My Peers

I find it ironic how this past week was all sunshine and I was in a good mood all week. Now its a new week and it has started off gloomy, mirroring how I feel now. Maybe the weather has some sort of connection to our moods. If this is so I pray for summer to come swiftly.
I was in last block today, looking at myself in the mirror and thinking I just want to go home and finally be in something comfortable with something salty to eat. Schools funny that way in which we feel the need to look our best to be criticized by our peers. Even though I always emphasize that what you look like doesn't matter; its the kind of person you are, people can't take their judgmental characteristic away. Its become a way of life. There's a huge pyramid and we are all struggling to get to the top. People push others down when they make fun of what their wearing be it hair clothes make-up etc. Its a pity the world has come to this, and there's not a lot of people who take the time to see it happening, and acknowledge it.

No Title...

I don't even know what to write about anymore. Its like I have no thoughts. I wouldn't say I'm numb and have no feelings, but I cant seem to express myself in words. It was a good week, no teenager parent conflicts...Really. People seem to be getting along over here. It's almost peaceful. I think I'll end this with a quote.


Yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Sunny Days

Did you ever notice that when it's sunny you feel more inclined to get about our day doing the work that needs to be done, where as when its raining and gloomy all your want to do is lay on your couch and watch the rain fall. Somehow the day seems lighter, happier and easy to enjoy. You sit by the window and feel the warmth from the sun touching your face and it goes right through you to touch your heart. There's a certain feeling all around you, and if something were to happen you can be reassured that it will all turn out just because of a few sun rays. You have faith.

Deuteronomy 18:9-15

Deuteronomy 18:9-15: "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken."

These verses in Deuteronomy mention several very wicked things these nations were doing, because they did not know God. They were using divination, astrology (observering the times), and getting their advice or counsel from enchanters or witches and wizards. They were seeking the dead (necromancy) and having seances (consulting with familiar spirits). They were even offering their children to the god Molech to be burned (verse 10). Our civilized world today thinks how ghastly that was for people to murder their own children. However, our modern society does the same thing by committing abortion. Many nations of the world are killing their children before they are born. This is murder and is also an abomination in the sight of God.

God does not want us to seek counsel in the wrong places. He wants to direct us and give us His understanding. He declares that He is wisdom, understanding and strength. Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy and in Verse 15 he tells us that we are to seek the true Prophet, Jesus. If God shows us something that we should do and we feel we could not possibly do it or face it, His promise to His children is to give them the strength to accomplish it. One of the greatest scriptures we can quote for strength is found in the New Testament:

Philippians 4:1:3 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

We are also told that the way to overcome is not to rely on our own strength and wisdom, but to look to God for for His counsel and His advice and His strength to obey Him. He promises to give us the strength to resist and overcome the temptations that we face. We are told in Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." He did not tell me I had to be strong in my own strength, but rather, to "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." I can rely on Him for all I need, He will give me His might. I can trust the Words of the Bible to be the right advice. I can trust that the Lord will enable me to keep it. In so doing I will walk in strength and victory

That Little Voice

You know that little voice inside your head that give you that instant knowledge what the answer your looking for is? That answer to the test your doing, should you take the bus by yourself at night...Your voice will tell you no. I seem to have lost that voice. No matter what I do, I should have done the opposite, and when I was given the choice I pushed that voice out of my head and thought no I'll do what I think is easiest. Even if it's a simple thing like whens so and so's birthday. A date will appear clearly in my head but then I'll shake it off and say a different; sure I'm right. I was wrong. Instinct 1. Me 0.

The Parents

Your told to be polite to people who aren't your immediate family. There's always that constant reminder; say your please and thank you's make sure you don't make a mess and be sure not to say anything rude. So you go about your life being polite, saying those thank you's and trying to please everyone. Of course your supposed to act this way with your parents too, but why is it that as soon as we do something wrong we are exiled, forced to wonder why our parents are mad at us; because they're punishment is to stop talking to us. Parents are fragile things. There is a very fine line between approval and disapproval with most parents.
It is, in fact, very easy to judge if a particular child is or isn't nagged. If I were to take my friend Ben for example, I could very easily say that his father didn't nag him much at all. This is because he simply does what he likes. I mean, who does the right thing when nobody cares if you don't? Now take myself, I have had more than my fare share of nagging in my time. How do you know? Well, everything I am was shaped by my mother. She is an epitome of understanding, a wealth of knowledge and of course I have inherited the other traits like beauty and genetic perfection. As we get older we tend to want to be in control of our direction, and not be forced in a particular direction by someone else, even by a parent. This is why I don't like my mother nagging, because it symbolises that feeling of control and power that our parents crave.

The Meaning

To love is to share life together
to build special plans just for two
to work side by side
and then smile with pride
as one by one, dreams all come true.

To love is to help and encourage
with smiles and sincere words of praise
to take time to share
to listen and care
in tender, affectionate ways.

To love is to have someone special
one who you can always depend
to be there through the years
sharing laughter and tears
as a partner, a lover, a friend.

To love is to make special memories
of moments you love to recall
of all the good things
that sharing life brings
love is the greatest of all.

I've learned the full meaning
of sharing and caring
and having my dreams all come true;
I've learned the full meaning
of being in love
by being and loving with you.

A Prayer

Dearest Father, I am grateful that you are a God of order and of wisdom. Show me Your order in my every day affairs. I need my life and my ways ordered of You. Lord, I live in a time where there is so much busyness and hurry-hurry, let me not get caught up in the rush of our society. Slow me down, and show me my priorities. Let me do the things that are important to You. Let me not leave the important things of prayer and the study of Your Word undone. Forgive me when I neglect these things, because I have run out of time and strength that was given to less important things. I know if I put the things of God first, then I will have time for all the really important things in my life. Help me work on "being" like You, instead of just busy "doing" things for you. I do ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

The Magic Of Chocolate

Here's the proof! Chocolate is GOOD for you

Cocoa - Medicinal and Psychological Properties

The Mayans and Aztecs learned very early on the hydrating properties of cocoa butter, a substance obtained after several steps of processing. This balm became an staple item of their pharmacopoeia, used for healing burns and chapped skin, easing sunburn, treating the liver and lungs, and as a preventative against snake bite.
Its therapeutic uses were recognized in Europe for the first time in the Bref Traité de Médecine by Augustin Farfan, a physician to the court of Philip II, published in 1579. According to Farfan, two varieties of cocoa beans, roasted and well ground, could be used to heal chapped nipples. He added that when drunk very hot in the morning, chocolate is a good purgative "for those suffering from tightening of the stomach" and also serves "to eliminate stones from the kidneys."

Calorific

Energizer

Tonic
Brillat-Savarin is the undisputed master of hot chocolate, which he calls the chocolate of the afflicted. In his excellent book on the classics of the table, he recommends chocolate as "a stomachic and even digestive tonic" and attributes to cocoa restorative properties capable of reviving even the most faltering strength by adding all the wisdom of the east: vanilla, cinnamon, mace, cane sugar and a few grains of ambergris.

"This is the appropriate place," says Brillat-Savarin, "to speak of the properties of chocolat ambré, chocolate with ambergris, properties which I have verified through many experiments, the results of which I proudly present to my readers. Therefore, let every man who has drunk a few too many draughts from the cup of pleasure, every man who has spent a good portion of time working that ought to have been spent sleeping, every witty man who feels he has temporarily become dull, every man who finds the air close, the time long and the atmosphere oppressive, every man who finds himself tormented by an obsession that takes away his ability to think freely, let all of them, we say, administer to themselves a good half litre of chocolat ambré, at the rate of 60 to 72 grains of amber per half kilogram, and they will experience a marvel."

Cholesterol
Cocoa contains what is called "good cholesterol" and does not harm the body

Let us not attribute to chocolate faults that it does not possess
In itself, it isn't fattening if eaten plain and in moderation, with allowances for the different types of chocolate. Dark chocolate with a high concentration of cocoa is not fattening. On the other hand, the lower the quality of chocolate, the higher the cocoa butter and sugar content so beware! If you want to inverse the process and gain weight, we suggest caramel-filled white chocolate - foolproof!

Cocoa has no effect on the liver, even in the case of people suffering from hepatic complaints. Biological examinations have not revealed any effect on liver cells. No, chocolate is not aphrodisiac, though it is a stimulant - sometimes people confuse the two.

Proverbs 6:23-29

Proverbs 6:23-29(KJV): "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent."


These verses in Proverbs give instructions to young men to avoid prostitutes. Verse 23 begins with the admonition to obey the commandments of the Lord and likens them to a lamp that brings light in a dark night. We know if we went out walking at night without a flashlight or street light, that very quickly, we would stumble and fall. No one can go very far without a light to guide them. Even sailors use the light of the stars to navigate on the seas. The Bible tells us that God's Words are the guiding light of our lives and that His reproofs and instructions are for our good. They will preserve our life if we heed them.

The next verses warn a man to stay away from the evil woman who is a whore. This scripture describes in detail how a man can be ensnared unless he flees this temptation. The first step the devil uses, is to get a man engaged in a conversation with a loose woman. She entices the man by flattery and provocative looks and alluring dress. The adulteress will stalk and try to snare the precious life of a man so that he is brought down to the worth of a piece of bread.

Verses 27 and 28 both ask a question about fire. If a man allows lust to burn in his heart and he yields to the temptation of a whore, he will be burned. If a man thinks he can just flirt with a prostitute, he will be fooled. It would be the same as if he took a flame to his chest, his clothes would catch on fire. A man cannot walk into a place where the temptation is great and expect to not have his feet burned. In the New Testament the Bible tells us what must be done. A man must flee from the enticement..

1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

A fornicator is defined in the New Testament as one who commits fornication, which is any kind of illicit sex. The Greek word for a man who indulges in fornication is "pornos." Obviously, this is also where the root word for pornography comes from. All who are being tempted with looking at pornography, must flee from it. Through the power of the Holy Spirit those who are ensnared in this deep pit can be free. God is a forgiving God and will deliver us from this evil. However, it is best if we take heed and never become ensnared in the first place.

This is also true with the sin of adultery as verse 29 warns. Fornication encompasses all kinds of sexual sins such as sex between single partners before marriage, homosexuality, affairs of the mind through pornography, etc. Adultery is defined as sexual sin committed outside of the marriage. When a man cohabits with his neighbor's wife or any other woman besides his own wife, the Bible says he is guilty of adultery. This sin can bring evil consequences to his life and many times a just retribution. Just having one's conscience trouble them is torture to the emotions. All of Proverbs warns men to keep themselves from this kind of sin. These verses of course can apply to women as well as men. Lustful men can lead innocent girls astray in the same way that a man can be led astray by the wrong kind of woman. Since Proverbs was written by Solomon he was addressing this message to his son, but it can be applied to all.

Happiness

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, Be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others - Even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons - they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career - However humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is. Many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection, neither be cynical about love. For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, It is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the council of the years, Gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune, But do not distress yourself with imaginings - Many fears are borne of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe. No less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, Keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

Moments Of Desperation

What do you do at moments of desperation? When the world is just about to crumble and fall...When everything that you construct as your identity is just about to become nothing...When you feel helpless and there is nothing you can do about that...When nothing in the world can make that desperation go away...

No matter what, your family cannot help you out of it...No matter what, your friends can only watch from the side, and that is if they are even watching...No matter what, your actions will be futile...No matter what, there is just no way out...

worst of all, there was a way out...But it's too late now...

What do you do at moments of desperation?

It's so tempting to end things and be done with it...It's so tempting not to think about it and ignore it...It's so tempting to NOT CARE...

But that is not possible...

What do you do at moments of desperation?

Cry out? Who is going to hear? What can they do even if they heard? Will they choose to care even if they heard?

What do you do at moments of desperation?

I know, there is always God.

I'm waiting...

Luck Of The Irish

Well I recently found out just how Irish I am. Almost half if you can believe that. Must explain the following characteristics I have:
~ I like eye contact. People who avoid it may not be trust worthy.
~ I always love a good argument....I like to call them debates
~ I don't appreciate arrogance
~ We can criticize ourselves, but no one else can
~ We believe that its a form of boastfulness to talk about ones accomplishments.
~ No patients what so ever
~ Revenge is awesome

Just took a quiz to find out "which Gaelic phrase are you?"
My results: Is maith liom bananai - 'I like bananas.'You're laid-back and you enjoy the simple things in life. Some might say you're a little too laid-back. Just what is it you're smoking, anyway?

-Sounds about right.

My Grey Cloud

I haven't actually sat down to write anything of my own lately. Maybe its that I haven't had an opinion about too much these days. Over this week I can feel a change I've patiently awaited for many months. The feeling of being truly happy, and not having to put on any sort of mask to deceive everyone around me. I feel like my world is a bit lighter, the dark cloud above my head has become a shade of grey instead of it's past intimidating darkness. To my dismay its still there; I have been told how to clear its profound ugliness. For me its just not that simple. Perhaps I'll trade in my cloud for a faint shadow. Then I'll go about my life with the indefinite reminder, but it will be easier to ignore.
-Imagine if life was that effortless

Searching For Faith

Some 14 years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our opening session in the theology of faith.

That was the day I first saw Tommy. He was combing his hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. My quick judgment wrote him off as strange – very strange.

Tommy turned out to be my biggest challenge. He constantly objected to or smirked at the possibility of an unconditionally loving God. When he turned in his final exam at the end of the course, he asked in a slightly cynical tone, "Do you think I'll ever find God?" "No," I said emphatically. "Oh," he responded. "I thought that was the product you were pushing."

I let him get five steps from the door and then called out. "I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am certain He will find you." Tommy shrugged and left. I felt slightly disappointed that he had missed my clever line.

Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was grateful for that. Then came a sad report: Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to me. When he walked into my office, his body was badly wasted, and his long hair had fallen out because of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice, for the first time, was firm.

"Tommy! I've thought about you so often. I heard you were very sick," I blurted out.

"Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer. It's a matter of weeks."

"Can you talk about it?"

"Sure. What would you like to know?"

"What's it like to be only 24 and know that you're dying?"

"It could be worse," he told me, "like being 50 and thinking that drinking booze, seducing women and making money are the real 'biggies' in life."

Then he told me why he had come.

"It was something you said to me on the last day of class. I asked if you thought I would ever find God, and you said no, which surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging against the bronze doors of heaven. But nothing happened. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of my desperate attempts to get some kind of message, I just quit. I decided I didn't really care about God, an afterlife, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more important. I thought about you and something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you loved them.' So I began with the hardest one: my dad."

Tommy's father had been reading the newspaper when his son approached him.

"Dad, I would like to talk with you."

"Well, talk."

"I mean, it's really important."

The newspaper came down three slow inches.

"What is it?"

"Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that."

Tommy smiled at me as he recounted the moment. "The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I couldn't remember him doing before. He cried and he hugged me. And we talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning.

"It was easier with my mother and little brother," Tommy continued. "They cried with me, and we hugged one another, and shared the things we had been keeping secret for so long. Here I was, in the shadow of death, and I was just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.

"Then one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. Apparently He does things in His own way and at His own hour. The important thing is that you were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him."

"Tommy," I added, "could I ask you a favor? Would you come to my theology-of-faith course and tell my students what you told me?"

Though we scheduled a date, he never made it. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of humanity has ever seen or the mind ever imagined.

Before he died, we talked one last time. "I'm not going to make it to your class," he said. "I know, Tommy."

"Will you tell them for me? Will you . . . Tell the whole world for me?"

"I will, Tommy. I'll tell them."