literature after a 1987 paper by Albert Breton titled Towards a Theory of Competitive Federalism. Crucially, he identified two preconditions for competitive federalism to be efficient. The first condition is competitive equality. This condition is similar to the logic behind affirmative action for individuals from disadvantaged communities. Healthy competition between states requires not just good umpiring but also progressive rule-making, one that does not put some states at a permanent disadvantage. In Breton's words:“horizontal competition does not require that all competing units be of equal size any more than efficient competition in markets requires that firms be of equal size. But it must be that the large units are not in a position to continually dominate, coerce, and in other ways prevent the smaller units from making independent autonomous decisions; nor are they in a position to inflict "disproportionate" damage on them. The smaller units must be able to compete with the strong on an equal footing.… A capacity to compete is more than a capacity to talk; it is also, and radically, a capacity to exert a real influence on decisions. That is the real meaning underlying the notion of "monitored" competition.”Breton identified that the responsibility for ensuring competitive equality lies squarely with the union government. In his view, two monitoring mechanisms available with the central governments are: intergovernmental grants that offset the disadvantages of certain states, and a “Council of States” that can genuinely give “salience to the provincial dimensions of public policies”.The second condition is cost-benefit appropriability. As Breton puts it:“In competing to attract businesses to its jurisdiction, either by supplying particularly attractive local public goods, such as theatre, concerts, or dance, by offering tax advantages, or by buying part of the output of the sought-after enterprises, the government of a province should not be able to shift the burden of the offered amenities to the citizens of other jurisdictions.”In other words, states should be regulated by a hard budget constraint, i.e. the consequences of breaching spending limits should be significant. A moral hazard develops if states assess that the central government will bail them out in case of fiscal failure. When the budget constraints on states are of a “soft” nature, they will continue to borrow or widen their deficits, confident that other state and union governments will come to the rescue. Competitive federalism under such conditions would not be efficient. A third precondition, proposed by M Govinda Rao, is that there should be no impediments to the unrestricted mobility of factors and products across the country.This discussion of competitive federalism suggests that not all competitive federalism is good. It needs guardrails to deliver results. And the Indian experience with competitive federalism has been suboptimal as governments have violated all three preconditions to varying degrees.As a result, we are stuck in a low-level equilibrium. States compete, but on issues such as wasteful subsidies on private goods, welfare schemes, and salary structures for government employees. And when they do compete to attract investments, they do so based on spectacular tax and non-tax waivers rather than on promises of better business and law and order environments.To make India's competitive federalism deliver, we need reforms along three dimensions:Reforms to ensure that states face a hard budget constraint. An independent fiscal council that ex-ante evaluates the costs of government proposals can help. Consider the fact that both Maharashtra and Gujarat allegedly promised subsidies worth Rs 40000 crores and Rs 28000 crores, respectively, without public scrutiny of the costs and benefits of the project. An independent fiscal council would come of use here by conducting an independent financial evaluation of such policies before they receive the final approval. A stricter Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act can also help here.Reforms to improve competitive equality. Designing intergovernmental transfers that actually help bridge the gap between states will create a level playing field. Moreover, an institution that allows states and union governments to bargain and negotiate, like the one proposed by the 14th Finance Commission, might also contain unhealthy competition. And most importantly, a union government that acts as an unbiased umpire is crucial for competitive federalism to succeed. Without some reforms along these lines, we will continue to see competitive federalism of the more harmful kind. HomeWorkReading and listening recommendations on public policy matters[Article] Raghuram Rajan's note questioning the underlying assumptions of Production Linked Incentives. [Paper] Fiscal Decentralisation in Indian Federalism by M Govinda Rao explains India's experience with fiscal devolution. [Report] The USAID Democratic Decentralisation Programming Handbook is a fantastic starting point for understanding decentralisation. * From Alexis De Tocqueville's magisterial Democracy in America, in which he writes: “the federal system was created with the intention of combining the different advantages which result from the magnitude and the littleness of nations; and a glance at the United States of America discovers the advantages which they have derived from its adoption”. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpolicy.substack.com

Day 68 - Littleness (100 Days to Freedom)

Ever seen a snail go on a skating rampage? If not, then you're in for a treat as Stephen Kotkin brings us his latest, ESCARGOT.

Series: Teens in the Green 2022Service: Bible Class (other)Type: SermonSpeaker: Ben HallGreatness in Littleness

Little children can't wait to grow up.  When they have a birthday, they are filled with joy that they are one year older.  And yet, as little children, they are still dependent upon their parents in many ways.  The same is true of us in a spiritual sense.  We often want to “grow up” and to become great saints, attaining great things for God.  And yet, we must often remind ourselves that we are still children.  In our “littleness” before God, we are now and ever will be fully dependent upon Him for all our needs.  Recognizing this fact is essential to becoming a great saint and growing in holiness.  We become great by becoming small (See Diary #779).Reflect upon your littleness before God.  Compared to the glory and power of the Almighty, we are small and weak.  But God sees our littleness and He desires that we run to Him in complete confidence.  Entrust yourself to His Mercy and run to Him.  Realize that it is only by humbly admitting your total dependence upon Him that you are made strong through His embrace. Lord, I do run to You and cling to You in my need.  You are All-Powerful and glorious beyond measure.  May I rely upon You in all things and continually seek You with my whole being.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The Catholic Hour was produced in co-operation with The National Council Of Catholic Men. The show included music from various Catholic choirs as well as discussions of the role of faith, Christianity, and Catholicism in the societal concerns and topics of the day. GSMC Classics presents some of the greatest classic radio broadcasts, classic novels, dramas, comedies, mysteries, and theatrical presentations from a bygone era. The GSMC Classics collection is the embodiment of the best of the golden age of radio. Let Golden State Media Concepts take you on a ride through the classic age of radio, with this compiled collection of episodes from a wide variety of old programs. ***PLEASE NOTE*** GSMC Podcast Network presents these shows as historical content and have brought them to you unedited. Remember that times have changed and some shows might not reflect the standards of today's politically correct society. The shows do not necessarily reflect the views, standards, or beliefs of Golden State Media Concepts or the GSMC Podcast Network. Our goal is to entertain, educate give you a glimpse into the past.

A quote from Ch 15; Section VIII "...forgiveness is not loss, but your salvation. And that in complete forgiveness, in which you recognize that there is nothing to forgive, you are absolved completely."

Pastor Jeff Smith preaches on Luke 9:21-25 & 46-48, "Littleness" https://youtu.be/YtYBrzGVLJA?t=1363

Reflection 71: Our Littleness and NothingnessIt is a grace from God to see ourselves as we are. And what will we see if we see ourselves this way? We will see our misery and nothingness. At first, this may not be all that desirable. It may even seem contrary to the dignity we have in Christ. But that's the key. Our dignity is “in Christ.” Without Him, we are nothing. We are misery and nothingness by ourselves (See Diary #256).Today, do not be offended or afraid to acknowledge your “nothingness.” If it does not sit well with you at first, beg God for grace to see yourself as you are without Him. You will quickly see that without our divine Savior, you are truly miserable in every way. This is the starting point to a deep gratitude in that it allows you to more fully realize all that God has done for you. And when you see this, you will rejoice in the fact that He has come to meet you in this nothingness and has lifted you high to the dignity of His precious child.Lord, may I see my misery and wretchedness this day. May I come to understand that without You I am nothing. And in that realization, help me to become eternally grateful for the precious gift of becoming Your dear child in grace. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Pastor Jeff Smith preaches on Luke 4:14-21 "Leastness, Littleness, Lostness, and Lastness" https://youtu.be/IFX0UWf1FIY?t=1946

We must have an active faith that can see through – not over, or around or in spite of our difficulties – to our final home.

We must have an active faith that can see through – not over, or around or in spite of our difficulties – to our final home.

This week we will be reading the first number from "Way to Inner Peace." It is centered on explaining egotism and how it tries to diminish others and God in order to inflate the self.  Three words to keep in mind as we read through our first reading: Littleness, dependency, and humility.   Find more on my website: www.catholicpilgrim.net.

Join Franciscan Associate Geri Dietz as she explores the Good News of the Gospel, including God's goodness revealed to us in the vulnerability and humility of Jesus coming as a child.   From Geri's interview: “What I loved when I was learning about the Associates, is that the charism that the Third Order has received, the grace that the Third Order has received, is continual conversion. And for me, when I heard that, that that was the deal maker for me. And then it was modeled by the Sisters and other Associates that we met.  We couldn't help but want to become Associates and be with these people who live the good news of Jesus.”   “The original nativity was inspired by his [Saint Francis'] trip in 1221 to the Holy Land, which included Jesus's traditional birthplace. So that influenced him being there, as well as the Scriptures which would be both in Matthew and Luke. Francis was deeply moved visiting the site where God became fully human. Hoping that others could enjoy that same profound, inspiration and experience, he encouraged believers to make pilgrimages to Bethlehem. ... Francis decided to do the next best thing because not a lot could go to Bethlehem. He thought I'm going to bring Bethlehem to the pilgrims. So on Christmas Eve in 1223, just a few years before he died, Francis created the first Nativity in the Italian city of what's called Greccio. And with the help of a local nobleman named John, Francis celebrated the birth of Jesus in a cave outside the town.”   “We can see how God has bent over the world and comes to us as a small, seemingly insignificant, vulnerable baby. We can be grateful that the Lord came to us in the form of a child instead of the form of a committee, a jury, a dictator, a king with royal pronouncements before him. ... Jesus, this baby, doesn't communicate a series of ideas or scientific principles or algorithms. The baby's not even speaking. The child is there for us to see the love of God in the flesh. And God comes to us in a very humble form, in a form that is poor. And for Francis, the incarnation reveals the presence of God in the world, in the littleness of our lives. In the littleness of a child, born in a place where animals eat and live. The littleness of those who you and I, and everyone listening, who know people who are homeless and vulnerable in those who suffer from disease and mental illness and those who are aged and lonely. Jesus is in those who have no room in anyone else's inn.”   “What [do] people think about God and where do we stand? Is the gospel something that is restrictive, legalistic, who turns its followers into joyless men and women who quote, who don't do anything? Is it possible to live a life joyful while following the gospel? Is the gospel good news for us? We really can't understand the material world, the world of creation unless we see, unless we come to see it, in Christ, as good. That it's a good world and the gospels are called the good news. Everything that God has created is very good. We read it in the book of Wisdom. We hear it from Paul … It has a significant meaning, this good news, for Franciscans. Just reading through Francis's writings, we come across the word good so frequently that it's kind of Franciscan motto is to see the world is good. And I've noticed in the Franciscan Sisters and Brothers who I've met, and Associates, they see the good in others.”   For a full transcript, please include episode number and email: fslfpodcast@fslf.org.   References:   Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR; co-founder of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal: https://fatherbenedict.com/fr-benedict-groeschel/   Father Richard Rohr, OFM; founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation: https://cac.org/about/richard-rohr/   Spiritual Direction School in Tucson, AZ: Hesychia: http://desertrenewal.org/hesychia-sd-school/   Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota: www.fslf.org. Franciscan Associate relationship: https://www.fslf.org/AssociateRelationship   Early Franciscan Sources: Story of the first live Nativity in Greccio, Italy, 1 Celano 30:84-87: https://www.franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-saint/the-life-of-saint-francis-by-thomas-of-celano/695-fa-ed-1-page-254 Francis of Assisi, Earlier Rule 23:9-10: https://www.franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-saint/writings-of-francis/the-earlier-rule/100-fa-ed-1-page-85 Francis of Assisi, Earlier Rule 27:17-18: https://www.franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-saint/writings-of-francis/the-earlier-rule/91-fa-ed-1-page-76   Jesuit (Ignatian) Spirituality: https://www.jesuits.org/spirituality/   Jay Leno, Jaywalking “Bill of Rights” (Civics Test video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqmQJXdqrM

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen - Christmas Inspirations    Infinity of Littleness.   The Founder of Bishop Sheen Today (Al Smith) will share this reflection from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's 1966 book entitled "Christmas Inspirations".  This is the 20th reflection in a 45 part series that he will be sharing during the season of Advent. For more information about Bishop Sheen, please visit: https://www.bishopsheentoday.com/ If you would like to watch the video of this broadcast please visit - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGi-hx2pndwg6YA8JkVzMC6gAW9cSuZlZ Also, may I kindly ask that you like and subscribe to our YouTube channel.  Your support would be greatly appreciated. We are pleased to announce that we have put together an Advent Reading Guide where we go through Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's book "Lord Teach us to Pray" (2019).  You can find the reading guide by visiting: https://www.bishopsheentoday.com/advent-meditations/ You can also watch the video presentations of this book study by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGi-hx2pndwhxaI51JYjZN3rF5kBf0mwX  May the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen intercede for you and your loved ones. God Love You.

Fr. Patrick preached this homily on December 9, 2021 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Wadsworth, OH. The readings are from Is 41:13-20, Ps 145:1 and 9, 10-11, 12-13ab, & Mt 11:11-15.

Happy Thanksgiving! Here is Charles Fillmore's Thanksgiving talk from November 30, 1930. It is entitled “Littleness Transformed.” He uses the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus as told by the writer of the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19. Rev. Margie and I wish you a happy and joyous holiday season!

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen gives two reflections. “The Infinity of Littleness” from Sheen's Television Series – Life is Worth Living. Also, catechism lesson #30 entitled “The Mass”.

Understanding that the way to sainthood and ultimately heaven was found in humility, Therese vowed to place her confidence in God. St. Therese of Lisieux did not allow herself to get in the way of the vivacious pursuit of Jesus for her heart and she invites us on the Little Way which is paved with Great Love! Humility is a virtue that God asks of us and it's the path that Therese took. As we know, the Lord never requires perfection, but he desires our faithfulness. Therese of Lisieux is a prime example of how we as Christians can embrace our littleness and in doing so we grow exponentially in holiness as we depend fully on the Lord. During this journey together we discuss "The Little Way," unpack some great excerpts from Fr. Michael Gaitley's book 33 Days to Merciful Love, and reflect on how we must strive to do all things, especially small things, with great love. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dan-jason-ef3/message

Please enjoy these two reflections given by Bishop Sheen.   1) “The Infinity of Littleness” 2) “What is Love?”   May I encourage you to support our sponsors who have made these quality recordings available for your listening pleasure.   www.fultonsheen.com www.bishopsheen.com   For more information about the life and legacy of The Venerable Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen please visit:   www.bishopsheentoday.com www.archbishopsheencause.org   God Love You. Al Smith Host and Producer Your Life is Worth Living FM 98.5 (CKWR) and Radio Maria Canada email: bishopfultonjsheen@gmail.com   Catalog of shows available on demand through Radio Maria please visit eng.radiomaria.ca/podcasts/bsp/        

Sunday, September 19th, 2021

Enjoy these two recordings from Archbishop Sheen. The first talk is entitled "Human Emotions and Passions". The second talk is "The Holy Eucharist as Sacrifice". Enjoy. Please support our sponsors who have made these quality recordings available for your listening pleasure. www.fultonsheen.com www.bishopsheen.com For more information about the life and legacy of The Venerable Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen please visit: www.bishopsheentoday.com www.archbishopsheencause.org God Love You. Al Smith Host and Producer Your Life is Worth Living FM 98.5 (CKWR) and Radio Maria Canada email: bishopfultonjsheen@gmail.com Catalogue of shows available on demand through Radio Maria - www.radiomaria.ca/on-demand/your-l…is-worth-living/

How do we start mapping our ministry model against the technological and cultural changes that are impacting our world? Do we need a new ministry model in today's world and if so, what does that mean? In our first episode, we're talking about technology, ministry, and what it means to pursue Christ in today's world so that we can be faithful to what we're being called to in our day. We discuss what it means to relate to the Church and how we can meet people where they're at right now. Joining us is Michael Gormley of Catching Foxes Podcast. The Important Things (1:00) We are moving into a new ministry model that is not actually anything new but returning to an old way of ministry. (3:30) The Church was a mustard seed in the early Church. It broke the cultural norms of Rome and disrupted things. And then for 1000 years, you could not live in Europe without being integrated with the liturgy. Everything was moulded by the Gospel. In today's world, we're becoming the mustard seed again. (8:00) Littleness is the way of the Kingdom and spiritual growth. (10:00) Parish structure was meant to orientate our faith life to the world based on geographical location—small groups in community. People used to consist of a life that was no more than 5 miles from where they lived. We can have deep relationships now outside of our geographical circles. But we aren't orienting our ministry model around that reality enough. (13:24) We have to map ministry around the world that is, not the world that was. (1745) Pope Francis said we need to evangelize the technology continent. The truth of that is that people are gathering online. It is where the discussion of the day is happening and we need to meet people there (18:40) It's also how we frame evangelization like belong, believe, behave. The Church has to be family for people. It's a philosophy to return to. (29:00) We've jumped forward into the future and now the world is going to expect it. Our default is now Zoom calls and online, etc. It is the new normal. (38:00) People need experiences. We don't need programs, we need journeys where through the fullness of myself, experience God. (44:45) Faith is going to start spreading in homes and small groups and it's going to be impossible to slow down or put out. Lists & Resources In the last year, we've lost 20% of those affiliated to the Church - https://www.barna.com/research/changing-state-of-the-church/ Prophecy in Daniel - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+2%3A34-35&version=NRSVCE Parishes shaped by location - https://www.britannica.com/topic/parish-religion White horse on the side of a hill in Britain- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/3000-year-old-uffington-horse-looms-over-english-countryside-180963968/ Pope Benedict said, “we need to evangelize the tech continent.” - https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/communications/documents/hfben-xvimes2010012444th-world-communications-day.html Apple stores the most money per square footage than anywhere else. Make more money on iphone sales than microsoft in a year. Apple head of retail wanted the the stores to become the new town square. This was a huge flop (this was not the information I found… https://www.indigo9digital.com/blog/the-secret-to-apple-stores-success) Pope Francis said we need to develop an ecology of the heart, mind, and hands - https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2020/september/documents/papa-francesco20200912comunita-laudatosi.html Parasynthetic system and sympathetic system - https://www.diffen.com/difference/ParasympatheticnervoussystemvsSympatheticnervoussystem#:~:text=The%20parasympathetic%20nervous%20system%20(PNS,%22fight%20or%20flight%22%20response. iPhones are becoming an extension of our being - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/19/iphone-apple-privacy-smartphones-extension-of-ourselves Pope Francis letter - office of Catechesis - https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-05/pope-establishes-ministry-of-catechist.html *SHOW NOTES * In this episode, we discuss the world we live in and how to map our ministry model against the world that is now instead of the world that was. A new ministry model is not actually anything new but a right ordering of relationship to God and others. We have to map our ministry model against the world that is and not the world that was. We want to have a conversation around philosophies that have always defined the work of Jesus: littleness, creating belonging first, offering faith journeys and not just programs, etc. QUOTES “We're seeing this new ministry model emerge and ministry being the right ordering of relationship according to the kingdom of God.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas “We have to start orienting our efforts around the world that is, instead of the world that has been.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas “Too often we are dismissive of technology to communicate the gospel… Maybe as a Catholic Church, we need to unleash technology in appropriate ways. - Gomer “We used to gather in cathedrals or in the town church, that's where everyone gathered. But we no longer do that. Where do we gather? We gather online. We gather digitally. We gather on social media. It's not the gathering that our hearts need but it is where the discussion of the day is happening.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas “Technology can also clear the way for more meaningful in-person relationship” - Gomer “We've jumped forward into the future and now the world is going to expect it.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas “[The gospel] is going to start spreading in homes. It's going to start spreading in small communities and that littleness again. And that's powerful because once it catches, it's pretty hard to put out.” - Jason Jensen, CEO of Glass Canvas “The temptation for evangelists is compromising the church and what she asks of us and we water down the heroism of facing yourself in the morning as you truly are.” - Gomer “To keep people in the church, we do this desperate thing where we loosen what it means to be a part of the church. But if we stay true to what the Church is asking, it actually draws people in.” - Gomer

Adam, Holly, and Javier continue our discussion with Fr. Boniface Hicks which kicked off Season 2 of the podcast. We cover the year of St. Joseph and the struggles he faced. The post Redeemer S2E2 – Posture of Littleness with Fr. Boniface Hicks (Part 2) appeared first on numinous.fm.

Gospel: Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him,because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain,and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyesand saw that a large crowd was coming to him,he said to Philip,“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him,because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him,“Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enoughfor each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples,Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,and distributed them to those who were reclining,and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,“Gather the fragments left over,so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them,and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loavesthat had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him offto make him king,he withdrew again to the mountain alone. (Jn 6: 1-15)

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him,because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain,and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyesand saw that a large crowd was coming to him,he said to Philip,“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him,because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him,“Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enoughfor each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples,Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,and distributed them to those who were reclining,and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,“Gather the fragments left over,so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them,and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loavesthat had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him offto make him king,he withdrew again to the mountain alone. (Jn 6: 1-15)

Adam, Holly, and Javier welcome back Fr. Boniface Hicks to kick off our brand new season focused on St. Joseph and the Jubilee Year. The post Redeemer S2E1 – Posture of Littleness with Fr. Boniface Hicks appeared first on numinous.fm.

Little children can't wait to grow up. When they have a birthday, they are filled with joy that they are one year older. And yet, as little children, they are still dependent upon their parents in many ways. The same is true of us in a spiritual sense. We often want to “grow up” and to become great saints, attaining great things for God. And yet, we must often remind ourselves that we are still children. In our “littleness” before God, we are now and ever will be fully dependent upon Him for all our needs. Recognizing this fact is essential to becoming a great saint and growing in holiness. We become great by becoming small (See Diary #779).Reflect upon your littleness before God. Compared to the glory and power of the Almighty, we are small and weak. But God sees our littleness and He desires that we run to Him in complete confidence. Entrust yourself to His Mercy and run to Him. Realize that it is only by humbly admitting your total dependence upon Him that you are made strong through His embrace. Lord, I do run to You and cling to You in my need. You are All-Powerful and glorious beyond measure. May I rely upon You in all things and continually seek You with my whole being. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is a grace from God to see ourselves as we are. And what will we see if we see ourselves this way? We will see our misery and nothingness. At first, this may not be all that desirable. It may even seem contrary to the dignity we have in Christ. But that’s the key. Our dignity is “in Christ.” Without Him, we are nothing. We are misery and nothingness by ourselves (See Diary #256).Today, do not be offended or afraid to acknowledge your “nothingness.” If it does not sit well with you at first, beg God for grace to see yourself as you are without Him. You will quickly see that without our divine Savior, you are truly miserable in every way. This is the starting point to a deep gratitude in that it allows you to more fully realize all that God has done for you. And when you see this, you will rejoice in the fact that He has come to meet you in this nothingness and has lifted you high to the dignity of His precious child.Lord, may I see my misery and wretchedness this day. May I come to understand that without You I am nothing. And in that realization, help me to become eternally grateful for the precious gift of becoming Your dear child in grace. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

A course in miracles chapter 15 part three littleness versus magnitude --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on Let Me Be Frank, Bishop Frank talks about two beloved Saints: Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.

Caroline Crachami, "The Sicilian Fairy," was one of the earliest identified cases of primordial dwarfism known.  She was barely a foot and a half feet tall.  The Mexican Lucia Zarate had a similar condition. Podcast Site: https://forgottendarkness.podbean.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastDarkness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agable_fd/ Part of the Straight Up Strange Network: https://www.straightupstrange.com/ Opening music from https://filmmusic.io. "Dark Child" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Closing music by Soma.   SOURCES “Little People Make Mark On History.” Binghamton (NY) Press and Sun-Bulletin, February 5, 1978. “Two Human Wonders.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 10, 1876. Bondeson, Jan. A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999. Wood, Gaby. “The Smallest of All Persons Mentioned in the Records of Littleness.” London Review of Books 19:24 (December 11, 1997). http://www.sideshowworld.com/13-TGOD/2009/tgod-Lucia-Zarate-1.html http://casagrande-museo.blogspot.com/

Today's devotion is written by Emily Stimpson Chapman. You can subscribe to receive these devotions via email at blessedisshe.net.

Our futures are not bound by the past. In this episode we explore this fact through the lens of Jesus’ parables particularly focusing on the seeds in the four types of soil. Father gives wonderful teachings on mustard seed, weeds, and soil parables and applies it to our times.The podcast Father and Joe brings us, as individuals, closer to the Holy Spirit and His Church.Thank you for listening.FatherAndJoe@gmail.comAlso you can find is on twitter @FatherAndJoe

. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/edenredux/support

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen gives two reflections. “The Infinity of Littleness” from the Life is Worth Living Show. Also the talk “What love is”.

Little children can’t wait to grow up.  When they have a birthday, they are filled with joy that they are one year older.  And yet, as little children, they are still dependent upon their parents in many ways.  The same is true of us in a spiritual sense.  We often want to “grow up” and to become great saints, attaining great things for God.  And yet, we must often remind ourselves that we are still children.  In our “littleness” before God, we are now and ever will be fully dependent upon Him for all our needs.  Recognizing this fact is essential to becoming a great saint and growing in holiness.  We become great by becoming small (See Diary #779).Reflect upon your littleness before God.  Compared to the glory and power of the Almighty, we are small and weak.  But God sees our littleness and He desires that we run to Him in complete confidence.  Entrust yourself to His Mercy and run to Him.  Realize that it is only by humbly admitting your total dependence upon Him that you are made strong through His embrace.Lord, I do run to You and cling to You in my need.  You are All-Powerful and glorious beyond measure.  May I rely upon You in all things and continually seek You with my whole being.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is a grace from God to see ourselves as we are.  And what will we see if we see ourselves this way?  We will see our misery and nothingness.  At first, this may not be all that desirable.  It may even seem contrary to the dignity we have in Christ.  But that’s the key.  Our dignity is “in Christ.”  Without Him, we are nothing.  We are misery and nothingness by ourselves (See Diary #256).Today, do not be offended or afraid to acknowledge your “nothingness.”  If it does not sit well with you at first, beg God for grace to see yourself as you are without Him.  You will quickly see that without our divine Savior, you are truly miserable in every way.  This is the starting point to a deep gratitude in that it allows you to more fully realize all that God has done for you.  And when you see this, you will rejoice in the fact that He has come to meet you in this nothingness and has lifted you high to the dignity of His precious child.Lord, may I see my misery and wretchedness this day.  May I come to understand that without You I am nothing.  And in that realization, help me to become eternally grateful for the precious gift of becoming Your dear child in grace.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Speaker: Jerry Cisar As one commentator puts it, “The appetite for prominence was a problem for...

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen gives two reflections. 1) “The Infinity of Littleness” from Sheen’s Television Series – Life is Worth Living. 2) Catechism lesson entitled “The Mass”.

What can the 2018 film Free Solo teach us about the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux? A Homily for the Solemnity of St. Therese of Lisieux, our patron saint at the Didde Catholic Campus Center. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frmatt-nagle/message

We don’t strive for too much. We strive for too little.Everything we search for, our desire to get ahead, to reduce pain, to make life easier - all of those are setting the bar too low.There is nothing in the world that can bring us real peace.Consider these insightful lines from A Course in Miracles:“Be not content with littleness. Everything in this world is little because it is made out of littleness, in the strange belief that littleness can content you. When you strive for anything in the world in the belief that it will bring you peace, you are belittling yourself and blinding yourself to glory.”That’s why everything we strive for in the world leads to disappointment.The Course goes on to counsel us: “Littleness and glory are the choices open to your striving and your vigilance. You will always choose one at the expense of the other.”Let’s be vigilant for choosing glory and saying “no thank you” to littleness.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Episode 31 - Seeing Their Littleness In this meditation, Joe helps us to bless those in our lives that we too often hold on to, so that we can begin to trust in their own unique paths. https://livingroomstudio.org

In this sermon, preached Sunday morning, 24 February 2019, David Nyoni, member of and elder at Central Baptist Church, speaks from Mark 9:33–37 and 10:13Read More

Subscribe to our SRM iTunes PodcastJoin us this week as Pastor Lou Costantini continues a series on the words of Jesus and the life and healing they bring to our everyday lives as we pursue after Him.

Last week, I spent a few days with some of the most talented, inspiring, bright women I've ever met, yet in our discussions realized that most of us still struggle with feeling enough. The next morning in my quiet time, I opened A Course in Miracles to a passage called Littleness v. Magnitude that spoke right to my heart and had me in tears. I shared it with some of the women in the mastermind and thought it may interest you as well. In today's episode, hear some of that teaching and learn how to recognize when you're aligning with the truth of who you are v. the lie your ego is fooling you with. Resources: A Course in Miracles International https://acimi.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themorninglightshow/support

Caroline Carmichael joins Lisa Flood and Susie Mackenzie.  So struck by the example of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Caroline travels to India to experience firsthand, "The Littleness of Servanthood".  

Deuteronomy 8:10-18, John 3:22-36

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen gives two reflections. 1) “The Infinity of Littleness” from Sheen’s Television Series – Life is Worth Living. 2) Catechism lesson entitled “The Mass”.

On today's episode of Business Miracles, learn how to choose magnitude over littleness and watch what transpires in your business as a result. “It absolutely breaks my heart to watch HSE's believe that they can't be successful in business in a way that aligns with who they are.” - Heather Dominick Learn more about this episode of Business Miracles at https://www.businessmiracles.com/12

On today's episode of Business Miracles, learn how to choose magnitude over littleness and watch what transpires in your business as a result. “It absolutely breaks my heart to watch HSE's believe that they can't be successful in business in a way that aligns with who they are.” - Heather Dominick Learn more about this episode of Business Miracles at http://www.businessmiracles.com/12

On today's episode of Business Miracles, learn how to choose magnitude over littleness and watch what transpires in your business as a result. “It absolutely breaks my heart to watch HSE's believe that they can’t be successful in business in a way that aligns with who they are.” - Heather Dominick. Learn more about this episode of Business Miracles at http://www.businessmiracles.com/12

Little children can’t wait to grow up. When they have a birthday, they are filled with joy that they are one year older. And yet, as little children, they are still dependent upon their parents in many ways. The same is true of us in a spiritual sense. We often want to “grow up” and to become great saints, attaining great things for God. And yet, we must often remind ourselves that we are still children. In our “littleness” before God, we are now and ever will be fully dependent upon Him for all our needs. Recognizing this fact is essential to becoming a great saint and growing in holiness. We become great by becoming small (See Diary #779).Reflect upon your littleness before God. Compared to the glory and power of the Almighty, we are small and weak. But God sees our littleness and He desires that we run to Him in complete confidence. Entrust yourself to His Mercy and run to Him. Realize that it is only by humbly admitting your total dependence upon Him that you are made strong through His embrace.Lord, I do run to You and cling to You in my need. You are All-Powerful and glorious beyond measure. May I rely upon You in all things and continually seek You with my whole being. Jesus, I trust in You.

Daily Devotions from Charles Spurgeon, read by Doug Smith.  To read the entire book online, visit spurgeon.org.  For more information about the program, visit brotherdougsmith.wordpress.com.    February 21 Blessing on Littleness He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. (Psalm 115:13)  This is a word of cheer to those who are of humble station and mean estate. Our God has a very gracious consideration for those of small property, small talent, small influence, small weight. God careth for the small things in creation and even regards sparrows in their lighting upon the ground. Nothing is small to God, for He makes use of insignificant agents for the accomplishment of His purposes. Let the least among men seek of God a blessing upon his littleness, and he shall find his contracted sphere to be a happy one. Among those who fear the Lord there are little and great. Some are babes, and others are giants. But these are all blessed. Little faith is blessed faith. Trembling hope is blessed hope. Every grace of the Holy Spirit, even though it be only in the bud, bears a blessing within it. Moreover, the Lord Jesus bought both the small and the great with the same precious blood, and He has engaged to preserve the lambs as well as the full-grown sheep. No mother overlooks her child because it is little; nay, the smaller it is, the more tenderly does she nurse it. If there be any preference with the Lord, He does not arrange them as "great and small" but as "small and great."

In this episode we will discuss Chapter 15 Section 3 paragraph 3 of ACIM. Littleness vs. Magnitute and flow that energy into your day to help you acheive what you are wanting. Also, we will look at some specific manifestations that folks from our Healers Helping Healers facebook group are wanting.  Please ask to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HealersHelp/

Littleness is Greatness

Ephesians 4:1-3

http://acim.meDavid Hoffmeister who speaks from the Awakened Mind, continues a journey through the spiritual classic A Course In Miracles by reading from Chapter 15, The Holy Instant, Littleness versus Magnitude, followed by Lesson 117 from the Workbook. http://acim.me

Today's talk is a Thanksgiving talk from 1930. Charles Fillmore's lesson was titled "Littleness Transformed," and he uses the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus as told by the writer of the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19. Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving! 

Of all that is said about Zacchaeus there is one that motiviated all that he did. There is one word that described him. That word is little. He was too small to see because of his height. He ran ahead and climbed a tree to see Jesus. There is a great challenge in overcoming the littleness of life. The difference in a man's life can be summed up in how he deals with the littleness of life. Littleness means the property of lacking. It speaks not only to physical characteristics, but smallness in character. The lack of generosity, compassion or love play into littleness. Littleness is seldom, lacking, infrequent. Littleness might refer to dreams, hopes or faith. Littleness affects all of us in some way. The problem of littleness sabotages relationships. Littleness undermines our efforts to be a better spouse, or a better person. Life can become troublesome over the little things. Littleness can keep us from many things. If we trace far enough back to the root of our problems, we will find a little thing. Most likely the writer in our text was referring to Zaccheaus’ physical stature. But Zasccheaus was small in other parts of his life. He had become wealthy at others expense. He had little regard for others. He was small int he way that he treated other people. He was small in his attitude about life. It was all about him. That is a small world when it is all about you. He was small in the fact that he did not care what he had to do to get what he wanted. His world only included himself. In every way possible, Zaccheaus was little: physically, emotionally, relational. For far too many people the unhappiness in life is linked to something so small. The littleness of life affects too many. The truth is that most of us are blessed far beyond what we deserve and the things we find to complain about come from the littleness of life. The littleness of life is destroying marriages, families, homes, careers, and relationships. If we are not careful we will miss the best things in life over littleness. If there is some area of life that is suffering from littleness, we must address that area. Littleness had affected Zaccheaus' life. Something happened that day, the bible does not tell us what, but something caused Zaccheeaus to look at himself. He came to the realization that he was a little man. Like Zaccheaus, we have to climb up to a higher place to overcome our littleness. We cannot overcome a little problem if we keep living down where we are. He climbed up to a place where he could find Jesus. We have to do more than lift yourself up with self help. We have to lift ourselves up to meet with Jesus. Finally Zaccheaus had to respond to Jesus when he spoke to him. Even if he had done all the other things, Zaccheaus would have not gotten any better if he had not responded to Jesus. We find the answer to what we are seeking when we listen to what Jesus has to say in our life. We find the secret to overcoming littleness by following Jesus.

Mark reiterates Jesus's teaching that in God's kingdom, greatness comes by adopting an attitude of littleness and by being a servant of all.

Class 12 of the Exploring Guru Tattva Retreat in Gita Nagari.

In this episode only a few paragraphs are read from Chapter 15 The Holy Instant, Section 3 "Littleness versus Magnitude"Each member of the group then invited shares their current personal experiences in regards to the reading- originally recorded 1.19.14