He did not say he does not want to make money. He said something like that he must no longer crave for making more money than he actually needs for a living, that'S how I got him when he said he is no longer priporitizing what he called "financial success. He said that he felt accepted in life in a way that was somewhat "universal" - and obviously was totally independent from financial criteria.

If I would think he just started a self-glorifying parade in order to get rewared a social wellfare-ticket over religious reasons and not needing to make his living himself anymore, I would be the first to wash his head, or else kick his back. I love religion, have you forgotten? :D

as long as he does not claim any right to demand others needing to pay for his future mental/religious/spiritual/whatever intentions, I see no problem , for the only one being materialistically effected by his new understanding - is himself.

Well what he said was....
And it certainly isn't everyones life calling. Not mine either. But to not have a calling for financial success can be interpreted as a calling to mediocrity.

I know it is none of my business, but what is the second part of the epiphany? What is he going to do with his life? The first part is telling him to be a bumb, please tell me there is a second part.

I think we just let him clear it up. I referred to the same sentence, but I interpret him less literally than you seem to do. But we can know for sure only if he comments on it a little further.

Hmm not exactly like that it means my ambition is not money.
I was worried about financial success before but I've realized money is not my ambition and not my goal in life.

it doesn't mean I will be a bum either it merely means money is not my ambition. It means I'm grateful with whatever money I get and not wanting more. Whatever work I do it will not be merely because I'm wanting more money it will simply because either I like the work or because I need the money or both.It doesn't exclude the possibilities that I will be rich or even extremely rich either but it merely means money is not my ambition.

it means it's okay if I didn't end up with a big house with luxury cars or a high position in job. It doesn't exclude those possibilities but they no longer be a part of my dream or ambition.

There's a verse in the bible telling one cannot serve two masters mammon and God(mammon being money). I was always worrying and had ambition to become financially successful that it became a sort of goal to me but not anymore. I've realized chasing after money is just not my calling.

But then you may ask how could one be rich if he doesn't have ambition to accumulate wealth? That's a question which answer I'd like to keep to myself. The poorest works the hardest yet they are still the poorest at most they become mediocre, the very wealthy work less yet they are even becoming even wealthier. Anyway I don't aim becoming wealthy but that doesn't exclude me from the possibility.

Skybird got the most of my point ;D

The accumilation of wealth isn't important. But please do something to make yourself happy. For me it was aviation. I still love the feel of a Piper Cub. I can make it sh1t little green apples.

Then you're judging everyone with how much money they make money is your yardstick in life. Bill gates is probably a mediocre singer and a lousy actor.
John of the cross is probably a lousy merchant but he was a great mystic.
A person may be a great soldier but is a mediocre businessman. But your view is shared by many people in today's world that measure a man's worth by how much money he is making.

I know a priest of certain monastic order who is very successful. In fact he is like no other man I know. Not even Obama. In my mind he is a great person. But he doesn't have a lot of money. If he wanted to stray from the righteous path he could even change history and the leaders of my country or at least making himself extremely wealthy. No joking. You would ask how could he? I mean he's just a priest . . .because money is your yardstick. The Somalian pirate leaders probably have more money than most of us. Is he a great man to you? There are people who ran away with people's money in my country I mean really lots of money in hundreds million of dollars and got away with it. You think they are great men?

Don't judge me by my ramblings, lest you be judged. I'm with you Castout. But please have a calling. It is the most important thing you can do for yourself and the Lord.

of course we all should strive for our own happiness. MUST INDEED :DL

Of course we each do what we could do to the best of our ability in whatever calling we are called into some maybe called way differently than others so people began to question them but let the giver of all calling who started all things finish His masterpieces in each of us so that all be revealed in its due time. We can only guess what the other people's calling really are. But we each are called in our own special way. I believe no man's life is ever wasted.

Hmm whatever I'm not looking for anything I'm merely speaking truth If that sounded like self glorifying then I guess you took me wrong but that really sounded glorious wasn't it:D? They are my victories in battle. I have a battle of ideology that you don't know anything about. If you thought I was boasting well I'm boasting that God is my helper that's all. Who is like God is my battle cry! I certainly don't need any free welfare ticket:O: I just can't stand the mediocre people to put me down! Yes you are right that sounded glorious indeed! I didn't mean it to be self glorification though. But they are sure glorious indeed and I haven't even begun to write anything substantial.lol but people often cry cockiness to veil their jealousy and hatred. I haven't even begun to write anything substantial yet. That was nothing. I have a God that I want people to know! I have victories that I want people to know. I want everything good that God has done to me(not me myself) be eventually remembered by my own future children at the very least. I want people to know WHO IS LIKE GOD! So this is my battle cry WHO IS LIKE GOD!

In return of lies and cheats of my enemies I gave them the truth. I'm not desperate either as I have hope. I just would like to tell the world that they have GOD.
And if I died right now, today or tomorrow I could say what a glorious God you are! What a journey!

Well, if you read me correctly you'll see that I defended you from a suspected accusation and did not say you were boasting, but I said that I assumed you to be exactly not on what i called a self-glorifying parade.

I will vouch for Skybird, if that is necessary, and appologize for any insult you may feel. I don't think either of us accused you of being vain glorious. And even if we had done so niether of us are in a position to claim it about you.

GD
CM

@chad: Stick with school and you can't go wrong!:yeah: Even though I'm not even remotley doing what my degree is in:dead:, it still totally opened up the door for me. find something (usefull) that you like to do learn it in and out and become really good at it, then make a career out of it.:woot:.

Of course school is number 1 whether you knw your calling by the time you enter tertiary education or not yet

Ooops :oops:. I read you wrong?? So ashamed. Sorry about my babbling :DL

Hmm no worry I didn't feel insulted in fact I feel surprised you guys don't try to contradict me :D. It's all cool. If there were people who insulted me it wasn't you guys on subsim. This post is for the world to see ;)

Just that for the people around me their weapon of choice are ignorance and denial. Would love to discuss and ask say theology of death with people who really know it for example but I just never got the chance. My friends largely ignored me on my testimony(knowledge) on death because it doesn't fit the Roman catholic version. My mother is even worse wouldn't even want to listen. I put the facts from the bible too and get plainly ignored or worse refused to be listened to. Ignorance is really an effective weapon of choice! Sometimes they use denial too. Plainly denying things which is true. That's one of the reason I keep silent when I feel other people heart especially my own family, the other reason is ethics wouldn't want to embarrass them. I just needed to take a peek at their faces or I used facial expression once to convey to a priest which wasn't saying a thing entirely true and it worked since after staring at him in the eyes he revoked his speech, other than that I slipped my tongue once because I didn't agree to the person who was feeling it. Ignorance and denial often got to me. I know I'm considered enemy of a state which explains the discrimination(generous discount to my grades) and society pressure and the way my family treat me. Shame on them.

I could be wrong, but I get the feeling that much of that last statement of Castout's should be taken in the context of what he wrote in his signature.

I've never had an epiphany, and have slowly come to conclude that most of what I've ever believed is wrong. But that includes both the times I was a devout Christian and the brief period I tried being a devout atheist. My calling? I may have been denying it all my life, and it may have snuck back up on me recently. We'll see.

As for you, Castout, I'm behind you 100%. Some people will say that the internet is not a place to discuss personal issues too deeply, but that is one of the things I like about Subsim - for the most part I feel free to talk about almost anything.

I hope your newfound faith and orientation work out for the best.