Bead number 109.

I am a culture freak. I love learning about and studying other areas of the world and the unique things that make up their societies. It inspires me to see their convictions. In all areas. I love art and music. I love food and landscapes. I love architecture and monuments. But most of all, i love learning tiny bits of religious customs and sometimes using the basic principles to improve my own life. I am completely convicted and grounded in my own beliefs, but if there is a particular practice that could benefit me if applied correctly, i don't see it as a problem. I love to know things. I refuse to be ignorant. I refuse to act like my way is the only way. Because it is not. And there are many beautiful religions out there. God's way is the only way, but i believe there are many forms of worship God accepts, that are found all over the world. One small thing i have learned to appreciate lately is the japa mala. Now the japa mala is a string of beads that originated in India. They were used among the devout Hindus and Bhuddists to help them stay focused during prayerful meditation. The necklace was to be held in one hand and fingered in a circle. Everytime you touched a bead you repeated the mantra- or holy prayer. When the Crusades drove the Europeans west they observed this technique and brought it home to the Catholic church which evolved into what we know now as a rosary. Now here comes the cool part. Every japa mala is made with 108 beads. Eastern philosophers believe 108 is a number of perfection, it being a multiple of three and the numbers adding up to nine which is also a strand of three. Three we know is the number of ultimate perfection demonstrated throughout many cultures and mentioned in the Bible especially in referrance to the Holy Trinity. But the unique part of a true japa mala is the 109th bead. Every true japa mala has one. And of course most of logical people would assume is just an extra, like a button they put in those small baggies for sweaters and such. But the 109th bead has a very specific purpose. It dangles apart from the others as a centerpiece of balance and as your fingers cross the 109th bead you are to stop your meditation and pray a special prayer of thanksgiving for your life's teachers. Isn't that just beautiful?? I love how symbolic the Indian culture is. How they can take something as simple as a necklace and turn it into a tool for worship. But my point here is this... How many times a day do we stop and thank God for the people that got us here?? Now teachers come in many forms. Often we think of school and Bible class, but i believe teachers come any many shapes. Anyone that you learn something from or anyone that influences your life is a teacher. Every action, everthing you do originated from somewhere. Something you gleened from someone else. Every quirk and odd habit. None are your own. They all came from SOMEWHERE. Someone TAUGHT you to do that. Whether on purpose or subconscioulsy. And not all teachers are good. Sometimes the most important lessons in life are taught through very bad people. But you were taught either way. You learned and you grew. You take a piece of everyone with you. Everyone you meet and converse with. Some part of them is engrained within you. Now in twenty years only the truly influential will be remembered, but whether recognized or not, every teacher is a part of you. So i thank God for my teachers today. In whatever form they appeared. I thank God for Scott Bailey and Jordan Corlew. Both of which i will touch on many more times in the future. I am thankful for my parents and the amazing teachers they have been. I am thankful for my actual teachers, that supported me and helped me to succeed. I am thankful for my Bible school teachers, who felt i was special enough to partake in the beautiful message of Christ. And i am thankful for the rough spots in my life. The people that taught me by hurting me. Because as hard as it was, i have learned. And those are a few less lessons i will have to learn later in life. So let's remember the next time we pray to whatever God it is that we believe in, to thank the people that got us this far. And ask God to bless us with wonderful teachers to light our way in the future.