A majority of humankind is content with existing in a state of constant distraction, unable or unwilling to truly discern the nature of their world and life.
I can make that statement with enough confidence that only a few people on the planet would be able to make an opposing argument and plausibly defend it in a good conversation.
(Hint: if you thought the the first statement was insulting, the second statement arrogant, or if you "just don't care" then you most likely are not one of the people qualified to create a suitable retort. And you are probably one of the people that I have depicted in the first statement.)
ok, ok... moving on. Here is the first tip to increase your intelligence:
1. Define everything. Do not slip into a habit of just accepting the given "meaning" of something. Pick up a dictionary, read articles, talk with people, gain a perspective on everything you discuss and think about.
"Where are you?"
I am here...
"Where are you?"
I am here in Houston, Texas
"Where are you?"
I am here in a composition of atoms, organized into clusters or molecules (most of which are commonly termed "water"), which themselves have formed into macro-groups commonly refered to as tissue, fluid, also called cells, these cells are organized into tissue and fluid systems which are contained as one 5'5" unit, called Sidhartha Sen, which is in a shell of materials called clothing, upon a chair, fixed within an outer shell called shelter, this shelter being called an apartment, with a positional situation within Houston, Texas, USA, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way, Universe...
"Who are you?"
Uh, oh...
"How do you know"
ok, stop
"what do you believe?"
"what do you know?"
"why"
"How do you work?"
"How do you come to have knowledge?"
So many simple questions and most people have minds that are two weak to answer them... even in a silent moment of meditation.
So then how can these people claim to have "faith" "belief in God" "support for Democracy" "a relationship" with anything; when they don't even know what they mean when they say these things?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Talking with God
"you mean you actually speak with God?"
"yes"
"you mean you pray to Him?"
"no, well I pray too, but we speak, have dialogue...its cool"
"you're insane..."
"faithful"
"How do you know its God and not the devil, or just your brain?"
"The content of the conversations are different... and he just whispers..."
"huh?"
"The devil speaks AT everyone, he talks, whispers, yells, pleads in your ear... and he always wants you to keep talking, keep thinking, keep going in endless circles of diatribe... never finding peace, never finding progression, always stressful, or distracting...EVERYONE speaks to him."
"uh, yeah... ok" *sarcasm*
*sigh*
"when I pray, God doesn't talk back.. .he just lets me talk, and talk, scream, yell, whisper, plead.... I end up talking at Him, not to Him..."
"So you're like Satan" *grin*
"In a way, but unlike satan, I've learned to shut up, to get quiet, to listen, learn - to let myself be loved, and to obey."
"Obey? - Sounds like slavery"
"It is, we all are slaves, we all serve a master... some the Devil, others money, others lust, drugs, power, amusement, family, duty, righteousness, charity, philanthropy, careers, pride...no one can serve two masters, I bow to God. If anyone will be a good master, it will be Him."
"I'm not a slave, I have free will"
"Sure"
"I DO. I am not a robot - what would the point be in that?"
"African slaves were able to think, feel, sing, cry, but they were still slaves. They only had one choice, to obey or not. All humans are the same."
"What's the point in having religion, or belief in God, if there is no free will? - That would make God responsible for all the evil in the world..."
"Depends on how you define Evil...evil from your point of view is not the same as His..."
"whatever, bad is bad, good is good... you're crazy"
"man is hungry, his family is starving, he sees a huge field with tons of corn, and he has a gun...
farmer has worked all season, fingers to the bone, yielding a whole field of corn - and yet the harvest wont be enough to pay the mortgage....if the hungry man takes the corn to feed his family is he good or is he a thief? Are all thieves bad? If the farmer defends his farm and kills the thief, is he defending his family or a murderer?"
"You're an ass... that's a hypothetical"
"It happens all the time, the first time recorded is the story of Cincinattus...the american civil war and WWII were started in much the same way...just not over corn. BUT if the murderer and the thief, learned to listen, speak and obey God THEN the thief would have asked the farmer, the farmer would have fed the thief...God would have been glorified..."
"Dude, over my head"
"I know. I can't explain it, I am not God."
"So when you speak to him, he speaks back..."
"NO, when HE speaks to me, I shut up and listen."
"When does he talk?"
"All the time...but I am not always listening"
"Why?"
*shrug* "I let life lure me into disobediance, God whispers, he refuses to talk above the chatter and confusion of life... I must seek Him"
"You're weird"
"yup"
"You really believe in a God like that"
"I believe in a God that has broken me, rebuilt me, broken me again, rebuilt me again, given me riches and poverty, heartbreak and a physically broken heart, a career that many would spend their whole lives questing for, a beautiful intelligent loving wife, a future, and GRACE. I exist to serve him, good or bad, better or worse, young and old, rich, poor, sick, healthy, in this life and the next...he has placed the begining of wisdom on my poor shoulders, and softened my voice... he has replaced my boyish laughter with a steady voice that can sing and command, and my innocent eyes have been opened to all that I have done, will do, and am doing...in essence, I speak with God and He speaks to me... and that God I trust - to do less would be insane."
"too deep for me..."
"you should learn to swim then..."
"shallow water seems fine" *smirk*
"thats where the sharks are"
"ever thought that I am one of those sharks"
"no, you are a lamprey feeding off the shark, dependent on it, rather than swimming on your own. I want you to swim... like we are doing right now"
"hmm"
"gotta go, my wife needs me... "
"see ya"
"bye"
"Uh, tell Him hi, the next time you chat"
"He heard you" *grin*
--True Account
"yes"
"you mean you pray to Him?"
"no, well I pray too, but we speak, have dialogue...its cool"
"you're insane..."
"faithful"
"How do you know its God and not the devil, or just your brain?"
"The content of the conversations are different... and he just whispers..."
"huh?"
"The devil speaks AT everyone, he talks, whispers, yells, pleads in your ear... and he always wants you to keep talking, keep thinking, keep going in endless circles of diatribe... never finding peace, never finding progression, always stressful, or distracting...EVERYONE speaks to him."
"uh, yeah... ok" *sarcasm*
*sigh*
"when I pray, God doesn't talk back.. .he just lets me talk, and talk, scream, yell, whisper, plead.... I end up talking at Him, not to Him..."
"So you're like Satan" *grin*
"In a way, but unlike satan, I've learned to shut up, to get quiet, to listen, learn - to let myself be loved, and to obey."
"Obey? - Sounds like slavery"
"It is, we all are slaves, we all serve a master... some the Devil, others money, others lust, drugs, power, amusement, family, duty, righteousness, charity, philanthropy, careers, pride...no one can serve two masters, I bow to God. If anyone will be a good master, it will be Him."
"I'm not a slave, I have free will"
"Sure"
"I DO. I am not a robot - what would the point be in that?"
"African slaves were able to think, feel, sing, cry, but they were still slaves. They only had one choice, to obey or not. All humans are the same."
"What's the point in having religion, or belief in God, if there is no free will? - That would make God responsible for all the evil in the world..."
"Depends on how you define Evil...evil from your point of view is not the same as His..."
"whatever, bad is bad, good is good... you're crazy"
"man is hungry, his family is starving, he sees a huge field with tons of corn, and he has a gun...
farmer has worked all season, fingers to the bone, yielding a whole field of corn - and yet the harvest wont be enough to pay the mortgage....if the hungry man takes the corn to feed his family is he good or is he a thief? Are all thieves bad? If the farmer defends his farm and kills the thief, is he defending his family or a murderer?"
"You're an ass... that's a hypothetical"
"It happens all the time, the first time recorded is the story of Cincinattus...the american civil war and WWII were started in much the same way...just not over corn. BUT if the murderer and the thief, learned to listen, speak and obey God THEN the thief would have asked the farmer, the farmer would have fed the thief...God would have been glorified..."
"Dude, over my head"
"I know. I can't explain it, I am not God."
"So when you speak to him, he speaks back..."
"NO, when HE speaks to me, I shut up and listen."
"When does he talk?"
"All the time...but I am not always listening"
"Why?"
*shrug* "I let life lure me into disobediance, God whispers, he refuses to talk above the chatter and confusion of life... I must seek Him"
"You're weird"
"yup"
"You really believe in a God like that"
"I believe in a God that has broken me, rebuilt me, broken me again, rebuilt me again, given me riches and poverty, heartbreak and a physically broken heart, a career that many would spend their whole lives questing for, a beautiful intelligent loving wife, a future, and GRACE. I exist to serve him, good or bad, better or worse, young and old, rich, poor, sick, healthy, in this life and the next...he has placed the begining of wisdom on my poor shoulders, and softened my voice... he has replaced my boyish laughter with a steady voice that can sing and command, and my innocent eyes have been opened to all that I have done, will do, and am doing...in essence, I speak with God and He speaks to me... and that God I trust - to do less would be insane."
"too deep for me..."
"you should learn to swim then..."
"shallow water seems fine" *smirk*
"thats where the sharks are"
"ever thought that I am one of those sharks"
"no, you are a lamprey feeding off the shark, dependent on it, rather than swimming on your own. I want you to swim... like we are doing right now"
"hmm"
"gotta go, my wife needs me... "
"see ya"
"bye"
"Uh, tell Him hi, the next time you chat"
"He heard you" *grin*
--True Account
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Condensed Surfing
So, I started looking at the random posts on my facebook page... and clicked on one... a friend of mine and her mom were heading for Europe... then another click and I notice that a friend is having twins... another click and I learn that the heart surgery went fine...click..and I see the wedding photos from last weekend...click...the trick or treating wasn't as fun this year...click...trick or treating rocked... click... someone's recently divorced mom is starting to date again... click... the dog is ok, but the vet wants him to get some more vaccines... click...she can't believe McCain lost (idiot)... click... he is thinking about moving to Canada now that Obama won (idiot)...click... God is in control regardless of who is president... click...there is no God and no burning bush... click....click...click...
3 hours of my life gone...but i have witnessed/experienced about 2 years of life... weird.
3 hours of my life gone...but i have witnessed/experienced about 2 years of life... weird.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Saying Goodnight
something as simple as saying goodnight... i never realized how powerful and emotionally important it is to have someone say goodnight. It is a recognition of another's importance.
I just realized how many of my friends no longer have a person telling them goodnight. It is as if that benediction is reserved for family and lovers.and pets.. but it shouldn't be... should it?
I always make it a point to text someone goodnight... and always have 2-3 people that I say good night to... likewise I recieve about the same amount...
when was the last time that you said good night to someone? when was the last time it was said to you? It is a powerful form of "I love you" that i think we take for granted or forget about.
I encourage you to reach out to a friend and text him/her a good night. Get in the habit of calling someone and telling them goodnight. Drive home the point that another individual in your life has importance to you.
It will be reciprocated... trust me, it is addictive.
Other powerful messages:
Good morning.
I miss you.
Anyway, the other night I went out to dinner and then bowling with a friend. On the way home, we were texting back and forth about how much fun we had. We then said good night via text. Immediately after that my wife called me (she was in San Antonio) to tell me good night, then my mom... weird... but it got me thinking about it. Just now, in bed my wife leaned over and said good night and I was inspired to write this...
I hope you are well, whereever you are and I hope you are not feeling alone.
(no I am not going to end this with a cheesy good nite)
I just realized how many of my friends no longer have a person telling them goodnight. It is as if that benediction is reserved for family and lovers.and pets.. but it shouldn't be... should it?
I always make it a point to text someone goodnight... and always have 2-3 people that I say good night to... likewise I recieve about the same amount...
when was the last time that you said good night to someone? when was the last time it was said to you? It is a powerful form of "I love you" that i think we take for granted or forget about.
I encourage you to reach out to a friend and text him/her a good night. Get in the habit of calling someone and telling them goodnight. Drive home the point that another individual in your life has importance to you.
It will be reciprocated... trust me, it is addictive.
Other powerful messages:
Good morning.
I miss you.
Anyway, the other night I went out to dinner and then bowling with a friend. On the way home, we were texting back and forth about how much fun we had. We then said good night via text. Immediately after that my wife called me (she was in San Antonio) to tell me good night, then my mom... weird... but it got me thinking about it. Just now, in bed my wife leaned over and said good night and I was inspired to write this...
I hope you are well, whereever you are and I hope you are not feeling alone.
(no I am not going to end this with a cheesy good nite)
Saturday, August 9, 2008
How To Marry A Russian...
Taken from our wedding website... http://sidandkatya.wedding.com
Our Story
How We Met:
As luck would have it, Sid was hosting a business dinner at Perry's where Katrina was the hostess. They shared some small talk while Sid waited on his clients to arrive. Ever the self promoter and go getter, Katrina mentioned that she would love to do some consulting if ever the chance arose. With a "why not" type of shrug, Sid got her contact information. He had work in Russia (Omsk) which would require translation...
How We Got Engaged:
Over the next 9 months they became very good friends... she was the side kick helping him figure out the best romantic dates for the girl of the hour, and he was the "big brother" rescuing her away from drunk boys that she didn't want to go home with... Each one always accepted the other, despite their flaws. It was true friendship. One day, Stacie Yates (Alegria)birthday to be exact (April 26), Mikel Zirulo mentioned to Sid that she thought it obvious and "perfectly ok" for the two to date. And with the simple sweetness that many of us have come to recognize of Mikel's clarity, it all clicked for Sid! He did love her (Katrina that is, not Mikel)! The next 72 hours were a blur. Somehow, including an international fair, some rollerblade wheelie things, a cowboy hat, and some paintings... the two ended up kissing and in love... it would be their only date however... The madness ensued over the next week though. Sid left for an extended trip to New York and various locations in Europe. He stopped in Cartier's and Tiffany's in Manhattan, Munich, and Paris... well to say the least, Sid realized that he was loving his best friend... a person that he knew inside and out, someone he admired and enjoyed... engagement made sense. Keep in mind, he was in Europe, so with a $1500.00 cell phone bill later, he returned to Houston and promptly asked her to marry him. Together they went to Jareds (not Cartier nor Tiffany's) and found the perfect ring. That night, May 14th, 2007, they formally announced their engagement to a gathering of close friends.
Our Story
How We Met:
As luck would have it, Sid was hosting a business dinner at Perry's where Katrina was the hostess. They shared some small talk while Sid waited on his clients to arrive. Ever the self promoter and go getter, Katrina mentioned that she would love to do some consulting if ever the chance arose. With a "why not" type of shrug, Sid got her contact information. He had work in Russia (Omsk) which would require translation...
How We Got Engaged:
Over the next 9 months they became very good friends... she was the side kick helping him figure out the best romantic dates for the girl of the hour, and he was the "big brother" rescuing her away from drunk boys that she didn't want to go home with... Each one always accepted the other, despite their flaws. It was true friendship. One day, Stacie Yates (Alegria)birthday to be exact (April 26), Mikel Zirulo mentioned to Sid that she thought it obvious and "perfectly ok" for the two to date. And with the simple sweetness that many of us have come to recognize of Mikel's clarity, it all clicked for Sid! He did love her (Katrina that is, not Mikel)! The next 72 hours were a blur. Somehow, including an international fair, some rollerblade wheelie things, a cowboy hat, and some paintings... the two ended up kissing and in love... it would be their only date however... The madness ensued over the next week though. Sid left for an extended trip to New York and various locations in Europe. He stopped in Cartier's and Tiffany's in Manhattan, Munich, and Paris... well to say the least, Sid realized that he was loving his best friend... a person that he knew inside and out, someone he admired and enjoyed... engagement made sense. Keep in mind, he was in Europe, so with a $1500.00 cell phone bill later, he returned to Houston and promptly asked her to marry him. Together they went to Jareds (not Cartier nor Tiffany's) and found the perfect ring. That night, May 14th, 2007, they formally announced their engagement to a gathering of close friends.
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