Morning Moment

It is not some cosmic joke by which humanity merely "happened". 

It is not some beautiful coincidence that the very stuff of stars (i.e. star dust) is the very stuff that makes up our kind.

In our desperation to ignore the very truth in front of our eyes we claim to know the very minutest of details of a "just because" moment.

Why do we so desperately try to organize reality into organic and inorganic?  Most of us do not even know why we use those words.  We get confused. Does organic mean life?  But no -- it just means a lot of carbon.   Yet a lot of Carbon tends to indicate what we call life - but is merely having life, enough to justify being ALIVE?

Reality is causal  and it is created - not inorganic and organic, but rather created and uncreated.   We need physical space and matter and energy to exist.  We need dust, metals, gasses, the Higs Boson, solar flares, stars, gravity, water, heat, etc to exist. 

We can not help but observe that which is created and that which is caused by created things -- we are incapable of observing the uncreated.  It simply does not "exist" and therefore the uncreated can not be touched, tested, timed, experienced - fathomed at all in our finite minds.

Shatter your mind and suppositions for a moment and think about what you do not know.   How easily can your mind deduce things that exist, that are created.   But can any of us comprehend one thing, any thing that is not created that does not exist?  Even a unicorn exists metaphysically.

Alas, but we can all comprehend one such essence - a concept, an existence that is not created yet exists all the same.  

All of humanity can comprehend God - an uncreated god none the less.  We know His existence, yet we can not prove it, touch it, test it, time it.   Why is it that all of us in our hearts can know God? 

The mere essence of knowing one thing that is not created but potentially (heck we know the truth) Creator - should drive us to our knees. 

Instead we, like two year olds filled with self centered delusions, carry on as if we are the center of reality, that we are uncreated but exist none the less - by happenstance.

So the cosmic joke is us, in thinking that we merely happened.   That the infinitely seeming perponderance of universal coincidences and concurrences neccessary for existence all occured without deliberate cause, without being deliberately created.

Hmph... and why do we celebrate Christmas again?

Perspective: The Basis of Apologetics and Scientific Review - Genesis 1-1a

Before we move on to Genesis 1-1b, I thought it would be good to highlight a key take away from the previous post.  A good friend of mine (and Atheist) pushed back on something that I wrote:
 

faith must come before reason, or the Biblical Account of Life, the Universe, and Everything After is nonesense and subject to debate
 

In the first three words of Genesis we encounter "In the beginning God created..." and I lay a case that the emphasis placed on the word Beginning in Hebrew clearly points to the beginning of all reality.    And I then make the claim that if one is to believe this, then the believer must assume God's existence prior to creation - that God, in essence, exists outside the boundary of conventional time as we observe it.  So I argue that faith in God comes first, the validity and content of the Bible is secondary.

Why is this point so important?  Well, it colors our perspective on our interpretation of observed facts.  A person who rejects God will naturally interpret the same set of observances in a different manner - even if the statistical probability of that interpretation is less than the probability of an interpretation that includes God.

Consider Fibonacci and Lucas numbers.   On my blog I have posted three videos on the tab that give a great and easy and fun introduction into these numbers and their patterns.

The fibonacci sequence:  0+1=1  1+1=2  1+2=3  2+3=5  3+5=8  5+8=13 and so on (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21)
occurs everywhere in nature - plant leaves, pine cones, star fish, nautilis shells, cellular chromosomes, our brains, dog brains, electrons, the periodic table, the distribution of any given sand on any given beach, the frequency differentials between light in a rainbow, and on and on....  it also happens to be real good in engineering, space flight, computer programs, human speech and language, the patterns of poetry, the chordal arrangement of music, tempo, and modulating torque on engines.

For a person who observes this phenomena, and who is predisposed to faith in God, naturally will be inclined to believe that this is a symptom of  God's order.  And it is statistically more probable that this pattern is caused rather than random (considering how non-random the sequence is).

Yet a heart that does not naturally resonate with a belief in God, or rejects a belief in God, will be forced to attempt to reconcile these occurances through some other mechanism.  And it is here where we must first contend with the illogical mind attempting rationality.  That is the proposition that from Chaos, order chaotically arose.  It makes no sense and is statistically improbable.

Perhaps if such order were to arise in one subset of the natural world - the evolution  of animal life for example - then it would be slightly more probable?  However for this pattern to exhibit everywhere, and for other such patterns to emerge everywhere an apologist and any rational mind must contend with the likelihood of a Creator.

As we move forward into the next part of Genesis 1:1 and then throughout the rest of our study, we must keep this perspective in mind.   The world is quick to label something scientific and yet ignore the very basic foundations of scientific and philosophic review.    It creates much contention between the secularist and the Christ follower.

We must view the world through a lense of God existant, and not a lense of God yet to be proved.  We must learn to express our understanding not through rote, robotic "tracts" but through our own world view.  We must clearly start with a statement that we have an inherent belief in God.  We must teach our children the basis for this belief and catechise them into this view.  In this manner we can demonstrate that defending the faith is supported by scientific review rather than refuted by it.  In this manner we can move forward in earnest search for truth without any fear that our faith will be shaken.

Thanksgiving is coming up, so I need to end this rant and prepare for Thursday. 

Be well, enjoy your turkey time.   Comment and feedback is encouraged.  Please invite others to join and contribute.

If I taught a Bible College Class, or 3 Part Deux

Pauline and Johannine Interpretations on Christ - we would explore the greats (spurgeon, grudem, Luther, Calvin, Augustine, Chuck Smith, etc.) and their commentary on various interpretations of Christian living from Paul's perspective and then contrast to the same but from the perspective of John. Source texts would include Romans, the Epistles (Pauls and Johns), The Gospel of John and Revelation of John. Then we would identify where we as individuals are on the spectrum between the two - assuming a spectrum between Paul and John exists. I assume Paul will be more legalistic with highlights on grace, and John the opposite. We will take a look at their audience too, as that is important to differentiate their views. It will be necessary to give a background on Hellenistic culture and Middle Eastern Jewish culture of the time and Roman law.

Called by God to be Small: From Saul to Paul - the conversion and sanctification of a soul. We often look at the Epistles of St. Paul as independent pieces that provide instruction on set of Christian principles. However, the letters also were personal. They contain the emotion and the relationship of Paul to a variety of churches and friends. IF we read Acts, Romans, and the letters in Chronological order- what do they reveal about the man who Paul is? Can we see development in his thoughts, his faith and philosophy? Do the epistles reflect an un-yielding and fully formed interpretation of Christ, or do they present the full spectrum - a natural progression of sanctification? Key points of discovery:
-Roman and Jewish Citizenship
-Romans: Law verse Grace - struggles of the mind
-Ephesians: Mature behavior - "knowing" versus advising
-"Thorn in my side" - perpetual struggles
-Timothy - reflections, advice, imprisonment.

The Bride of Christ: Romancing a Masculine God. Our culture has a strong apprehension for homo-erotic influences in our society. Yet in our own Christian walk, as men we are called to be the Bride of Christ. This is perhaps the only and the most ignored precept of our faith. Let us explore these scriptural mandates in both instruction and parable and see the full extent of the phrase. We will use standard scriptural references to brides throughout the OT and NT and use them as a reference point to model our own relationship with Jesus. We will learn to see the strength in the role of the bride and hopefully respect our own wives moreso. We will review the types of love:brotherly, romantic, and godly and apply it to our own relationship with God. We will look at the idea of submission and of sacrifice. We will explore Proverbs 31 and apply it to our mandate for having a mission based life on earth. We will discuss the masculine concept of God and challenge it ("in His image He made them male and female"). We will also explore the following concepts: spiritual adultery, spiritual divorce, Jesus as head of household, etc. This class could be for married men only or open to all. Perhaps reserved only for students who have demonstrated a strong fundamental relationship with Christ and understanding of basic Christian doctrine.

New Year, Same Questions

1. Do you believe in God?
2. If yes, was God created and subject to the Universe or is God the creator of the Universe? If no, how are you sure that God does not exist?
3. Is there a purpose to existance? If so, what is it?
4. Is there a purpose for human life?
5. What happens when we die?
6. What is the soul? Does it exist?
7. What is the mind? Is it different than the soul?
8. What is the secret to love?
9. What is the secret to peace?
10. What do you do all day? Why?
11. What are you accomplishing? Is it worth it?
12. What does it mean to be alone?
13. What is Good, what is Evil, do either or both of them exist?
14. What does it mean to be something (sad, happy, hungry, red, blue, rich, fat, alive, dead)?
15. Do you think?
16. How do you know?
17. Do you have a purpose?
18. Are you Good?
19. What determines if something/ someone is Good or Not Good.
20. Are you powerful? How do you know?
21. What is more powerful than you? Why?
22. Do you pray? Why?

Confessions from a Hypocrite

http://www.sermonspice.com/product/38536/welcome-to-our-church-2011

I think we as a society have forgotten something along the way to progress. We forgot what freedom means. We forgot what it means to live in community with one another and God. Our Nobility has been sapped by our poor decisions and the never ending attack on our senses by the world around us.
Alot of you try to figure out why, how I became a Christian. It fits.

For all of us, it fits. I don't know why we make up so many lies as to why we believe or don't believe. I don't know why we have so many interpretations of one simple book.

But I do know this -- life is more full, more noble, and much less complicated as a Christian.

I mentioned earlier that we have forgotten what it means to be free. Freedom is not the ability to speak without censure. It is not the ability to date who you like, marry whomever you want. Freedom is not having the absence of discipline and perogative in our lives. Yet somehow, we have come to be deluded and think it is these things that define freedom.

I posit that Freedom exists when and only when an individual becomes self aware and has control of their mind - untethered to anything else in the world. You are free when you exist in the world but are not of the world. (PS that nugget's in the Bible by the way)

So how then can we achieve this? I contend that no other faith or philosophy on the planet allows for a path to complete freedom outside of Christianity. And I believe that no one can grasp the true freedom of life, the universe and everything (D.A. RIP 1952-2001) without being in a community of people who are themselves also pursuing the same thing.

The church experience should be one where you are not indoctrinated and brainwashed, nor brow beaten into a guilt laden submission of all temptations and desires. The link above describes my church experience at Calvary Chapel (we're in wikipedia too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_Chapel).

Anyway, I'm not perfect. But life is good and free. I did have to work hard for my freedom - but it didn't consist of paying for soldiers to fight terrorists, nor did it consist of teaching about creation or darwin in schools, nor does it require me to be consistently paying attention to the economic strife that is tearing our country down....

It required me to think, decide, and act in a manner consistent with my values.

Ok. done for now.

Spread the word - especially to young people.

If I taught a Bible College Class..or 3

A complete study of Proverbs 31 - .
I think that too many studies try and "force fit" a "virtuous" woman profile and ignore the relationship implied and directly stated between a husband and wife. In addition to the Proverb I would explore other well known marriage scriptures, discuss the Ancient Jewish, Historic Jewish, and Greek concepts of marriage and spousal roles, and we would explore the relationship between mother and son.

1. The first classes would be spent on identifying the origin of the proverb, the purpose of proverbs and the reliability of their wisdom. We would also take a cursory look at the first proverbs and Genesis - to properly identify the original role of God, man and woman. We will also discuss what has happened to humanity and the Jewish people up to this point. And we will explore how the proverbs were used in OT and how we use them today.
2. The origins of the proverb will center on two main theories: 1. Bathsheba writing to Solomon (Lemuel being 1 of the many names ascribed to Solomon) 2. King Muel of Massa (a northern Jewish/Arabic territory: And we will explore how the unknown answer is great because we can then get multiple nuggets of wisdom from a variety of perspectives.
3. We will spend the remainder of classes looking at Explicit and Implicit relationships and wisdom contained within the proverb.
4. If the class is done right then the student will have an deeper appreciation for NT scriptures which talk about submission, gender roles, and marriage.

Basis for the Bible: .
The course is meant to be highly metaphysical and ontological - only briefly touching on the historicity of the book. The course will lay an apologetic framework that believers can use in their discussions with non-believers. We will begin with a discussion on Truth and the moral perspective of Truth. Each student will be challenged to define their own belief in what is True and what is Truth and they will be expected to demonstrate growth in their ability to discern between the two. The concepts of Infallibility and Inerrant will be explored. We will explore why the modern evangelical movement has grappled with these concepts and ask the question "Is it Biblical to believe the Bible is in fact infallible and inerrant?" We will then take this discussion and revisit True versus Truth. Some time will be spent on Original Authorship versus Translation Texts. The second half of the class will be spent looking at the Resolution (purpose for) and the Relevance (current practical need of) the Bible. We will look at the main contentions of the Bible's Purpose (this is not purposed to look at secular reasons for the Bible, but rather pursue "God's" Purpose for the Bible). We will also explore the relevance of the Bible today and how to demonstrate that relevance to a non- Christian.

1. The class will rely highly on logic and critical thinking.
2. An assumption that the student is saved and that their desire for the class is to enhance their ability to share the gospel with others
3. The student is expected to be able to bring their own testimony to the table and must be willing to share.
4. THIS CLASS WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A NON-BELIEVER or someone who is not deeply rooted in their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his word.
5. A cursory understanding of atheism, Islam, and secular agnosticism would be helpful (but not needed).

Spiritual Masochism:.
Looking at the lives of Adam, Jacob, Daniel, Jesus, and Paul we will attempt to bring balance to the Christian life. Our focus will be on exploring the real balance between persecution and perseverance. In reviewing the lives of the Patriarchs, Jesus, and the Apostles we will build a basis for what it means today. Our attempt will be to balance the need for "Law" with a healthy understanding of Grace, Joy, and "right mindedness". The key scripture will be "My yolk is easy and my burden is light" - we are going to put this to the test and compare this one scripture to advice given by Paul and the experiences of Jesus and the Apostles. It will be my personal goal to

1. Demonstrate that the level of your personal adversity IS NOT equivalent to your level of spiritual sanctification
2. Identify the sources of adversity and enlighten the student that not all adversity comes from demonic/satanic sources, but also our personal sin, God's glory, and other sources.
3. Abolish the idea that a full life in Christ means that the individual must not have any material or emotional Joy

Parents and Children

by John Coblentz © Copyright 1992, Christian Light Publications

Honoring Parents

God's expectations for the family are based solidly upon Scriptural principles. We have already observed some of those principles in relation to heritage, but there is another basic principle which has suffered such neglect and abuse in Western society that we must pick it up here and consider it carefully. That is the principle of honoring parents.

Among the commands God gave to His people was one specifically related to families. "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12). Paul, writing to the Ephesians, notes that this is the only command of the ten to which a promise is attached. The promise has to do with well-being and long life. Inasmuch as life is a social existence, and inasmuch as the family is the basic social unit, it follows that our obedience or disobedience to a basic family principle will directly affect our lives.

What does it mean to honor our parents? Do Westerners generally honor their parents? Do Western Christians honor their parents? These are questions we must honestly face.

The Hebrew word for honor literally has the idea of heaviness. In verb form it means to give weight to, or to hold as significant or worthy in contrast to something light or frivolous. The practical outworking of such a high regard for parents is invariably associated with such things as obedience, helpfulness, and deference. Children do what their parents instruct them to do, help their parents with work and responsibility, and where there are differences of opinion about plans or desires, they yield to their parents.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that parents are to be honorable. That is, they are to be venerable, loving, and wise. The truth, however, is that all parents have faults and fall short of the ideal, and that some parents are actually unloving, foolish, and contemptible. Does a parent need to be honorable to be honored?

The direction God gives for children to honor their parents makes no exception for parents who are not honorable. In another authority relationship where God calls for honor, He says specifically, "not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward [unreasonable]" (1 Peter 2:18). Young children do not grapple with whether they should obey or not. They tend to respond as their nature dictates. Older children and youths, however, begin to analyze their parents' performance as well as their own reasons for or against obeying. Those with Christian teaching struggle with this command of God in view of their imperfect parents. Three things must be kept in focus for those whose parents may not be honorable:

1. One must honor the position of a parent even when the parent does not seem deserving of honor. All authority rests in God. The position of parenthood with its responsibilities was given by God, and where parents are unfaithful in their responsibilities, they are unfaithful not simply to their children, but to God. By honoring the position of parents, children can leave in God's hands the task of rebuking, chastening, and correcting. With this view, one can say, "Even though my mother screams at me, she is still my mother. And I will try by God's grace to do cheerfully what she says."

2. The giving of honor is more dependent on the heart of the one honoring than the life of the one being honored. To honor parents, one must have an honoring heart, that is, a heart with the qualities suited to honoring. Such qualities include submission, love, faithfulness, meekness, wisdom, etc. Without these qualities, one would find it impossible to find a parent he could honor. With these qualities, one will find grace to honor the parents God has given.

3. Since God commands honor to parents, and God is perfectly honorable, obedience and honor can be given to imperfect parents as obedience unto God. As long as we focus on the imperfections of earthly parents, honor will be difficult. But when we focus on the glory and perfection of our heavenly Father, we have no reasonable option but to honor Him. Since He told us to honor our parents, our honor and obedience to them can be viewed as honor and obedience to Him.

Many Christian young people struggle with practical questions about honoring their parents. They wonder HOW? Here are some specific suggestions for teens who are serious about giving honor:

1. Develop a conscious habit of expressing gratitude to your parents. When you begin to consider, you realize your parents have done, and continue to do for you, far more than you can ever calculate.

2. Discuss with your parents plans you are making. Share both short-range plans for the week and any long-range plans you may have for the next year, several years, or your life. Failure to communicate is one of the most common problems between teens and their parents.

3. Ask for advice. Even if you think you know what your parents will say, ask them what they think. Many teens complain about overrestrictive parents, but probably the biggest cause of overrestriction in parents is underaccountability in teens. Initial advice from parents may not be intended to be the final word on an issue. If you have other thoughts, their advice provides a basis for you to discuss your view point with them. When it comes down to the final decision, of course, you will need to honor them. But even if this means you do not do what you had wanted to do, you will have gained respect and the benefit of further openness with them.

4. Value evenings at home. This will mean, especially in some communities, that you will not go to every activity available to you. Discuss with your parents a suitable schedule and then ask for advice when faced with schedule conflicts. Believe it or not, there will come a time (and shortly) when you will think back to evenings at home as a teen and wish that you could roll back time and just for one evening return.

5. Look for opportunities to do what is not asked. It is hard to describe all that happens when a task is done voluntarily as a gesture of kindness. The work becomes lighter, the worker is changed, and the one for whom it is done is affected. Parents find immeasurable joy in those who honor them in this way.

6. Honor your parents when away from them. Those young people who are really serious about honoring their parents will find that their actions do not change when they are removed from their parents. Neither do their words. Neither does their appearance.

7. Involve your parents on any steps you take on acquiring a life companion. This is not saying we should return to the oriental custom of parents arranging totally for the marriages of their children. It is to say, however, that the notion that only "I" can ultimately tell who is best for me is a false notion in the other extreme. More specific guidelines for this will be given in Chapter 3.

The principle of honoring parents is a lifetime principle. Certainly roles change as a person moves from childhood to teenage to adulthood to old age. But all through life there are ways to show respect and honor to one's parents. As a person moves out of his parents' home, one of the foremost ways to show honor is to seek counsel. As one's parents move into old age and frailty, honor is shown by caring for them. Some of the difficulties associated with that care are discussed more fully in Chapter 8. Here we will simply note that the benefits which come from honoring parents in this way more than offset the difficulties. Furthermore, the practice of sending old folks off to care centers has left a vacancy in the family which convenience cannot replace. The separation and loneliness experienced by many aged parents is a tragedy they should not be required to endure.

P.S. Fun with QED-quod erat demonstrandum

In the world of physics most people translate QED as Quantum Electrodynamics... if you really want to have fun, interchange QED with the original QED of physics..."quod erat demonstrandum".

Most physics professionals today have forgotten that QED was once common for this Latin phrase. It literally translates in "what was to be proven" and is a common way of identifying the conclusion of a mathematical or logical argument.

It is the cornerstone of scientific pursuit.

Consequently QED is not QED.

My Unwritten Book -sigh..

Page 1:

Somewhere along the way you will die.







Page 2:
Every human on the planet has a different point of view on his or her own mortality. I believe in the commonly accepted Christian version of Heaven and Hell, and for my part would like to spend eternity hanging out with Jesus. My brother on the other hand believes that life just ends, game over. My father believes that he will be reincarnated into someone else – he'll get another chance on life, kinda like starting over in a video game.

What do you believe?

With certainty you will die a physical death someday. Very few know how, fewer know when, and no one can know what happens next. Even with my faith, I do not know. Faith by its very definition requires a belief in something for which you do not have any proof.

Yet you know you will die – physically at least. How do you cope with that? How long will you live? 100 more years? Maybe. 80 years? Still not certain. 50 years? You hope. 20? 10? 5? 1? How sure are you that you will be here even 1 more year from now?

Drunk drivers kill people. Planes explode. People choke on their food. Criminals mug and kill victims. Random mortar shells land on civilian homes. Hurricanes hit coastal Cajuns. Typhoons hit Sri Lankans. Earthquakes kill Chinese.

Events beyond our control, from the mundane to the spectacular occur all the time and they make predicting how long we will live very unpredictable. And the fact is most people don't know what they believe happens next. Because they do not know – they mostly ignore. And then they "act" like they are in control, or have a plan.

I love how in the Bible, Jame's (the brother of Jesus) says:

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

When will you vanish?

Do you ignore the uncertainty of your life and then act like you are in control? By not comprehending the extreme blessing or sheer luck of having a tomorrow, the individual is not able to fully appreciate and enjoy the nuances and experiences of living. At least that is the point of this book. I hope to convince/shock/scare you into waking up to your own situation. And then I hope to encourage you to live your life in an extraordinary way.

It is my hope to help you cherish tomorrow and to gain insights on how to get more out of your life.

Awakening to a New American Dream

My parents believed in the American dream. I think it died with my generation (i'll be 36 in November). Apathy derived from an entitled, self absorbed, and opulent lifestyle robbed many of the desire and need to put forth real effort in order to achieve. Afterall not achieving wasn't too bad... rent was still paid, food was still eaten, and beer was still half off after 4.

Today, we dream of mediocrity. It was once unthinkable to have anyone but a general, a senator, or a brilliant academic individual as a President....now many are ok with a soccer mom or Steven Colbert.

bigotry has made a comeback in California no less....how did San Francisco forget to vote? Ironic.

Our society has become lazy and obese. We idolize Homer Simpson and can't recall anything about the Illiad...see what I mean?

As a society we screamed for clean air and clean water... none the less now we don't even care when a "heat advisory" or "ozone warning" is in effect. Question, do you drink from the tap or a bottle? Why? If you pay taxes...shouldn't your tap water be clean enough to drink and tasty enough to enjoy? 30 years ago you could drink from a hose and it was good.

The land is no less free today, nor less opportune. But you have not been taught or have forgotten how to harness it....ok ok yes with the passing of the Patriot Act we are less free...but other than that...what they took over the auto industry? Ok but other than that....wait..what about health care...we have to get it or what? Huh...ok we still have RELATIVE freedom.

The main point is that we have allowed our circumstance to happen...our parents share in the blame.

Are we going to provide our kids the same lack luster view of American ideals that we hold?

Many of you once pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the republic (not democracy) for which it stands. It is time to honor that pledge. A republic is built on the virtues held by the elected leadership. When the people elect politicians devoid of morals and civic duty, or worse abdicate by not voting...the people allow their society to decay.

In our time people believe they have "woken up" and that the American Dream has faded. They are still sleeping, lazy and fat.

You need to aspire in order to dream. You need to try in order to succeed.

In this country any citizen has the right to start his or her own business for FREE. As a proprietor you can sell a product or service....you just need to sell and need someone to buy.

And you don't even need to pay with money...Bartering is alive and well...

Spend less time in front of the tv, less time at bars, fast food dives. Spend more time getting serious about your life, dreams, and desires.

Get involved. Very few have a valid excuse to be unemployed. Seek me out...I will help you find occupation.

Moreover, dream again. Inspire your kids. Invest in the future. Hold your leadership Accountable. Get a passport and travel. Leave your state and travel. Then invest in your neighborhood.

Lose weight. Save resources and money. Take control of your life and help Transform the American Dream from an assumed failed promise into a vibrant AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY. Trust me. Effort pays off.

Being Beautiful

it never took much to be beautiful.

It takes a smile and some effort to comb your hair and scrub your cheeks. but most of all, it takes love.

Smile at people. Hug them. Listen and let them speak for hours, without saying a word. Be confident in your own happiness and share it with others. Encourage others to be ok with being happy. Look people in the eyes and make sure to look for the warmth in their eyes.

Touch people. Touch their shoulder while they are talking to you. Get in close and smell them - even if they smell bad, purify them in your mind and make them smell more beautiful than roses.

Love them deeply - even if it will rock their boat because they have never been loved deeply before. Without any desire of romance, regardless of gender, just purely and in an agape fashion, connect and Love Deep....

Let each individual that you meet know that they are sincerely valued by you, important to you, and most of all treasured by your God.

Control your emotion. Control your connection. Be a leader, and teach people how to handle a true relationship.

In English, our word "love" is limited - so for most of us, we reserve it for our immediate families and our romantic partners.

I tell my friends (men and women) that I miss them and I love them. They know the difference between that love and the love that I share with my wife, my siblings, and my parents....

But they know that it is Love.

Loving others makes you beautiful and attractive - and in the process you will be doing some good.

Miscegenation

Main Entry: mis·ce·ge·na·tion
Pronunciation: ..(?)mi-?se-j?-,,n,,-sh?n, ?mi-si-j?-,,n,,-..
Function: noun
Etymology: irregular from Latin misc,,re to mix + genus race — more at mix, kin
Date: 1863
: a mixture of races; especially : marriage, cohabitation, or sexual intercourse between a white person and a member of another race
— mis·ce·ge·na·tion·al ..-shn?l, -sh?-n?l.. adjective

I have a lot of "Odin" worshipping friends... new odinists... one of their cultural beliefs is to not mix via marriage or intercourse with other races... they are a shamanistic belief system, where they believe that Gods are region specific... therefore, if you are from Norway, the Gods of that region take care of you. If you are from Kenya, the Kenyan Gods take care of you. Black with Black, white with white, yellow with yellow... you get the picture.

This is a valid belief, not tainted with hate and predjudice, nor lacking in morality -- it is akin to the Japanese belief that civilized Japanese should not marry barbaric "other" races. Cultures should be encouraged to have a variety of perspectives and beliefs...it is healthier for our population.

However, three things pop into my mind: 1. Modern Neo-Odinic sub-Cultures often warp this thinking into hate filled, ethnic clensing type behavior, 2. Original Icelandic, Norwegian, and Scandanavian Cultures PROMOTED intermarriage, and co-mingling. 3. Modern day science shows that inter-racial mixing is healthier for the child (hybrid vigor ring a bell?).


1. I don't really need to get into an indepth discussion on Neo Nazism....or Aryan discussions... we all know the hype. Fact is a majority of New Odinists do NOT ascribe to hate and violence, and prefer to just be with their own kind...but there is a significant amount of others within their clans that remind me of radical islamists and fundamental christians. So as a universal rule, it seems none of our religions can keep the bad apples out... grrr...

2. If one does and anthropologic study of the Nordic regions, they will find a lot of research scientific, in the literature, and in the architecture - in the economy, the cultural practices (like drinking of mead), and in the beliefs that CLEARY PROVE that the humans who ended up living in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, East Russia, etc. were the resultant children of a 1,300+ years of migration, intercultural mixing, and on and on. FACT... the Aryan race was not white, blue eyed, and blond... they were a mix of Caucasoid, and Indo Dravid... (meaning they came from Africa, through India, into Europe and made several stops along the way). The literature suggests that even later on, the culture of the Vikings, promoted the taking of wives and children from conquered lands.

No where, from start to present, is there a clear indication that the original culture or the culture post Christian invasion, ever sought to be separatists....truly this idea of culture preservation is a NEW THINKING from the 60's and 70's -- what is at the heart of it, I don't know... maybe hate, maybe fear, maybe a desire just to preserve the past and take it into the future. (Only active dialog will tell, so far most of the people I have spoken with don't know themselves... they only seem to recite garble that they were told by their spiritual leaders - just like most of modern day christiandom, where the average Christian doesn't know what "grace" is, just the fact that they are "saved by it"...

The languages spoken, the genetic code of the people, the practices all stem from an Indo-Africaans back ground... yup, nearly all vikings are BLACK on the inside... bet you didn't guess that one. The shamanistic belief structure can be traced back through Vedic India into Proto-Mesapotamic Africa. Genetic tracing demonstrates that most people from modern day Scandanavia to as far south as the Czec Republic and Hungary share IDENTICAL Genetic markings as their African counterparts including: bone structure in spine, legs, arms, rib cage and jaw, blood types and illnesses, teethshape, and mitochondrial DNA...

In addition, the cultural practices, Hearth Fires, Drinking of Mead, Celebrating Past Victories, Attacking Tribes for any of a number of reasons, are almost identical between the practices of the peoples in Coastal Africa and the Nordic Peoples... even the way that they made their boats, structured their economy (typically with women in leading political roles), and their languages share common phonetic structures not found anywhere else....

3. Modern Biology has shown that hybrid vigor, i.e. the mixing of diverse sub species of human (i.e. races) results in children that are healthier, more prone to conception (more attractive), more intelligent, and stronger, than either of the parent race. 90% of the time the progeny have the "best" traits (the dominant ones)...

It has been demonstrated that a majority of the recessive traits :propogated during trans migration... with no one else to concieve with the tribes migrating from Africa to the north of Europe, were forced to, yup, inbreed... leading to whiter skin, lighter eyes, blonder more straight hair, thinner bones, more dry skin, smaller breasts and butts, weaker thyroid glands, weaker nails... etc.

So my point is:

While many of the new odinic rite may be trying to preserve culture, and prevent dilution of their peope and beliefs... they may in fact be leading themselves closer and closer into genetic and cultural repression. If this is the case, rather than rising up out of the milue, they run the risk of falling ever into the back drop - like an endangered species.

So while I applaud their desire to preserve -- I must ask, is it healthy? Is it worth the risk? I know that other cultures have tried - despite the odds... native americans, Jewish people, Japanese, heck even the Chaldeans at a point went the route of being isolationsist.... but all have withered away... or ultimately found a way to mix in with Global populations...

I hope, for what it is worth, that this new rising of a pre-modern culture will not go the way of the Amish, the Aztec, or the Atlantian, but rather find a healthy nich in which it can prosper and contribute back to the diaspora of human civilization.

I for one, want to read more about this people, beyond Lief Erricson, Eric the Red, Odin, Thor, and Wulfgar... there must be more than Denmark... (had to throw in that reference...)

Good luck in staving off Miscengenation...however, it may very well be the downfall of your culture....

Advice For the Reader

God has given me a wonderful life....lots of interesting experiences.

I want to write them here, but I am afraid what I would write, intended for praise, would be seen as boasting... so, I will just be content in being thankful for my blessings....

My advice:

learn to talk with God
maximize the body, mind, and soul that he has given you
don't eat too much, don't focus on food at all...
relax
point your every thought to god, as if in conversation, and you will make better decisions and be less stressed
love people - even the ugly ones, the fat ones, the mean ones, the selfish ones....

BIG LESSONS:
1. We have no free will
2. People act and react based on their level of happiness and or pain
3. Happiness is inversly correlated to Selfishness
4. Love is a choice - it requires sacrifice
5. Don't try to use your own mind to solve problems, seek God and the counsel of lots of other people older than you.


HOW TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS:

do not be original, copy those who are better than you, improve upon those who have good ideas, always surround yourself with people that are older than you, smarter than you, and more liked than you (trust me, it rubs off).

One of my best friends is about 15 years older than me, he has been married (happily) for a LOOOONG time, has 5 kids, a great house, has spent his entire career in my industry, loves God, has a better understanding of polymers and engineering than I do, and has a good understanding of who he is...

I have watched him sooooo closely....how he thinks, prays, talks with his wife, does his business, manages his kids....fix his car, handle emergencies....and I have learned his dreams and goals...

By being around him, he has "rubbed off on me"... he is one of many people like that in my life.

OH AND LEARN TO PRAY. PRAY ALL THE TIME FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE....it works.

Does Evil Exist, author unknown

A university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists?
A student bravely replied yes, he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes, sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil."
The student became quiet before such an answer.

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody and every object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have too little heat.

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does".

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. "These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

Solving Healthcare

Causes of High Healthcare Costs:
1. Malpractice Lawsuits--- insurance costs go way up, forcing Hospitals to force Doctors to charge more.
2. HMO's --- they set a fee that is one part true cost of care, one part risk premium, one part profit (they are a business afterall) -- being unregulated, no one can see in this box.
3. Medical School -- its expensive in both time and money... some doctors work 15 years before they pay off their 100K+ school loans.
4. High Demand Low Supply --- the # of people needing medical help (including the uninsured) is greater than the available providers of healthcare (basic economics: low supply, high demand = high price)

Solution:

1. Create a system to make medical education "free" to the student. If you are smart enough to get into Medical School (and maintain excellent grades) the government should provide the option to pay for your medical school. The option is either a 0% interest loan + grants or service in the "government medical service". Hold the same for all medical fields: nursing, lab technology, physical therapy, etc.

2. Establish the Government Medical Service -- build a network of hospitals and community medical centers nationwide and staff them with private and "public" doctors. The building of the hospitals and med centers will create significant amounts of shorterm (construction) and long term jobs. Long term jobs will be distributed between all levels of skilled labor (doctors, nurces, technicians, administrators, business, security, janitorial..etc.)

3. Public Doctors/ Nurses etc. get paid along the GS track in-line with what First Year residents get paid. After 3-4 years of service they get a bump in pay or can elect to go "private". Private Staff get a reduction in income tax, or pay no tax.

4. Taxpayers, citizens, resident aliens, and legal visitors can use th Government Medical Service - for free the only catch is that you waive your right to sue. You can't sue the government. Negligence and malpractice however would still carry their criminal charges and the removal of medical licenses.

5. People still have the option for private insurance and private doctors -- but due to the public system, private cost must inevitably fall.

6. Provide a $ for $ tax credit without cap on all out of pocket medical costs: co-pays, premiums, drugs, deductibles, etc.

7. Rather than basing risk on 'employee pools' require HMO's and PPO's to qualify all insured based on a "national pool" where the risk is spread through the entire population rather than a smaller pool like employees.

8. Use the new network to support advanced studies and research into therapies and medicine.

Out comes:

1. Basic medical services: colds, broken bones, child birth, stitches, cancer and AIDS treatment etc can be handled by the "system"
2. Advanced surgical procedures will also be offered by the system but due to the potential for a "waiting" period, people with access to private care will inevitably do so.
3. Specialized services will also be offered both in the private and government sectors.
4. All people have access to healthcare, health care costs fall, new jobs are created, more people will seek higher education for the guarantee of a job.

Sleeping on a Lotus Petal

The days seem to be blurring together. Sunrise and sunset, still yielding to the hope of new adventures. I remember being in love, and loving deeply. And yet I could not then, fathom the depth of love that is shared with my wife. In love, I found sacrifice. I found something more enjoyable than surface romance.

Old friendships are never lost, sometimes forgotten, but never lost. They wait, like all things wait, to be remembered, to be valued. Taken off the shelf and repolished, old friendships are shining brilliant with the newness of life - love lost, life born, unemployed, re-employed, and of course, the sizzle of bacon... mmm bacon.

The myriad of colors that blur my sight and give me a headache at the same time scream out the proclamation of God. God IS. And although I am not - a nothingness, a speck on the dust cloth of creation, I AM at the same time a drop of life, cusp on the edge of a tear and destined to be transformed into the fingerprint of a snowflake.

I am allergic to cats. And I detest yogurt. But like the armadillo and platypus, both cats and yogurt remain enigmatic to me. Why would God allow for their existence? How can humanity co-exist with such things?

In the stream of conciousness - that process of wakefulness which robs us of our individuality, our purpose, and our identity, we must try to remember our dreams. Why have we so easily yielded our dreams and our hopes to the idle distractions of life and living? Careers, cubicles, car payments, chineese food. Hopeless, heart-breaking, hellish, haikus. All leading to a shallow diaspora - a microscopic fragile film that we call life.

I implore you, alas if you have read this far, then I apologise as well. I implore you to seek the solitude of your soul and reach for the truth of your life. Your life has meaning. You are deeply loved. If all in this world is fleeting, then hold fast to love. For love is infinite. Love is a driving force capable of up-ending the universe and kicking it in the rump ( much needed at times).

YOU ARE DEEPLY LOVED, and you have exquisite power to love others... to love strangers. Those trapped in the wakefulness of life. A smile, an ear, a soft hand on the shoulder. A hug, a kiss, a nudge in the right direction.

Be noble not for nobility's sake, or for the glory of being seen, but rather allow your demeanor to evolve from the love you share with others, even when others are not capable of seeing.

Love. Love and sleep. Dream among the clouds and lotus. Swim among the stream of humanity. Touch all the earth with your hands and toes. Smell the salty air. Gaze upon stars and encourage others to do the same.

For what is the best hallmark of humanity and civilization? It is not gleaming towers of glass and steel. Nor is it an Xbox and wii... it is love.

Friends on Facebook

What are the first things you do and why when you add an old friend onto facebook?

1. I check out their profile pictures to see how they've aged and how they compare to my memory.
2. I scan their albums to "catch up" on their lives..
3. I check the "religion" entry on their info tab.

IF I COMPETED WITH THE PERSON GROWING UP...(very immature)...
4. I check out what they do and what they earn
5. I look at their pictures to see how happy they seem (and whether they have hair or not)
6. I count their friends total versus my own

7. I scan the friends to see if there are more people from my past that I want to reconnect with

And sometimes:
8. I read their notes if they have cool titles
9. I read their current status
10. I check out the location to see where in the world they live...

Simple Truth

You are loved deeply. If you haven't heard the words or felt the touch of love, then you are not listening to the right music nor holding the right hands.

Noone should die thinking that love is far away. Love is here -- always.

It is whispered in your ears all the time, all day long. Learn to cancel out the noise of a distracting life, and learn to feel loved.

Love others and you will find peace, rest, and sanctuary.

Critical Thinking

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?

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