Time: Fri Nov 01 07:35:12 1996
To: marmstrong <marmstrong@snowcrest.net>
From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar]
Subject: affection and grace
Cc:
Bcc:
At 01:21 AM 11/1/96 -0800, you wrote:
>At 05:40 AM 10/31/96 -0700, you wrote:
>>At 12:51 AM 10/31/96 -0800, you wrote:
>>>At 12:27 PM 10/30/96 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi Paul,
>>>>Hi Marcia,
>>>>
>Re:
>>>>"The Friendship Factor," by Alan Loy
>>>>McGinnis, Augsburg Publishing House,
>>>>Minneapolis (1979).
>
>It wasn't listed as a local book. Will try to special
>order through library system.
You will just love it.
It is a book for all ages.
Some day I will write a
book like this, one which
can bring joy to the lives
of millions, if not billions.
/s/ Paul Mitchell
>
>(snipped)
>
>>>Be well, my friend. Let us
>>>>begin by seeing ourselves as little miracles
>>>>of life, which daily grow up into big miracles
>>>>we share with everyone willing to receive us,
>>>>in the image and likeness of the One who
>>>>created us. From the Mind of the Maker
>>>>we came; evidence of the supernatural
>>>>surrounds us: we are that evidence.
>>>
>>From some of the things you've said, I am picking
>up on some indications that you may have some
>facility for ESP, telepathy or projected travel.
>(Not sure the right name for this.)
No one has ever said this
to me. I rather regard it
as an over-developed cranium,
because my childhood was so
lonely; I would retreat into
my mind, where there were always
lots of things to do. I discovered
binary arithmetic on my own, when
I was 7. When bored, I would see
how high I could carry the series
1, 2, 4, 8, 16 ... I got pretty
good at it. I took to computers
like a duck to water.
/s/ Paul Mitchell
>
>>>Have you read Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin
>>>Gospel" Multnomah Press c1990? It is one of my
>>>favorites.
>
>It is all about the Christian concept of Grace.
Ah, yes, the presence
of the supernatural.
The Kingdom of Heaven
is within Us. From a
psychologist's point of view,
I translate that to mean that
we can learn to project good,
and actually materialize it
in the tangible world, as a
result of our thoughts.
Smiling is a simple example
of that; it has a very
powerful influence on people.
>(I was raised a Presbyterian by a Congregationalist
>and an Episcopalian, but Grace was the "hook" that
>gave me a "personal Savior" as an adult living in
>a mini-Bible belt.
He was a real Man, and He
did have an immense impact
on other humans. I like to
tell the story of Mary
Magdalene. Would you like
to hear me tell that story?
(My church is Evangelical. Don't
>accept many of the fundamentalist teachings, but love
>my Pastor. He and his wife give me hugs.)
I hope I can give you hugs
some day too. You do deserve
them so very much, for your
dedication to truth. You
are surely on the path, and
your reward shall be great.
Just give yourself permission
to believe it, and you will be
filled with immense joy. Try it!
"I am on the path of truth, and
my reward will be great for it,"
says Mar to herself in the mirror,
with the greatest of convictions.
There ... done.
/s/ Paul Mitchell
>
> >>>
>>>>/s/ Paul Mitchell
>>
>>>>===========================================================
>>>>Paul Andrew, Mitchell, B.A., M.S.: pmitch@primenet.com
>>>>ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776, Tucson, Arizona state
>>>>===========================================================
>>>>
>(snipped)
>>
>>Our Creator is terrific
>>at forwarding thoughts
>>of good will, no matter
>>how distant we are in space,
>>so touching is a thought
>>pattern, a pattern of
>>thinking before doing.
>>The smallest gesture can
>>convey a huge amount of love.
>
>This reminds me of the reality
>constructs of DePak Choppra (sp?.)
Deepak Chopra, yes!
>>
>>>Being thoughtful, like bringing someone a cup of
>>> coffee when you're getting one for yourself
>>
>>I am bad about this one,
>>because I get so task-focused,
>>I forget the immediate milieu
>>
>I also get task oriented. Tend to spill coffee
>on myself occassionally or forget where I put
>things down. (I once put Jon's shoes in the
>refrigerator when he was younger.)
Getting him ready for winter,
no doubt. What did he say
when he found them there?
>
>>>Suggesting a dinner out when the cook is tired
>>
>>I LOVE to eat out, I think,
>>because I love to be waited
>>on in restaurants. I just
>>eat alone a lot these days.
>
>I get to eat out only at luncheon or
>dinner meetings, which are rare. (Can't
>afford it.) We have an excellent Thai/Laotian
>restaurant "nearby." I love Senthong's cooking,
>expecially sticky rice and spicy shrimp. (I am
>a born and bred seafood lover.)
Are there fish to be fried
from that river you steward
so meticulously?
>
>>The word on the street now
>>is that I am a deep cover
>>government agent: very vicious
>>lie, this one.
>
>Maybe I am niave, but it doesn't matter
>to me if you were. (More in letter sent.)
>I am distantly related to Samuel Adams and
>outspokeness must be a family trait.
I just love it when people
are direct, even with bad news.
It is impossible to be direct
and lie at the same time, I believe.
>
>>Smiling, particularly,
>>and humor, the best
>>medicine ever.
>
>One cannot parent without a sense of humor.
>The first thing one learns is not to depend
>on having your material possessions survive
>childhood.
Does this include furniture,
walls, ceilings, and ceiling
lamps?
Then as a parent of a teenager, you
>learn how to use humor to back out of
>confrontational places you do not want to revisit.
This is the thing I do not
understand about teenagers.
My teenage years were spent
in strict obedience to a
very elaborate moral and ethical
code: 5 1/2 years in a Catholic
seminary. I was bounced for
questioning authority. Then,
when I transferred to UCLA,
Martin Luther King was shot
my first day on campus. I began
to oppose the Vietnam war (Tet
Offensive in Spring of 1968).
Then, Robert Kennedy was killed.
In the space of 9 months, I lost
my vocation, I lost a girlfriend
whom I had met while I was in
the seminary, and I lost my family,
who disowned me for opposing the
war. It was devastating. I began
a very long but steady descent into
self-abuse and corruption. When
I bottomed out, my face was in the
mud and almost all of my neighbors
were either laughing or spitting.
Very few had bothered to read the book,
so they only saw the outside struggle.
Something very formative was building
on the inside, the Parable of the Mustard
Seed, I believe. The Son of God has
redeemed me; I am not responsible for
any of the work I do now, because I would
not be here if it were not for that
redemption. I was headed to the
Golden Gate Bridge for a very long leap.
Grace keeps me alive, from moment to
moment. My next big test is faith.
More on that later.
/s/ Paul Mitchell
>>
>>>Affection initiated without prompting
>>
>Brennan Manning is great on "unconditional love."
>I never could accept Christianity on an
>intellectual level. However, in my life it
>became *absolutely essential* to accept in
>Christ that my maker's love of me was
>both personal and unconditional.
>
>It does not always translate into parenting.
>Children need some behavioral expectations. The
>trick is to front-load them with a sense of ethics,
>self responsibility and honor before their teen-age
>years. Let them make (small) mistakes to get the hang
>of it. They have mature in self-directioned and
>balanced self-esteem.
>
>I am very lucky that both my children have
>managed to grow into fine people, and that the
>school has given them additional skills to
>negotiate through the pitfalls of life.
Then you have done your job well,
as always. They will respect you
greatly for you, as they grow up
and learn to appreciate the differences
between you and other parents they
meet.
>
>>>
>>>OH well, Ima goner......it was Dick Army, she
>>>mumbled as she drifted off..............
>>
>>You might probe your fantasy
>>a little bit. We can do that
>>here, where it's safe.
>
>Oh no. Dick Army is a *man.* One only fantasizes
>about *guys*. (As my daughter said about a
>coversation she and her roomate had after
>experiencing college social life for the first
>two weeks; "Amy and I have talked and decided that
>we are not yet ready to date guys with facial hair."
>
>It must have something to do with the intrinsic
>father/daughter taboo. Dick Army does not seem
>"approachable" on that level - way too ponderous
>and seriously into power.
... maybe the wrong kind of power too?
Are you fantasizing a perfect archetype
in Armey?
>
>Liam Neeson (Rob Roy Schindlers List) also is
>not fantasizable. He is too intense. I get the
>impression that if he turned his lovelights on you,
>you would be in for a long and serious relationship
>with great depths of passionate sincerity. You'd
>want to "be there" soaking up all the real experience
>and not off fantasizing.
How do these differ for you?
Can you give concrete
examples from your own
experience?
>
>>I have a robot persona you
>>might like to meet. He errs
>>all the time with strange
>>English idioms, so he is
>>very lovable, and very bright.
>>He talks like a child with an
>>IQ of 200. Do you want to
>>share your fantasy with him?
>>His name is I Pobot I (1001
>>for short).
>
>Yes, no, no, yes ? :-)
1 0 0 1 8-]
commence translation program now:
1001 = I Pobot, I here, explanetizing
abbreviation from I pObOt I.
Are you copying phonetic transliterations
empirically via my remote retina imaging devices?
Helping now: "Pobot, I" is Pobot the
First, a Robot with one-leg still standing.
Do you copy? 10-4
0010101000101001100100111010010100100 ahhhhhhhh
(binary addictions are wonderful, yes)
>
>>Bye.
>>
>>/s/ Paul Mitchell
>>
>>copy: I Pobot, I
>>(Robot the First,
>> with one leg-standing)
>>
>>
>>>
>Marcia
>>
>>===========================================================
>>Paul Andrew, Mitchell, B.A., M.S.: pmitch@primenet.com
>>ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776, Tucson, Arizona state
>>===========================================================
>>
>>
>>
>
>
Return to Table of Contents for
Supreme Law School: E-mail