Salut Andrius,

Regarding this paragraph that you wrote:

"I think that self-appointment is at the heart of a culture of independent thinkers. Peter, you often ask, what is the "institution" of Minciu Sodas? I'm feeling that people need institutions so they could be appointed by them. But I can appoint myself, and as I showed last year, I can welcome and appoint all who come up and down Kenya who would like to be appointed."

It seems that you could also call it "One who responds as needed."

This involves a heart and mind to care. As Ken wrote earlier "action, action, action".

The difficulty arises when the need calls for more than one person to respond. It then becomes a matter of finding the "tuning fork" that allows for the necessary adjustment of the resources available and the adaptation to respond to the need as it presents itself. In such moments, there comes a time when we find our limits and insufficiency for which adaptation becomes crucial if we are to fulfill the task(s) at hand. Those times becomes either moments of personal and communal growth, by which we learn to tune up and to respond from the no-experience to the unknown, or else we crumble under the weight of the task itself, under the the impossibility of the weight.

My dad repeated all his life: "There is nothing impossible to man! Whatever he can't do, he just drops it!" I've struggled to understand that each time I heard him say it, but I think that with age, I'm getting it more and more.

What I find, is that the one important factor is to never loose joy. I don't mean pleasure nor happiness, but the deep silent sense of hope, faith and love with which we can carry being our self through struggle, tears and even oppression. When individuals can tap in that resource, then that's because the Creator's Spirit is sustaining the effort. We then may be alone and yet, never suffer loneliness.

As we learn to be cultivated in such joy, we then become equipped with the one leading indicator to decide when and how to respond, one day at the time to our daily grind.

To me, that is the true source of wealth that keeps us going against all odds and that can only keep on getting richer and richer, no matter how poor materially!

Scriptural references to joy

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Ps 16,11

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.Ps 45,6-7

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.Ps 51,7-13

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.Jn 15,9-17

Jesus said: While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.Jn 17,12-19

...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Rm 14,17-18

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.Gal 5,22-23

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1Thess 1,6-10

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Heb 12,1-2

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen[a] you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.1Pe 1,3-9

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life- the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1Jn 1,1-4

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 Jn 1,2-4

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. Jude 1-24-25

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