Worshiping the Creature Over the Creator

I have very little knowledge when it comes to anything political but I do know the difference between right and wrong. Unfortunately it would seem that in todays day and age the concept of what is right and wrong somehow got twisted and turned upside down. It reminds me of the verse Isaiah 5:20

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

I was having lunch in my car the other day when I heard on the radio something about Obama wanting to ban sport fishing. What is happening to us? Are you serious? This is so crazy. I guess there was an article by Robert Montgomery for ESPN, opening line reads as follows:

“The Obama administration has ended public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing some of the nation’s oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters.”

For the full article click here : Culled Out

Just another example of Romans 1:25

“because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Now I’ve read other blogs and articles refuting the claims of Montgomery and I know politics is politics, there is propaganda on both sides. It’s sometimes hard to know what is true and what isn’t. I don’t know if Obama is trying to ban sports fishing. I do know that crazy enviro nuts would love to see it go along with hunting and just about everything else that requires the use of animals for the benefit of man. These are people who put the lives of animals above the lives of human beings.

Am I upset over this news? I love fishing and hunting but to be honest I am not to worried about it, because I know everything is leading to one end, The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. Everything I read and hear about just leads me to believe that the Lord will return in my lifetime, that is exciting. These are certainly interesting times we live in.

[Via http://phil48sc.wordpress.com]

What to Seek First

RAINING TRUTH WATERING THE GARDEN

Watering the Garden 23
WHAT TO SEEK FIRST

Scripture:
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Luke 12:29-31)
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns: yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (troubled by cares) can add one cubit unto his stature? (time of life) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin? And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:25-32)

Jesus said our first priority is to seek truth and everything else will fall into place. We are not to worry so much about food and what we have to wear. His promise is that if we seek his kingdom he will take care of our daily needs. Along with the Psalmist may this be your desire. “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” (Psalms 27:8)

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
Our first priority should be to seek the kingdom of God and he will take care of our daily needs.

Our Father appreciates the fact that you are trying. May God’s blessing be upon this
study of His word, Amen.
Susan

[Via http://rainingtruth.wordpress.com]

So now Wolfscratch’s thousands of posts have also disappeared from the Tallahassee Democrat Cheryl Dunlap forum.

Don’t take my word for it. Go. Look.

I realize the Democrat is in control of that forum and has the right to kick off anyone they like.

But they have kicked EVERYONE off that forum. The only posters left are three people, and at least two of them are the same person! And they’re all the ones who don’t really want to talk about Cheryl, or even Hilton. Constantly changing the subject to other cases in other states, that have nothing to do with Cheryl Dunlap or her killer.

Sound like the public defender’s office working overtime? Sure does to me.

How is that legal? First they stifle information by keeping this case completely sealed for THREE YEARS now. Now they’re stifling public discussion on an online newspaper forum which is SUPPOSED TO be accessible to the PUBLIC.

Does this bother you? I know it bothers me, wolf, daffy and fungshway. Those are their handles and they keep their identities out of it. Smart. I put myself out there and now I feel exposed. We’re talking serial killers and associates her, and people who are in collusion with a serial killer. Which is why I learned karate, with a big ol’ shotgun in case kicks to the balls and gouging the eyes doesn’t work.

Obfuscate all you want, you crappy public officials. The truth and the lies will out. You can’t keep a bell jar on it forever.

[Via http://nancyimperiale.wordpress.com]

Learning to Fly

I’ve been through a lot in my lifetime.  To be honest with you, I never really felt loved by my parents.  My mother pretty much abandoned me for the other men in her life.  My father abandoned me for drugs.  Everyone in my family, and I do mean everyone, has tendencies to backstab and gossip about everyone else.  Therefore, I’ve never really trusted anyone in my family.  My brother.  I trust him.  That’s about it.  I even fabricated a lie about my Grandfather.  That lie has been following me for nearly five years now.  While he was a good man, he was not what I make him out to be.  I like to say that he was the only father I ever had (which I suppose is true to a degree).  I like to say that he and I were close, talking about life, love, happiness.  I like to say he gave me good advice and that I seeked him out for it every chance that I got.  But none of that is really true.  Yes, he was a good man, but no, I did not have the type of relationship that I portray to some people.  To be honest, I’ve never had a man in my life that I could trust completely.  And I blame it on the lack of a father in my young home.  And yes, it has effected every relationship that I have ever been in.  Every man in my past hurt me.  OR did I only hurt myself???  I think that I just made bad choices.  I went for the “bad guy”, I went for the “older guy”, I went for the “guy that I had nothing in common with”, I went for the “control freak” guy.   My life with these men consisted of Drinking, drugging, cheating, lying, controlling, abusing.  By the time I turned 34 I KNEW that I would never find true happiness with someone.  Yet, I was still determined to try.

Finally, I found happiness.   At 35, just 5 months before my 36th birthday.  I found it when I wasn’t even looking for it.  During that time,  all I was concerned with was a divorce from my husband and a life of my own.  A fresh start.  I did get the fresh start, but I wasn’t alone for it.   I found a wonderful person.  I found a friend and a lover.  I found someone that I could be relaxed around.  Someone that made me laugh.  Someone that wanted to spend time with me.  Someone that believed in family and being true to ones self.  Yet, five years later, I find myself confusing paranoia for intuition.  Those old “demons” from my past just won’t let me be.  How do I decipher these feelings? ?  Yeah, I’m not as bad off as I used to be but I still have my days and I hate it.  I truly do.    Instead of taking that giant leap of faith and just “going for it”…… I suit up in my armor and protect myself from my fears.  I get this mentality that says….Up yours!  I’m going to hurt YOU before you will ever hurt ME!  Yes, I remember the PAIN.  I want to forget it, but it’s always there….simmering in my subconscious.  Just when I feel free of it…….it rears its ugly head.

I think that pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly.

I want to fly.  My wings are ready.  So, so ready.

[Via http://lilmisslynn.wordpress.com]

Ouspensky on the meaning of life

Though this is a Buddhist-oriented site, I’m always open to genuine insight and love wherever it appears, and I certainly don’t think that the grandeur and richness of life can be encompassed by any view we might hold—Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, atheist, agnostic, scientific, or whatever.

Recently I’ve been enjoying getting to know Peter D. Ouspensky, a Russian mathematician and philosopher who espoused many of the ideas and practices of George Gurdjieff, a Greek-Armenian mystic and spiritual teacher.

Here’s a short passage from Ouspensky on the meaning of life, which I found insightful:

P. D. Ouspensky

“Some say that the meaning of life is in service, in the surrender of self, in self-sacrifice, in the sacrifice of everything, even life itself. Others declare that the meaning of life is in the delight of it, relieved against ‘the expectation of the final horror of death.’

Some say that the meaning of life is in perfection, and the creation of a better future beyond the grave, or in future life for ourselves. Others say that the meaning of life is in the approach to non-existence; still others, that the meaning of life is in the perfection of the race, in the organization of life on earth; while there are those who deny the possibility of even attempting to know its meaning.

“The fault of all these explanations consists in the fact that they all attempt to discover the meaning of life outside of itself, either in the nature of humanity, or in some problematical existence beyond the grave, or again in the evolution of the Ego throughout many successive incarnations—always in something outside of the present life of man.

But if instead of thus speculating about it, men would simply look within themselves, then they would see that in reality the meaning of life is not after all so obscure. It consists in knowledge.”

Of course, Ouspensky had his views about how to “look within” and just what “knowledge”—self-knowledge—would be. I think his ideas about “self-study” are brilliant and readily applicable by anyone, anytime, anywhere.

What he says echoes that great aphorism of Ancient Greece: Know Thyself! That great truth echoes in the lives and words of all of mankind’s great spiritual teachers from Buddha to Ramana Maharishi to J. Krishnamurti, to mention just a few. Knowing ourselves is at once the simplest and the hardest thing to do.

No matter how much guidance and inspiration we get from spiritual teachers, masters, gurus, or saints, we finally have to roll up our sleeves and do the work ourselves. We finally have to see for ourselves what the truth is.

In the end, this doesn’t mean “one truth for me, and another for you.” Rather, every genuine insight into truth is an awakening to what is. If we believe something to be true that is at odds with what really is, experience will sooner or later reveal the error. Untruth always leads to suffering, but even the suffering of our false beliefs and views can become occasions for awakening to what is.

The more we are open to truth, to what is, the more confidence we get in our ability to see for ourselves what is true and what isn’t. We don’t have to look to outside authorities, but to our experiences, and to our hearts, and to our awakening minds. No wonder the Buddha said:

“Be ye lamps unto yourselves, be a refuge to yourselves. Hold fast to Truth as a lamp; hold fast to the truth as a refuge. Look not for a refuge in anyone beside yourselves.

And those, who shall be a lamp unto themselves, shall betake themselves to no external refuge, but holding fast to the Truth as their lamp, and holding fast to the Truth as their refuge, they shall reach the topmost height.”

♥♥♥

[Via http://mettarefuge.wordpress.com]

Design of the Week - Mindreader

This week’s design is called Mindreader. It is a design that is brought about by a thought that I have had numerous times. What if?

What if someone put a computer chip behind your ear and it recorded everything you thought, saw, and did for a week. Then, after that week, those recordings were retrieved and posted on Youtube for your wife, kids, parents, and friends to see. Would you change anything that you’re doing? What if there were a bubble above your head that showed everyone else what you were thinking at that very moment? When you looked at that woman/man with lust, everyone else knew it. When you were lying to your spouse, they would instantly know. Any time you did something that you know is wrong, everyone else around you would know it clearly. Your thoughts would have lasting effects wouldn’t they?

Now think about this: While your wife, your kids, your boss, your parents, or complete strangers may not have a clue what you’re thinking, God knows every thought that you’ve ever had. Not only that, those thoughts will affect where you spend eternity. While that may sound radical, it’s exactly what the Bible says. Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This isn’t an action. You aren’t physically committing the adultery. But you are looking with lust and thinking about a woman in a way that is not righteous. For the Lord Jesus, this is enough. It’s enough to be adultery and it’s enough to send someone to hell for eternity. The same goes for hatred. Jesus sees hatred as murder. You don’t have to physically commit the act for it to affect your eternal life.

What are your thoughts like? If others could see them, would they glorify God? Would they confirm that you are the type of person your claim to be or would they contradict your very words?

I am not a mindreader, but God is; and He can see your thoughts just like He can see mine. As the just Judge of all the universe, He is the One who determines where each of us will go when we die. Part of His judgment will be based on what you and I think…

[Via http://ateasetees.wordpress.com]

Frailties and strenghts

The wind is whining outside my window…it sound almost like a cry…

I have mentioned that before I go to sleep every night I say thanks for what the day has brought. Well, I think today, there has been a lot to be thankful for so I feel the urge to share this in writing, five hours before I need to wake up to a “new day”

Maybe the wind will have found its rest by then…

Wouldn’t you agree that we understand the importance of gratitude more when we encounter situations where life’s frailties become evident?

Like an earthquake? Or a message of an incurable disease?

I had both things affect two of my friends just recently. The Chilean cleaning lady at work who not only has become a dear friend but a role model and a source of inspiration, was suffering very bad today from the earthquake (800 times stronger than the one on Haiti!) that struck the area where her family lives.

In my limited Spanish I gave her my support and in my unlimited language of humanity, I gave her a hug as she cried.

She is the strongest woman I have met and she reminds me everyday that life for a major part of people in the world isn’t about the size of their new flat screen or how many “friends” they have on Facebook.

Life – for many, many people, is a constant struggle and hard labor.

Trabajo - she says – is all that matters. You work hard and save your dinero and support la familia. Every month she sends money to her nephew so that he can go to school, while she doesn’t even allow herself a vacation. She talks about the importance of being a good person, amable, like Helen, she says, and smiles. And when I get back from my vacation (which in my opinion is when I leave the supermarket for good to start creating a life’s work in line with my dreams, although she insists I come back) we will joke about me being tired in the morning, “otro día mas”, el cafecito, the time that flies by rapido and about when I will come and visit her family in Chile.

A home that may not even exist anymore. How sad is that?!

What words of comfort are there, in any language, to that?

The other thing that made me remember how frail our lives are and how quickly things can change is that one of my closest friend’s father was diagnosed with incurable cancer, which completely turned her world around and instead of going to Australia, sent her off on another journey – one she was not prepared to take, but one that leaves no other choice than to arm yourself with a lot of faith – and good friends!

Therefor, having tea with my best friends in their living room tonight was oh so meaningful.

My sad friend – who has always been my most happy friend – my two best friends – who are leaving for the Philippines in two days – and me – who is staying – trabajando, experiencing la vida and soon, while the wind weeps outside my window – dormiendo.

[Via http://inwardsun.wordpress.com]