the harder we fall - 3396

"Sins can be such fun.

Of the seven supposedly deadly ones,

only envy does not give the sinner at least momentary pleasure.

And an eighth, schadenfreude — enjoyment of other persons'

misfortunes — is almost the national pastime."
Link: The economics of baseball — George Will

Posted October 15, 2006.
============================

 

Today I was forced once again to see evil.

 

When would anyone find pleasure
in the pain of another?

if it is deserved?

..is this Justice?

 

=============================

When people around us falter, the theory goes,

we often look better to ourselves.  ... 

part of the pleasure of watching others fail / fall

is the chance it gives people to feel morally superior.

Sorrow So Sweet: A Guilty Pleasure In Another's Woe
Published: August 24, 2002

 

========================

 

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure;

I am clean and without sin"?

 

Romans 11:32 For God has bound all men over to

disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

---

Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture declares that the whole

world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised,

being given through faith in Jesus Christ,

might be given to those who believe.

============================

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Leon FestingerLeon Festinger (pronounced Feh-sting-er) (New York City, May 8, 1919 – New York City, February 11, 1989), was an American social psychologist, responsible for the development of the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Social comparison theory, and the discovery of the role of propinquity in the formation of social ties as well as other contributions to the study of social networks.

Festinger is perhaps best known for the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, which suggests that inconsistency among beliefs and behaviors will cause an uncomfortable psychological tension. This will lead people to change their beliefs to fit their actual behavior, rather than the other way around, as popular wisdom may suggest.[1]

Festinger was also responsible for Social Comparison Theory, which examines how people evaluate their own opinions and desires by comparing themselves with others, and how groups exert pressures on individuals to conform with group norms and goals.[2][3]

Festinger also made important contributions to social network theory. Studying the formation of social ties, such as the choice of friends among college freshmen housed in dorms, Festinger (together with Stanley Schachter and Kurt Back) showed how the formation of ties was predicted by propinquity, the physical proximity between people, and not just by similar tastes or beliefs, as laymen tend to believe. That is, people simply tend to befriend their neighbors.[4].

Earlier in his career, Festinger explored the various forms that social groups can take [5][6] and showed, together with Schachter and Back [7], "how norms are clearer, more firmly held and easier to enforce the more dense a social network is."
===========================

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others.

loyal

"Stay committed to your decisions,
but stay flexible in your approach."
 
 "The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group,
the greater is the motivation among the members
to achieve the goals of the group,
and the greater the probability
that the group will achieve its goals."
 
Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes
of failure in every walk of life"
 
 Loyalty cannot be blueprinted.
It cannot be produced on an assembly line.
In fact, it cannot be manufactured at all,
for its origin is the human heart -
the center of self-respect and human dignity.
It is a force which leaps into being
only when conditions are exactly right for it
-and it is a force very sensitive to betrayal.
MAURICE FRANKS 
 
An ounce of loyalty is worth
a pound of cleverness.
ELBERT HUBBARD
 
Always laugh heartily at the jokes of your boss,
it may be a loyalty test - UNKNOWN
 
Loyalty is the pledge of truth
to oneself and others.
ADA VELEZ-BOARDLEY
 
Enthusiasm reflects confidence,
spreads good cheers,
raises morale, inspires associates,
arouses loyalty,
and laughs at adversity
...it is beyond price.
ALLAN COX
 
Loyalty is a fine quality,
but in excess it fills
political graveyards.
NEIL KINNOCK
 
LOYALTY - is it a SHIFTING SHADOW?
WHERE DO OUR LOYALTIES LIE?

wolmers hymns...

... that have stayed with me through the years A trip to Lon­don, hop­ing to find a pub­lish­er for his youth­ful po­ems, end­ed in fail­ure. JAMES - died 100 years before I was born, he wrote this: Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear The upward glancing of an eye, When none but God is near. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, The Christian’s native air, His watchword at the gates of death; He enters Heav’n with prayer. Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice, Returning from his ways, While angels in their songs rejoice And cry, “Behold, he prays!” I think this has some verses also IT WAS A GOOD ONE <-click it now the prayer First Sunday in Lent Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to betempted of Satan; Make speed to help thy servants who are assaulted by manifold temptations; and, as thou knowest their several infirmities, let each one find thee mighty to save; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

looking glass

22Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves. 23If someone listens to God's word but doesn't do what it says, he is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror, 24studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25However, the person who continues to study God's perfect teachings that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don't merely listen and forget; they actually do what God's teachings say.

26If a person thinks that he is religious but can't control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person's religion is worthless. 27Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this world.

this seems funny.....

Is he stealing?

Practical Spiritual Warfare.com (3365)

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that

would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

(Matthew 5:42)

What is a Christian Lifestyle?

Among other things it is having a Father's Heart, it is learning to hear How God Speaks and it is understanding what it means to have One Church in Christ.

It also means the following:

• It is living every moment of your life for Christ.

• It is living with love in your heart and seeing others as Christ sees them.

• It is opening your eyes to see others and situations as Christ sees them.

• It is learning to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

• It is taking steps of faith after hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.

• It is being willing to step out of your comfort zone.

• It is being willing to delay immediate gratification or self-satisfaction for something better later on in time.

• It is being willing to develop relationships with the lost and hurting people God puts in your sphere of influence.

• It is keeping you pure and not allowing the world's system to taint or corrupt your mind.

• It is seeing each person as a brother or sister in Christ.

• It is living your life in a way that prejudices, generalizations, stereotypes, and labels disappear.

• It is choosing to live a life that belongs completely to Christ.

• It is choosing to love and serve openly, freely, and without exception just as Christ did.

• It is living your life with joy and gladness.

• It is choosing to please God in all the little, every day activities in which you become involved.

• It is keeping your mind alive and active and staying focused on giving God all the glory for each and everything you do.

• It is knowing you are in possession of the greatest gift – the gospel, or good news, of Jesus Christ, which includes salvation.

• It is confessing to others that you believe in Christ.

• It is knowing God is with you through good times and bad.

• It is knowing God is in control.

• It is living a life that obeys the Ten Commandments.

• It is living your life with hope, knowing that one day we will fully claim all God's promises.

• It is living your life in faith.  

• It is walking your talk, so that instead of just talking you actually discipline yourself to pray, confess and repent of your sins, read your Bible daily, and relate to and treat others just as Christ would relate to them and treat them.

• It is being willing to submit to Christ and allow Him to live His life through you.

• It is learning and growing daily to become more like Christ.

• It is much more depending on whom you are and what giftings you have received from God and the kind of life experiences you have had to develop your personality.

the details

Back in the day when I was a telecom major

We made the change from analogue to digital

There were still problems with 'degraded'

Transmission. We used amplification

And signal regeneration as needed

Depending on the medium and the span

 

When the medium was wireless we had

More options, some times we got by just

Using 'passive repeaters'.

 

When we used land lines we had

'wire-line drivers' to get a degraded

Signal just before it became totally

"corrupt" it was "regenerated" and

Sent down the line or span another

Few miles. This process could

Happen several times before the

Signal reached its end point.

This kind of repeater was

Considered as an

"active repeater"

 

the devil is in the details

 

the more communication the better?

not necessarily.

 

more in frequency, yes

at least until there is clarity

 

so, communication needs to be

relevant & precise and as

brief as possible

---

"37 Simply say yes or no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one."

29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good

for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

 

---

watch and pray

Christian! seek not yet repose,
Hear thy guardian angel say;
Thou art in the midst of foes;
"Watch and pray."

Principalities and powers,
Mustering their unseen array,
Wait for thy unguarded hours;
"Watch and pray."

Gird thy heavenly armor on,
Wear it ever night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one;
"Watch and pray."

Hear the victors who o'ercame;
Still they mark each warrior's way;
All with one clear voice exclaim,
"Watch and pray."

Hear, above all, hear thy Lord,
Him thou lovest to obey;
Hide within thy heart His Word,
"Watch and pray."

Watch, as if on that alone
Hung the issue of the day;
Pray that help may be sent down;
"Watch and pray."

Hear it Here

the lines

Psalm16:6

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

__________________________________________

My cousin Lennie was driving back from Bridgeport
on THE MERRIT PARKWAY in the winter. He was so
relieved to be back at our house.

We recently had some winter storms and that night
it was difficult driving. He said he was unable to
clearly see the lines. As a result he said he went
slowly and carefully trying to 'stay in line'.

The Merritt Parkway is a limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. It is designated as a National Scenic Byway and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.(WIKI)

I like this road sometimes because it is a winding
road just like the ones in the hill country surrounding
the area where I grew up.

There was this one particular
stretch, back home, that was known as
'the devil's racecourse'which, like the Merritt,

can be quite a challenge to drive on
especially in bad weather.

In spite of its pretty scenery, I am sometimes fearful
driving on the Merritt. Accidents may occur anywhere,
and the MERRITT has had its share.
Although no trucks, buses or
other commercial vehicles are
allowed on it.

One particular fatality occurred on
the Merritt that I don't forget.
A branch fell from an
overhanging tree onto a car
resulting in the death of a woman.

=========================

the lines are drawn and set in all of our lives**.
We know to live right even when it seems
better to do otherwise.
The line we sometimes refer to as
Conscience.

this awareness or consciousness
of good and of God
is sometimes blurred even totally
obscured by other things that attract our
attention and we loose our focus.

If the lines are blurred or obscured, we must
know the lines can never be erased. When the lines
seem to disappear from view it may be because
we have crossed the line, or have gotten out of line.
Confused, we sometimes blame others.
The lines seem twisted or broken.

Here is a picture that comes to mind from my
school days. Someone was needed by the
PE teacher to hold the line. We were having races
on the playing field to decide who were the fastest
runners. These events were called eliminations.
There were lines on the track but people or poles
were holding a line at the finish point.

There are places in life where parents or teachers
have stood holding the line as a race is done.
We accomplished some goal - crossing a
finish line.

During practice, there is no one
at that point. I had raced around the track many times.
Now the time for the elimination had come.

Last summer, my son had such an experience,
he graduated high school.

He and his older sister were baptized earlier
in their life, both times we stood and watched as
they "crossed those lines".

Then there was the summer I went with the kids to camp
as a counselor. This was new for me.

Fishing.

I learned lessons about patience as I sat on
the riverside holding that fishing line.

Waiting.

Another time, I was holding the line:
the other end of the line,
was out of sight;
I was flying a kite !

and so...
The journey or trip
is over.
A bus trip.
A train Trip....
everyone gets out.

the parting
of ways.

a shortened vacation
the end of a friendship
the loss of a job

these may remind us
of a finality* that
is unwelcome....
death!

THE END OF THE LINE?

========================

* Heb. 9:27People die once, and after that they are judged. 28Likewise, Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of humanity, and after that he will appear a second time.

**Titus 2:11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Picture this

Who asked you

to do this?

Picture this:

court is called to order
'all rise the judge enters'
the clerk reads the charges

2Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth!
The LORD has spoken, "I raised [my] children
and helped them grow, but they have
rebelled against me.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE PROCEEDINGS ARE HERE

===============
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
" 'But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't blow his horn to warn the people and the enemy comes and kills someone, that watchman must die because of his sin. I will hold him responsible for their deaths.'

Ezekiel 33:6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does ... But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn
the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will ...
//bible.cc/ezekiel/33-6.htm - 17k

 

===============
Ezekiel 3:17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house ... "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so
hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. ...
//bible.cc/ezekiel/3-17.htm - 16k

Ezekiel 33:7 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house ... "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so
hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. ...
 

Isaiah 21:6 This is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout ... ... Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, "Put a watchman on the city wall. ... For thus the Lord
said to me: "Go, set a watchman; let him announce what he sees. ...
 
Isaiah 21:11 An oracle concerning Dumah: Someone calls to me from ... An oracle concerning Dumah: Someone calls to me from Seir, "Watchman, what
is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night ...
//bible.cc/isaiah/21-11.htm - 16k

Hosea 9:8 The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over ... The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await
him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. ...
//bible.cc/hosea/9-8.htm - 15k

1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt ... ... To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. ... Behold,
to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. ...
//bible.cc/1_samuel/15-22.htm - 18k

Ecclesiastes 5:1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. ... ... house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice
of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. ...
//bible.cc/ecclesiastes/5-1.htm - 17k

Luke 17:1 Jesus told his disciples, "Situations that cause people to lose their faith are certain to arise. But how horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith! 2It would be best for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to lose his faith. 3So watch yourselves! "If a believer sins, correct him. If he changes the way he thinks and acts, forgive him. 4Even if he wrongs you seven times in one day and comes back to you seven times and says that he is sorry, forgive him."
5Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith."
=============
<< Matthew 18 >>
GOD'S WORD ® Translation  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3Then he said to them, "I can guarantee this truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. 6"These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be drowned in the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.
7How horrible it will be for the world because it causes people to lose their faith. Situations that cause people to lose their faith will arise. How horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith!

8"If your hand or your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life disabled or injured than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. 9If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire.

 

which book

HAVING MORE FRIENDS   make friends quickly and easily. Increase your popularity. win people to your way of thinking. Increase your influence, your prestige, your ability to get things done. win new clients, new customers. Increase your earning power. Make you a better salesman, a better executive. Help you to handle complaints, avoid arguments, keep your human contacts smooth and pleasant. Make you a better speaker, a more entertaining conversationalist. Make the principles of psychology easy for you to apply in your daily contacts. Help you to arouse enthusiasm among your associates. The book has six major sections. The core principles of each section are quoted below. Fundamental Techniques in Handling People Don't criticize, condemn, or complain. Give honest and sincere appreciation. Arouse in the other person an eager want.  Six Ways to Make People Like You Become genuinely interested in other people. Smile. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. Talk in terms of the other person's interest. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely. Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it. Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say "You're Wrong.". If you're wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Begin in a friendly way. Start with questions to which the other person will answer yes. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking. Let the other person feel the idea is his or hers. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires. Appeal to the nobler motives. Dramatize your ideas. Throw down a challenge Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders. Let the other person save face. Praise every improvement. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest.  Letters That Produced Miraculous Results This section was included in the original 1936 edition but omitted from the revised 1981 edition. In this chapter, notably the shortest in the book, Carnegie analyzes two letters and describes how to appeal to someone's vanity with the term "do me a favor" as opposed to directly asking for something which does not offer the same feeling of importance to the recipient of the request. Seven Rules For Making Your Home Life Happier ??? This section was included in the original 1936 edition but omitted from the revised 1981 edition. Don't nag. Don't try to make your partner over. Don't criticize. Give honest appreciation. Pay little attentions. Be courteous. Read a good book on the sexual side of marriage.

3280 frienZ ?

Is facebook helping
to revive the lost
art of true friendship?

9"I have loved you the same way the Father has loved me. So live in my love. 10If you obey my commandments, you will live in my love. I have obeyed my Father's commandments, and in that way I live in his love. 11I have told you this so that you will be as joyful as I am, and your joy will be complete.

12Love each other as I have loved you. This is what I'm commanding you to do. 13The greatest love you can show is to give your life for your friends. 14You are my friends if you obey my commandments. 15I don't call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. But I've called you friends because I've made known to you everything that I've heard from my Father. 16You didn't choose me, but I chose you. I have appointed you to go, to produce fruit that will last, and to ask the Father in my name to give you whatever you ask for. 17Love each other. This is what I'm commanding you to do.

18"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me before it hated you. 19If you had anything in common with the world, the world would love you as one of its own. But you don't have anything in common with the world. I chose you from the world, and that's why the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: 'A servant isn't greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they did what I said, they will also do what you say. 21Indeed, they will do all this to you because you are committed to me, since they don't know the one who sent me. 22If I hadn't come and spoken to them, they wouldn't have any sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23The person who hates me also hates my Father. 24If I hadn't done among them what no one else has done, they wouldn't have any sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25In this way what is written in their Scriptures has come true: 'They hate me for no reason.'

GETTING MORE FRIENZ

there are in fact people who don't want
to be your friend...(close like that)....to this
end a book was written titled
HOW TO LOOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE or
HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS TO A POINT and
HOW TO KEEP THEM AT THAT POINT.

Also there was a Movie
Check this out on WIKI:
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (2001) is a memoir by Toby Young about his failed five-year effort to make it in the U.S. as a contributing editor at Condé Nast Publications' Vanity Fair magazine. He has written a sequel called The Sound of No Hands Clapping which chronicles his failure as a Hollywood screenwriter in the years after he left New York.

A feature length film, titled How to Lose Friends & Alienate People was released in October 2008. It is directed by Robert B. Weide and stars Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, and Megan Fox.

The title of Young's book is a parody of the title of Dale Carnegie's bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

If you knew everything about me
could you really be my friend?

What is friendship anyway?
forgiveness is very key

2dayzen3

dear diary

does it matter what people think about you?
yes it does especially if they are going to
1.lend you money or
2.give you a job or
3.let you watch innocent little kids.

in the first case they want to know if
you have a history of paying
your debt on time
or as you agreed.
in the other cases they want to know if
you had raped anyone or was on
any offenders lists.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU.
taking the time to build relationships
or how to win facebook and other friends...
and influence people etc..

My friend Carl spent a very long time trying
to get a bunch of stuff off his 'record'.
He is past forty years old now
and has a family, he even has
grandchildren. He went to jail
a while back, maybe when he
was a kid and it remained
on his 'record'.

He DID get it off but....
he had to go through alot.

People communicate in different ways.
If a person thinks you act like you
are better than they think you really
are, they may communicate in different
ways, we sometimes call these
PUT-DOWNS.

So, who am I, really?

I can't be just who I think I am.
I also need to take into account
what people think about me.

MY REPUTATION maybe more
important than I want it
to be, so I should care
what people think about me, right?

Wrong says Jo.
Peolpe will be controling me if I be
thinking about their OPINION.

What do you think?

also check out the NEW KARATE KID
with will smiths son....and also
what is "shared sacrifice"?

i luv u

the problem when we think we are capable of loving anyone.

The problem is usually we expect to be rewarded at some point.
That expectation is not always at the 'top' of our consciousness.
Neither are we always fully aware of what it is we hope to
GET out of any so-called LOVE relationship.

Take the example of a mother of two boys
who decided to 'adopt' a teen girl.
All was 'peaches and cream'
for the first 2 weeks.

Now a couple of months or so later,
There is increasing tension in
the family surrounding the
behavoiur of the teen girl.
The mother continues
to "love" and give
but is beginning
to feel used...
and hurt.

So, what is Love?

here is one statement from the bible:
friends, let us love one another;
for love has its origin in God,
and every one who loves has become
a child of God and is
beginning to know God.

this appears to be fairly
simple at first glance.

BUT

How does one "become"
a child of God?...and
how does one KNOW GOD?

AND

does this mean I am
incapable of LOVE
if GOD is not
involved?

your world

California Pastor: End of the World Is Near, Really

By Audrey BarrickChristian Post Reporter "We don't know when the end of the world is, but listen, the end of your world could come sooner."

choices 3220

a good report - Sunday School was pretty good the past 2 weeks but one particular student is becoming a bit uneasy saying "we need to come to a conclusion". Not everyone can deal with inconclusiveness. I am willing to learn and the thing that 'hit me between the eyes' was the comment by the teacher that we should ALWAYS be giving a good report. I have a tendency to give bad reports, so this is an area that I need to work on. I must start by listening less to the local news on radio and TV. I am beginning to realise that BAD NEWS SELLS.

Clutter is the by-product of indecision.
Make sure everything in your space
is there because you choose to keep it.
Teri Trespicio, Whole Living, Sep 2010

drug paraphernalia

Freedom to choose maybe the thing that separates humans from the animals...it is the thing that gets us into a lot of trouble. In the present unrest in Lybia, some are looking at all the posibilities for the common folk to throw off the tynanny of THE KERNEL. Others are even speaking of the comming 'free society'...a democratic Lybia!!

If the Son therefore, has set you free, you will be free indeed !!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?... about these cartoonish TV shows: Family Guy and American Dad? the FAMILY CHRONICLE has more than a passing interest here. Is this the new Model for the family?

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY and FAMILY LIFE are two sources of Family Information that I find helpful

happy saint pats

CAUTION - RAMBLING IN PROGRESS

one morning this week, I yelled at one of my
children, I used the word IDIOT, the child
thanked me (sarcastically), the other child
watching all this, wondered what was wrong
with me; and suggested (maybe with a little
cynicism) that I had got
up out of the wrong side of the bed.

I was casting about desparately as I
pulled away from the school door
where I had just dropped them both off...
I was searching for an explanation
for my outburst....I called the one
child back (the cynic) and explained to
her - as I handed over another seventy dollars
for an upcoming social event....to which I
was not going to be invited...

I did however manage to explain that
I was going to be late again to get
their mom, my wife, to work ...and I
tried to make a connection between
this situation and selfishness in
the children who seemed nonchalant ,
to me, about getting downstairs
earlier and getting into the
vehicle a little bit quicker.

====================================

One day last week Sean Hannity the talk
show host was speaking with
Imam Anjem Choudary and Frank Gaffney.
It seems that the Imam is also a lawyer.
He, the Imam (teacher), said that there
are no innocent people.
Sean said many innocent people were
killed because of the teachings and
beleifs of the killers.

Yesterday many people died because
of an earthquake in Japan.

these were innocent people, right?

From about chapter eleven to chapter 13
which is really where I began, it SEEMS
like Jesus is really in a bad mood...
based on the writings of the Doctor, Luke.

let's look at the narrative:
1At that time some people reported to Jesus
about some Galileans whom Pilate had executed
while they were sacrificing animals.
2Jesus replied to them, "Do you think
that this happened to them because they
were more sinful than other people from Galilee?
3No! I can guarantee that they weren't.
But if you don't turn to God and change
the way you think and act, then you, too,
will all die. 4What about those 18 people
who died when the tower at Siloam fell on them?
Do you think that they were more sinful than other
people living in Jerusalem? 5No! I can guarantee
that they weren't. But if you don't turn to God
and change the way you think and act,
then you, too, will all die."

====================================

6Then Jesus used this illustration:
"A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard.
He went to look for fruit on the tree but
didn't find any. 7He said to the gardener,
'For the last three years I've come to look
for figs on this fig tree but haven't found any.
Cut it down! Why should it use up [good] soil?'
8"The gardener replied, 'Sir, let it stand for
one more year. I'll dig around it and fertilize it.
9Maybe next year it'll have figs.
But if not, then cut it down.'"
====================================
I am out of time again
maybe I will continue
these RAMBLING later....

but b4 i sign out
I must mention that I am
a little upset with BHO
he said that he beleived
that marriage should be
between one man and one woman..
and he also beleived
in civil unions....I really
need to think about this
some more.

BTW I did apologise to my
daughters b4 that day
was done, for using the
idiot word.

light

Micah 7:8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be my light.

But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

Walk while you have the light,
before darkness overtakes you.
The ones who walk in the dark
do not know where they are going.

"Therefore their path will become slippery;
they will be banished to darkness
and there they will fall.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned...to guide our feet
into the path of peace

you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of him who
called you out of darkness
into his wonderful light

The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory. !!

Avoid them

If you will return, I will take you back. If you will speak what is worthwhile and not what is worthless, you will stand in my presence. The people will return to you, but you will not return to them.

Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.

after you have warned them once or twice....
have nothing further to do with any one who will not be taught

Do only what is necessary by keeping away from food sacrificed to false gods, from eating bloody meat, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual sins. If you avoid these things, you will be doing what's right.

Blessed are you when people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you

2Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

the prayer

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Blend all my soul with Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

 

Words: Ed­win Hatch, 1878;

first ap­peared in a pri­vate print­ing of

Be­tween Doubt and Pray­er.

have compassion

Micah 7 >> GOD'S WORD ® Translation

---

1Poor me! I am like those gathering summer fruit, like those picking grapes. But there aren't any grapes to eat or any ripened figs that I crave.

2Faithful people are gone from the earth, and no one is decent. All people lie in ambush to commit murder. They trap each other with nets.

3Their hands are skilled in doing evil. Officials ask for gifts. Judges accept bribes. Powerful people dictate what they want. So they scheme together.

4The best of them is like a briar. The most decent person is sharper than thornbushes. The day you thought you would be punished has come. Now is the time you will be confused.

5Don't trust your neighbors. Don't have confidence in [your] friends. Keep your mouth shut even when a woman is lying in your arms.

6A son treats his father with contempt. A daughter rebels against her mother. A daughter-in-law rebels against her mother-in-law. People's enemies are the members of their own families.

7I will look to the LORD. I will wait for God to save me. I will wait for my God to listen to me.

8Don't laugh at me, my enemies. Although I've fallen, I will get up. Although I sit in the dark, the LORD is my light.

9I have sinned against the LORD. So I will endure his fury until he takes up my cause and wins my case. He will bring me into the light, and I will see his victory.

10Then my enemies will see this, and they will be covered with shame, because they asked me, "Where is the LORD your God?" Now I look at them. They are trampled like mud in the streets.

11The day for rebuilding your walls and extending your borders is coming.

12When that day comes, your people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, from Egypt to the Euphrates River, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

13The earth will become a wasteland for those who live on it because of what the people living there have done.

14With your shepherd's staff, take care of your people, the sheep that belong to you. They live alone in the woods, in fertile pastures. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead like before.

15Let us see miracles like the time you came out of Egypt.

16Nations will see this and be ashamed in spite of all their strength. They will put their hands over their mouths. Their ears will become deaf.

17They will lick dust like snakes, like animals that crawl on the ground. They will come out of their hiding places trembling. They will turn away from your presence in fear, O LORD our God. They will be afraid of you.

18Who is a God like you? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because you would rather show mercy.

19You will again have compassion on us. You will overcome our wrongdoing. You will throw all our sins into the deep sea.

20You will be faithful to Jacob. You will have mercy on Abraham as you swore by an oath to our ancestors long ago.

gift

Who is sufficient for these things?

you being evil
give good gifts.

 

Who is an evil man?
..whoever he is it seems
like he knows and does some good.

-----------------------

1I decided not to visit you again while I was distressed. 2After all, if I had made you uncomfortable, how could you have cheered me up when you were uncomfortable? 3This is the very reason I wrote to you. I didn't want to visit you and be distressed by those who should make me happy. I'm confident about all of you that whatever makes me happy also makes you happy. 4I was deeply troubled and anguished. In fact, I had tears in my eyes when I wrote to you. I didn't write to make you uncomfortable but to let you know how much I love you.

5If someone caused distress, I'm not the one really affected. To some extent-although I don't want to emphasize this too much-it has affected all of you. 6The majority of you have imposed a severe enough punishment on that person. 7So now forgive and comfort him. Such distress could overwhelm someone like that if he's not forgiven and comforted. 8That is why I urge you to assure him that you love him. 9I had also written to you to test you. I wanted to see if you would be obedient in every way. 10If you forgive someone, so do I. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did in the presence of Christ for your benefit. 11I don't want Satan to outwit us. After all, we are not ignorant about Satan's scheming.

12When I went to the city of Troas, the Lord gave me an opportunity to spread the Good News about Christ. 13But I didn't have any peace of mind, because I couldn't find Titus, our brother, there. So I said goodbye to the people in Troas and went to the province of Macedonia.

14But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It's like a fragrance that fills the air. 15To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying. 16To some people we are a deadly fragrance, while to others we are a life-giving fragrance. Who is qualified to tell about Christ? 17At least we don't go around selling an impure word of God like many others. The opposite is true. As Christ's spokesmen and in God's presence, we speak the pure message that comes from God.

 

---------------------

the problem of good and evil
will always perplex us.

 

The serpent is still trying to tell us that we can be
AS GOD - able to determine what is good
or what is evil.

 

He is still tempting us
to "eat of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil." for instance,

 

Martha is upset with the teacher,
why? because she is doing all the work and Mary?
she just sits around (listening to the teacher)
and now the teacher wants to say
THIS IS GOOD !

 

the wife is upset because unlike grandma, the other guest is not very helpful. Grandma makes a bold and strong profession of faith. She sets the bar very high for herself and we are NOT disappointed....and yet for all the good deeds the word is not in vain that "the righteous are scarcely saved"..."not by works of righteousness"etc

So like the bewildered disciples we ask...
WHO, then, can be saved?

 

 

I should not, however, live with
the expectation that (whoever this
evil man is) the evil man will be
good to me or anyone else !!!

 

..every GOOD and perfect gift
cometh down from above from the
FATHER OF LIGHTS in whom is no
variableness or shadow of turning.

AMEN

the line

the line set
the line blurred
the line crossed
the line twisted
the line broken
the line erased
----------------
against vs for
hate vs love
competition vs cooperation

delusional? 3145

Susie and the Kernel

As I was leaving the office last evening
I stopped to talk with my friend from Africa.
As usual we discussed politics and world affairs.
We spoke about Egypt, Oman and the current unrest
in those regions as well as here at home in Wisconsin.
The discussion took a turbulent turn when my friend
launched into a vitriolic attack against (in his words)
glen effing beck. He said this man is dangerous.

So this morning I got up thinking first about democracy
and then freedom. It came to a focal point when I heard
a news item where Suzie was saying that the Kernel is
delusional because he said he was NOT attacking/hurting
his people...that is my loose understanding of what
was said.

Notwithstanding, I wanted to get some clarity on the use
of force and the nature of freedom. My friend was trying to
convince me that democracy was coming to the troubled regions
of the world and that the protests and uprisings that we are
seeing were all good. I was not convinced. I told him that
it seemed that people needed 'benevolent dictators'.

Can popular uprisings to overthrow despotic and tyranical
leaders be considered democratic in any sense?

In his recent state of the union address the President said:
"We should have no illusions about the work ahead of us.
Reforming our schools, changing the way we use energy,
reducing our deficit -- none of this will be easy.
All of it will take time. And it will be harder
because we will argue about everything."

IS THIS REALLY THE NATURE OF (OUR) DEMOCRACY?

he went on to say:
"some countries don't have this problem. If the central government
wants a railroad, they build a railroad, no matter how many homes
get bulldozed. If they don't want a bad story in the newspaper,
it doesn't get written. And yet, as contentious and frustrating
and messy as our democracy can sometimes be,
I know there isn't a person here who would trade
places with any other nation on Earth." (Applause.)

so far so good, as long as I understand contention and contentoiusness as:
disagreement
dialogue
debate
discussion
discourse (civil)

defense of an idea, opinion or beleif is usually verbal in our democracy ...maybe we should limit our 'defense policy' to verbal exchanges (LOL)

the president also said:
"We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our Constitution. We may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. We may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dream that says this is a country where anything is possible. No matter who you are. No matter where you come from.
That dream is why I can stand here before you tonight."

This is the part that could move us beyond freedom to force, only if
we are not steadfastly committed to "finding common ground".

Now back to Suzie (Susan Rice) and the kernel (sp) Khadafi.
Who gets to decide if your opinions, ideas and beleifs are delusional?

...and if your mental state becomes an issue should we now move
beyond freedom to force?

and what about glen effing beck? is he also delusional?

this is a slippery slope...I will stick with the president:
CIVIL discourse ALWAYS... to find 'common ground'.