To acknowledge you
is to acknowledge the lust in me,
to look at you
is to set my desire free.
Your fetching hips,
vivid pink and red wet lips
they are my fantasies.
You are the raging wind
inside of me,
I think of you
only to think of me.
You are the tearing rain
lashing me, bleeding free
If I let you be
you will drown me in a torrid sea.
You are strong
I’m man, I’m weak,
you are Eve
I’m just my loin’s need,
a seed seeking
salvation in your chastity
instead of freeing me,
you keep feeding dreams,
forever keeping me hungry,
My mind has sinned, soul diseased,
you, stand proud of your virginity.
I burn in hell eternally
while you sleep inside of me,
heaven is outside my reach.
I like Robin’s writing, and the fact that it comes from a reformed liberal makes me even more happy…
The Hypocrisy of the Left
By Robin of Berkeley
//
//
I have been looking for God my whole life. I first recognized Him in the black foster parents I worked with who manifested Christ-consciousness.
I then found him four years ago, when my parents died three weeks apart and I was carried by a force stronger than myself. And more recently, as I’ve gone from left to right, I have discovered him in the many conservatives guiding me, such as AT readers.
Given my spiritual longing, I decided it was time to explore places of worship. Being a secular Jew, my first step should have been a temple. However, the synagogues around here are practically recruitment stations for Obama (aside from the Orthodox ones, but I don’t speak a word of Hebrew). So I decided to experience church on Christmas Eve.
Ok.. no fancy lettering… words… nothing… straight to the point. (mmmm this latte is good). My passion for children is and will always be ENDLESS. As stated before … ” My life has yet to begin …. my heart hasn’t started beating .. . and will only begin to pound when my first BORN arrives.” With that being stated .. this will help you understand where im coming from when i say this.
Jokingly … if the subject matter of children comes up when conversing with a woman, that i would take the child and would want to hold custodial rights.
Then here comes the confrontation.
My view is this, If … and i do say IF… I impregnate a woman and i do not see my self being involved… married…. etc. I would want to have custody of my child. AM I WRONG FOR WANTING SUCH. I was once called irresponsible for thinking like this. Being the objective thinker that i am.. i asked the individual to provide a case for their argument >>>> here are some insersts from the quote on quote Speach…
“Because youd be depriving them (the child) of a parent who has just as much of a right to be a part of their lives as you do…”
“your selfish …you should sacrifice being comfortable and satisfied for your child to have equal access to both their mother and father”
“its not fair… the child will only know me as a visitor? when i went through 9 months and 16 hours of labor. “
“a child deserves to have both parents unless one is unfit …. to bring a child into this world with someone who already plans to parent alone is unfair and not to mention irresponsible …. FOLLOW ME!”
NO I DO NOT FOLLOW YOU….. honestly I dont sound like the selfish one here … BUT AT ANY RATE… the premises that you gave do not …A) support your conclusion of me being irresposible … B) are out of context simply because i stated … IF… I impregnate a woman and i do not see my self being involved… married…. etc. I would want to have custody of my child. You are under the impression that im just FLEEING WITH him or her and you will never see them. SMH.
No man is any lesser than any WOMAN when it comes to raising and providing for a child.
BY no means did i say that the woman would be unfit… IM not the JUDGE … i just want the same respect when my view is presented and equaltity to be a father who … wants custody ….
God explodes o’re Xmas Eve: New Members, News, Nature, Volcanoes, Tornados, Black Blizzards, Economy, Health, Animals, Death, Wars, Lawless, Vial 5, Mother/Daughters
Of late, I have been having tremendous trouble cut/paste these Updates to the various websites where they go. I have been reduced to posting it only at Truth Seekers and Speakers website, then put a blurb and link at all the others. Today was no different. Aaaargh!
PLEASE, PLEASE do not miss this Update 43 about Revelation’s Fifth Plague Vial poured out upon the seat of “the beast.” AND, it also includes the lastest news about the Economy, Health, Wars, Lawless, and Nature as they each respond to prophecy. News is concluded with the mother/daughters’ behaviour in the last few days as it affects Doctrine Keepers; Christ’s sheep.
If the link below is not active; so, please cut and paste it into your browser:
Prophecy’s Extra Oil Update 43: News of The Fifth Vial http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TruthSaS
Yes, you’re on the right blog. Once you’re done with the “ho, ho, ho” I’d kindly remind you that Christmas stockings are quite the tradition, and it’s one I intend to uphold for the festive season.
Camilla Yosuke of Insolence kindly sent me her latest lingerie set for review. While I don’t usually stalk the grid in my underthings, in the privacy of my own diamond room (more on that later) I feel quite within my rights. Besides, I’m a closet admirer of all the lacy negligee Insolence has to offer, so it would seem foolish not to use this as an excuse to make an exhibition of myself.
Deborah is an exquisite combination of embroidered satin overlaid with lace in a set that comprises bra, knickers, suspender belt and four pairs of stockings. It was difficult to pick from the six colours, but (black and) red felt the most festive, so that’s what you’re looking at. The bra’s floral balconette cups offer good coverage, the lace trim creating a tiny edge to the lower side and a more generous scallop across the breasts. Slver bows fix the cups to the straps with a central ribbon to keep consistency: this is mimicked on the suspender belt and knickers which also feature front lace panels linked to more satin, the high-leg panties concealing enough of your behind to stay sexy without giving everything away. As you would expect from a seamstress with years of experience in virtual underwear, the detailing is immense and immaculate. For the record they are transferable, so you may want to put in last minute orders with your nearest and dearest if you’re smitten.
If you’re indulging in the lingerie department, you may as well go the whole hog and locate a good stage for your modelling shennanigans. The perfect solution comes from Glitterati; a rezzable room strewn with more diamonds than the latest celebrity engagement ring. The ultimate in ostentatious display cabinets, this Diamond Room comes complete with some 15 poses which can be repositioned to suit a taller or shorter av: standing, sitting, crouching and full bodily adoration of the central stone. This is fantastic fun and is excellent for shooting anything from flashy gowns to the latest footwear. Try the demo instore – at the time of print you can currently buy these as gifts just outside the main store: they’ll make the perfect gift for the woman who thinks she has it all.
Back to the clothes: the latest release from 5th & Oxford demanded display here, and so I drew on these long leather gloves. They come in various luxuriant colours, all just as rich and neatly textured, and also in two shorter lengths which would suit a less showy outfit. There is a little seamage on the long pair due to the nature of the creasing, but nothing that caused me any concern: to the contrary I’m quite delighted with them. Good gloves are surprisingly hard to come by in the metaverse and these are certainly up there with the best.
The shoes are from Fri.day, a pair of stilettos which I chose for the colour match with the gloves. They’re a classic style that doesn’t remove attention from anywhere else – being brutally honest, do you really want folk staring at your feet when you’re standing there half naked? Make a shrewd investment in something conservative to keep their eyes on the prize. You’ll thank me for it later.
Because everyone likes a little thoughtful giftwrapping, this satin bow from DeLa really rounds off nicely. The neck tie droops at the knot in a perfect understatement, adding to rather than taking away from the rest of the outfit.
Sexy hair is crucial to a look like this, and this new release from Truth fulfils that requirement perfectly. Straight, sleek hair folds out from an off-centre part, curling in subtle feathers towards the face, falling long and stopping just above the chest. All the hair pulls around to the front leaving the back completely exposed, flyaway strands teased from the body and bringing the whole thing to life.
As I don’t usually flash quite so much flesh, you may as well take the opportunity to take a good look at Belleza’s Belle skin, a firm favourite in my inventory. With a gorgeous range of makeups and the combination of an intricate eye tattoo and vampy red lips made this the obvious choice. Belle has been a long-standing favourite of mine and I can’t fault any aspect of the face or body: the shading is subtle but relevant, very soft without seeming washed out. I think the pale tone somehow lends to a sense of vulnerability, so whether you’re baring all or nothing, you can be sure you’ll feel quite exquisitely feminine.
I complimented the unusual eye makeup with eyelashes by Calla. I’m a little frustrated as I didn’t manage to capture them as clearly as I would have liked (do click through the second image for a bigger capture), but take my word for it when I tell you they are fabulous. Tigerlily Koi has done a brilliant job on her entire range, creating vastly different styles that range from seductive to outrageous. The lashes give a healthy dose of drama, curling wide and laying at different lengths, each one closed with a spheric cap. A must-have showpiece.
Last but not least, Curio’s stunning Tragic Eyes provided a light contrast to the rest of the style. I have these in a dozen shades because they are so darn good, hauntingly expressive even at a distance. They come in three sizes and with prim and non-prim attaches to suit all tastes, so you really can’t go far wrong.
Since it’s the big day tomorrow I’ll be taking a healthy dose of real life and won’t be making my usual Friday stop in. May all your presents be shiny and bright: I wish you an enjoyably over-indulgent Christmas!
Outfit:
Lingerie: Insolence, Deborah Embroidered Set – Black-Red
Gloves: 5th & Oxford, Leather Gloves – Red
Neck Tie: DeLa, Keira Ribbon
Shoes: Fri.day, Basic Pumps – Red
Body:
Hair: Truth, Nela – Chestnut
Eyes: Curio, Tragic Eyes – Watercolor (Shine)
Eyelashes: Calla, Lashes – Ball Tip
Skin: Belleza, Belle Pale – Lace in the Rubies
Set and Poses: Glitterati, The Diamond Room
From the current dialogue between historical critics and postmodernists, it’s fairly clear that:
(1) nobody agrees on the definitions of either historical criticsm or postmodernism, and yet
(2) everybody is positioning themselves more on one side or the other, even if they don’t really buy the caricatures by the other side or even the appellations “historical critical” and “postmodern”.
Funny, eh?
So, in a (possibly futile) attempt to get a more precise fix on what people are holding onto dearly, or fervently objecting to, I’ve noted down a few of the so-called “postmodern” characteristics which are often touted, whether real or imagined.
Please let me know:
1. which of the characteristics are more imagined than real,
2. other characteristics that should be included here, or
3. which characteristics are more important areas of contention, and why this is so
(and anything else that you really want to say, such as “why are you even bothering?”).
Americans Must Learn About the Federal Reserve. This Agency is Not Connected With the Federal Government. Their Sole Purpose is to Economically Enslave Americans.
The truth about the Federal Reserve is it is a private institution, owned by a criminal group of industrial and financial leaders. The Fed provides its owners with control over the people of the United States, along with a good portion of the nation’s wealth.
It has taken many decades for Americans to get a sense of the reality that the government, including the elected representatives, is powerless when compared to the Fed. No matter what the politicians say, the government gets into deeper debt to the Fed. Income rises as state services decline, and it becomes harder every year for ordinary Americans to live and look after their families.
The financial crisis that started to bloom in 2008 has Americans really upset.
That’s because the government has come up with the silliest solution you could ever think of; they were able to convince the Fed to print trillions of worthless dollars to get the affected businesses out of debt.
The taxpayers know instinctively that they themselves will pay the bill. They just don’t know exactly how this is going to happen. What you need to know about the Federal Reserve is that it is the only body in the United States that is allowed to print currency, the U.S. dollar.
You should also know that it is a privately owned bank, which is owned in turn by 12 regional central banks and some other state banks. Who exactly owns these banks, the shareholders do not know.
The proceedings of the Federal Reserve Board for public consumption, and even the decisions made at these meetings, are kept secret, with the scantiest of information reluctantly released weeks after taking place.
The Fed operates in order for its owners to make money, nothing more and nothing less. It has the power to print money, but it does not use the money itself.
Instead, it accumulates over a trillion dollars a year, completely tax free. The revenue comes from its willing slaves, the U.S. taxpayers.
The way it works is this: the vast bulk of money owed to the Fed is owed by the U.S. government. There is no question of the government paying back the principal, which runs into trillions of spurious dollars. Instead, it has signed over all the income tax paid by Americans to the Federal Reserve Bank.
That, at least, has some kind of intrinsic value (the hard labor of those who earned it) and these tax dollars comprise the Fed’s profit. Its owners then pour money into real assets like real estate, gold, silver and resources.
They also pour dollars into media businesses so that they control all you hear about the Federal Reserve–media businesses including ABC, NBC, CBS, BET, Turner, and CNN.
The unpalatable truth about the Federal Reserve is that it has caused the economy to run on empty for the past forty years, and Americans are only waking up to the fact now.
CONGRESS PLAYS ALONG
Congressmen and Senators have tried to stop the abuses of this small and secret group of people who dominate the U.S. financial system, but they have not succeeded. Some of these elected representatives, notably Henry B. Gonzalez (D-Texas), who is an outspoken critic of the Fed, have spent decades into trying to get it abolished, without success.
He called for the Federal Reserve to be audited (it has never been audited, neither has it ever paid taxes), and he called for the Federal Reserve Board meetings to be held in public.
The then Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, and the then President Bill Clinton, both argued against it. Nothing has changed.
TRUTH ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESERVE
With every day that passes, the beneficiaries of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (the shareholders, in other words) grow richer than it is possible to imagine. Do not for a single second think that these people have any respect for the dollar. They are not dollar billionaires because they know the dollar is worthless.
Instead, they convert their wealth rapidly into tangible, real goods that will never decline in value–wealth such as real estate, valuable finite resources, shares in companies that deal in real estate and such resources, and easily portable goods such as gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds.
Only poor dupes, like the mass of American citizens, still believe in the dollar. The people of America need to rise up and refuse to use dollars that are printed by the Fed.
DISREGARD FOR AMERICA
These people do not care what happens to the United States. They don’t care if it booms or busts. They don’t care about you. They don’t care about anyone, anywhere, and they don’t care about the planet.
They care about power and profits and real wealth. Remember that all their wealth is of the sort that is unaffected by banknotes and coins. They are above the law, above the people and above the government.
Thought you were rid of me, huh? Well, clearly you were wrong. Normally I’d consolidate my posts but since I tend to ramble, I figured that to spare your eyes I would keep it short and sweet! Besides, you can never get enough of a GossipGirl. :p Totally kidding. So not that self-centered.
Not up for a wild night out (Yes, that was a reference to the post below!)? Well here’s a look that’s perfect for staying cozy at home or simply hanging out with your friends. Either way, it’s gonna be a blast!
Alexohol Fashions is a great, fairly new store that has TONS of great fashions for both men and women. That’s right, men and women. Commence the rejoicing! Their stuff is really eclectic, from sweaters to graphic tees, sports jerseys, dresses, and so much more! There is something for everyone here. But check out the look I pulled together around their newest release, Argyle Sweaters!
Here it is paired with one of the scarves from >TRUTH<, part of a group gift from Santa Claus!
Cute right? Well if you’re not a dark colored clothing person like myself, there are all sorts of fun colors you can choose from! Purple, navy, green, brown (okay, not exactly a total step up from gray in terms of brightness, but you get what I mean!), and lots more!
Here’s a pic of the full look, complete with descriptions! (Cause I am that fancy.)
Here’s the description in case you cannot read it:
Hair: >TRUTHBlacks and WhitesTRUTH< Subscribo Group Gift
Sweater: Alexohol Fashions Argyle Sweater in Gray
Jeans: [Insatiable Fashions] Midnight
Shoes: APEXX: Knitlegwarmers + Heels [Black]
Pose: Striking Poses Katy Perry Dollarbie Pose
Visit Alexohol Fashions and go grab the sweaters while you can! They come in all layers, so it’s easy to coordinate no matter what your style may be!
Hopefully you have enjoyed the first of many posts here @ La Familia!
I just thought that I would give a little shout out to the blog….such a simple tool that has enabled us to say ‘THIS IS ME’ in the most raw and honest way!
I am daily taken on a journey of inspiration, heartache, love, philosophy and visual musings that amaze me… Whether we are hoping to inspire and up build, release our views of a twisted system, reach out for a kindred spirit, or are just looking for a moment in our busy lives to be who we truly are….mission accomplished.
This life is crazy. Talk it out, write it out, scream it from the rooftops! But don’t forget how amazing you all are….talented, beautiful, inspiring, real.
I am humbled and privileged to be allowed into your worlds. Thank you.
[From: Lectures on the Prophetical Office of the Church (Via Media, Volume I), 1837, Lecture Six, from Newman’s Anglican period]
Private Judgment is a weapon which destroys error by the sacrifice of truth….
In the next place, let us consider what force prepossessions have in disqualifying us from searching Scripture dispassionately for ourselves. The multitude of men are hindered from forming their own views of doctrine, not only from the peculiar structure of the sacred Volume, but from the external bias which they ever receive from education and other causes. Without proving the influence of prejudice, which would be superfluous, let us consider some of the effects of it. For instance; one man sees the doctrine of absolute predestination in Scripture so clearly, as he considers, that he makes it almost an article of saving faith; another thinks it a most dangerous error. One man maintains, that the civil establishment of religion is commanded in Scripture, another that it is condemned by it. One man sees in Scripture the three evangelical Councils, another thinks them a device of the evil one. Such instances do not show that Scripture has no one certain meaning, but that it is not so distinct and prominent, as to force itself upon the minds of the many against their various prejudices. Nor do they prove that all prejudice is wrong; but that some particular prejudices are not true; and that, since it is impossible to be without some or other, it is expedient to impress the mind with that which is true; that is, with the faith taught by the Church Catholic, and ascertainable as matter of fact beyond the influence of prejudice.
Again: take the explanations in detail given by Protestants of particular texts of Scripture; they will be found to involve an inconsistency and want of intelligible principle, which shows how impossible it is for the mass of men to contemplate Scripture without imparting to it the colouring which they themselves have received in the course of their education. Nothing is more striking, in popular interpretations and discussions, than the amplitude of meaning which is sometimes allowed to the sacred text, compared with its assumed narrowness at other times. In some places it is liberally opened, at others it is kept close shut; sometimes a single word is developed into an argument, at another it is denied to mean anything specific and definite, anything but what is accidental and transient. At times the commentator is sensitively alive to the most distant allusions, at times he is impenetrable to any; at times he decides that the sacred text is figurative, at other times only literal;—without any assignable reason except that the particular religious persuasion to which he belongs requires such inconsistency. For instance, when Christ said to the Apostles, “Drink ye all of this,” He is considered to imply that all the laity should partake the cup: yet, when He said to them, “I am with you always,” He spoke to the original Apostles, exclusively of their successors in the ministry. When St. Paul speaks of “the man of sin,” he meant a succession of sinners; but when Christ said, “I give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” He does not mean a line of Peters. When St. Paul says of the Old Testament, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” he includes the New; yet when he says, “We are come to the city of the Living God,” he does not include the Church militant. “A fountain shall be opened for sin,” does not prove baptismal grace; but “Christ is unto us righteousness,” proves that He fulfils the law instead of us. “The fire must prove every man’s work,” is said to be a figure; yet, “Let no man judge you in meats and drinks,” is to be taken to the letter as an argument against fasting. “Do this in remembrance of Me,” is to be understood as a command; but, “Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet,” is not a command. “Let no man judge you in respect of a holyday, or of the Sabbath-days,” is an argument, not indeed against the Sabbath, but certainly against holydays. “Search the Scriptures,” is an argument for Scripture being the rule of faith; but “hold the Traditions,” is no argument in favour of Tradition. “Forbidding to marry” is a proof that Rome is Antichrist; but, “It is good for a man not to marry,” is no argument in favour of celibacy. The Sermon on the Mount contains no direction for Protestants to fast; but the second Commandment is plainly against Image Worship. The Romanist in using prayers in an unknown tongue is guilty of disobeying St. Paul; but the Protestant, in teaching justification by faith only, is not guilty of at once garbling St. Paul and contradicting St. James….
I am but showing the extreme inconsistency which is found in the popular mode of interpreting Scripture;—men profess to explain Scripture by itself and by reason, yet go by no rule, nor can give any account of their mode of proceeding. They take the most difficult points for granted, and say they go by common sense when they really go by prejudice. Doubtless Scripture is sometimes literal and sometimes figurative; it need not be literal here, because it is literal there; but, in many cases, the only way of determining when it is one and when the other, is to see how the early Church understood it. This is the Anglo-Catholic principle; we do not profess to judge of Scripture in greater matters by itself, but by means of an external guide. But the popular religion of the day does; and it finds itself unequal to its profession. It rebels against the voice of Antiquity, and becomes the victim of prejudice and a slave to Traditions of men. It interprets Scripture in a spirit of caprice, which might be made, and is made by others, to prove Romanism quite as well. And from all this I infer, not that Scripture has no one meaning in matters of doctrine, or that we do not know it, or that a man of high qualifications may not elicit it, but that the mass of men, if left to themselves, will not possess the faculty of reading it naturally and truly….
It is very observable how a latent prejudice can act in obscuring or rather annihilating certain passages of Scripture in the mental vision, which are ever so prominently presented to the bodily eyes. For instance, a man perhaps is in the habit of reading Scripture for years, and has no impression whatever produced on his mind by such portions of it as speak of God’s free grace, and the need of spiritual aid. These are at length suddenly and forcibly brought home to him; and then perhaps he changes his religious views altogether, and declares that Scripture has hitherto been to him nothing better than a sealed book. What security has he that in certain other respects it is not still hidden from him, as it was heretofore as regards the portions which have now unsettled him? Anglican divines will consider him still dark on certain other points of Scripture doctrine. Or, again, I would ask him what satisfactory sense he puts to our Lord’s words, “Verily, thou shalt in nowise come out thence till thou hast paid the very last farthing”? or, “Stand fast and hold the Traditions”? or, “Let them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord”? and whether a Roman Catholic might not as fairly accuse him of neglecting these texts still, as he at present considers certain other texts, to which he was before blind, the sum and substance of his religion?
Or, to take another and more painful illustration. The (so-called) Unitarians explain away the most explicit texts in behalf of our Lord’s divinity. These texts do not affect them at all. Let us consider how this is. When we come to inquire, we find that they have a preconceived notion in their minds that the substance of the Gospel lies in the doctrine of the Resurrection. This doctrine is their Christianity, their orthodoxy; it contains in it, as they think, the essence of the Revelation. When then they come to the texts in question, such as “Christ, who is over all, God, blessed for ever;” or, “The Word was God;” they have beforehand made up their minds, that, whatever these words mean, they can have no important meaning, because they do not refer to the Resurrection; for that alone they will allow to be important…. They are not confident, they are not careful, about their correctness; they do not mind altering them. They put forward whatever will stop or embarrass their opponent, nothing more. They use some anomalous criticism, or alter the stopping, or amend the text, and all because they have made up their minds already what the Gospel is, that some other doctrine is the whole of it, and that in consequence the question in dispute is very unimportant….
And so, in like manner, many a man insists on the words, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” who will not go on to our Lord’s answer, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.”… [T]he mass of Christians bring their prejudices and impressions to the written word, as well as they, and find it easier to judge of the text by the spontaneous operation of habit and inclination, than by the active and independent exercise of their reason; in other words, they think inaccurately; they judge and feel by prejudice….
Scripture is not so distinct in its announcements, as readers are morally or intellectually slow in receiving them. And if any one thinks that this avowal is derogatory to Scripture, I answer that Scripture was never intended to teach doctrine to the many; and if it was not given with this object, it argues no imperfection in it that it does not fulfil it. I repeat it; while Scripture is written by inspired men, with one and one only view of doctrine in their hearts and thoughts, even the Truth which was from the beginning, yet being written not to instruct in doctrine, but for those who were already instructed in it, not with direct announcements but with intimations and implications of the faith, the qualifications for rightly apprehending it are so rare and high, that a prudent man, to say nothing of piety, will not risk his salvation on the chance of his having them; but will read it with the aid of those subsidiary guides which ever have been supplied as if to meet our need. I would not deny as an abstract proposition that a Christian may gain the whole truth from the Scriptures, but would maintain that the chances are very seriously against a given individual…. Neither would I deny that individuals, whether from height of holiness, clearness of intellectual vision, or the immediate power of the Holy Ghost, have been and are able to penetrate through the sacred text into some portions of the divine system beyond, without external help from tradition, authority of doctors, and theology; though since that help has ever been given, as to the Church, so to the individual, it is difficult to prove that the individual has performed what the Church has never attempted. None, however, it would seem, but a complete and accurately moulded Christian, such as the world has never or scarcely seen, would be able to bring out harmoniously and perspicuously the divine characters in full, which lie hid from mortal eyes within the inspired letter of the revelation. And this, by the way, may be taken as one remarkable test, or at least characteristic of error, in the various denominations of religion which surround us; none of them embraces the whole Bible, none of them is able to interpret the whole, none of them has a key which will revolve through the entire compass of the wards which lie within. Each has its favourite text, and neglects the rest. None can solve the great secret and utter the mystery of its pages. One makes trial, then another: but one and all in turn are foiled. They retire, as the sages of Babylon, and make way for Daniel. The Church Catholic, the true Prophet of God, alone is able to tell the dream and its interpretation.
Christmas is soon approaching, yet I don’t have much of a care. I used to be so into it, but now I’m focusing on so many other things. I will still be thinking about the fact that Christ came into a dark and dying world to save evil men simply because of love. In fact, thinking about it now, I wonder if Mary and Joseph realized that this baby would be bringing a message that would alter the heart, mind, soul, everything of men.
Why do we get presents on Christmas? Where did Santa come from? Why do non-believers celebrate Christmas? Ever ask these questions? If Christmas is about celebrating the birth of a Savior, why do we do all of these things? I’m not against giving presents or enjoying the fun of Santa Claus, and if non-believers want to go celebrate those things, I’m not going to stop them. But why has this become a materialistic day where we get all stressed out? Why do people get angry if they don’t get a present from someone? Why do children whine when their parents couldn’t afford or just didn’t want to get what they wanted? The day loses all its meaning and becomes a ignorant day of selfishness.
I made a Christmas list recently and I asked for some pretty expensive stuff, although I wrote it just for suggestions. I asked for some videos games and an ipod/mp3 player and some other stuff, but should I have? I’ve noticed at many points in my life that when I get what I want, I sometimes become content and lose fellowship with God. I almost get to a point where I think that I can put God on the side. Why do I do this? What a horrible thing to turn from God when you think you can stand on your own. I, of course, always find out that I can’t even take one step forward on my own without God and I fall. A few short moments out of fellowship with God and I’m falling face first under the strength of my own flesh.
On my birthday, I kind of acted like this and I thought I could sort of reward myself. I complained when told to do stuff from my parents on that day and said, “but it’s my birthday.” What a horrible thing to think there should be any day that I don’t need to act right. I deserve no reward. Nothing I receive should be mine. So, this coming Christmas, may God’s hand crush me and make me low so that every gift I receive is taken with great gratitude in my heart. Let me tremble at the gracious power of God and everything He gives me. Let me praise Him for all that He gives me. I deserve none of it.
And I have found that when I am low, when I am crushed into a fine powder, when I am humiliated and trembling at the throne of God, when I am falling into the arms of God and giving Him complete dominion over every aspect of my life, this is when I have true joy, everlasting peace, and triumphant victory over my sin. In my weakness, I am made my strongest through the power of God. What a crazy thing that is. The world says the exact opposite. You see people trying to gain victory over sins and gain happiness by their own power. They go and get friends that constantly tell them they can do it, but then they can’t. I was like this. But then I realized that nothing I do has any power and it is when I went into prayer and realized that by God and God alone I would have strength, that’s when I gained true joy and victory.
So to those that struggle in their sins and want victory: stop trying to fight it in your own power. I guarantee that you will fall. Accountability partners are good and encouragement is good, but if you’re not going into prayer and putting full dependence on God, you will never have any power over sin. I wish I realized this long ago, but at least I know now and now I actually have strength and victory and can live with confidence, not in myself, but in Christ and His work on the cross.
1. Foucault’s elision of truth/power is irrefutable. And yet, his approach is one-sided. He thinks of truth as power (which, one can agree, it is). But he does not think of power as truth (that is, real power as stemming from what is actually true, truly true). Foucault’s proposition of identity, then, must be embraced. But its significance, its power, its truth, depends on our ability to interpret it in both directions.
2. Charles Taylor restores a classical sense of the interchangeability of the transcendentals of truth and goodness, but he does so within a hermeneutical (as opposed to a metaphysical) framework. The best possible interpretation of our existence as a whole (i.e., the truest one) will also essentially include those ethical and social features that powerfully shape it (i.e., an articulation and practice of the good). The fact/value distinction thus becomes irrelevant, inasmuch as our facticity, taken holisitically, is value-laden. Likewise, the sharp divide between a substantialist and a functionalist account of religion falls into obscurity: for the understanding of transcendence which “functions” for us will work only because it seems true to our experience and it will seem true (i.e., to be of “substance”) only in light of its apparently salutary effects (which may be provisionally “apparent” in the mode of hope or belief even if they remain invisible or are perpetually deferred).
3. Had Pontius Pilate been sincere, he would have been right to ask, “What is truth?” Had Jesus said immediately and with great authority and reassurance, “I AM,” Pilate would have needed to ask the quesiton again. The drama of salvation is this: to grasp Jesus as the truth answers, at once, everything and nothing.
The famous quote by Kate Moss when asked how she sticks to her diet. Of course, the media had a fanny fit, saying that she could not say things like that as girls look up to her blah, blah, blah.
But nobody wants to admit, the reason they’re so upset, is because it is so true.
It’s true that no amount of muffins will EVER feel as good as the cheeky eye contact with the good looking man in the restaurant. Anybody who has been on a diet (we all have) know that feeling of being thin is absolutely wonderful.
That is NOT to say I am all for eating disorders and the like, but I am saying that there is a degree of truth in it, which should stop the tubby person reaching for the second donut.
Air Raid Pearl Harbor. This is no drill. Stark words clattering from the teletype machine.It was a bad day, 68 years ago, throughout a large swath of the Pacific Ocean, as the Japanese moved to secure their “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.”And kicked a giant in the nuts. Casualties USA : 218 KIA, 364 WIA. USN: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA. USMC: 109 KIA, 69 WIA. Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA. TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA. ————————————————- Battleships USS Arizona (BB-39) – total loss when a bomb hit her magazine. USS Oklahoma (BB-37) – Total loss when she capsized and sunk in the…
“No wonder you ex cheated on you, you’re unbearable.”
What!? How could anyone say that type of stuff!?
We were hanging out with my friends, and he made a joke, which no one understood, I tried my best to understand, but he said, “Of course you don’t get it.” I was annoyed and offended and tried to talk it out, but then he says, “There’s nothing to talk about. No wonder your ex cheated on you.”
Are you serious?! You’re going to throw away everything? Over a small argument?!
Where did that come from?
He’s been hating my ex this whole time, and he was the one who has been going after me and trying to make me date him. And then he makes a low blow?!
What in the world?!
Maybe I was right! This was just a rebound all along.
It’s been a long week, and I’m not done with working yet. There’s still tomorrow morning. Having to work on a Saturday when you have a standard Monday through Friday job blows, but you have to do what you have to do. This is going to be simple and brief. I was dropped a copy of StoRin’s new dresses called Flowey. The beauty of this dress, for me, is the way it’s made allows you to mix and match it. You can wear just the top. You can wear just the skirt, or my favorite you can mix and match the dresses to create new colors. The colors of the dress are: yellow/blue, red/charcoal, and purple/grey. Anything purple wins for me. There are more layers to mix and match and an optional skirt sculpted layer. These are also no copy/trans to allow you to give them out as Christmas gifts. I recommend buying the fat pack. Therefore you can mix and match!
Click here to go to StoRin.
Hair by Truth. Shoes by Maitreya. Glasses by Artilleri.
A specter is haunting America – the specter of a people rising. All across the nation Americans are waking up to the threat of a leftist elite determined to fundamentally change America, push through a socialist agenda, and make every citizen dependent on the state. The Obama machine is spending trillions of tax-payer dollars to finance their takeover of the American workplace and stifle the independence of the American people. But America is resilient nation, built on the principles of private property and individual freedom, and the resistance to their socialist plans has already begun.
In May 2009, just five months into the Obama administration, the people of California launched a tax revolt in the biggest spending state in the nation. So reckless were the leftist Democrats who run California (and have done so for as long as anyone can remember) that its deficit alone was larger than the budgets of most other states in the Union and of many of the nations of the world. Leftwing politicians don’t cut budgets; they propose new taxes. And California’s leftwing legislature did just that. But thanks to a constitutional amendment put in place by the California electorate through the state Initiative process, California legislators can’t raise taxes without a two-thirds referendum of the people. So they were forced to hold a special election in May to appeal to the electorate to pass five new ballot Initiatives to raise taxes.
But when the votes were counted, all five tax-raising Initiatives had been defeated by 60% margins. Even in San Francisco. A sixth Initiative designed by tax opponents to punish legislators who do not balance the budget passed by a more than 70% margin. Even in San Francisco. If one of the most liberal states in the Union is saying no to the soak-the-public philosophy of leftwing legislators, Obama socialism is in big trouble.
The revolt in California quickly spread to the entire nation through the efforts of the Tea Parties movement, the most innovative, exciting and powerful grassroots force in the history of American conservatism. It is vital to the health of this country that the Tea Parties movement grow. More to the point: it is essential to American survival that the Tea Parties movement succeed. On the eve of the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama said “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming America.” The Tea Parties movement is the American people saying no to Obama’s plans for revolution.
* * *
A movement without an effective strategy for defeating its opponents cannot succeed. Therefore it is important to reacquaint ourselves with the art of political war.
While Democrats are morally bankrupt and clueless about policy – about what makes things work — they still win elections because they understand a simple fact: American politics is driven by the romance of the underdog, the story of the little guy who goes up against the system and triumphs in the end. It is a story about opportunity and fairness. To win the hearts and minds of the American voter, you have to tap the emotions the romance of the underdog evokes. Whoever does so has a winning edge.
America’s heroes are all cut to this common mold. Whether it is George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Davy Crockett, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Amelia Earhart, Jackie Robinson, Ronald Reagan or Colin Powell, the theme is always the same: The common man who rises against the odds. America’s political romance is “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” to make things right. It is “Meet John Doe” who speaks for the voiceless. It is Luke Skywalker who saves the planet by using the good side of the Force to defeat the Empire. It is the odyssey of individuals who challenge power, overcome adversity and rise to the top. Everyone in America thinks of themselves as an underdog and aspires to be a hero.
The cause of the underdog wins American hearts because it resonates with our deepest religious and moral convictions of doing good and helping others. And because it is America’s own story. We began as a small nation, standing up to the world’s most powerful empire. We dedicated ourselves to the idea that all men are created equal. We are a nation of immigrants and a generous people who arrived with nothing and made fortunes in a new world. This is the American Dream.
It’s a story that will get you every time. But at election time, it’s the political left and the Democratic Party who know how to wield it as a political weapon, and Republicans and conservatives generally who don’t. Of course the Tea Parties have changed all that. And that is another sign that we are in an extraordinary political moment. The Tea Parties draw on the heritage of America’s own revolution as an underdog nation and are the voice of the people, oppressed now by their own government which is out of control and determined to crush them.
* * *
In positioning themselves as champions of the under-represented, neglected and oppressed, leftists employ a version of America’s story that they have manufactured through their grip on the media and the academic culture. They have transformed America’s story from an epic of freedom into a tale of racism, exploitation and domination. In their telling, American history is no longer a narrative of expanding opportunity, of men and women succeeding against the odds. Instead, it is a Marxist Morality Play about the powerful and their victims.
In staging their political dramas, progressives invariably claim to speak in the name of America’s alleged “victims.” Every policy of the Democratic Party is presented as a program to help these “victims”—women, children, minorities and the poor. Simultaneously, Democrats describe Republican policies as programs that will injure the weak, ignore the vulnerable, and keep the powerless down.
Republicans play right into the Democrats’ trap because they approach politics as a problem of management. To Republicans, every issue is a management issue—the utility of a tax cut, the efficiency of a program, the optimal method for running an enterprise. Republicans talk like businessmen who want a chance to manage the country so that it will turn a profit.
There is nothing wrong with instituting good policies and running things efficiently or turning a profit. But while Republicans are performing these Gold Star activities, Democrats are engaged in a different kind of drama. They are busy attacking Republicans as servants of the rich, oppressors of the weak and defenders of the strong. And enemies of “the people.”
Listen to Mario Cuomo describing Republicans to the Democrats’ 1996 National Convention:
We need to work as we have never done before between now and November 5th to take the Congress back from Newt Gingrich and the Republicans, because ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, the Republicans are the real threat. They are the real threat to our women. They are the real threat to our children. They are the real threat to clean water, clean air and the rich landscape of America.
Mario Cuomo knows the language of political war.
Democrats connect emotionally with people’s fears and concerns. The appeal to help the underdog and defend the victim resonates with all Americans. This is because Americans are a fair-minded people. Most successful Americans came from humble origins themselves. They want to help others. They want everyone to have the chance to succeed.
So do Republicans and conservatives. But they rarely connect their policies and principles to this political romance.
There’s a good reason for this. Conservatives are busy defending the real America against the left’s attacks and the anti-American caricature they have constructed. Conservatives know that America is still a land of opportunity and freedom, and that nobody in America is really “oppressed.” (Otherwise, why would poor, black, Hispanic and Asian minorities be desperately seeking to come here? Why wouldn’t they be leaving instead?)
But politics isn’t just about reality. If it were, good principles and good policies would win every time. It’s about images and symbols, and the emotions they evoke. This is a battle that conservatives generally lose.
In the romance of the victim, as progressives stage it, Republicans and conservatives are always on the side of the bad guys—the powerful, the male, the white and the wealthy. It’s easy to see how patriotism plays into this trap. Defending America is readily mis-represented as an attitude that says: “I’m all right Jack, so you should be too.” The left relishes the opportunity to smear patriots as members of the selfish party instead of as defenders of individual freedom.
Ann Coulter has described the motto of the left as this: “Speak loudly and carry a small victim.” For the Democrats, the romance of the victim stirs the souls of their supporters and energizes their base. Equally important, it provides the nuclear warhead of their political attack. Conservatives are targeted victimizers, and leftists as the champions of the oppressed. Learning how to turn this around will turn around the political war as well.
Going On The Attack
Fortunately, conservatives can use the left-wing attack against them. Contrary to the left’s view, America is not a land of victims. It is a highly mobile society, with a citizenry that aspires upwards through the system, not against it.
Conservatives can also turn the left’s oppression myth around, and aim its guns at them. In fact, using the romance of the underdog against the left is the best way to neutralize their attack.
The way to do it is to recognize that the most powerful forces obstructing opportunity for poor and minority Americans, the most powerful forces oppressing them, are progressives, the Democratic Party, and their political creation—the welfare state.
There is really nothing new in this idea. Conservatives already oppose the programs of the left as obstacles to the production of wealth and barriers to opportunity for all Americans. What is new is the idea of connecting this analysis to a political strategy that will give conservatives a decisive edge in battle—that will neutralize the class, race and gender warfare attacks of the political left.
The Principles
Here are the principles of political war that the left understands but conservatives do not:
1. Politics is war conducted by other means
2. Politics is a war of position
3. In political wars the aggressor usually prevails
4. Position is defined by fear and hope
5. The weapons of politics are symbols evoking fear and hope
6. Victory lies on the side of the people
Here are the principles explained:
Politics is war conducted by other means.
In political warfare you do not fight just to prevail in an argument, but to destroy the enemy’s fighting ability. Conservatives often seem to regard political combats as they would a debate before the Oxford Political Union, as though winning depends on rational arguments and carefully articulated principles. But the audience of politics is not made up of Oxford dons, and the rules are entirely different.
For starters, you have only 30 seconds to make your point. Even if you had time to develop an argument, the audience you need to reach (the undecided and those in the middle who are not paying much attention) wouldn’t get it. Your words would go over some of their heads and the rest would not even hear them (or be quickly forgotten) amidst the bustle and pressure of daily life. Worse, while you’ve been making your argument the other side has already painted you as a mean-spirited, border-line racist controlled by religious zealots, securely in the pockets of the rich. Nobody who sees you this way is going to listen to you in any case. You’re politically dead.
Politics is war. Don’t forget it.
Politics is a war of position.
In war there are two sides: friends and enemies. Your task is to define yourself as the friend of as large a constituency compatible with your principles as possible, while defining your opponent as their enemy wherever and whenever you can. The act of defining combatants is analogous to the military concept of choosing the terrain of battle.
Choose the terrain that makes the fight as loaded in your favor as possible. But be careful. American politics takes place in a pluralistic framework, where constituencies are diverse and often in conflict. “Fairness” and “tolerance” are the formal rules of democratic engagement. If you appear mean-spirited, nasty, or too judgmental, it will make the task easier for your opponent to define you as a threat, and therefore as “the enemy.” (See principle 4)
In political warfare, the aggressor usually prevails.
Conservatives often pursue a strategy of waiting for the other side to attack. In football this is known as a “prevent defense.” In politics it is the strategy of losers.
Aggression is advantageous because politics is a war of position. Position is defined by images that stick. By striking first you can define the issues and your adversary. Defining the opposition is the decisive move in all political war. Other things being equal, whoever is put on the defensive generally winds up on the losing side.
In attacking your opponent, take care to do it right. Going negative increases the risk of being defined as an enemy. Therefore, it can be counter-productive. Ruling out the negative, however, can incur an even greater risk.
Position is defined by fear and hope.
The twin emotions of politics are fear and hope. Those who provide people with hope become their friends; those who inspire fear become enemies. Of the two, hope is the better choice. By offering people hope and yourself as its provider, you show your better side and maximize your potential support.
But fear is a powerful and indispensable weapon. If your opponent defines you negatively enough, he will diminish your ability to offer hope. This is why Democrats are so determined to portray conservatives as mean-spirited, and hostile to minorities, the middle class and the poor.
It is important to work away from the negative images your opponent wants to pin on you. If you know you are going to be attacked as intolerant and bigoted it’s a good idea to lead with a position that is inclusive and fair-minded. If you are going to be framed as mean-spirited and ungenerous, it’s a good idea to put on a smile and lead with symbols that project generosity and charity.
The weapons of politics are symbols evoking fear and hope.
Conservatives lose a lot of political battles because they come across as hard-edged, scolding, scowling and sanctimonious. A good rule of thumb says be just the opposite. You have to convince people you care about them before they’ll care about what you have to say.
When you do get to speak, don’t forget that a sound-bite is all you have. Whatever you have to say, make sure to say it loud and clear. Keep it simple and keep it short. (A slogan is always better). Repeat it often. Get it on television. Radio is good, but with few exceptions, only television reaches a public that is electorally significant. In politics, television is reality.
Of course, you have a base of supporters who will listen for hours to what you have to say if that’s what you want. In the battles facing you, they will play an important role. Therefore, what you say to them is also important. But it is not going to decide elections. The audiences that will determine your fate are audiences that you will first have to persuade. You will have to find a way to reach them and get them to listen. And get them to support you. With these audiences, you will never have time for real arguments or proper analyses. Images—symbols and sound-bites—will always prevail.
Therefore it is absolutely essential to focus your message and repeat it over and over again. Lack of focus will derail your message. If you make too many points, your message will be diffused and nothing will get through. The result will be the same as if you had made no point at all.
Leftists have a party line. When they are fighting an issue they focus their agenda. During legislative battles, every time a Democrat steps in front of the cameras there is at least one line in his speech that is shared with his colleagues. “Tax breaks for the wealthy at the expense of the poor,” is one example. Repetition insures that the message will get through.
When Republicans speak during legislative battles, they all march to a different drummer. There are many messages instead of one. One message is a sound-bite. Many messages are an indecipherable noise. The result of many messages is that there is no message.
Symbols and sound-bites determine the vote. These are what hit people in the gut before they have time to think. And these are what people remember. Symbols are the impressions that last, and what ultimately defines you.
Carefully chosen words and phrases are more important than paragraphs, speeches, party platforms and manifestos. What you project through images is what you are.
Victory lies on the side of the people.
This is the bottom line for each of the principles and for all of the principles. You must define yourself in ways that people understand. You must give people hope in your victory, and make them fear the victory of your opponent. You can accomplish both by identifying yourself and your issues with the underdog and the victim, with minorities and the disadvantaged, with the ordinary Janes and Joes.
This is what leftists do best, and conservatives often neglect to do at all. Every political statement by a leftist is an effort to say: “We care about women, children, minorities, working Americans and the poor.” And: “Conservatives are mean-spirited, serve the rich and don’t care about you.” This is the left’s strategy of political war. If conservatives are to win the political war we have to turn these images around.
We also have to make our campaigns a cause. During the Cold War, conservatives had a cause. They were saving the country from Communism. It was a cause that resonated at every level with the American people. The poorest citizen understood that their freedom was at stake in making sure that conservatives were elected to conduct the nation’s defense.
In a democracy, the cause that fires up passions is the cause of the people. That is why politicians like to run “against Washington” and against anything that represents the “powers that be.” As the left has shown, the idea of justice is a powerful motivator. It will energize the troops and fuel the campaigns that are necessary to win the political war. Conservatives believe in economic opportunity and individual freedom. The core of our ideas is freedom and justice for all. If we can make this intelligible to the American electorate, we will become the majority again and stop the socialist juggernaut that threatens our American future.
http://frontpagemag.com/2009/12/01/the-art-of-political-war-for-tea-parties-by-david-horowitz/David Horowitz was one of the founders of the New Left in the 1960s and an editor of its largest magazine, Ramparts. He is the author, with Peter Collier, of three best selling dynastic biographies: The Rockefellers: An American Dynasty (1976); The Kennedys: An American Dream (1984); and The Fords: An American Epic (1987). Looking back in anger at their days in the New Left, he and Collier wrote Destructive Generation (1989), a chronicle of their second thoughts about the 60s that has been compared to Whittaker Chambers’ Witness and other classic works documenting a break from totalitarianism. Horowitz examined this subject more closely in Radical Son (1996), a memoir tracing his odyssey from “red-diaper baby” to conservative activist that George Gilder described as “the first great autobiography of his generation.”
George Washington gives us today’s quote and it’s fun to quote our first President: “Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your reputation. Be not apt to relate news, if you know not the truth thereof. Speak no evil of the absent, for it is unjust. Undertake not what you cannot perform, but be careful to keep your promise. There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth, and pursue it steadily. Nothing but harmony, honesty, industry and frugality are necessary to make us a great and happy nation.”
This is true now more than ever! Look at these words again: harmony, honest, industry and frugality are necessary to make us a great and happy nation – and I would say at all levels of humanity!
Another great truth quote from another of our American presidents, Harry S. Truman who said, “I don’t give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it is hell.” Fun and funny!
And of course, here is today’s People Skills Video Tip:
The Daily Social Dose is short and easy to digest. Sign up now, for FREE! http://shawnaschuh.com/DailySocialSignup.php
Blessings,
& The Schuh Crew
Shawna Schuh, CSP
Helping Sales Professionals, Executives, and Service Teams profit through advanced people skills.
It seems nearly impossible to qualify nutrition and reproduction in relation to each other, so let’s try.
Which has a higher quality, food or sex?
Nutrition
The inherent, involuntary need to feed ourselves has led us into many dark areas in our history. More importantly, it has led to our general tribal formation and our racial identities. Some argue that, in the absence of the chase for food, we might possibly have had peace on Earth. This seems far fetched, but it does bring to light some fascinating ideas and issues.
Where there is an unnecessary abundance of food due to the hunting/scavenging of said food and its storage by one tribe, there is an equal and opposite lack of it in another. This, in turn, causes a desire by the famished tribe to undo this injustice and balance the scales. Of course, once the scales have been balanced, there is no reason for the newly fed tribe to stop there, and a war may continue until the scales are opposite what they had been. Later, the cycle will repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat until we stand where we are today: many tribes, little food.
Food explains other interesting facets of our daily lives. For example, ever notice that men are more communal with their brothers and women more independent with their sisters. Consider that men hunted together. They depended on each other during the hunt or battle and learned to appreciate each other on a very close level. Brotherly love kept platoons fighting and hunting groups on course. The men who assuaged the most and those that led the best were the ones who survived. Their social prowess became almost as important as their physical power.
Opposite this, women fought each other for the food that was returned by the men to the cave. The more independent, uncaring, and cold a women was able to be in face of her sisters, prioritizing her own family above all else, the higher her chances of survival were. More importantly the higher chances her family had of surviving, those same traits being passed on and on. This can explain the general vindictivness women have over men. Ironically, men are considered the colder of the genders, but, in reality, this is never so. Especially not towards members of their own gender.
For a much more thorough investigation of food and its effects on mankind, please read The Story of B (or Ishmael or My Ishamel, though having only the read the first, I only vie for it) by Daniel Quinn.
I am thinking out loud. Ever since I moved here I have been pondering what direction I would like my life to go. I’m not sure what the answer is.
What I like: Adirondacks, a shelter from the elements, a place to exist, garden, food storage, more money coming in
What I don’t like: small LDS branch, health care, living inside, apartment dramas, not traveling
Sometimes my life seems too monotone. The bulk of my time is spent in my bedroom….either sitting in my favorite chair or in bed. That gets too comfortable, too boring. I have spent the last year building up material security. I do not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from. I have clothes for the seasons. I have a fixed address so I can access health care and benefits. OK…so why am I so restless? Why am I getting that itch to do something different?
Part of my problem is that I like challenges. I like having something new to learn or to overcome. Once I get good at a skill, it’s not much fun any more. Whenever I felt like I knew how to do most of a job or a craft or whatever, I was ready to do something else. Homesteading and farming had the ability to engage me for years as there were sooooo many things to learn and do.
I’m REALLY tired of being sick. If there were one thing I would like to walk away from and never look back, it would be physical sickness.
I feel like I need to be more involved with people and places. My biggest gateway to the world is my computer. This laptop is getting old. The keyboard markings are starting to rub off. What will happen to me when the laptop dies? I will be alone in my room.
Somehow I need to throw off the old me and find a new skin….like a hermit crab.
The biggest hole in my life is living apart from my daughter. I miss her. She left three messages on the answering machine this week and I have not called back. I desperately want to talk to her…but not on the phone. I hate telephones.
Sigh….I am a spoiled brat….I don’t know what I want, I just know I need some change….
Why is the professing Body of Christ seemingly so divided, and who or what is causing it?
After all, we all claim to be following the Holy Spirit. That should give all sides something very serious to think about. We can’t all believe different things and still all be right.
According to the Scriptures, here are 3 things that cause division in the professing Church:
1) False teachers allowed to remain in the professing Church
Any time a teacher leaves the Truth, he is sowing division.
Romans 16:17-18 “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
It is very important to keep in the “teaching we have learned.” That is, the doctrine of Christ and His apostles found in the Bible (not the doctrine taught in a church building or seminary. This is an important distinction.) Those who leave the teaching of Christ and His apostles and teach some other wind of doctrine, or doctrine of demons, are serving themselves and dividing the Body of Christ.
2 Peter 2:1-3 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”
The “way of Truth” will fall into disrepute because of these false teachers whom “many will follow.” The phrase “denying the sovereign Lord who bought them” suggests that these teachers were walking in Truth at one time, but have left the right way and are now taking others with them. Those who follow these blind guides have stopped following Jesus, the only Way of salvation. Because they are deceived, they will claim they are still following God, to the shock and dismay of those who have remained faithful to Jesus. Now two opposing groups will claim to be serving Jesus and following the same Spirit. Thus division is created in the professing Body of Christ by false teachers and those who follow them.
Jude 18-19 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
2) Siding with the Truth (or not)
Jesus, who is the Truth, said He came to bring division that would even tear families apart.
Luke 12:51-53 “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Those who side with satan, “the god of this world,” will naturally despise those who side with Christ—the One who testifies that the world’s deeds are evil (John 7:7). A natural division occurs between light and darkness, Christ and Belial, righteousness and wickedness, and the temple of God and idols. (2 Cor. 6:14-16)
John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Jesus is called the “Word made Flesh.” The Word of God is even said to divide.
Heb.4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Those who subject themselves to the Word of God will become divided from those who do not. (John 7:43, John 9:16, John 10:19)
In the world (and professing church) as it presently stands, there are wheat and tares growing up together. (Matt. 13:24-30) The wheat CAN BE distinguished from the tares by the servants of God. But they are allowed to co-exist until the time of harvest, when the “reapers” will permanently separate them. The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim. 2:19).
3) Testing
Believers are tested by heresies, to see if they will remain in the doctrine of Christ or not. This testing causes division between those who are approved by God, and those who are not.
I Cor. 11:18-19 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
It is also important to realize that we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not to be ashamed because we rightly divide the Word of Truth! (2 Tim. 2:15)
It is very important to abide in correct doctrine—so important that even salvation is at stake!
I John 2:24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.
2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
Paul cursed those who taught any gospel other than what had already been taught. (Gal.1:6-9)
Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. (2 John 9-10)
We will be tested by heresies, just as Eve was tempted in the garden of Eden. Eve fell because she believed the words of a deceiver (she believed false doctrine) that questioned WHAT GOD HAD ALREADY SAID. Satan promised Eve an experience that she couldn’t pass up. The Holy Spirit will NEVER contradict the Bible, which He authored. The Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, and thoroughly equip us to live holy lives abounding in good works (2 Tim.3:15-17).
So what about unity?
Didn’t Jesus pray that His disciples would be one? (John 17:17)
Yes, and His true disciples ARE ONE. They abide in His teaching, and His Word abides in them. They together abide in Christ, and they stand together against the false teachings that are threatening the flock. (Titus 1:9, Romans 16:17, Jude 3, 2 Cor. 6:17)
The disciples of Christ are denying themselves and carrying crosses, dying to this life and loving not this world nor the things in this world. Because their focus is on Jesus Christ alone, and they are not carried away by every wind of doctrine, they are united—even though they may not even know each other. They are satisfied with their daily bread, trusting that man shall indeed live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. They are not divided because of skin color or nationality. They are not divided due to wealth/poverty, or station in life. They are people of peace and they love one another. They do not take advantage of one another, or lord it over one another. They do not lie to one another, and they do not elevate themselves over one another—rather the greatest among them is the servant of all.
These love God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength; and they love their neighbors as themselves. They help the weak and gullible by rescuing them from the mouths of wolves. They often do this by exposing false teaching and false teachers, which unfortunately earns them a reputation for being “divisive.”
God bless you.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Hope you’re prepared for a wonderful holiday tomorrow. I am…ready to enjoy some turkey, stuffing, mac and cheese…and other yummy stuff with my family. Going to be a small group tomorrow. Just six of us. Usually there’s more like 10-20 depending on which uncles, aunts and cousins show but kind of all scattered around this year. Of course sometimes smaller is better. And I’m sure we’ll enjoy the eats and the company.
So, today I was feeling a bit better (thank you God) and decided to try and run today. I was still pretty congested so wasn’t sure how it would go but was determined to at least TRY. I’ve been itching for a run since…Saturday.
Funny…it wasn’t so long ago that I looked for excuses to NOT go run. Being unable to breathe through my nose would have more than qualified…but not now. Now I try to find reasons to go run and get frustrated when I miss a run – even if I have a good excuse. Guess that’s a good thing.
Started out with my usual 5-minute warm-up. No problems. Started running…but started off easy. After 5 minutes I was feeling pretty good. Started thinking about the race tomorrow, the half-marathon in two weeks…visualizing the start and crossing the finish line. Realized I was running faster…still feeling good. As I approached the half-way mark I was starting to feel it…and could tell I hadn’t ran in a week.
I took my two-minute walk break at half-way (it was needed and appreciated) and then hit it again. When I reached the last 5-minutes I was struggling a little bit but pushed through and finished strong. With warm-up and cool-down…4 miles in 50 minutes. That was SWEET! It was a really GREAT run. I’m looking forward to the race in the morning… I’m looking forward to 12 miles on Saturday…although my internal chatterbox is rattling off about how hard it’s going to be…how my last long run (of any significant distance) was a few weeks ago, I’m not ready, I can’t do it…blah, blah, blah. But you know what…that’s just talk and talk is cheap.
I’m learning that my little internal chatterbox (I need to come up with a name for it) is repeating what others have said in my past. And they lied…and I used to believe the lies but now I know the truth. I know that I CAN do it…I AM good enough…I will NOT fail. Nope…don’t believe the chatterbox anymore. Just lies…and there is a high price to pay for believing those lies. I know…I’ve been paying it for a long time…but not anymore. So, you stupid, lying chatterbox…you can just SHUT THE HELL UP!! I’ll rock it tomorrow…I’ll knock it out of the park on Saturday…and I’m going to OWN that 13.1 miles in Kiawah in 2 weeks…you watch me…and before all is said and done I will replace you with the TRUTH…
And I’m really looking forward to that day. I suspect it is just around the corner. I am already beginning to feel the shift back to who I really am…and I am becoming who I am meant to be… Glad you’re coming along for the ride…it’s going to be a good one. Until next time, I hope you are well and that your internal chatterbox is telling you the truth…YOU CAN DO IT!!
I sometimes get the sneaky suspicion that all is not as it should be in my life. I think a lot of this comes from an unsettling disappointment I have about myself. Some of this disappointment is neurotic. Like when I want to impress someone with my intelligence and my words come out all jumbled up or I stutter.
Some of my disappointment is silly. I would love to always look like I just finished up with a GQ photo shoot, looking very charming and debonair.
Then there’s the deeper disappointment that I have a real tuff time with. When I look at my two sons as they play outside on their bikes and I think of the kind of father I want to be for them. I want to make lasting impression on them, so that when they look back on their childhood and they can remember a childhood that came straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. I want to make believe with them, making all their dreams come to life. I want to catch lighting bugs with them in the hot summer nights. I want to take long bike rides with them.
I look at them through the den window as I am on the computer doing schoolwork as they are riding their bikes and I’m reminded of how the day really went. I remember them fighting over who gets to be first on a Wii game and me telling them to be quite so that I can work, to busy to show them how to resolve a conflict. I remembered how stern I got with my youngest son, Nole, when he didn’t do exactly as I told him getting mad and making threats – just because I’m his father and I can. I remember the fear and hurt I saw in his eyes as lashed out at him. I remember instead of catching lighting bugs I hurried them inside to take a bath, so that I could have a moment to myself. I’m so disappointed in myself at times.
I’m also disappointed in myself not just as a father, but also as a husband, son, and friend at times. I know that my life was created for so much more than just being overwhelmed with work and school. I have a purpose in life; I have an opportunity to do something great with my life as we all do.
I am disappointed that I don’t love God more and willfully sin so much against him. I can get insanely jealous if someone I know succeeds more than I. I am disappointed at how petty and shallow I can be at times. I can lead people to believe that I have it all together and yet I feel like at times my world is falling apart.
These are just some of my disappointments. I have darker ones that I am too ashamed to admit, as I’m sure we all do. So why do so many others and I feel this way? Some may say it is a lack of self-esteem, this may be true in part – but as I get a little older and hopefully a little wiser, I believe it is a deeper problem. One that lurks deep within our soul, that we don’t like to admit, which is a failure to be the person God first called me to be.
I feel if I had always pursued God as my two boys pursue life, I would not feel such disappointment as I do. Although as an adult I have forgotten what it was like to dream big dreams as a child. I have forgotten what it is like to give God my all, as my boys do when they play. If I were to do that then I would be in a much better place as a father, husband, son, and friend. I would be more of the man that God first called me to be. So for all my disappointments I am glad my God is a God of second and third chances, so it is my prayer today that I would seize all the little opportunities He has given me to be the person He intended me to be.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God said that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
It has been awhile since I have been able to make a post, but it is really nice to have a few extra minutes out of my day to sit down and getaway into SL. The cold weather always brings my favorite time of the year the holidays. Yes I am one of those people who shops early for gifts, plays holiday music all day, fill my home with holiday scents and decorates in time for Thanksgiving. So why not in SL? Well my bf and I are not that quite organized in SL but slowly we are sorting out the sim in time for a warm and cozy holiday dinner with close friends to sip eggnog and hot apple cider in front of our warm fireplace.
This year I am starting a new holiday tradition with my friends in SL. Yeah we can do the traditional holiday dinners in SL and gift exchange, but why not get creative with ideas to spend quality time with those that make your SL one of a kind. This year I have decided to invite my friends over a few days throughout the month to have an all out blast to decorate gift boxes, snowmen, ornaments, gingerbread men/women etc. It does take time to setup create and/or buy the items you need, so make sure to plan it out well. (*Just a side note make sure to check the permission of items when purchasing to make sure they allow you to share them. ) Once you have all your supplies, arrange them in order and set them to buy at 0L. It is a really good idea to set out an example you have created so your friends can have ideas while assembling together their very own project. Make sure you have a variety of items, for example, for a snowman create a cone nose, twisty nose, twig from a branch nose and so on then everyone can choose from several different pieces to make their very own creative one of a kind snowman. Why not set your sim/parcel radio to holiday music when everyone is there to share the holiday spirit. Even if it is a bit artsy/crafty/Martha Stewarty you get an opportunity to spend time with your very special friends.
If you have further ideas you want to share, leave me a comment I would love to read what is on your mind!
Today I chose to wear something too keep me warm in these freezing cold temperatures. There is nothing more classic and warm than a heavy wool coat, tights and boots.
Style Notes
Coat – KUROTSUBAKI Red Poncho
Tights – Twosome Cozy Gray Tights
Skirt – LeLutka Paine Mini in Chocolate (group gift)
Param Pujya Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu: “I said many years back, that I want to see India as a superpower. It’s 2007 now, in 2010 there would be such rays from the sun that would damage your TV mobile. Then India would become a superpower in 2011. TV and mobile have also lowered human values, these all would be damaged. There would be such rays from the sun that would vanish all the satellite systems. Radio, communication systems, mobile all will come to a stand still. Humans will go back into the age of Satyug. Nature will create the environment of superpower. Scientists are saying this, that in 2010 there is possibility of such sun rays. I said it is good. Background for us is being created. Whatever kids (scientists) discover is ok. If he (Bapuji) wills then God also adapts accordingly. It is said that if he (Bapuji) wills then dead also becomes alive. So if a will comes to make India a superpower then God and Nature also adapts accordingly. If you don’t want it for yourself then it’s done. Anyone can take the fame. You take the fame. Anyone who brings something for me, I give him back. Samiti can take the fame. It organizes and do everything. I don’t do anything. Don’t do anything right now. No prayer, meditation nothing. Keep sitting like this. Rest….. One bapu has shaken whole India and whole world. Where is such kind of Bapu in any other country? Do you get bapu like this in any other country? Was there Lila shah Bapu in other countries? Was there Nanak bapu? Was there Kabir bapu? In this country only they are. Who can take to God.”
Gurudev satsang, Subtitles: I was a deity once. I was a sage once…many purans still contain my stories. This is 70th time I have come to earth.
Even if God or saint bless you to get beneficial things still that thing won’t stay forever. Only their knowledge will stay forever. That the beneficial and adverse both are dreams. Through which they are seen (felt) is our eternal immortal soul. This is the highest knowledge.
Don’t be slave of your wish. In whichever thing you feel attachment is there distribute or donate that thing.
If you have fear of death go to graveyard and see to those who are dying and tell your self that this is death.
Whatever road blocks you face in coming towards God either remove them or ignore them. Don’t consider roadblocks as roadblocks.
In every situation equanimity yoga should be done.
http://www.ashram.org/
View More Videos at http://vimeo.com/user647845/videos http://www.hariomgroup.org
I’m looking forward to 12 miles on Saturday…although my internal chatterbox is rattling off about how hard it’s going to be…how my last long run (of any significant distance) was a few weeks ago, I’m not ready, I can’t do it…blah, blah, blah. But you know what…that’s just talk and talk is cheap.