Today is the day....

Well today is the last day to sign up for affordable health care. Too bad if you can’t afford it; just cancel paying rent for the rest of your life. If you don’t sign up for affordable health care, your will be penalized. 

The NSA will contact you via FaceBook or Twitter and let you know that the IRS now will be monitoring your use of toilet paper. You see every time you buy toilet paper, the USP code will be scanned as to how many sheets you purchase. Then at the end of the year, they will know whether or not you have been abusing the ecological system. You will be fined a 1.2257 % of the 7.5% of tax on what you pay for the water consumption of flushing your toilet. 

OMG they are on to us all!!! 

Run for the hills because the NRA has a new weapon of mass introduction. It is called bullet balls. It is refurbished Twinkies that didn’t sale in the 1960s. They look good, still have the spring viability but they will kill you dead with one shot. If that doesn’t work and you still resist government mandate, you will be banish to Malaysia and forced to fly on one of their airlines. Banishment!

People ask me why I wear purple?  “When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple Robe…” (John 19:5) Purple naturally reminds me of Jesus.

Keep in prayer each other.

God bless all and keep you safely in His arms. 

What I am about to share

What I am about to share is some pure feelings of anger.

(1)     The insurance that we are forced to buy has put my son in further debt. He went to get a physical to be told he is healthy. That physical with the insurance has put him in debt of almost $1,000 in less than 15 days. His insurance is equally comparable than what his company offered on the same policy. He has insurance, schools loans, cell bill, out of pocket expenses for school, uniforms, and other expenses. He has to live at home or on the streets. He finishes school in a few months. He hopes to make more money to pay off his debts. He is not getting anything free on his insurance. He, like many, has to pay dearly out of pocket. Welcome to life in America. He, like many young people, is graduating from college with financial debt it takes many others years to accumulate.

(2)     Insurances are generally paid out of pocket by the individual person. Most policies cover birth control, medically necessary terminations, medically necessary penile implants, and sterilizations (generally) for men and or women. So what is the issue? A private company is not a religious organization. Oh wait, this is a test case. Waist the tax payer’s money to test a case. Oh I forget we do this in America. Too many individual rights will destroy a country. If you don’t believe me, then go back to school and learn political history. Viagra helps what? Yet we want to complain about “welfare”—no condoms, no birth control pills, no teaching abstinence. Well when your child dies from sexually transmitted diseases because of no condoms and no having the proper information about sex, then you might so something about it. Close your minds to this issue and you may have a child who can’t tell you they went out, experimented and caught syphilis until it is too late; or, about a teenage pregnancy. They may not tell you they have HIV/aids either. Do not start the biblical or the Christian thing with me: “If we raise our children right in the Lord and the Bible…..” Children have minds of their own regardless of what we teach them. Fact of life and fact in the Bible.

(3)     I am tired of pharmaceutical companies, the medical professional managerial elitist, medical insurance company elitist, lobbyists, and the federal government telling me what is and is not healthy.

I find out after numerous years, the study has changed on one of my medicines. I now am not taking it correctly. I took a medicine for many years. A new study stated that, unchecked that medicine causes diabetes. I got diabetes when I was thin.

Six years later my weight is the cause of my diabetes. Twenty years ago my weight for my height was 120 pounds. When I weighed 138 pounds, I looked sick. Now my BMI is 5 million times what it should be. Use artificial sweetener to enhance the taste of foods.

That one artificial sweetener has cancer causing agents more than a pack of cigarettes or a 12 ounce steak injected with chemicals that a person is normally allergic too. (Petrochemicals or fungi)

Do not eat red meat or eggs, because it causes the cholesterol to rise. We only get 3% of our cholesterol from dietary. What hurts is when you talk to a family member (a veteran medical professional) and tell them the problem (because they ask) they laugh and say that I need to reduce my intake to 1,000 calories a day.

Then you are told, “I am not eating right.” I need to eat 1,400 calories a day to make my metabolism kick in. Then I need to be on a liquid diet to flush my toxins. Then I need this and then I need that. Have you ever tried exercising with no cartilage in one hip joint or both knee joints?

Take this pill for pain, this pill for swelling and get over it. No pain no gain. You can lift weights sitting down. How does one lift weights with severe arthritis and thumbs that are twisted inward?

Oh wait I forgot to mention taking this pill and the side affect damages that organ. Half of these side affect’s were not in the pamphlets when I took the medicine.

Oh wait. I forgot something really important. Five years of steadily taking Prednisone causes a lot of future health problems. Well, that wasn’t known in the 60s, 70s, or early 80s. (Three five year intervals for allergies)

The killer of all: “I am depressed because I am in pain. I am in pain because I am depressed.” That is a two to four pill sentence not to mention a psychiatric stay because a person cries over the excruciating pain of 4 herniated disks, a fractured hip that wasn’t discovered until two years later-after it healed, and fibroid tumors in the uterus—causing menstruation every two weeks. Meanwhile the pills for the depression want to make you slit your throat or cut you wrist.  Yet, you have been told, it is all in my mind. Utter frustration. Take a pill to cure it.  

(4)     I am tired of people posting pictures of overweight people in wheel chairs and laughing about it. The bigger the person the bigger the joke. If they shop at Wal-Mart they are the brunt of the joke.

       

         You do not know why they are overweight.

         You don’t know the reason they are in a wheel chair.

         You do not know the reason they shop at Wal-Mart.

         You do not pay their bills.  So who are you to criticize?

Wait if you are shopping at Wal-Mart to see these types of people, then you are just as broke and need to save a dime as everyone else.  Not everyone can shop and spend a lot of money on their groceries. They afford only the clothes that will fit them and no one has the “gal” to tell them the truth that it may not fit or doesn’t look good. It is the only place that I know of that you get sub-standard grown vegetables that a person can afford.

I saw one picture of a woman with her belly hanging below her dress hem. Well that happened to my mother once. Her stomach muscles are shot and skin hangs. Once in her wheel chair it hung until I pointed it out to her. She was so embarrassed it caused tears. Since that happen, it is very hard to get her to leave her house.

(5)     Those pictures that are posted that we laugh at are someone’s mother; father, brother, sister, child or spouse. That someone has feelings. What would you do if someone took a really uncomplimentary picture of you, put so stupid subtitle on it and posted it all over the internet? How would you feel? Are you making fun of other people to feel better about yourself?

(6)     Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason we are unhappy, broke, sick, and over weight is because we want to make life better? We have cars, air pollution, time clocks, chemically injected foods, medicines, chemically enhanced vegetables, poor government, poor consumerism, chemicals in the water, over rated media, lack of good media, and so forth that is causing our very destruction. Money, exercise, medicine, diet, and so forth are not going to stop us from dying. It will stop us from living if we don’t change our ways.

(7)     My anger is now gone. I force myself to joke about me to make me smile. This is my only outlet for anger. Writing. I can’t speak anger, because my speaking spontaneously doesn’t come out correctly.

(8)     There are days I don’t even remember my professor’s names. There are days, I can’t even figure out how to work a can opener. I am not dead yet. I prayed last night, because this was a very bad week. I cried Saturday until Tuesday night. I had a fight with a pine tree cock roach, hurt my knee really bad. The swelling is finally down and the pain is subsiding. I cried Wednesday until 3:00 am this morning. Then I became angry.

(9)     I prayed and read my Bible very heavily for 3 hours. I have to remember to read more and pray longer every day. He answered my prayers. I am not depressed, I am not crying, and I feel I can conquer the world today. If someone tells me it is Bi-polar, (if I see you) I will personally slap you stupid.

(10) God bless us all.

An average day in the neighborhood...

Well if life isn’t hard enough, then I had to have a fight with a 20 foot cockroach that invaded my house. The pine tree wood cockroach lost. It was loud when my daughter squished it with a shoe. Then my two children proceeded to pick their mother off of the floor. Needless to say, I was already blue and now I am most definitely blue from bruising. My daughter and son are so wonderful to their mother. God blessed me with them.

A relative of mine had a need. I couldn’t help her this time, but the need was made known. My brother and niece heard about her needs and helped. Believe it or not, this was a charitable action that of blessing. Giving when we have extra is wonderful; sitting on it when others have true needs –a person needs to think twice. Charity is a big issue in God’s eyes.

“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said: ‘Truly, I tell you this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4.)

My niece and I were posting about something someone said pertaining to Paul in the Bible. We weren’t debating but just talking. This good hearted Christian woman posted something along the lines about debating—that we shouldn’t because of what the Bible says. I didn’t have the heart to correct her on the “debating issue.”

We will all believe what we want. I like to debate but my niece and I were discussing—talking about… conferring … etc. We shouldn’t question the actual word of God. What we should question is the interpretation of man—of commentaries. Interpretation is where problems come into existence because everyone wants to be correct about God’s word. Guess what I am not correct all the time; nowhere near being correct and neither is anyone else. Arguments over Christianity can hurt a person emotionally and physically; it can harden the heart of Christians and those who are questioning faithful issues. But, we as Christians should open our hearts, expand our thinking for the purpose of learning God’s word to enhance our faith. As I always contend, truth is what we honestly believe in our hearts. Do not close your hearts to the truth in the word. Always remember that interpretations are nothing more than “opinions” and those opinions come from God who gave us a free will.

“Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil…” (2 Timothy 2:23-24)

Keep in prayer Mary Ellen Leisering's Mom, who is not well; keep in prayer the family and friends of our fellow classmate from MHS David Wayne Leff, who went to take up his residence with God; keep in prayer Ashley Larson in her fight on cancer; keep in prayer Natalie Hightower on her fight on cancer; keep in prayer each other.

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. — 

Educate yourself about your faith

Well I have had a brain freeze causing temporary terminal laziness. But after I showered and took a nap, it seems that the senses have picked up. I did do some reading, but not enough. I did discover such a wonderful find on the internet. I have been reading inserts of “Treatise on Christian Doctrine” written by Milton in the classroom text. It was discovered in with numerous papers in 1823. I found on a website that deals with the Archives the original version of the translation dated 1825.

https://archive.org/details/treatiseonchrist01miltuof

Even if you are not in the academic community as a teacher or a scholar, this text is worth reading. Why? The main premise is questioning not so much the language translated but some of the commentaries of man. This was written 200 years before it was discovered. I will have to warn hard core King James Version readers of the Bible; this is written off of three specific Bibles: The Geneva Bible 1630, The Latin Bible of Junius and Trevellius, and The Hebrew Bible dated 1625. There were errors in his writing because the error was identical in the Latin Bible and Geneva Bible he used but not the Geneva Bible dated 1593. He was extremely fluent in Italian, Latin, Greek, Arabic and Hebrew. Milton’s intellect was “off the charts.”

You might wonder what all this has to do with Christianity today?  It is a simple answer called Puritanism which was based off of Calvinism. The Puritans were very prevalent in early colonial times in America. They didn’t necessarily bring the King James Bible with them; it was the Geneva Bible that was still very popular. Remember there was not a lot of printing in early colonialism. Printing didn’t come about until the mid 1700s and by then America was already a thriving colony still of England—growing very fast.

This is what I really enjoy about getting an education. It is the opportunity to learn. The questioning is an important issue that all Christians should learn. Question what you are being told about the Bible by others including me! God wanted us to question and to learn which enhances our faith with God. One of my professors couldn’t have said it better: “Understanding the Bible does not come from commentaries because that is someone else’s ideas. Let God guide you in your understanding.”

The biggest question that we can ask God is “What plan do you have for me to promote your words and the work of Jesus?”

“Three days later, they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46)

Keep each other in prayer.

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. 

Supreme Court on Affordable Care Act

On 25^th of March the Supreme Court of our country will hear the Hobby Lobby case. It is pertaining to Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) mandate that forces businesses to pay for abortion-causing drugs, sterilizations, and contraception for the employees regardless of religious beliefs.

I honestly (from personal experience) have come to find out that the Affordable Care Act is anything but affordable. Best my memory serves most insurance will pay for a termination of pregnancy if medically necessary. They also will do the same for sterilizations for women as well as contraceptives. I feel though that abortion causing drugs and an abortion period for the hell of it shouldn’t be covered because that is an elective procedure similar to a face lift or tummy tuck. Note that I didn’t use breast implants because reconstructive surgery after mastectomy is an important issue. I also do not think it is important for medical insurance to pay for penis pumps just for fun.

I have to question whether or not this violates religious beliefs of the individual and not a company. How would you feel if a “company” made a decision for you about your body? I don’t necessarily agree with the “forced” situation. I understand where the owners are coming from. They are a large privately owned company and they are having financial problems. Would this forced insurance stipulation cause more burdens on the company?

Also keep in mind, that there are many people in the US that shouldn’t be parents and many people in the US that should be sterilized—bottom line, not everyone should be parents. I am not abdicating abortion by any means unless it is medically and psychologically necessary. Elective sterilization by men and women is a personal choice.

The Affordable Care Act imposed on the people is just that “imposed.” Hilary Clinton’s national health care was a far better system than this. This Act has caused more problems, and it reminds me of King passing a regulation just because he has the authority to do so. It is also a classic example of a society that was too afraid to speak up before hand and a legislative group that has lost their powers to govern.

My personal opinion on all of this: remove the president by public insistence and replace our legislature. Surely there is a violation of some type that has already been made by our president. I voted for him, but I am reaping the mistake in doing so. My son and daughter are paying for my mistake. Then again, what choices were there? There were no candidates that would be considered suitable for office.

I am not suggesting doing this because I am a stickler for following the laws of the land; but, I wonder what would happen if the masses of the people cancelled their Affordable Care Act insurance in protest?  Would it send a clear message?

I pray every day that for changes. I pray that the future will be held in God’s hands.

Keep each other in prayer.

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” (Psalms 27:4)

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. 

***SPECIAL NOTE: On 12.31.2013, I posted prayers for the husband of Anna-Perez Crugliano. It was not her husband in the hospital in the VA. It was her ex-husband. I do apologize for the error. Thanks.

The future

The more in depth reading about the colonial times in this country – their thoughts, ideas, and what the framers intended is really not in sequence with the government we have now. What is concerning me most is the future of the USA—my homeland. Raised like so many, the “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag of our country and honor the flag of the state in which reside is somewhat still operational our schools. But, it is not taken seriously with the view point of national interest like it was.

But, that was a different time, a different place and different ideals of people. The society has technologically improved but it has opened up a world of repression. That world is when people stop thinking, being accountable for themselves, more violent familial crimes, lack of respect, and a confusing government that has become a “Goliath.” Our government has lost its vitality. We are losing to our greatest fears and we are lacking in sustainability.

H D Thoureau said: “The mass of men served the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies.” We see before us the break-down of our cultural lives to where we are no longer USA but an unrecognizable conglomerate of confusion with many fears.      

There is a breakdown of checks and balance within our government. Capitol Hill is seems that the power has ceased to function in a satisfactory manner. It seems the White House is like looking at a dictatorial monarchy. There is a disenchanted with the political parties, all of them. Where do we go and what do we do?

Keep in mind that we the people have not served the state of our civic affairs wisely, either.

The first step is to not promote and or adhere to violence or violent behavior. We have a system of fundamental laws and we vote for a person (which is giving consent) to govern. They are supposed to govern with the best interest in mind of the people as our employee. That system seems to be broken. We as the people need to learn cohesiveness now more than ever. We need to put our individuality aside and restore the original foundations—and secure the natural rights of our country. Change comes within from the people.

Keep in prayer Ashley Larson in her fight on cancer; keep in prayer each other.

“Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” (Leviticus 20:8)

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. 

I learn something new all the time

I really enjoyed my class this evening. Each of my fellow students, are absolutely wonderful people with fantastic insights. I learn so much from them and they are getting use to my foot, inserting in mouth. I like to think I have a large vocabulary, but I really don’t. I have to look up ever word I see that I really do not understand. I had to learn to differentiate between Arianism and Aryanism, and Arminianism with Armeanianism and Armeaniaistic culture. But, the differences made a great topic because of culture verses belief verses mythology.

Changing the subject:

The question was posed tonight: What would have happened if Adam and Eve had not sinned? Would there have been a utopia? First thing that came to mind was a movie that my cousins and I went to see in Jackson, MS back in the early 70s called “Lost Horizons.” The characters stumbled into Shangri La—a world of utter perfectionism. If you left the boundaries of Shangri La then your body ceases to be perfect. We were the ages 10 – 18. We all went back to my grandmother’s house and asked our parents if this type of world really existed.  I think about the horrible time period of our society at the time, 1973 and how really innocent we were—seeking to learn the truth that is not always presented.

I think sometimes we all look for that perfect world and it doesn’t exist. We have to have good and bad. We have to see the bad, not necessarily participate in it, but really see it truthfully to understand life and keep our faith in check.

Something else I learned new tonight; of course, I came home and researched what I learned. Oh, I feel like such an unlearned person. Xmas- someone forgot the put the Christ in Christmas. Well, truthfully, no they didn’t. X is the first letter of Chi and denotes the word of Christ (Christos) in the Greek language. It is a Greek abbreviation for Christ. So the next time we see Xmas written, Christ was not left out of the equation.

“Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

I am a major believer in truth. Education (some education) can help us understand and recognize exactly what truth is. We can never be too educated in learning the word of God.

Pray for each other. 

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms.

Sin is why .....

Many of people, including myself, have often asked, “Why does God allow bad things happen to good people?” Today I discovered the answer. God has a reason for everything. We do not know the answer as to why. We might think it is because we have acted as sinners, but not necessarily. Life and death is not involved in this equation because they are natural occurrences. What I am referring to is sin—the death of a soul.

I have always been of the contention that God uses sin to teach lessons. He does. One person sinning can affect an entire society. Do not discount what I am saying, but think very hard about the circumstances of the actions and how it can happen.

“A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

“God does not make an evil will out of a good one, but he directs a will which is already evil so that it may produce out of its own wickedness either good for others or punishment for itself, though it does so unknowingly, intending something quite different.” John Milton 

That evil denotes nothing more than sin which all men/women contain or a person who has a comprehendible thought.

“He has turned their own wickedness against them. He will destroy them because of their sins. The Lord our God will destroy them.” (Psalm 94:23)

We all have choices in the directions to take because there will always be two roads. 

On March 13^th in Houston, a daughter disobeyed her parents. She snuck her boyfriend in her bedroom. A younger sibling came in to say goodnight to his sister, and saw feet from under the bed. Concerned, he told his father. In the act of protecting his daughter and home, he questioned the daughter; she lied to her father and said “she didn’t know who he was.” An argument broke out and the father killed the daughter’s boyfriend. The boyfriend is dead. The father had to be rushed to the hospital because he was not a well man before or after this incident. This is unfortunate, but could it have been prevented? We have choices. We have to live with those choices with every breath we take until we cease to breathe.

(Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/14/charges-unlikely-for-houston-dad-accused-shooting-daughters-boyfriend/) 

“So I let them go their own stubborn ways and follow their own advice. If only my people would listen to me...” (Psalm 81:12-13) “For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other.” (Romans 1:24)

Our personal sins affect more than just us. Protect your soul from death. Do not be so puffed up with pride in life to think it cannot happen to you. Humble yourself before God.

“Just as God incites sin He is nevertheless not the cause of anyone’s sinning, so when he hardens the heart of a sinner or blinds them, he is not the cause of sin. For he does not do this by infusing wickedness into the man; the means he uses are just and kindly, and ought rather to soften the hearts of sinners than harden them.” John Milton

Keep in prayer those who received damage during the storm in Atmore; keep in prayer Lesleigh Thames Morrison’s Mom who is not well; keep in prayer Brandon Ingram (via Brandon’s Warriors) and his family requesting that God’s will be done; continue to pray for Belinda Robert’s Dad who will have surgery on Tuesday for his fractured hip; keep in prayer Malaysia Airline 370 – passengers--their families and friends; keep in prayer each other.

We all have choices; try to make them wisely.

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms.

Lesson learned

I am still studying but have run across some parts of John Milton that are making me crazy! Yesterday I understood but today I had no idea which was up!  I had to enlist some help from different perspectives. Not research for a paper but for an understanding. I listened and learned.

For those of you who know nothing about John Milton well let me give you a little insight. He was a very devout Christian being educated at Corpus Christi College in England. This is the same college where the authorized version of KJV took place. He traveled and studied Catholic religious materials as well. His intellect is like WOW—over the top! His greatest work is the epic “Paradise Lost” about creationism with Adam and Eve and the original sin – their life in the garden. The time period he lived was during 1608-1674, a very turbulent time in England—the period of England’s social, political, and religious reformation.  He is aligned with the Puritans of the period, but is not over zealous like a Puritan would have been considering Oliver Cromwell.

Milton uses mythology, history, current events, the Bible, mysticism, philosophy, theology, personal experiences and you name it in his work.  He became blind in 1652. He had employed scribes. Some of his work wasn’t published because it would have been heresy of that time. He very much believed in Christianity, God, and the free liberties to study the Bible to incite a personal relationship between God and the individual.

His work can be very difficult. I am a “queen of research” so I have been told; but, putting that research into an academic paper is hard for me—it is my weakness. Our professor prefers that I do not research for opinions when writing a paper on him. She wants me to use my intuition which is at times very stressing, because I read every little detail. In taking this class I have never had to access a dictionary so much. I am not talking about Merriam Webster. I am referring to Oxford English Dictionary.

I had to ask from help from some very devout Christians and theological learned people today. Then after thinking about it, I sort of felt dumb. It was not a question with an answer that I was seeking but a lesson to be had. The topic was the Holy Trinity—God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

They three are separate essences, combined into one, for the soul of the individual. The lesson learned; I opened up my Bible again. I studied more, I read more, and then I rested. Beware of educated religious commentaries.  The only mediator we should have between us and God is Jesus and not modern man. That is what Milton was getting at the whole time. We are to build a relationship of our own; a personal relationship with God, the only heavenly Father. Jesus washed away our transgressions and the Holy Spirit keeps us straight.

“Christine Doctrine” is Milton’s soul-filled thoughts. They are not my thoughts or your thoughts. Building a relationship with God takes effort—emotionally and physically. You may be washed clean by the blood of the lamb; but, there is some work in building that relationship.

Keep in prayer Brandon Ingram (Brandon’s Warriors): keep in prayer Tracy J Smith for a speedy recovery; keep in prayer Malaysia Airline 370 – passengers--their families and friends; keep in prayer each other.

“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One (Jesus) who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are the children of God and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5: 18-20.

God the father, His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit rest in us who have the faith to believe without doubt.  

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. 

Studying Milton

I have spent my day studying the literary poet, John Milton.  He wrote his own “Christian Doctrine” that was eventually discovered in 1823. The reason it was not published was because it might have been considered heresy in his time period, 1608-1674, England.  I am studying this for a class that I am taking. If you have ever read Milton, you will understand it is a pain in the “tookus!” His work would make the most average PhD want to drink heavily or do drugs or something very erratic just to ease the mental stress of trying to understand his work.

I understand today for the first time, through his words something simple. “God is an utterly simple essence…” John Milton. Simplicity

It is true. In Genesis He created man in his image, which was a simple task. Man sinned and the perfect image that God created became a complicated force of nature at odds with itself.  It was no longer perfect. I have always thought God is beyond any human comprehension and I just read what Milton wrote, “God, as he really is, is far beyond man’s imagination, let alone his understanding.” 

Have you ever lost something and then found it right in front of you? We as a society are lost. The answer is right in front of our faces. Yet, we are too complicated to see it. We complicate everything in our lives. Since God put man in charge, there is no simple perfection anymore. With free will, there was a cost. Jesus paid the price for us. What happened? Society complicated everything again and more so. God dissolved his old covenant and made a new one.

“But, the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, no place would have been sought for another… It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant and I turned away from them, declares the Lord…By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.” (Hebrews 8:6-7, 9, 13)

The answer, open your eyes. It is right there in front of you. God –the father and Jesus—the son, they are a protective covering to all in life who seek. Immerse yourself in the word of God and create a deep soul based covenant with him to simplify your life.  

“For this reason Christ is a mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15)

The same information can be found in Jeremiah 31:31-34.

“There is hope for your future, declares the Lord…” (Jeremiah 31:17)

Keep in prayer the family and friends of those killed in Austin, and the people injured in the same incident of a drunk driver driving into a crowd; Pope Francis has requested that he is in need of prayers; please keep him in prayer; continue in prayer for Brandon Ingram for peace and God’s will be done; keep in prayer Malaysia Airline 370 – passengers--their families and friends; keep in prayer each other.

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms.

Milton Source:   Kerrigan, William. “The Complete Poetry and Essential Prose of John Milton. Random House.” NY: 2007. Pp. 1149

Truthful learning

I don’t always discuss what I learn. When we get an education, it is suppose to be (in some cases) in search of the truth. I learned a lot as an undergrad in liberal arts. I think, at times, some of what I learned I really didn’t want to know. Sometimes what I learn, I verify, and then I get angry over it. In graduate school, you can learn more of the same stuff from different sources you weren’t aware of. That can really inflame that “big burr stuck on my big behind that I am sitting on.” It fosters a dream that will never happen.

That dream is to dig up the forefathers, slap ‘em stupid and ask them, “What the hell were you thinking?” I knew that we were not really all created equal in the eyes of the revolutionists, and that many were not Christians but Deist. But what really upsets me is they had this tendency to equate gentlemanly behavior with material assets and hid much of their true self; because, they were seeking power and if the people knew that God and Christianity wasn’t their main objections they would have never been elected. So they perpetrated many “smoke screens” to avert the truth. I suppose that is why we have the First Amendment in the US Constitution even if we disagree with some religions it is there for a reason.

Bad part about it is that my ancestors were right in the middle of it, too. I discovered that while reading a JSTOR publication of a “William and Mary Journal” of some property deals (pre-revolutionary) in Virginia.   The sad part of all of this: our public education is so screwed up that teachers are not allowed to teach the truth. They teach what they are told to teach as prescribed by some intellectual bozo, which has lost all touch reality. I wonder if this is why they (public school systems) stopped so many arts in the schools. Arts (broad term) is a thinking release of the inner self. I requires thinking; deep self discovery. Literary arts, musical arts, and visual arts come from the deep inner self.

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:31-32, 36)
I know I can be abrupt verbally about politicians, and people in general. But, I am no angel, never have been and never will be. The American people need to start standing up: if they want values, well do not be so easy to be fooled by smooth talking people or media induced “fantasies” of the past and present.  Is the truth so hard to understand?   
Please keep in prayer Julie Riddle’s father (via Gary Alan Conn) who has stage 4 cancer; keep in prayer those families and friends of those who were lost or injured in a natural gas explosion that caused the collapse of two apartment buildings in NYC; keep in prayer for each other.

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. 

Have you ever been called a loser?

Winning something is not necessarily winning a competition. It is a self perception. I received the news that I did not win a writing competition. Oh well, there were others that we better than me. I was sad. But here is the lesson I am trying to stress.

I wasn’t a good student when attending high school. I have all my life (on and off) entered contest and never won anything. I was told I would never be college material. I tried. If I never tried I would not have been doing something I enjoyed. I proved something to myself. I am getting my Master’s degree. While in undergrad I made the president’s honor list. I have good grades in graduate school which could be better but I am trying.

I am a winner to me and that is what really counts.  

I can’t possibly write down every rejection/failure that I have had. I wouldn’t want to. Just because we receive a rejection or failed at something doesn’t mean we stop life. We have to continue on. We have to try. The successes in life come with trying.

Look at so many people who failed but tried and in the long run, who was the winner. The people who tried are the true winners. Last thought: my body may be tired. It may totally give out tomorrow; but, it is not going to stop me from trying. Trying provides the enjoyment.

“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (John 1:16)

When we receive a blessing, it is a trophy and the best feeling in the world that God is on our side. He always was, is, and will always be.

Keep in prayer each other; pray for D. Doolittle who has a torn rotator cuff and will be having surgery next month; keep in prayer those families and friends of passengers on Malaysia Flight 370 that hasn’t been found yet; keep in prayer family, friends, and Brandon Ingram for his pain to be eased and God’s will be done; keep in prayer A. Larson on her fight against cancer.

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. 

We raise our children.

We have children, we raise them to the best of our ability, but children, we as parents feel you hurt, feel your pain, we feel your love, and watch you when we can and wish you well on your way in life. But our thoughts never cease when you are in the world growing. We still wonder if you have the comfort you need in life.

There is no way to express loosing part of yourself especially if you are a mother. We carry that heart beat inside our bodies. The pain we suffer is like having our very insides ripped out just to hold that precious little heart beat on our chest. Then one day our heavenly Father has come to get that precious child. Regardless of whatever reason, as a loving mother we would feel robbed. We cannot remember what it was really like before our children came. We do not ever want to think what it would be like if they were gone from this earth.  

Brandon Ingram’s family asked for prayers of peace for their little boy. There are so many emotions that I have right now about the passing of a child that goes to be with God.

The Ingram family is hurting. They are praying for peace because they feel the pain their son. I can’t help for one minute to think about it if I was in that position. Would God give me the strength to bare this? Would he give me the patience and understanding to allow His will be done? His family is at his side, hoping, praying, asking for prayers, and holding on to their faith. My son and daughter, as I tell them about Brandon, see my tears. They hug me and kiss me. I know and am thankful that they are here with me.

I then remember Mark Burns. What little memory I have of him was very loving. He was my 16 year old cousin who was called home to be with God. It affected so many in my paternal family of how precious life is. My father went and represented my mother and us children. Mother stated she just couldn’t go and we were too young to understand death. I have learned as I have gotten older that death is a part of living. No matter how painful, we cannot hide from it and no two people are affected the same way. We each have our own cross to bear in life.

Pray for peace Brandon and his family. Pray that God’s will be done. Keep each other in prayer.

When we have a loss of a precious person in our life, then can never be replaced, but they are not truly gone from us. The will always be in our hearts. Love never ceases when the body dies. The only thing that ceases is the physical pain; yet, in time the emotional pain eases.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for there is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-10)

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8)

Keep in prayer the family and friends of those missing on Malaysia Flight 370. Keep in prayer for my friend T J Smith who is having some medical work done to improve her life. 

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms. 

Learning Does not stop when we leave School

For many who do not know I have been chronically ill. At Christmas I received some test results that were run again because of the diagnosis. It is confirmed that I am in early stages of kidney disease. Oh well just another thing to deal with. My body just wants to wear out but my spirit wants to continue strong. It is okay though because I am not stopping life. I will do what I have to do to take care of myself to the best of my ability, but I will steam roll if I can.

I still try walking, cleaning house, cooking when I can, and going out to see what life has to offer. I can say this, for each and every person, become educated. Education just doesn’t stop when we leave school. In the history of our society, we honestly do not know whether or not we are learning what the “truth” really is. For truth to happen, we have to understand the thoughts, ideas, and formations of a vast array of subjects. It just doesn’t happen. We all should learn realism and how to reason as well as the understanding of what is in our hearts.

On anybody’s road to learning or self-discovery, we have to look at life. Life consists of historical examples, reading, thinking, suffering, and seeing what isn’t so nice to look at. A person does themselves an injustice if they stagnate in their world doing mundane rituals day in and day out. Self discovery is looking at a leaf that has fallen to the ground to understand why: it is looking at a baby clasping a finger to understand why: it is reading the word of God to understand why: it is looking at a painting to understand why: and it consistent with smiling at the end of a day when you tell yourself you understand why. That is seeking the truth.

Learning starts with a simply question as to why?  Ask what science that deals with the earth’s physical structure and substance, its history and the processes that act on it is the best place to start. Start with geology. “O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires.” (Isaiah 54:11)

Can you imagine a city build with stones of turquoise? What about the foundations of sapphires? How and why would it be done this way? How did they mine such stones? Learning is wonderful and in the majority of cases, it simply starts by opening up the Bible and reading the word of God.

Keep in prayer the families and friends of those lost on Malaysia Flight 370 which is still missing; keep Brandon M. Ingram who is trying to rest comfortably; we pray that God’s will takes over and that peace is with him, his family and his friends; keep prayer Ashley Larson and her fight against cancer; keep in prayer Penny Belcher who went to a memorial of a good family friend today; it was tough and her and her family; keep in prayer each other.

“Then he continued: Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” (Daniel 10:12)

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms.  

Signs of a physical future in American

Should we as citizens be concerned about the overall economic stability of this country?

January 28^th, 2014, “Today, it is generally agreed that as a result of the forceful and coordinated response by the federal government through TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) and many other emergency programs, we helped avert what could have been a devastating collapse of our financial system. Although we are still repairing the damage from the crisis and many families still face challenges on a daily basis, the financial system is much more stable and out economy is growing, albeit not as fast  as we would like.”  Timothy Bowler, Acting Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability.

Alexander Hamilton believed that economic prosperity required a strong government.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (2 Corinthians 16:13) Is our government strong? Are we still capable or not of maintaining a good government of the people? Or has this been lost into the hands of a few? Are we in a crisis of propriety of misfortune due to man’s inept decisions?

We have become a country “that flatters themselves with fairer prospects of elevation from the subdivision of the empire into several partial confederacies, than from its union under one government.” Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 1.

How far has our country slide backwards? These are important questions that we need answers to as citizens of the United States. I am not suggesting a revolution by any means; however, I am suggesting that each voter stand up and take notice of our country and get involved.

I see so often that people complain about IRS, Social Security, Social programs, forced health care and much more. But what are we as born or naturalized citizens doing to change the systems that we do not like from within? I can answer that easily: Very little.

We have become a lazy society. When there is economic prosperity among the masses, we chose not to get involved for whatever reason. Yet when things go wrong, it just didn’t happen that way. The error that we blame our politicians for may have happened when were not paying attention or that politician may not have been in office when it happened. Whose fault is it? It is ours because we are not taking responsibility for our poor performance as citizens. Our country is “We the people.” Our government is “We the people.” Blame yourself.  

However, I have to ask, is it appropriate behavior for our president and congress to hold each other’s feet to the fire over issues that may or may not be approved by the mass majority of the people?

The reason I say blame yourself, politics is very similar to religion. It can yield a powerful sword however, do not be so naïve to put your faith in modern man and or its political parties. If you do then you have just elevated man over God. We should only have 100% total faith in God and not modern man. 

We can only trust modern man to a point of prayer because we do not nor can we honestly say what is in their conscious. The reason I say to pray, is not for their souls but for yours when you make a decision in what is best for the future of all. Each vote that we cast and make, each assembly we gather to debate, each time we work for the common good of ourselves, think about the common good for all.

If economic stability is not stable for the masses of the people, then it weakens our country. The easiest way for this to happen is for the people to keep their hands on the government. Instead of government interfering in the lives of its people, people should interfere in the workings of the government.  

Kennedy couldn't have framed an invitation any more simple than to state: ..For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty...the belief that rights come not from the generosity of the state, but fro the hand of God...Ask not what American can do for you, but what you can do for the freedom of man." Inaugural Address 1.20.1961

“…But all things should be done decently in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40)  

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms.