Traveling

(Straight from the grey matter) Peer into my head…

I was taking a shower and thinking. (I do some of my best thinking and pondering there. Too bad I don’t have waterproof pen and paper…) Anyway, I was thinking about what it really means to be a friend. When I search my heart and mind, this is what comes out. Maybe it will shine some light as to why I do the things I do. Friends will never intend any harm to you. They are willing to tell you things you’d rather not hear, because they know that you need guidance sometimes. They support you through both ups and downs, in both denial and repentance. They are the ones you would call at 2 AM because you know you can depend upon them to help you, regardless of the situation. They want the best for you, but will never manipulate or push you into doing any of it. They are there to lend an ear and a shoulder. They are more willing to fight with you, rather than just let something bad slide. They will argue with you without losing heart that you will never see the light. You can be yourself when you around them, they aren’t judgemental or unduely critical of your faults, but love you for quirky-strange-peculiar-you. They encourage you to shine and be the best you can be. They aren’t in it for fun, but for the long haul. They have vision to see you for who you are now and also knowing that with love, care and some occassional butt-kick, you can grow better and better. Here’s to friends who, whether they know it or not, show you Jesus in how they live their lives. God bless my friends, because they are awesome blessings to me. And I am blessed…blessed indeed. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

You know who you are. Thank you.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. – Proverbs 27:6

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. – Proverbs 27:17

He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. – Luke 6:39

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. – Ephesians 4:2

<Random>

Friendster for the social butterfly…

(Beware the text message charges…)
Dodgeball Article
dodgeball.com

God throwing some curve balls?

Not a rant, just the facts.

Saturday, my cell phone is now dead. Poor thing got hit by a car. My phone looks so peaceful now… no more dropping it and abusing it anymore. goodbye, samsung. (Note to self: Do not place phone on lap when driving, will forget and drop phone upon exiting vehicle.)

Today, I started driving to work and my brakes went out. **Clunk, Thunk** and my brakes go slack on me. Thank God, I was only a block away from home. Drove around the block. (Ever tried braking with emergency brakes?), parked it and took my dad’s car. Was that omnious feeling before I got in the car, You giving me warning?

Pray for me, something’s up. I don’t believe in coincidence.

</Random>

Next ponderous post: ~ Mind of a Terrorist <Mind of a Knight> ~

== EDIT ==

— More Randomness —

If you’re one of these people who’ve gotten no comments and 2 eProps, consider this your notice. ^__^

I’ve decided to start giving eProps to people’s sites I read. I finish reading and usually unless I comment, they think like no one reads their site. Since I’ve been eProping someone for awhile now who just likes eProps on her posts, I’ve decided to start eProping ppl who I don’t really have a good comment for. no more “…” just 2 eProps to tag and say I’ve read it and I don’t have any good comments.

— Stuff YoUR hole —

 “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not increase,
because they have deserted the LORD
to give themselves to prostitution, to old wine and new,
which take away the understanding  of my people.
They consult a wooden idol and are answered by a stick of wood.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.
 They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
 I will not punish your daughters when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes-
a people without understanding will come to ruin!”

— Hosea 4:10-14 (NIV) —

Ever felt like your efforts have come to nothing? All your energy goes to waste? Maybe God’s trying to send you a sign.
Eat, eat, eat some more… but you’ll never fill that void with food. Join yourself with anyone, put a pricetag on everything and anything… then ask yourself when you feel empty… why there’s that hole in your soul.

Ever tried to buy something sacred? I don’t think you can… it’s like trying to place a pricetag on something priceless. Family? life? love? family heirloom? It’s an affront to even try to purchase it.

I think this verse is talking about people trying to “buy” God’s blessings. Trying to please God with offerings rather than just trying to please God though our actions and our thoughts. Read between the lines and you can almost feel God’s lament: “Where is your heart? I am here. But where is your heart?”

A wooden idol and a stick of wood seem so much easier to deal with than a real person. But what real satisfaction do you get from them? Can a piece of wood answer you? Isn’t that idol nothing more than something you’ve created? Can a creation ever surpass it’s Creator?

Sacrifice in comfort, where the sacrifice doesn’t cost you anything. Giving out of comfort is so different from giving your of your own blood, sweat and tears. Keep believing that just because you sacrifice to me, I will be pleased and bless you. Sacrifice… believing you will be paid back in kind and you will. “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”

I won’t discipine your women for you. What good is it to discipline them when they come home to men who don’t know good when it’s sitting under their noses. Neither one understands, discipline only benefits the wise. Beat a fool and he only recognizes the power.

God, I see today. I didn’t know I was blind, until I could see. Thanks for opening my eyes. My brother is good to me. I’m still broken and I don’t work quite right. I intend to do good and end up doing badly. I’ve wounded someone. And the outlook is grim. This is no flesh wound. It’s a wound that doesn’t bleed, something that will fester and infect, if left untreated. I have to make amends. You told me to love my neighbor as myself, but I cannot do even that. No matter how hard I try, I fail. But you knew that. I’m not very proud of myself today. I thought I was right, I was wrong. I wanted to do right, but I did it wrong. I wanna kick myself sometimes. What good are these 20/20 eyes, that don’t see what really matter? I’m tired of fighting something I can’t see. But you will help me rise again, even though I’ve brought myself low. I have to ask for forgiveness and I have to say the truth with love and care this time. It’s not the truth I have trouble with, but love and care. I wasn’t always this way, but I grew up stoic… and it has still stayed with me. Give me black and white, 0 & 1’s… greys and other numbers confuse me. The right side of my brain is probably the size of a walnut for all intensive purposes… Dad, help me make things right again, because I know I’ve messed it up. Thank you for all the support and patience.  Keep me on the straight and narrow path, Lord. I know only You can keep me. I ask these things in the name of The Man, Jesus. Amen.

==EDIT==

The song that’s been running around in my head for over a week now. It’s got a name.

Majesty
by Delirious

Here I am humbled by Your Majesty,
Covered by Your grace so free.
Here I am knowing I’m a sinful man,
Covered by the blood of the Lamb.

Now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine,
Since You laid down Your life,
The greatest sacrifice.

Majesty, Majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
Empty handed but alive in Your hands.

Here I am humbled by the love that You give,
Forgiven so that I can forgive.
So here I stand,
Knowing that I am Your desire,
Sanctified by glory and fire.

And now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine,
Since You laid down Your life,
The greatest sacrife.

Majesty, Majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
Empty handed but alive in your hands.
Singing Majesty, Majesty.
Forever I am changed by Your love,
In the presence of Your Majesty.
Majesty.

We’re singing Majesty, Majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
And I’m nothing but alive in Your hands.
We’re singing Majesty, Majesty.
Forever I am changed by Your love,
In the beauty of Your Majesty.
Majesty.

== EDIT 2 ==

Oh yeah, dad. Do me a favor. Nail that little butthead who keeps whispering selfish thoughts and stupid little lies to the cross would you? Thanks.

Tearing apart, a world without.

     Am I nothing more than my memories? a ball of feelings and thoughts, moving forward, but always looking back to the past? Is what you see and what science can detect and measure and experiment with, all that there is to me? Is there even a soul to sell? Have I no real purpose, the end result of nothing more than a random probability and evolution? From nothingness, a big bang. From an empty world, life sprouted. From probability and millions of years, for some unknown reason, we evolved to become something better. Somehow, evolution works against the natural effects of entropy and order comes out of chaos.
      Civilization, politness, good, evil, selfishness and hope slowly lose their meaning in a backdrop of evolution and science. From chaos, we have come, what scientist can justify the need to make order? To fight against entropy for no other reason than life itself strives against it? Why clean my room, if a messy room is the norm as opposed to the exception? Why deny yourself, if there is no real good nor evil? Who am I? Can I define myself?
      Feelings become a weakness. Love, an excuse. Morality, a stupid set of cultural rules to follow to make society “work” better. Who am I to care about society? Why shouldn’t the strong rule over the weak? If there is an advantage, what excuse do you have NOT to use it? This is a dog-eat-dog world, better to eat than be eaten. I will take what I can, where I can, whenever I can, stop me, IF you can. IT’s NOT Breaking the LAW, unless you get caught.
 And people wonder why life seems meaningless. Why nothing really seems to matter. Look at the world you perceive and tell me, where is the meaning? What is the purpose?

Who am I?

When 3 of your christian buddies notice one of your female friends and comments on her as a “possibility”…

what is one to think?

-= Edit =-

Make that 4.

Calling in sick: (Email forwards & the like part IV)

(Warning this joke is a bit off-color. I’d rate it as PG.)

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

Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate my excuse, I always get the feeling that my boss thinks I’m lying. On one recent occasion, I had a valid reason but lied anyway, because the truth was just too darned humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained a head injury, and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By then, I reasoned, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on the top of my head.

The accident occurred mainly because I had given in to my wife’s wishes to adopt a cute little kitty. Initially, the new acquisition was no problem.

Then one morning, I was taking my shower after breakfast when I heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen. “Honey! The garbage disposal is dead again. Please come reset it.” “You know where the button is,” I protested through the shower pitter-patter and steam. “Reset it yourself!” “But I’m scared!” she persisted. “What if it starts going and sucks me in?” There was a meaningful pause and then, “C’mon, it’ll only take you a second.”

So out I came, dripping wet and buck naked, hoping that my silent outraged nudity would make a statement about how I perceived her behavior as extremely cowardly. Sighing loudly, I squatted down and stuck my head under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember performing.

It struck without warning, and without any respect to my circumstances. No, it wasn’t the hexed disposal, drawing me into its gnashing metal teeth. It was our new kitty, who discovered the fascinating dangling objects she spied hanging between my legs. She had been poised around the corner and stalked me as I reached under the sink. And, at the precise moment when I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws.

I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements, blindly rising at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten hanging from my masculine region.

Wild animals are sometimes faced with a fight or flight syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the “flight” option.

I know this from experience. I was fleeing straight up into the air when the sink and cabinet bluntly and forcefully impeded my ascent.

The impact knocked me out cold. When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me. Now there are not many things in this life worse than finding oneself lying on the kitchen floor buck naked in front of a group of “been-here, done-that” paramedics.

Even worse, having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics were all snorting loudly as they tried to conduct their work, all the while trying to suppress their hysterical laughter…. and not succeeding.

Somehow I lived through it all. A few days later I finally made it back in to the office, where colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of me about my head injury.

I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to talk about. Which it was.

“What’s the matter?” They all asked, “Cat got your tongue?” If they only knew.

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

Just random thoughts on the oncomming weekend.

 “But let no man bring a charge,
let no man accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.
 You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother-
 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
 The more the priests increased,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged  their  Glory for something disgraceful.
 They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.
 And it will be: Like people, like priests.
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.

— Hosea 4:4-9 (NIV) —

== EXCUSES, EXCuses, excuses… ==

Don’t point any fingers. Don’t keep pointing fingers at your leaders. It’s not the pastor’s fault… or the preacher’s fault. or your Sunday teacher. You are at fault along with them. So you will experience grief and despair, because you rejected what was true.

In sin, you will reap what you sow. You take my truth and hear what you want, your children will pay a price for your denial of me. The more blessings I give to your leaders, the more they violate me. They took something wonderful and made it shameful. Instead of helping my people follow me, you made then sin more. With each sin, your worldly gains increased and you looked forward to each new sin. There is no difference between the people and their leaders. Each will be punished for their misdeeds, justice will be done.

All these random xanga entries are rubbing off… so I’d like to do a random one as well. ^__^

Take this cute little test. Tell me what you get (if you’re comfortable) and tell me what you think of it.

If you want my results, click.