DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN AND HELL
We do not expect a complete understanding of the
physical things of life, let alone the spiritual things.
We have been told much less about the supernatural world.
The possible scare tactics of an eternal damnation
in some kind of hell that is a constant eternal torture,
is difficult for me to
Such a Hell created or allowed by a God of
"Holy Perfect Love" would be something
even our human imperfect love would tend not to do.
It seems to me to be an insult to an all-powerful,
a Holy as well as Creative kind of God,
to create or allow such a place of eternal torture.
Eternal loss or death of soul yes,
eternal torture, seems sick, revengeful and cruel to me,
not possible for a God of Holy Love.
Jesus spoke of the "worm" of evil
(a worm being a parasite and not a real part of our being)
that is eventually burnt out. *74
Before we can enter heaven.
It seems more likely that these worms or parasites of evil
are what eventually are thrown into the "lake of fire",
at the end of this age.
This makes more sense for Hell was not created for humans anyway,
according to scriptures, but for the demons of evil.
Their eternal ending may be necessary,
even for some of us who refuse any goodness,
but not eternal torture!
The great Italian Poet Dante in the 12-century
spoke of the damned as self condemned,
those who love their sin so much that even in Hell
they will not give it up.
More likely to me, it seems the possibility of the death
or destruction of the soul!
Great mysteries we really know little about
or seem to be able to understand. '
So it would seem wise to think the best,
rather than the worst?
We know that some but not all of our hell here on earth is self inflicted
but it is usually on an unconscious level for if you ask anyone in pain,
if that was their intent, it would be only the sickest or most hardened
heart that would say they enjoyed their pain.
We consider those who "enjoy" pain as being mentally sick!
Thank Goodness we no longer allow them to be tortured by others,
at least, legally or morally are not suppose to happen.
"Frequently, hatred of others emerges out of people who haven’t
yet learned to love themselves, with an unselfish love."
An American Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, once observed.
Hopefully the perfection of God's Holy Love will not
include eternal conscious torture of anyone or anything!
THE LAST TWENTY-FIVE
More than twenty-five years have passed
since my spiritual "rebirth",
when I heard God speak the one word of "Equality".
Many times over I've been able to confirm this truth
in the world’s religious scriptures and in our natural
need for equal respect, equal rights and opportunity.
Who can say why, in our time, God would choose
a five year-old female, except we know God has used the weak
and lowly to confound those in power, in the past.
Maybe it needs to come from someone who's "been there,
done that", someone who knows about but is not a part
of the power structure.
We need "Equality" for each of us to develop to our best potential.
It also makes up a great part of our own heaven or hell here
at this present time in history and all we have with any certainty.
Yesterday is gone and tomorrow will hopefully be better.
We seem to be at a cosmic turning point,
like few other times in history, when those living now
are the only ones to have a say in how much more inequality
and destruction in our world we will allow to continue!
Only a righteous, holy love within us,
as well as without and in others, can free us from the worst that is,
and lead us to the best that can be!
It is women and children, who suffer most of the world’s poverty,
primarily because of the continuing belief in inequality.
Some who rationalize inequality say God or nature has ordained it to happen.
For a time, it is true that God has allowed evil to exist.
Plus we do live in a dog eat dog world,
that is the way of nature on this planet,
where survival is the only goal, but isn't that the better point,
for isn't "Equality" our best chance of survival, for most?
For as we protect others equal rights,
we are protecting our own and those we love,
who might not be able to.
Evil has been allowed to continue, partly so we would not become "moral robots".
We must be free to make the wrong choice to have a choice.
This truth points out how much power we really have
to being able to be the most we can be.
Along with freedom comes the responsibility to do the best
or there are negative consequences.
It gets complicated when we add in having to be responsible
even for what we fail to do or could have done.
You have to stay honest or you get caught in your own web.
We are affected by what others do, as well as our actions affect them.
If there is to be justice there must be an accounting.
There is cause and affect, sooner or later.
It helps to know what God has said to people in the past,
what God is saying to us now.
Yet to be able to rightly interpret we first have to put our hearts right.
To make sure we don't have a false Image
or an unjust God controlling our hearts,
for we read into and only what we want,
if we are not careful.
All people have the right to speak personally to God
and expect, in God's time, to have an answer to a sincere
and humble prayer, in God’s time, not ours!
Ask to be shown why if your not getting
what you know is communication, in some valid form.
Have you asked for a spiritual rebirth yet?
Do you really want The Holy Spirit to guide you
to the fullness of truth? Keep asking until you know
you have experienced this God of Holy Love.
You may have mental blocks of unwillingness
you must own up to first.
You may not see or hear some kind of supernatural sign,
such as seeing the Hand of God,
as I did for very few people in history have.
Be thankful because you would not want the responsibility such visions bring.
Yet in some way a knowing will be given to you,
if you continue to seek and not give up until you have your answer.
Remember it took me two weeks of praying and fasting to get an answer
I felt I needed, persistence is usually called for.
Often youth and its constant rush and immaturity,
makes it hard to be sure.
You can expect that God will respond by some personal sign,
most possibly and preferred as best
peaceful presence of love and sometimes joy felt within.
You can also expect troubles,
but either way you choose expect negative spirits will try to stop you,
or bother your loved ones, who may be weaker,
when you are trying to do God's will.
No matter how big or little the efforts may seem to you,
if you are doing God's Will then expect that negative spirits will try to stop you.
Be prepared in knowing Love is stronger than hate or fear and
"perfect Love will cast out fear".
Make no mistake, negative spirits have intelligence and supernatural power.
Your only protection against their deceptions and destruction of souls is a Positive,
Loving God working with you! I’ve been told
and it seems reasonable that only personal thoughts
cannot be seen by a spirit of negative-ness.
Anything spoken out loud will be known.
Only God will know even your thoughts.
Your Spiritual rebirth, by The Holy Spirit,
will clease you of all your past mistakes and sins
you can start off renewed and are able to see things differently than before.
Being given at least one of the Spirits Spiritual gifts.*75
There are many worth knowing about and
when you feel ready to ask for to strengthen you.
To know what is right to do is one main reason
why we need to be spiritually "reborn".
To allow The Holy Spirit to be active in our life,
so we can be led to the fullness of truth. *76
When you pray now, take time to listen to that very quiet voice within,
to know what the best is and make the good habit of asking
at least once a day sincerely for guidance, so you’ll see many miracles, for yourself!
Being friends with God, prayer becomes a pleasure,
especially when you get past giving orders to God.
We will not always know what it is, but we can know
that good things will be given that are from God's better will
at this time in our life. It may be difficult to keep your faith
and wait on God's timing, for all good things to come into your life,
especially when it seems there is so much of the other.
Having faith is trusting God, the best that is within,
as well as without, to rightly guide us.
Faith is hope that is not at first seen!
It is not a blind faith but a personal experience
that you are asking for that becomes and is as real
and valid as any other experience in life.
Life can be sweet and sour, short or long.
Patience may be one of the last of the virtues to be developed.
It's sure been a long conscious battle in mine.
For many years now I've tried to write as accurately as possible
and in a way that people coming from all different ways of seeing
life would be able to accept the uncommon experiences I've had with God.
It’s been a real struggle to try to finish all the many things I want to say
and feel a need to share before some final wave of pneumonia or
something else stops me.
In the past five years there have been four attacks of a viral pneumonia.
The last time it seemed I might have only a few more hours or days left,
as I felt both my will and body get weaker and weaker.
Turning to God I asked, "Is there any more time left for me here?"
Not a human voice but a long recognized voice of the Holy Spirit spoke within saying
"You have a few more years" And so it has been.
A few weeks after I began to feel much better, those all- knowing words
fully dawned upon me, "A couple more years"! "Was that all?"
I still had boxes of research and partial writings.
Who would finish or be able to make sense of it?
Besides my grandchildren still needed me,
I felt as I clung on to this, the only life we know of,
with any certainty. So went back to prayer.
This kind of prayer called for extended persistence and lots of fasting,
to help me put my priorities straight.
To listen above the self-centered will that always seems to be caught up
in worldly desires, to truly reach out to what was God’s Will for my life.
First fasted for a whole day without any food or water,
turning my full attention to that which is not of this physical world,
that which is above and beyond our limited abilities.
When you fast longer than a day you need to take at least water
and preferably juices to prevent dehydration.
We can go without solid food for weeks but only days without any water or liquids.
There are many ways of fasting and not all of them have to do with food!
You can fast from anything.
The most effective fasts seem to involve abstaining from both food and sex,
because these are the two strongest drives of our brain and
when both are quieted or under our conscious control,
much spiritual and physical energy is released to use for other worthwhile purposes.
There are some physical conditions,
where fasting from food could be dangerous to your health
as well as it can sometimes be beneficial.
So before starting on a food fast you should be sure to have the OK of your Doctor,
who is in a better position to judge your physical capabilities than anyone else.
To try to stop the cigarette habit I’ve had since the last days of World War II
and my first attacks of arthritis, at eight years old.
Have tried all kinds of fasting to help dissipate or lessen the desire of tobacco
which has had benefits as well as disadvantages for me and I just enjoy so much,
but for my lungs sake have had to give up.
I like even the smell, as well as the soothing effect it has for me.
Sometimes fasting has worked and sometimes it hasn't.
This time after only one long day of fasting felt I had my answer.
Had asked, if I gave up, for my lungs sake, cigarettes,
could I have more than a few more years time?
Felt in my spirit I could have at least fifteen more years,
if I'd do that, but there was no assurance.
Long ago a monk had taught me how to seek for specific answers
to confirm what you need to know, that's not harmful,
to others or yourself. So turned then to scriptures to confirm.
Nothing that comes from any voice within you should contradict the law of Holy Love.
Sometimes use Biblical scriptures to confirm by first asking
for a specific reply and then pick a randomly chosen scripture by hand.
Usually I'll pick one from Hebrew Scriptures and one from the Christian section.
Making sure one is specifically from the words of Jesus.
If all three are not specific to my question then I would wait another day
or felt right time before asking again. For such discernment
is only for the purposes of knowing God's Will for you.
God’s confirmations from scriptures have been very specific,
the few times they haven‘t been I wait until I can get my ego
or personal feelings out of the way.
The more objective you can be the better you can "see",
and visa versa the more steeped you are in any strong feelings or dogma,
like inequality, sexism, racism, etc. the harder it will be to see or hear the truth.
That why Jesus said much couldn’t be understood by those in that culture and time.
So specific that there is no doubt in my mind, not a yes or no kind of question and answer,
for example, turned the first time to 2Kings 8:7
that is about a story of a man the prophet Isaiah warned was about to die.
After praying to God he was given 15 more years.
The exact number that had been in my heart as applying to me!
You can't get any more specific than that.
I believe to do this you not only need God's Holy Spirit
within you but you also need the Spiritual gift of discernment or the gift of prophecy.
One of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit at your spiritual rebirth
but all the spiritual gifts can be asked for.
It is doubtful to me anyone should attempt this without knowing they have
The Holy Spirits gift of discernment.
There are dangers to being guided by some other spirit.
I believe if your desire is to use discernment for the benefit of others,
as well as yourself, the Holy Spirit will give it to you,
unless there is some reason it would not be best, in the long run.
You will soon know if your request has been granted.
Having God's guidance does not automatically make one holy or perfect
or even with the gift of prophecy does not make one able to know all things.
Only what is revealed to you.
Long ago I made an agreement with God
I did not even want to know anything someone else didn't really want me to know.
We are all on a road that eventually leads to perfection or holiness if we stay on it
or even when we fall off and climb back on, as we all have a tendency to do.
I'll have to keep battling with my "thorns of the flesh", as is necessary to grow a
nd go towards more of the best we can be.
Have been going over this book, I wrote about 15 years ago,
and had forgotten about this incident of almost dying of pneumonia
and feeling I had gotten a reprieve from God for at least another 15 years.
Last year about this time in September I was praying
for something that had nothing to do with me personally,
for someone else who needed prayers and I felt I heard God say inside my head,
"Betty, I am going to take you home SOON".
My immediate response was to panic, for my writing I feel,
is far from done or what is done needs to be perfected,
or edited for proper sentences, even spelling.
Panic till I realized the emphasis was on "SOON"
and since it says in the Bible Jesus is to come back "Soon",
I realized God was joking with me and just trying to get me
out of my slump in working on my writing, which it sure has this last year,
I've gone over my book again,
for at least the third time and found nothing major but a few things
that needed to be clarified and there is still more.
I can tell my system is just wearing out,
I've passed my 74th birthday now and this summer was especially hard
as my temperature gauge doesn’t want to work very well,
making the heat sometimes almost unbearable.
It will be a blessing in many ways to get to go home,
but there is so much left to do here, I want to do.
Plus as this last year is coming to a close I realize so much has happened
this last year. Like our Capitalistic Democracy seems to be falling apart,
and Democracy will need lots of work,
as it is the best system the world has yet had to insure the individual rights of so many.
Once having a taste for freedom, nobody surely wants to give it up.
At the same time our now unregulated Capitalistic system,
with only greed and profit motivation to guide it, has failed again,
gone bankrupt, as it has about every 40-50 years,
as the fat cats drain the value of our dollar and lower the actual income
of the average working person. This time Capitalism we must try to get regulation
with Golden Rule laws.
No more obscene CEO wages and excess padded expenses.
At least once every generation being able to take away the savings
and retirement values of the majority of retiring workers.
The Golden Rule is in our laws because it is the only universal law
from God found in all major religions,
as well as just plain common sense and can be accepted by at least sane unbelievers,
as the only way to have a civilization or be able to live in any decent society,
laws that are fair and just, for all.
God is so good, know now I will be allowed to finish,
even live at least to my ideal of 77.
Praise God!
More later!
BALANCING
Everything God has created is good in itself it is our misuse that makes it bad or Sinful Deliberate Willful Misuse Makes Us Guilty or Culpable Too
"ALL SEED BEARING PLANTS
ARE FOR MANKIND’S USE
AS FOOD OR "MEDICINE"
Genesis 1:29; Wisdom 7:20
Scriptures speak about such substances as tobacco and other herbs,
"All seed bearing plants are for our use for food", in Genesis 1:29
and later in the book of Wisdom it mentions the use of herb’s for medicines in Wisdom 7:20.
Like any other kind of food or medicine we are not to overindulge or misuse them.
I use to smoke a pack a day, especially with all the pesticides they use to grow it with,
it was way too much.
A Doctor told me it’s also the paper, much better to use a pipe
and even filters can be harmful breathing in the tiny sheds into your lungs.
Most women have a culture problem using a pipe, since for so long
it has been seen as a masculine thing.
Quitting smoking was a personal miracle for me after so many years of trying
and failing but then again can only hope that it is.
Especially since it's the second time I've felt I've had supernatural help to break the habit.
One morning a couple of weeks after quitting the first time because of my health and asking for God's Help, did stop without even a bit of discomfort, just no longer feeling a need.
For some reason start to doubt that any miracle power had helped me, so was again tempted by finding a whole pack while out walking. It's hard for me to believe now I was so misled or with so little faith that I stooped down and picked them up and immediately went back to smoking again. Even after hearing the Holy Spirits soft, quiet voice say “Next time it's not going to be so easy"!
Even though I tried many times again, it is never easy, just necessary if I want more years! So I keep trying and usually succeed.
Natural laws of cause and effect are seldom set aside, except in very rare cases, that is why we call them miracles, or extraordinary supernatural happenings.
A creative God certainly has the power to miraculously recreate any body part or system but a miraculous re-growth of arms or legs is very rare. There may be many crutches at healing shines but few evidences of any re-grown limbs; then again crutches are much more common. So much for even fallible or misstated statistics, we tend to put too much faith in.
Yet countless miracles have occurred where there was no known way at the time. We are always learning the miraculous ways of nature, such as the miracle of healing experienced from walking many miles on a pilgrimage, that seemed to rejuvenate, mine and evidently many others, immune system!
Anger can stop miracles, from a hurt that has not had a chance to be expressed or resolved. As a result of being hurt we can "cop an attitude" that make us stubborn and/or destructive. If you can't express or tell about your real feelings or hurt, either because you’re not able to or allowed to, then your only choice may seem to be acting out aggressively towards authority, self, or others.
Sometimes it is hard to know where all our anger comes from, to pinpoint hurts or when sadness began. Unresolved or un-forgiven hurts causes us to get more stubborn, even controlling, in an attempt to control something, eventually becoming an abuser, just as you have been abused, if the anger and hurt are not dealt with.
Anger is dangerous whether it is turned inward by hurting us or outward by hurting others. First have to recognize it to get over it. Try to find out "why am I angry?" God can help you take away your anger if you'll let the Holy Spirit guide you to the real causes.
If it is more than an occasional feeling of anger you may need the professional help of a counselor, either spiritual or mental, for it indicates abuse. Possibly when you were growing up that may have become a subconscious pattern that needs to be released and a new pattern of behavior or response relearned.
Almost all mental healing requires forgiveness. To forgive is to free your-self from resentment. Holding a grudge weighs on the mind and is a burden to the spirit. To forgive does not say what was done was right, or is it a weak thing to do. One has to be strong to forgive!
Jesus said "And when you pray, you have to forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that God can forgive you." * 77
When we ask guidance from the Holy Spirit about how to make our life more peaceful, more joyful? Often the way includes the steps of forgiveness. It must be a conscious effort to deal with the most painful areas of our past, we first need to extend forgiveness to get rid of the anger and hurt it caused in us.
We are not usually responsible for the actions of others, only our own. Let God be their judge then we may be able to release the anger and hurt with out seeking revenge or the need to control others, as others have in the past tried to control us. We need to remind ourselves it is possible to become free of past negative emotions.
Often depression is aggression that we are trying to repress. It is only as we come to understand some of the forces in our past that have caused us to become unhappy, angry or sad that we might begin to gain enough knowledge about them to change them.
When we've done all we can do consciously then we need to put ourselves in the healing hands of a loving God.
When you don't know how to pray you can ask The Holy Spirit to pray for you. You can allow The Holy Spirit to use your voice, called "praying in Tongues", either silently or out loud. Pray for us in ways that we would not be able to know or express.
Many times we do not know what is the best then we should pray, maybe always best to pray for the better will of God to be done, instead of our more selfish will.
Prayer becomes boring when it is one-sided, when we don't open up enough to hear from God and just do all the talking. Not listen. Prayer to be real is a two-way conversation. Keep praying until you can feel you are having some kind of response.
How often we fail to give thanks to God and to others and express our feelings of gratitude for what we have, to family, friends, and other workers and to God.
Sometimes people get discouraged just because they lack the support of family or friends. Encouragement is a welcome sign of love and friendship that says I believe in you. "Encourage one another and build one another up"
Children have a special need for encouragement. For every no a parent says to a child it is important to say at least one yes or give equal sign of positive-ness so you don't instill a negative nature in your child.
Try each day to break your habits of negative words and actions. The more you try the more you will succeed. When we say "I'm sorry" we are attempting usually to undo a wrong we have committed. It is one way to let others know you care about their feelings and you value your relationship with them.
Are your angry feelings and actions a cover-up for feelings of fear or failure, as well as hurt? We progress as we help others as well as ourselves to grow. Nothing stands still. Creation is still continuing. Love is a matter of emotion, but it is also based on good reasoning. Is not goodwill preferable to ill will? Is not non-violence preferable to violence?
Violence begets more violence and gentleness, gentleness. Parents teach morality to their children primarily through their example. They teach either equality or justice or inequality and unfairness. What kind of parent are you or what kind of a parent would you like to be?
"The world is not a stage and God's Work not play" A patient at Hidden Valley Health Ranch, 90 year old Jim Worthington, mentioned on one of our walks. He had inherited so much money in his youth he had had no need to work during his long life, but spent most of his years thinking, chasing eclipses of the sun, as well as a night photographer and how he saw God's World. He was one of those mentors, whose words are more precious than gold.
Out of failure, pain and sorrow can become a great growth!
Give each day up to doing God's best will for your life. Each new day is a new beginning. Try to have a child like expectation that something good is going to happen.
Let God's words to you find a place in your heart and life. "Faith comes from hearing" from and about God, either by reading the words spoken to the prophets through the ages or personal words to you, those in agreement with the highest form of love, an "Agape" holy love. For God is Love and has an equal love for each one of us.
If we were willing to use our technology, labor and resources that we now have, the entire planet could enjoy a high standard of living. Survival of our species as well as ending the huge gap between rich and poor nations would help us move from the things that divide us to the things that unite us.
There is one sure way to stop wars within you and among others and that is to treat others the way you want to be treated, the essence of religious teaching, and a pure love in action.
When I was in
Only about a third of the 600 scrolls or pieces of scrolls are Biblical or religious scrolls. The Isaiah scroll was the only one that survived totally. There are seven religious scrolls that were not included in today's Bibles.
God's name is always printed with a different style of writing and the word used is a tetra gram, YHVH, not an actual name, but signifying God, as The Supreme Being.
To put a name on God would be to label or limit "THE I AM THAT AM", as Moses understood he was to tell the Israelites who it was who lead them out of slavery.
Before I left
Making the pilgrimage to where it is believed Moses and Elijah had spoken to God I felt would give me a chance to pray and know God's will better. It was a long hot journey into the sands of the Egyptian territory.
All day in a non-conditioned bus across the desert and later in a shared rental car with a wool robed monk returning to his home in St. Katherine's Monastery at the foot of
We saw only occasional signs of life, camels seemingly running wild and only a few Bedouin camps with sheep skin tents, among the few small herds of sheep and tattered looking children sheepherders.
Time seems to stand still here, yet I felt a sense of urgency that I've felt before when there is a scarcity of food and water, and many miles or time between. A number of local Bedouins rushed to greet the monk, kissing his hand, their custom, out of their obvious love and recognition of him as a visible sign of Christ.
Anxious to spend the night hid high upon the mountain I quickly started off as the kind monk pointed out the shorter path to the top, then able to climb for several hours before it got too dark to walk, without city lights and only a sliver of a moon.
Less than half way up before I found a suitable ledge to get off the path, make some tea and chicken noodle soup before being in pitch black darkness. Finally the morning broke bright and sunny and I quickly rolled my blanket up and started for the top again.
About an hour from the top I came upon a well with a coffee can tied on by a rope in the center of a small valley. Nearby I could hear the bleating of a goat, from a small Bedouin summer camp, that was not seen, only heard.
For the first several hours after reaching the top of the mountain I was fortunate to find myself alone until a small group of pilgrims arrived and sat not far away also enjoying the beautiful panorama of the desert in all directions.
Later a young Bedouin man returned with a few supplies for his campfire where he served tea to the pilgrims for a few coins. While I was alone those first few hours at the top, there was the experience of complete silence, with only a few loud sounding flies and occasional chirps of the mountain sparrows.
It was strange not to hear the sound of cars or other people, nor to hear a sound from God yet to feel the distinct presence of God's Spirit being there. Again at such an important time for me I expected some specific words.
Still feeling tired from my long walk up the mountain I laid down in the afternoon on my sleeping blanket and feeling myself dropping off to sleep, asked God to speak to me in a dream. The first time I can remember asking such a thing but I felt a great need for some specific confirmation to go or stay.
I dreamed of being back in
Have heard the reasoning’s of some who want to follow a god who encourages selfish passions. They say that a good God is limited and cannot be the most powerful God because a God of Love will do no evil or can not do evil.
This kind of reasoning is false and misleading and comes from hardened hearts trying to destroy the faith of others. God does not do evil, not because of any lack but because God has the intelligence to know it is always better to go towards the best than the worst and the knowledge and wisdom to know what that best is.
We share with others a world, whose economic structures have keep 2/3 or more of the world in dire poverty. Our love for each other and ourselves should encourage us not only to do good and avoid evil but also to undo the practices that keep others and ourselves from having an equal opportunity.
It is said that "God loves the poor and sinful not because they are good but because God is good." It is that kind of goodness that we need to listen to and follow.
A CONDITIONAL OR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE?
CAN WE GROW FROM ONE TO THE BETTER?
SOME DAY BECOME MORE PERFECT
IN THE ART OF LOVING ONE ANOTHER
MICHELE'S "SEE’S"
NEGATIVES VS. POSSESSIVENESS
THE EVIL THAT SURROUNDS US IS STUCK ON THE WALLS OF THE CATHEDRALS
IF ONLY PEOPLE KNEW IN EVER HEART THERE IS A SAINT MAYBE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FORGIVE ALL
YET SOME WANT BLOOD INSTEAD OF LOVE
NOT HOPE NOT EVEN PEACE
WHAT IS A SOUL
A PIECE OF THIN COATED CAKE ICED WITH STRAWBERRIES A FINE CARVING OF MARBLE OR
A MAN WITH HIS CAN OF BEER
HOPING PEOPLE WILL JUST LEAVE HIM BE ONLY
YESTERDAY I SAW A GLIMPSE OF SOMETHING
SOMETHING IN A FRIENDS EYE
MAYBE IT WAS HIS SOUL TALKING TO ME
Michele Vasquez
JADED
To love can mean having your heart broken
Again and Again Thorns that stick us here and there Often to the quick
Again and again one must Feel, Heal and reach for love again
To be stung on the path of communicating
Instead of retreating inwardly
We can choose to see the fears that blind
And shut out love
See feel and express love
Lighting up reality Paths of true being
The fullness of living
HIGAMOUS PIGAMOUS
A parable by Grandma Betty
Written when Justin was born
But for all Great and Great Grandsons
Once upon a time there lived a Prince who had five wives! This Prince also had twenty-five children that were girls and twenty-five children who were boys! A total of fifty-five!
The children knew each other as brothers and sisters. Their mothers were not so lucky. Having only one husband to share often made for trouble for everybody concerned. Finally the Prince could stand the bickering of his many wives no longer and ran off for the woods, to get away.
No sooner had he time to say "Phew" when he found himself beside a fast flowing steam. Very tired from much walking he sat down and leaned back against the soft green moss, near the side of the tree, to consider this predicament.
Suddenly a beautiful young Princess appeared before him. "Oh unhappy Prince" she said, "What can I do for you?"
The Prince, much astonished, rubbed his eyes in disbelief. But before you could say Higamous Pigamous or Hogamous Pogamous, the now happy again Prince and Princess were walking arm and arm into the lush green forest. For awhile!
Moral:
"HIGAMOUS PIGAMOUS" MAN MORE POLYGAMOUS? "HOGAMOUS POGAMOUS" WOMAN MORE MONOGAMOUS?
CHURCH BRETHREN
ONCE YOU LOVED ME WHEN YOU COULD NOT LOVE ME BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT LET GO OF THE OLD
NOW WE KNOW YOU CAN NOT LOVE ME THAT WAY CAN YOU GROW OUT OF THE OLD LOVE ME AS AN EQUAL!
LOVE IS TWO DIFFERENT FEELINGS THERE IS FLASH EVEN NO FLASH LOVE IS ALSO AN INFINITE NUMEROUS THING
CHANGING WITH TIME PLEASE DO NOT SHORT CHANGE YOURSELF ON ANY ONE OF THESE AS THEY HELP US TO GROW TO UNDERSTAND OUR BRETHREN
A PRAYER FOR CHILDREN
Author unknown,
Taken from Abigail Van Buren's advice column Sunday June 4, 1995
We pray for children who sneak Popsicles before supper. Who erase holes in math workbooks who can never find their shoes. And we pray for those Who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire Who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers Who never "counted potatoes" Who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead in Who never saw a circus Who live in an X-rated world We pray for children Who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money And we pray for those Who never get dessert Who have no security blanket to drag behind them Who watch their parents watch them die Who can't find any bread to steal Who don't have any rooms to clean up Whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser Whose monsters are real We pray for children Who spend all their allowances before Tuesday Who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food Who like ghost stories Who shove their dirty clothes under the bed And never rinse out the tub Who never get visits from the tooth fairy Who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool Who squirm in church or temple and scream into the phone Whose tears we sometimes laugh at And whose smiles can make us cry And we pray for those Whose nightmares come in the daytime Who will eat anything Who have never seen a dentist Who aren't spoiled by anybody Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep Who live and move but have no being. We pray for children who want to be carried And for those who must be For those we never give up on And for those who never get a second chance For those we smother And for those who will grab the hand of Anybody kind enough to offer it. We pray for these little ones.
POSITIVENESS IS EVERLASTING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE GOD WITHIN AS WELL AS WITHOUT NEGATIVENESS IS OFTEN FEAR OF THAT LOVE FROM PAST HURTS OF CONDITIONAL LOVE
CAST IN THE IMAGE OF GOD MAKES US ALL CO-CREATORS
FREEDOM HELD BACK
SUMMER ENDED WITH OUR LOVE RICH IN THE DEEPNESS OF THE HEART
THE CLOUDS OPENED HEAVENS GATE POUNDING DOWN THEIR TEARS LAST NIGHT LET US DRY OUR EYES MY LOVE THE VEILS ARE DESTINED TO COME DOWN WE SHALL DO OUR SHARE
YES LOVE AND FREEDOM ARE HELD BACK SO SOMEDAY ALL OF US CAN KNOW THE JOYFULNESS OF FREEDOM OF EVERYONE'S EQUAL RIGHTS
WE ARE LIKE LITTLE CIRCLES OF SELF-CENTERED LOVE THAT RIPPLE OUT TO LARGER CIRCLES OF "AGAPE" HOLY LOVE THE TIMING IS IN GOD’S HANDS, BUT ALSO IN OUR HANDS,
WHEN WE WANT AND CHOOSE TO CO-CREATE
DO GOD’S WILL AS OUR OWN, WHILE WE ARE HERE.
YOU CAN PUT THE HEALING HOLY SPIRIT OF LOVE INTO YOUR HEARTS AND HAVE A LOVE FOR ALL CHILDREN, INCLUDING YOURSELF!
WHAT A GREAT WORLD THIS COULD BE IF ONLY ENOUGH OF US WOULD CHOOSE TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD’S LOVE FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
HEBREW SCRIPTURES ON EQUALITY
Genesis l: 27,28; 5:2; 9:6; 20:14; 21:13
Exodus 16:8; 23:2,3,9; 30:15,34
Leviticus 19:10,15,18; 24:22; 25:6,25
Numbers 9:14; 15:15,16; 26:52,53; 31:27; 33:54
Deuteronomy l: 17; 10:17; 24:14,15,16,19
Joshua 17:6,17; 18:55-10; 19:51
Judges Deborah, as a Prophet and Judge of
I Samuel 30:24
II Kings 14:6
I Chronicles 24:5; 25:8
II Chronicles 19:7; 31:18; 34:22
In stories or books of Ruth, Judith, and Esther
I Maccabees 12:21
II Maccabees 8:28,30; 9:15
Job 3:19; 13:8,10; 32:21
Psalms 5:12; 9:9; 18:21; 62:13; 67:5; 69:34; 72:3; 75:3; 85:11; 96:10,13; 98:9; 99:4
Proverbs 17:13; 185; 20:7; 21:3; 24:23; 28:11,21,27; 29:7,13,26; 30:8
Ecclesiastes1:18; 3:7,12,20; 5:11; 9:2,11; 12:14
Wisdom 1:15; 3:10; 6:6,7; 11:23,24; 12:1,13,15,19; 14:9,30; 15:3; 16:7,17,26
Sirah 2:18; 4:19,22; 7:16,21; 10:24; 45:26
Isaiah 3:12; 5:16,23; 9:6; 10:2,20; 11:4; 16:5; 26:6,10; 28:11,26; 29:2,24; 30:26; 32:1,16,17; 33:24; 35:5; 41:10,13,17; 42:1,6; 46:13; 57:12; 58:7; 60:17,21; 61:2,8 Jeremiah 7:5; 9; 23; 10:24; 17:10; 18:8; 21:12; 22:3,13,15; 23:6; 27:7; 34:11
Lamentation 3:35; 4:13
Baruch 3:13; 4:1,13,21:6:27
Ezekiel 7:16; 14:10; 16:49 18:7,21,22,25,30; 22:29; 33:4,6,11,13,15,16,18,20; 33:31; 34:4,16; 37:14; 46:23; 47:14
Daniel 4:24
Hosea 6:6; 7:13; 8:4; 10:12
Joel 2:12,13,18,23,25; 3:1,2,5; 4:12
Micah 2:7; 4:3,4; 6:8
Nahun, 1:3,6
Zechariah 7:9,10; 8:13
Malachi 2:10
Hebrew total Biblical verses 193
Christian New Testament Biblical verses 410
Total Biblical verses 603 found
CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES ON EQUALITY
Matthew 5:3-12,42,45; 6:12; 14,21; 7:5,8,12,16,24; 12:18,36; 16:27; 18:1,14,35; 19:14,19,21,23,30; 20:14,20,26,28; 21:30,43; 22:30,39; 23:3,8,11,35; 25:15,25,40,45; 26:52
Mark 2:17,27; 3:35; 6:37,56; 8:8,35; 9:49; 10:8,14,15,21,37,38,43,44; 11:17; 12:14,17; 12:14,17,31
Luke 6:19,25,30,31,35,36,40; 7:12,47; 9:48; 10:16,21,27,36,37; 12:6,48,57; 13:30; 14:11; 16:25; 18:14; 20:21; 21:24; 22:26
John 4:9-14,27,39; 5:18,22,24,25,29,44, 6:35-37,39,40,45,47,51,54,57; 7:24,37,51; 8:12,18,24,25,28,32,36,47,51; 9:4; 31; 12:25, 32,36,47,48; 13:14,15,23,24; 14:3,3,10,12,21; 15:1,5,7,12,15,17; 16:13,15,23,24; 17:2,10,11,21,22,23,24,26; 18:37; 20:22
Acts 2:4,17,21,38,42,44; 3:19; 4:32,35; 10:34,43; 11:14,18,29; 15:9-11; 16:13,14,31; 17:26,28,30,31; 18:18-26; 21:9; 26:20,23; 28:30
Romans 1:16; 2:1,6,9,10,11,16; 3:22,23,29-30; 5:18; 6:8,22,23; 7:6; 8:1,14,17; 10:4,11-13; 11:16,32; 12:5,9,13,16,18,20,21; 13:8-10; 14:10-13; 16:1,3,6,7,9
I Corinthians 1:10,27-29; 2:11,14-16; 3:5,6,8,9,13; 3:17,21,23; 4:1; 5,6,9-11,16,17; 5:12,13; 6:8,9,11,12,13,20,25; 13:2,3; 13:12; 14:32
II Corinthians 1:6,7; 2:5; 8:3,13-15
Galatians 2:6,10; 3:28; 5:6,14; 6:2
Ephesians 2:18,19; 3:6; 4:4,5,32; 6:9
Philippians 1:7; 2:4,6-8,25
Colossians l: 15; 2:9,16,21-23; 3:11,25; 4:1
I Thessalonians 3:12
Titus 2:11
Philemon l: 16,17
Hebrews 2:4; 9; 14; 10:10,16,17,22, -25,38,39; 12:1,10,11,14,25; 13:1,2-4,5,16
James l: 5-8,9,10,13-15,19,20,22-25,26,27; 2:1-9,12,13,14-17,22-25,26,27; 3:1,2,8-10,13-18; 4:3,6-8,10,11,12; 4:17; 5:1-6,7-12, 13-16, 19,20
I Peter 1:15,16,17,22; 2:1-3,5,11-12; 3:1,7,8-12,13,14,15-18,21;
II Peter l: 1,3-11,13-15,16-21; 2:4-22; 3:1-10,11, -13,14-18
I John 1:5-10; 2:1,2,5,6,9,10,11,12,15-17,23,25; 2:27,29; 3:2,9-10,11,13,14,l6, 17,18,23,24; 4:2,6,7,8,10,11,12,13,14,16,17,18,23,24; 5:3,4,11,12,14,15,16,17,21
II John 1: 5
III John 1: 5-8,11
Jude 1:4,12,13,14-16, 18-23,24,25
Revelations 1:6; 2:7,10,11, 17,23; 2:26-29; 3:5,6,7-11, 12,13,14-19,20-22; 5:9,10; 7:9,13-17; 11:18; 12:10-12,17; 13:5-10, 15-18; 14:3-5,6,9,10,12,13,15,16; 15:1-4; 18:1-3; 19:5-8,10; 20:4,8-10,12-15; 21:3,4,5-8,9-27
GOD’S HAND MENTIONED OVER TWO HUNDRED TIMES
Exodus 13:16; 31:18; 32:6, 11
Deuteronomy 2:15; 5:22; 6:21; 7:8,19; 9:10,29; 11:2; 16:19; 26:8; 32:39,40,41; 33:2,3
Joshua 4:24
I Chronicles 28:19; 29:12
II Chronicles 6:4,15,32; 20:6
Ezra 7:6,9; 8:18,22
Nehemiah 1:10; 2:8,18; 9:15
II Maccabees 7:31
Job1: 11
Psalms 8:4,7; 10:12; 16:8,11; 18:36; 20:7; 31:6,16; 32:4; 38:3; 44:4; 45:5,10; 48:11; 60:7; 63:9; 73:23; 74:11; 75:9; 77:11,16; 78:42,54; 80; 16,18; L81; 15; 89; 14,22; 92; 5; 95; 4,5; 98; 1; 102:25; 104; 28; 108; 7; 109; 27; 111; 7; 118; 15,16; 119; 73; 136; 12; 139; 5,10; 145; 16;
Proverbs 1; 24; 3; 16; 21; 1
Ecclesiastics 2; 24; 9; 1;
Wisdom 3; 1; 5; 16(3X), 17; 7; 16; 11; 17,21; 14:6; 16:15,16; 18:22; 19:8
Sirah 2:18; 10:4,5; 43:12
Isaiah l: 25; 5:25(2X); 9:16,20; 10:10,14; 11:11,15; 14:27; 25:10,11(2X); 2; 9:23; 34:17; 40:10,27; 41:10,20; 43:12; 45:12 48:13 49:16; 50:11; 51:5(2X), 9; 52:10; 53:1; 56:1; 59:1,16; 62:8; 63:12; 65:2
Jeremiah 6:12; 15:6,17; 18:6; 21:5,22,24; 25:15,17; 27:5; 31; 32; 32:17,21; 51:7,25
Lamentations 2:3,8; 3:3; 4:2
Baruch 3:5
Ezekiel l: 3,8; 2:9; 3:14,22; 6:14; 8:11; 10:8-21; 13:9; 14:9,13; 16:27; 20:33,34; 25:7,13,16; 33:22; 35:3; 37:1,19
Daniel 5:5; 10:10,16; 14:36
Amos 9:2
Habakkuk 2:16
Zephaniah 2:13
Zechariah 3:1
In the New Testament much fewer references to God's Hand but Jesus is consider by Christians as being God's Right Hand!
If Jesus is God, maybe it was Jesus Hand that I, and possibly Moses saw, he spoke also of the one like Jesus, who would come after him who they were to listen too. The Hand of God that even the King and his court in Daniel's time, and maybe others not recorded, may have seen, down through history.
I only know for sure it was God's Hand, as I also felt the Power of God that filled the room and my knowing exactly where to look. The same power I felt at my spiritual rebirth. It had to be most likely like the Hand Moses saw, as evidenced by the given word of "Equality" also being the summation of the Ten Commandments and The Golden Rule, as Jesus stated in the New Testaments as being the summation of the laws and the prophets.
Matthew 26:64 Jesus here makes reference to God's Hand
Luke 1:51,66
John 8:6; 10:28
Acts 2:33,34; 4:30; 7:55,56; 11:20
Romans 8:34
Ephesians 1:20
I Peter 3:22; 5:6
Revelations 1:16,17,20; 2:1; 5:1,7; 10:2,5,8,10; 20:1
FOOTNOTES
Abbreviations Hebrew Scriptures=H.S.
Christian Scriptures from New Testament=N.T.
Bibliography page=Biblio.
1. H.S.-Deuteronomy 9:10; Daniel 15:5; Exodus 31:18
2. Biblio. #34
3. H.S.-Isaiah 46:3; 49:15,16
4. International Women's Day Conference, March 8, 1989
5. N.T.-Romans 12:20,21
6. H.S.-Daniel 8:8; Ezekiel 11:28; 2:1; N.T.- Revelations 1:17
7. N.T.-John 15:20; I Peter 4:12-14; Matthew 10:25
8. N.T.-Luke 12:33,34
9. N.T.-Matthew 11:28-30
10. H.S.-Exodus 20:3-5; Leviticus 26:1
11. N.T.-Act 18:26
12. N.T.-Romans 16:1,3,6; I Corinthian 11:5; Acts 18:18
13. N.T.-Mark 11:25; Colossians 3:13
14. Biblio. 45
15. N.T.-Matthew 6:24
16. N.T.-John 3:3-9; Luke 11:13
17. H.S.-Leviticus 19:15; Dueteronomy 1:17; 10:17; N.T.-Matthew 22:16; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11
18. Dr Stephen Stump, Professor of Graduate
19. N.T.-John 14:27; 3 John 16:12-15
20. N.T.-Matthew 26:45
21. H.S.-Daniel 12:1
22. N.T.-John 8:32
23. Biblio. 38
24. N.T.-Hebrews 13:2
25. N.T.-Rev. 9:18
26. N.T.-Matthew 12:39
27. H.S.-Micah 6:8
28. N.T.-Galatians 3:28
29. H.S.-Jeremiah 31:22
30. Biblio. 37
31. N.T.-John21:25
32. H.S.-II Samuel 6:14
33. N.T.-Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:29-32; Luke 10:27
34. H.S.-Judges 13:2-24
35. N.T.-Acts 5:1-11
36. H.S.-Proverbs 31:10-31
37. N.T.-John 4:27
38. N.T.-Luke 10:39
40. Biblio. 40
41. H.S.-Psalms 91:11
42. N.T.-Matthew 4:11
43. N.T.-Matthew 18:10
44. N.T.-Matthew 16:18,19
45. N.T.-Revelations 18:4
46. N.T.-Matthew 24:36
47. N.T.-Matthew 9:12
48. N.T.-Matthew 28:9; John 20:16-18
49. Biblio. 39
50. N.T.-Matthew 25:45 ; Proverbs 10:25; Psalms 16:8; 34:7 nbsp; 51. N.T.-John 10:20; I Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6; Jude 2:4 Revelations 21:3 H.S.-Proverbs 10:25; Psalms 16:8; 34:7 52. N.T.-John 8:32; 16:13;
53. N.T.-James 2:14
54. H.S.-Isaiah 66:13
55. N.T.-Matthew 23:37
56. N.T.-Galatians 3:28
57. H.S.- Numbers 11:12
58. H.S.- Genesis 1:26,27; Psalms 131; Hosea 11:1-4;
59. H.S.- Exodus 33:20
60. N.T.- Revelations 9:15
61. H.S.- Jeremiah 31:33
62. N.T.- Romans 8:28
63. Biblio. 43
64. Biblio. 32
65. H.S.- Genesis 6:12
66. H.S.- Ezekiel 18:11-18
67. Biblio. 43
68. Biblio. 31
69. Biblio. 33
70. Biblio. 42
71. Biblio. 8
72. H.S.- Exodus 3:14
73. H.S.- Deuteronomy 1:19; 10:17; N.T.- Matthew 22:16;
Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11;
74. N.T.- Mark 9:48
75. N.T.- I Corinthians 12
76. N.T.- John14:26
77. N.T.- Mark 11:25
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. The New American Bible, Catholic version; Biblical Assoc. of
2. The Zondervan Parallel New Testament In Greek and English; Zondervan Corp.
3. Greek and English Lexicon (New Testament) Rev. Thomas Sheldon Green, M.A.; Zondervan Pub.
Crisis July/Aug. 03 5. Today's World Religions; M. Thomas Starkes 1986 6. Prehistoric Religion; E. O. James; Barnes and Noble, 1961 7. Bibliography of Modern African Religious Movements; R. C. Mitchell & H. N. Turner;
10. Winged Life; Hannah Hurnard; Tyndale House Pub.
11. The Green Letters; Miles J. Stanford; Zondervan Pub. House
14. Religions of Ancient
16. Psychotherapy: East and West; Alan Watts;
17. The World of Zen: An East-West Anthology; Nancy Wilson Ross; N.Y. Random House
18, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Thomas Merton, Garden City, N.Y. Image Books
19. Shinto: The Way of
22 Religion In Chinese Society, C.K. Yang,
25. Communism: Clasic & Contempory, Emile B. Ader,
26. Zoroastrianism: The Religion of the Good Life, Rustom Masani, N.Y. MacMillan Co.
27. Introducing Islam, J. Christy Wilson; N.Y. Friendship Press 28. The Bahai Faith, Gloria Faize;
29. Understanding Other Cultures, Ina Corrine Brown;
30. Masques of Morality, Johan Lyall Aitken; The Woman's Press;
31. Today's World Religions, M. Thomas Starkes; Global Pub.
32. The Great Idol, H. S. Bellamy & P. Allan 33. Faith After The Holocaust Ktav Pub. House, N.Y. 1973 Pg 125-6 34. The Ligiorian, Redemptionist Publications,
Jan.1981 pg.27
35. God is a Verb, By Mary Daly 1975 36. They Wrote on Clay By Edward Chiera, Univ. Of
37. Problems of New Testament Translations by E.J. Goodspeed 38. The Documents of
39. In Memory of Her Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza 1983 40. “The Power To Honor Truth” By Leanne Payne 42. The Roots of Civilization Alexandra Marshick; McGraw Hill Book Co. 1972
43. A Martin Luther King Treasury,
46. Funk and Wagnalls Std. Ref. Encyclopedia
