A FINAL ENTRY FOR "FINDING PEACE OF MIND"

Well, hello one and all!

 

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I hope you will continue to read through this blog in its entirety because I'm certain that you'll find information here that's relevant to your own lives.

It's been a turbulent three years since I last posted something on this blog site so it's time for an update.     As stated earlier in this blog, the purpose of writing this has been to put together the pieces of the puzzle of life.    Acquiring an understanding of what my life is about will help to bring the peace of mind needed to overcome the obstacles encountered. 

During these last few years, I've lost my home (a lovely three-bedroom home), acquired a part time job as a telemarketer and being that it was only part-time work, I lost my home once again (a one-bedroom apartment this time).    I then moved in with a friend and when my part-time job became full time, I was able to move out of my friend's house into another one-bedroom apartment.  Soon after this, my full-time job became part time again and to date I'm still struggling to make ends meet.     It's been a tumultuous roller coaster ride as I've continually skidded on the outskirts of homelessness.    The only consolation is that I'm not the only one experiencing these problems as relatives, friends and co-workers have also expressed going through a grueling time trying to manage the basics in life.    Continual news items have also reported on the financial difficulties that many people in this country are facing as a result of the severe economic breakdown that has gripped our society for the last six years.

But this blog site is about finding peace of mind and I've learned that because this world got started on the wrong foot (I'm sure all of you are familiar with the story about Adam and Eve), and each of us was born into this world that's been operating in a haphazard way, we've therefore inherited all the problems that come along with this life's package.    When we add into the mix the bad habits picked up during our lifetime, well, things can end up in a dreadful state.
 

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I've been forced to reassess my life.    Unfortunately, it's not in our nature to voluntarily make this reassessment, especially if our lives are moving along at a nice even pace like mine was before the economic collapse.    It usually takes running into a few brick walls to make us realize that there's a necessity to take inventory of our lives and my wake-up call came back in November 2008 when I lost my job of twelve years.

Since then, it hasn't been easy.    I've now returned to my writing and I've just completed the setup of my website.    This website focuses specifically on the approaching end-time events:    the Rapture, Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, extremely important subjects that should be brought to light.   It explains the above-mentioned end-time events that are to occur which will be WORLDWIDE and  involve every living soul on this planet!    Please take the time to visit this site entitled The World . . . or God.

 

In this blog site, however, I've written about some of the circumstances that can cause the small amount of peace we manage to acquire to unravel in our lives.    Hopefully, in writing about the circumstances in my life, I'll be able to touch on the areas in other lives that are similar to my own.    When recognizing this, others might then be able to truthfully examine their lives and discover peace in the process.

Some of you may now be thinking that six years is a long time to go through all that I've gone through and because I'm still not out of the woods, there appears to be no end in sight.    I too feel like recently, my life has been an unbounded procession of bad luck and wrong turns.    Indeed, there have been many days when I've felt like throwing in the towel and allowing life's negativities to get the best of me.
 

 

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However, it is precisely during these times that I turn to prayer and the words of the Bible for comfort and support and the following verses from Isaiah 28:9-10 King James Version (KJV) have been a mainstay for me:

^9."Whom shall he teach knowledge?    and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?    them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.    ^10.For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little:"

These verses tell us that learning takes a lifetime, not just six years.     All is NOT learned in a short period of time, but "precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little".     And the lessons begin the day we are born and continue until the day we die.

Thus, we must learn patience.    With patience, we're in a better position to learn how to face our troubles and deal directly with it.    And we can get through it all if we turn to the Bible and focus on the many lifesaving verses written therein.    For instance, note the following verse from St John 16:33 KJV:

 

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.   In the world ye shall have tribulation:   but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world."

 

Yes, the search for peace continues and it begins and ends with our Father.  I won't stop until I've developed that direct connection with Him    . . .    a goal that every human being on this earth will have to strive for if real peace is ever to be found.

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also remember to visit my website The World . . . or God for urgent facts regarding all of our futures!

THE TWO SIDES OF CREDIT

WAKE UP!      YOO HOO!     ARE YOU THERE?     CAN YOU HEAR ME?
 

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Anyone who has ever passed out or fainted is familiar with having heard similar words like the ones above that intrude upon our awakening consciousness when people are trying to revive us.    Sometimes when we’re caught within the conflicts of life, it seems as though we use a type of sleepwalking as a survival mechanism that keeps us alive while we hope for the best.    However, we can’t continue functioning in this dazed state so it may become necessary for someone to shout the above words to us.    Life goes on no matter what we do, and the problems we may not want to face will still be there when we “wake up”.    In fact, when we repress our problems, they don't go away as we secretly hope they will.    On the contrary, they remain within us and fester, only to emerge at a future time in a considerably worse and unrecognizable state than it was before.

It’s been a while since I last visited this blog site and the years have flown by in a blur and at a frenzied pace.    I’m not the least bit thrilled about the position I find myself in but sometimes the only way we learn is when we’re forced to do so.

To make a long story short, I lost my job at the end of 2008 and since then, it’s been a struggle just trying to survive.     Like so many people, I’ve been caught in the cycle of unemployment and have been unable to obtain another position in the conventional job market.    After diligently searching unsuccessfully for work the first year after I was laid off, I decided to focus completely on my writing.    In all honesty, this is where my heart lay and I have no desire to go back to the daily grind of the traditional work day.    I submitted articles to online publishers for 2 1/2 years and I'm happy to say I had a 95% acceptance rate but unfortunately, the salary was insufficient.    Nevertheless, I've learned some essential lessons over these last few years and one lesson in particular has made an enormous impression on me:    the lesson concerning the two sides of credit.
 

How it all Began

 

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In the beginning, I ignored credit.    As I understood it, credit was available for use in emergencies, for the establishment of businesses or at the very least, for unexpected situations of import that required immediate attention.    Thus, I lived without credit choosing not to purchase something if I didn’t have the money.    Yes, this meant there were many times when I couldn’t immediately have what I wanted but with patience and good money management, I was always able to eventually have everything I wanted and needed for myself and my family.    Thus, with regard to my finances, I lived with complete peace of mind throughout those early years because operating in this manner eliminated the burden of troublesome bills.    However, during those years, I also listened to the many urgings from other people who swore by credit as I watched these same people purchase whatever they desired at a moment’s notice.    Thus, credit enables us to obtain the things we want without waiting.     When handled responsibly, this process will build a stable history which will allow us to continue obtaining the necessities and luxuries available to us.     This describes the first side of credit.

 

The Tempting Face of Credit
 

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There are worthwhile and beneficial reasons for obtaining credit, such as to purchase a home and that much-needed car.     However, credit has exploded on the scene with such force and prominence that it has convinced people to believe it’s just as effective and easy to use as money.    People love the fact that with credit, they don’t have to wait for anything:    we can pay bills, buy new clothing and furniture, set up vacations, go out for a night on the town, have breakfast, lunch, dinner    . . .    you name it and credit pays for it.    It’s an exhilarating feeling to have all of this at our fingertips, to be able to have whatever we want at the precise moment that we want it.    Since no money is changing hands, jubilant smiles cross our faces while making our credit card purchases because whether we realize it or not, it actually “feels” as though everything is being obtained for free!    Additionally, feeding our ego is the fact that we're also living under the guise that we’re successful and carefree, an appearance that also prompts much envy and admiration from all those who witness us going on our festive binge.

 

The Real Face of Credit

 

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All of the experiences expressed above contribute to an addiction that becomes hard to break.    In fact, there are many families who have lapsed helplessly into a world of revolving credit as they continue to use credit instead of cash as their principal means of support.    Unrestrained spending has caused tremendous harm to a vast majority of people, me included.    As long as the credit card companies are willing to extend credit, we have been more than willing to accept that credit    . . .    as we continue to spend ourselves into a financial quagmire.       

Credit is NOT money, as we all find out when the statements and invoices for all those cheerful purchases begin to show up in our mailboxes.    All is well while there’s money to make the monthly payments but as we’re finding out while being in the midst of the current economic meltdown, money can suddenly decrease or even disappear as a result of change or loss of jobs.    It’s during these times that the other, very real side of credit looms starkly in front of our faces and the smiles of elation quickly disintegrate.    Now, those same credit card lenders who vehemently and enthusiastically approved credit cards (which, for many consumers, were approved for excessive credit limits), are aggressively stalking us for default of payment.    This describes the other, rather grim side of credit.

 

The Lesson Learned

Creditors have every right to pursue repayment of money owed to their companies and when those payments are not received, creditors should indeed seek to obtain the payments by whatever legal means available.    Therefore, it’s up to us to develop a more reasonable approach to credit usage.    I now understand that because credit has to be repaid, it should be used sparingly and only when there’s a plan to repay it within a reasonable amount of time.    Since credit isn’t money, we have to be very careful about spending what we might not have at a future time.    I made the mistake of remodeling my entire home because I had a great job at the time and the credit card companies were dangling money in front of me like a carrot!    However, I lost that wonderful job and so far, I have been unable to increase my income sufficiently enough to resume payment of my bills.    Being in my current situation is my fault and now that I’m paying dearly for it, I’m making a promise to myself.    I’m going back to my old motto:    if I don’t have the money, then I’ll either wait until I have the money or I won’t purchase it at all.    I’m glad a system of credit exists for emergencies and other worthwhile applications but credit has its place    . . .    and going forward, it’s my intention to keep credit in its place!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to take the time to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent facts regarding all of our futures!

There IS Such a Thing as the "Future" . . .

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REMEMBER:    When life is at its lowest, know and believe that it's NOT the end of the world    . . .    because there is the future.    Just because things are bad today, even if it appears to be hopeless, there is still tomorrow.    And with tomorrow come new perspectives, inspirations and/or motivations.    However, it's important to keep in mind that the tomorrow with its new and prominent outlook may not come the very next day, or the day after that.    Indeed, many times this "new tomorrow" is a long way off as we continue to muddle through the same old problems.    When this happens to me, I take it to mean that the problems I'm facing during that time are formidable and cannot be put off because they require my immediate attention so a resolution can be found as soon as possible.    However, we should still maintain a positive outlook because with each new day, change is possible.    We should also remember that with constant sincere seeking, and faith in our Father's existence and His good will toward us, constructive change is sure to come.

So if your day is not going particularly well, if it's a miserable day, or even if it's the worst day you've ever had in your entire lifetime, know that it's only one day and tomorrow will start anew.    The best thing to do with a bad day is end it, so call it a day and go home.    Have dinner, watch a little TV, then go to bed and sleep as peacefully as you're able.    Think "change is going to come"    --    if you need help believing this fact, think "Barak Obama, the first Black President of the U.S!".    Then when tomorrow comes, strive to think of it as the new day that it is, and act in a fashion that is different from the way you acted the day before.    We're seeking peace of mind and utilizing all of my intelligence, capabilities and talents always leaves me feeling satisfied and at peace with myself!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

Our Path to Peace of Mind is WithIN, not WithOUT . . .

The one thing I must continually remind myself of is when asking questions and seeking answers, it's usually necessary to first look within, NOT without.    This is because what's wrong in my life stems initially from the emotional and spiritual turmoil that is within me.    Therefore, looking outside of myself won't help much because very few of my troubles stem from the outside.    Besides, I think we all can agree that these days, looking for assistance from the world around us can very well lead us into further confusion as the world itself is submerged in chaos and uncertainty! 
      

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So whether I like it or not, I have to go back over some of those events I've experienced during my lifetime but may have ignored;  ignored either because it was too painful to face, or there was too much conflict to deal with, or I just didn't want to be bothered!    But I have to look now because I've reached a point in my life where all has come to a standstill and I need to know why.    I need to be able to move forward again.    I no longer wish to live my life in disarray.    So I continue my quest for peace of mind by looking within myself    . . .    and toward our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease, and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed ,  The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

If Ever Peace of Mind was Needed . . .

Woe unto the world!     Talk about a predicament, we're certainly in one now.    The economy is about to hit rock bottom!
 

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But while most are busy pointing fingers of blame, I say the fingers have to be turned toward all of us because indeed, we all share in the contribution to the present condition of this country.

It's obvious to me that our government has been "asleep at the wheel" (only God knows how our lawmakers have been spending their time and energies!), and we're now the victims of a head-on collision.    It's also obvious that since we now speak in terms of "trillions" of dollars, a LOT of money has been circulating through this country.    So what has the managers of these trillions of dollars been doing with all of this money???    And isn't there a definite imbalance when CEOs, CFOs, Presidents, Chairmen, etc., of big businesses and organizations are paid millions of dollars, while the average middle-class worker has to be overwhelmingly concerned with things like whether their retirement funds will be there when needed, getting a decent (3 - 4%) pay raise, or even whether they're going to have a job at the end of the day?      Even more disgraceful is the fact that the poor people of the world have even more pressing needs to confront:  the continuous quest for a roof over their heads and food in their family's stomachs!
 

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It would seem that the focus of those in charge may have strayed from contributing to the peace of mind of the people for whom they are supposed to be responsible.    However, we also have to ask ourselves whether we, the general citizenship, have been operating responsibly in our daily lives and unfortunately, more than enough times, the answer to this question is no, we have not.    How much and how often have we been guilty of living above our means?    How often have we been untruthful or engaged in outright lying when applying for some government-funded project or supplement program so we could get more than we were entitled to, or just to get all that we could get?    How many times have we spent large sums of money on totally unnecessary products only to have these products end up drawing dust in a corner serving no purpose at all?

We must keep in mind that the dilemmas we find ourselves currently in DID NOT happen overnight:    Mismanagement.    Waste.    Deceptive practices.    Thievery.    These are some of the common acts that have been a part of our society for some time now and they play a major role in the results we see now.    These results did not happen just in the last few years of the current government administration, or even the last couple of administrations.    This has been a work in progress that has taken decades, even centuries to develop, with each new era making its own contribution.    The problem is it seems that few people on BOTH sides of this issue were making note of the decline.    Instead, most people continued doing just as they've always done, remaining totally oblivious to the fact that trouble was brewing.    Finally, the rude awakening is upon us and now we are stunned by the fact that we can go no further without some kind of resolution    . . .    and change.
 

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There is little peace of mind at this point in time because we all have contributed, in some form or fashion, in a small or big way, to the current fallen position of the United States.    The largest and most important way that we have contributed is in cutting our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ totally out of our lives.    Sooner or later, mankind is going to have to wake up to the fact that we need more than a 700 billion dollar bailout to save us now.    In fact, we need more than money or what any person or group will be able to do to get us out of this mess.    If peace of mind is EVER to be found, then it must be done by seeking our Father thru our Lord Jesus Christ.    SUGGESTION:    let's check our egos at the door and seek our Father RIGHT NOW!    The best starting point is to pick up a Bible and fervently read it with a sincere desire to understand its message    . . .

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

A Few Things to Think About . . .

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Struggle:        No one likes it.    No one wants it.    But there is something beneficial about struggle:     overcoming it in the correct way results in the development of character and wisdom.   So the next time an obstacle or problem arises, instead of complaining, crying about it, or ignoring it, try confronting it and figuring out a way to conquer it.    When resolution is achieved, there's no greater feeling of accomplishment!

Intervention by our Father:      When we're faced with a problem, there may be many reasons why our Father doesn't intervene.    Consider this:

• He wants us to research the situation.    As noted in I Corinthians 10:13 (KJV), He never places upon us more than we can handle:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
 

• Note also that God makes a way for us to escape our troubles so we should keep the faith and continue working out our problems.   This being the case, perhaps God may not intervene because He wants to see how we handle it;
• While we're sweating it out (that's the way I feel with many of my problems!), He could be up there working on our solution; AND ABOVE ALL
• He has a plan for each of us!   The Word also is that He works things out for our GOOD so therefore, it stands to reason that the end of our troubles will come    . . .    if we don't faint first!

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Everyone, have a Blessed day!!!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

A Quick Story . . .

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This is a story I recently read about a devout Christian astronomer and his atheist friend:

The astronomer constructed a complex working model of the Solar System.    Every detail regarding the planets, the sun and the stars was included and the finished product was indeed much to behold.

One day, his atheist friend came for a visit and upon seeing the model, he was astounded at the workmanship and beauty displayed.    He asked his astronomer friend who made this masterpiece and the astronomer replied "no one made it -- it made itself."    The atheist looked at his friend in disbelief and told him he had to be kidding.    "Of course someone made this, so don't expect me to believe it made itself!" the atheist continued.

The astronomer replied that he agreed it was ludicrous to think that a work of such magnitude would "make itself".    But then, isn't this what people think and believe about the actual Solar System?    Isn't it a common and accepted theory that the universe came about from nothing or created itself (i.e., the "Big Bang Theory" which holds that the universe "exploded" into existence)?    And even if it's not stated as such outright, isn't this the assumption since many people don't believe that a higher authority or being exists?    What's more, isn't the Solar System that surrounds us more intricately designed than any model a human being could make?    The astronomer's point being that since he created the exquisite model in front of them, it's only reasonable to believe that the actual Solar System also HAD to be created and operated by "someone".    Also, due to the exceptional and unique detail involved and the masterful operations needed to maintain the Solar System, this "someone" HAS to be far greater than the astronomer    . . .    or ANYONE ELSE could EVER be.

The atheist thought for a moment    . . .    and immediately changed the subject!

 

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for important information regarding all of our futures!

Short Thoughts to Think About . . .

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The Big Picture:    I always have to remind myself that although the idea I have might be a winner in my mind, it's no guarantee that it would fit proportionately into the "Big Picture".    The Big Picture being the world in its entirety and because a good deal of what we do affects others around us, we have to consider that what we think may be beneficial for us may not be beneficial for or relevant to others.    In fact, sometimes the idea I have in mind is not even beneficial for me!    This is when I remind myself that if a lofty goal I'm working towards doesn't pan out the way I want it, then perhaps it's for the best.    I know that our Father has a much better grasp on what works in this world and what doesn't so I try to allow that He makes the final decision regarding something I may want to do (yes folks, it can be difficult to accept this fact because human nature dictates that we DO want the freedom to do what WE want to do THE WAY WE WANT TO DO IT!).

 

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Staying off People's Radar:    One of the major purposes of radar is to seek out and locate targets and attack.    Well, there are many people, both individuals and groups, which are on other people's radar.    The most common examples of this are those individuals who are chosen by criminals to become victims of assault, robbery, murder, etc.    Then there are the groups of people:    victims of terrorist attacks, victims of discrimination and hate crimes, attacks on the elderly, etc.    While many times, we're unable to stop people from attacking others, I think individually we can take certain steps that will enable us to stay off prospective attackers' radar.    I believe it has everything to do with how we carry ourselves and learning how to "blend in with the scenery around us".    We do this by familiarizing ourselves with our surroundings:    where we live, where we work and where we visit.    I seek peace from the surrounding area and strive to emulate this calm within my state of mind and spirit.    Once I've achieved this, I'm able to smile from within and offer this pleasant nature to the world and the people within it.    A smile can change an assortment of bad intentions!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for important information regarding all of our futures!

Managing Our Time Plays a Major Role in Obtaining Peace . . .

What's that old adage?    "Time waits for no one."    And as fast as it moves from one week to the next, I've developed my own saying:    "Time has a plan even if we don't!"
 

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Therefore, since Time insists upon continuing regardless and in spite of what we do    . . .    or don't do, then it's best that we come to terms with this fact and make the best use of our time.    One of the best ways I know how to make use of time is by learning.    I try to learn as much as I can about my immediate world:    not only does it bring comfort to the soul when it's in a familiar zone, but learning also makes for less surprises, which in turn, contributes to our peace of mind.

Seek out something to learn that will be useful either in everyday life or in life eventually.    One of the best and most common places to learn is on the job, i.e., new technology, new processes, etc.    Of course, if you're in school, you're in the ideal place for learning!    If you own your home, are there jobs around the house you could learn to do that would be a great benefit to you?    Fixtures in the home?    Managing and caring for your lawns and gardens?
 

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The point is, we should find ways to utilize our time constructively and educating ourselves on subjects that are relevant to our lives is a wonderful way to spend our time.    Also, learning about interesting and worthwhile subjects that aren't necessarily relevant in or to our lives can enrich us with knowledge gained    --    this is another advantage of learning while making constructive use of our time.  

When we educate ourselves, we experience a sense of wellbeing and accomplishment    . . .    and peace of mind will surely follow!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

A Formal Introduction . . . and Explanation

Good morning, afternoon, evening to all of you (depending on what time of the day you're reading this)!    I am YvonneG, the author of this blog site and I have finally committed to the awesome job of straightening out my life, once and for all.    I can't tell you how much time I've spent trying to make heads or tails of what's going on, and while I've had many great experiences in my lifetime, I'd still eventually wind up right back in the same spot of not understanding why life had evolved for me as it did.    As time went on, I began putting things together in pieces:   that is, certain resolutions occurred with immense clarity so I held onto these lessons and put them away for future reference.    This, in part, is what my blogs are about:  putting these puzzle pieces together to make a whole picture.

 

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I realized a long time ago that life can be looked at as a giant puzzle and the pieces of my life are only a small part of this puzzle    . . .    a VERY small part.    Every human being on this planet, yes EVERYONE holds a piece or pieces to this puzzle of life.    At last count, the human race consisted of more than seven billion people so as I said before, the puzzle pieces of my life make up a VERY small part.

Therefore, my blogs represent my thoughts and feelings and during my quest, I will remain observant of the thoughts and feelings experienced by the people around me.    Good or bad, for or against, WHATEVER others are going through is crucial to solving life's puzzle.    We all have a measure of truth within us and I'm hoping that in seeking out the truth within myself, my readers can make the same journey with regard to their own lives and between us, we will be able to come up with a clearer picture of exactly what's going on in this world.

Some of you may ask, "What is she talking about?    There's nothing going on in this world    --    we're all just living our lives from one day to the next and what will be, will be".    To me, thoughts such as this bring to mind words like "chance" and "random".    To this, I can only say that I don't believe this world came about by chance or at random.    I don't believe this world "just happened" out of nothing (the Big Bang theory).    My years on this earth won't allow me to accept this because I've seen far too much that says otherwise.    For instance:

 

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• the habitual rising and setting sun;
• an earth that has been prepared so that with the planting of seeds, it can then bring forth vegetation and foliage in tremendous amounts and with such majesty and splendor that it boggles the mind; and
• climate that changes from day to day with variety and forcefulness  . . .  and all man can do is accept it as it comes.

There is much more (don't even get me started on the universe around us!) but just these three things alone are enough because none of these things are created or initiated by man.    Since all of this encompasses the entire world and the human race within it, it HAS to be controlled by a being that is larger and more intelligent than any of us will ever be!    So no, I can't accept that this is a random world    --    I can only say that "someone" (a term that most of us can accept) is in charge of it all and it behooves us to find out what this "someone" has in mind.

For me, this "someone" is our Father.    Please note that I use our Father because He is the Father of the ENTIRE human race.    It doesn't matter what race we're a part of, or what religion we practice, or what career we work in:  there's only one God and He is the Father of us all:

"I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:  . . ."  Isaiah 45:5  (KJV)

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Through my blogs, I now intend to embark on that journey of getting to know our Father because I feel like I can't go any further without knowing Him.    In so doing, I want to learn about what others think and feel about this subject, including those who do not believe our Father exists.    I want to find out what people REALLY think, regardless of how different it may be from what I think and feel.    However, there is one major problem  . . .

A distinct lack of respect filters through our lives.    Racism and all types of discrimination has settled within our society and this, coupled with other elements such as crime, abortion and cultural differences, has made many in this world descend down the slippery slope that shows a reckless disregard for life.    Indeed, there are many people who have NO regard for life at all (i.e., terrorists, people who choose to commit mass murders and bombings in schools and other public places, etc.).    And so there's a tendency to hurt people    . . .    deeply    . . .    either with words or actions, or both.    It is my intention to try and bring this factor to light so that we may confront it and in so doing, resist the urge to hurt and tear each other apart.    I will do everything within my power to maintain respect for one and all as an utmost priority because without it, communication becomes a lost cause.    While I will remain true to myself by writing what I believe to be the truth, it will always be apparent that EVERYONE is important and EVERYONE needs to be heard.

One more thing:

Please keep in mind that I intend to bring our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, into this picture as well because we've lost our way to our Father and the ONLY way back to Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

 

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

About Our Father . . .

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Let me be the first to say it's not my intention to presume the reasons for our Father's actions because one fact I've learned well is that His ways are far above our ways.    However, God does ask that we study His Word in the Bible to try and make sense of what it says and how it applies to our everyday lives.

With this in mind, there is a question that has been asked more than enough times over the years.    This question has burned its way into my conscience because it grates on my faith in our Father and tears at the kind and loving image I possess of Him.    The question:    If God does exist and He is our loving Father, why does He allow the atrocities that have happened and continue to happen in this world?

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Good question.    One that I've heard asked repeatedly by many people and one that I've wondered about for many years.    During these years, I've read the Bible from beginning to end many times over and admittedly, the Bible is a LOT of book to digest!    It takes years of studying in every way imaginable before even a morsel of true understanding can be gained.    One of the first things that struck me was the stories about the relationship between our Father and the chosen race of people at that time:    the Israelites (or the Jews as they are more commonly known).    There was a recurring pattern that happened over    . . .    and over    . . .    and over    . . .    and over again (I'm being purposely redundant because I want to note the repetition involved):    God cradles His children and lovingly cares for them.    For a time, the children bask in His warmth and love.    The children then leave the haven created by our Father to observe and participate in other lifestyles.    God warns them about the trouble this will bring but the children continue doing what they want to do anyway.    The children get into trouble and cry out for our Father to save them.    God saves them and brings them back to their rightful place    . . .    and then the exact same pattern of behavior starts all over again.

True, this story is about the Israelites but my understanding is that they were chosen by our Father to represent the relationship between God and the human race.    And you know what?    We still do the same thing today that the Israelites did then because we are still just as stubborn as they were thousands of years ago.    Our Father has given us free will, the right to make our own choices and more times than enough, we make the wrong choices.    And God has tried to tell us that our choices bring about definite results;   results that turn into negative consequences and history has proven that the human race has always had a tough time making the right choices.    And you know what else?    We continue to make bad choices because we're too stubborn and arrogant to admit when we've made a bad choice in the first place!    Instead, we prefer to tell ourselves that we made a right choice, that it was the other fellow that made the wrong choice.    Do you recognize this scenario?    Yes, the old "passing the buck" theme.    In addition to this, we don't listen very well because we think we know it all already.

Then I came across Romans 1:28 (KJV): 

 

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind . . .".
 

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It is important to note that this passage refers to the people of that time.    It states that our Father decided that since His people continued to ignore Him, He left them alone so they could freely follow their own ways.    However, this passage also led me to think about parents and children:    kind, loving parents strive to continually teach their children about right and wrong and many times, these teachings begin to mimic a broken record because parents end up teaching the same lesson(s) over    . . .    and over    . . .    and over again (sound familiar?).    Then there comes a point in time when the children reach adulthood and if the children are STILL making the SAME errors that their parents have repeatedly warned against, the parents come to a point of throwing up their hands and saving their breath.    It's now time for the children to learn about the consequences of their decisions/choices and the only way that's going to happen is if the parents let go and allow them to go their own way.

I believe this is what our Father has done.    He's allowing us to make our own choices and decisions so we can witness firsthand the results it brings.    And we now have a pretty good picture of the resulting effects of these choices on the world in which we live.    I believe that the chaos and havoc that now abounds is the direct result of seven billion people making their own decisions and most people have made their decisions after having cut God out of their lives.    WITHOUT God, there is no absolute right and wrong.   Instead, everything is relative, decided according to each person's belief and opinion and therefore, we lose sight of what's truly right and wrong according to God's definitive laws.    So all seven billion of us are running around trying to find our own way, and we're acting according to what each of us thinks.    Most assuredly, when this many people decide to go their own ways doing things the way they each want to do it, inevitably there will be major conflicts.    Oh what a tangled web we weave!    So now, everything is just one big mess, isn't it???

However, I also believe that like those loving parents, God doesn't leave His children completely on their own.    If we rid ourselves of pride, ego and the accompanying arrogance, and return to Him for His Divine Guidance, He DOES see us through.    Yes, I believe our Father still intervenes in all of our lives, mostly in microscopic ways that require us to "Be Still" and know that He is God.    Stay tuned for more to come   . . .

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!

In the Beginning . . .

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We come into this world completely innocent and ignorant of the world around us.    We're expelled from the peace and quiet of our mother's womb, the only home we'd ever known, and we're thrust into the world, forced to absorb its wonders and horrors all at once.    Is it any wonder that as tiny helpless infants, we spend a good deal of our time howling for one reason or another?!?     "Peace" was not a word that we would become familiar with any time soon!

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Then we took on the awesome job of living and found that most of our time was spent figuring things out:    we had to "figure out" our mother and father;   we had to "figure out" where we were;   we had to "figure out" what we were doing;   and finally, we had to "figure out" who we are.    And for most of us, this became a lifelong pattern:    searching and seeking.    In fact, many have gone to their graves never having figured out much of anything!    This is another opportunity for the evasion of peace.

Well, I would very much like to solve the mysteries in and of my life but accomplishing this is easier said than done.    Of course there's more to come on the subject of life with    . . .    and without our Father    . . .    lots more!

For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease  and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.

Also, remember to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent information regarding all of our futures!