Let's go to Coffee and have a Chat

     Well, pull up a cuppa and let's have a chat. Let's start with Isaiah 61. It says that through Christ's strength we will be like "Oaks of Righteousness planted by God to display His glory."

     Christ is our strength above our human weaknesses. We are being made into the likeness of Christ. This is partly the process of taming the "beast" of our sin-nature, the process of our Salvation. Initially, we are to take steps to deal with these weaknesses in prayer to God. Then, responsibly address them with yourself and others. We are to put on the righteousness of Christ, daily. We do this by meditating on scripture; while also, praying prayers of victory & gratitude & awe in God (Eph. 6). Slowly, like a large ship turning, you will do an about face You will find yourself face to face, with yourself in the most epicly intense war of humanities existence! Your will power determined to seek God is the food that feeds super natural strength. Your Kryptonite is extreme Pride.

     Pride says "Oh I don't need a boundary there. I won't be tempted." Pride speaks with such foul mouthed supple temptation that those who are hungry fall right into the snare. Satisfy your soul on the deep rich texture of prayer and scripture meditation. Feed your spirit-man! Starve the flesh-sin beast. Only pride can ever have "enough" of God. Humility is forever hungry for our Heavenly Father's food for strength. Pride is starving and thin. Pride says "I am enough! I need no more. I am sufficient!" That is why the prideful fall.

     Humility is the understanding of our human weakness for temptation to sin. While applying this understanding with knowledge, to avoid temptation, is the wise application and proper use of humility.

     As well, let not insecurity be the cause of our submsission to the flesh-sin beast either. One must be secure in ones' own self to possess the GUTS to defeat the sin-beast that wars within us. It takes guts to turn from what the flesh beast wants. It is a most ravenous beast. The flesh beast ravenges all who come in contact with it like the plague spreading the putrid death of sin; while, demoralizing it's victims into desprate lonly, isolated, hungry, dark, seething, heart-wrenching, self-loathing DESPAIR. And then, they're gone.

They've lost sight of themselves. Whom they knew themselves to be is out of sight.

My heart breaks just thinking about it.

     PEOPLE Love yourselves enough to Feed your Spirit Man and starve that Flesh Beast! Christ died for you. So that, you can LIVE victorious over your fleshly desires. You are Loved. You are Valuable. You are Heaven's precious possession. Healing from the Ravengings of the Flesh Beast is already available. Forgiveness for allowing the Beast out has already been given. Accept Jesus Christ's forgiveness for yourself. Allow the Great Physician to work on your raw open wounds. There is Peace on Earth.

Philppians 3:2-15 (put your confidence in God NOT in your own flesh)

     Let us pray, Lord, forgive us for feeding our own selfish, self-seeking, self-indulging flesh beast. Thank you for providing such deeply rich, heavely food, in prayer and Scripture meditation. May I feed my spirit man and starve the flesh beast. Lord let my life bring glory to you!

Life's Better Than Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes

People are not from nursery rhymes & fairy tales. We don't live fairy tales lives- Real life is BETTER.

Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall. Totally Shattered! He could not be put together again.

Consider as well, the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin. What a twisted tale of a man manipulating a vulnerable woman, in the end he tears himself apart. Yes, he tears himself in half, literally. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/044.txt

And all the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Rumpelstiltskin together again, either.

     How aweful! I am so grateful for God's work of healing & restoration!

     In my prayers today I was thanking God that He's put me back together, again. The second time will be even better! The third; and, the fourth; and, the 300 millionth time, God will put us back together! Life is better than nursery rhymes and fairy tales that possess twisted & dark endings. 

     I just love these quotes from scripture! Brings Life to My Bones & Strength to my Faith!

"This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time."

John 6:39

Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone.
Acts 10:34

But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.
Romans 6:22

It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.
Romans 4:17

Thor & Bad Breath

  Ode to the awesome man from Odenhiem, Thor the yielder of the Hammer that can destroy or build…

   Yeah, you guessed it. I just watched Thor, again. I was thinking about how Thor’s hammer could destroy or build. Just like our tongue is the double edged sword. We can build people up or destroy them with our words.

   “Sticks and stones may break my bones; but, words will never hurt me” is such a pathetic lie!

   I’ve been thinking about my rebellious angst, lately. How my tongue is truly the epitaph of my heart. My tongue is infamous for its impeccable short, swift strikes, for those dear to me. It is something I have honed for good and for bad. There are moments; when, my heart is as sweet as honey, with words of life. Then, there are moments; when, the dark, foul smell of a festering soul steams from my mouth.

   Oh, wait that was this morning before I brushed my teeth!  Ha!

   The tongue, in all its glory is a most powerful weapon. How many valleys would be filled with the dry bones of people destroyed, from the words of the mouth, on the tip of the tongue? Dreams? Hopes? Self-Esteem? Self-Confidence? Courage? All are bones in the valley of the dead.

  "The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.  I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’”

Ezekiel 37

   Just as God spoke and BREATHED life into us- He does so time and time, again in His Word & Life. God speaks Love. God is Love. I pray, oh God, let my words be seasoned with your Love. Oh God, let my breath be sweet like Yours. Let my hands heal like yours! Let all of humanity hear of your Love, Breath and Healing- let not one be left out of your insatiable life! Lord, let my tongue and breath breathe out words of LIFE, life that builds not destroys.

Beautiful Justice

 "Woe to you who turn justice to vinegar
   and stomp righteousness into the mud.
Do you realize where you are? You're in a cosmos
   star-flung with constellations by God,
A world God wakes up each morning
   and puts to bed each night.
God dips water from the ocean
   and gives the land a drink.
   God, God-revealed, does all this.
And he can destroy it as easily as make it.
   He can turn this vast wonder into total waste.

            ...

"I can't stand your religious meetings.
   I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
   your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
   your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
   When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
   I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.    That's what I want. That's all I want.

~ God,

Amos Chapter 5

Justice in its’ purest form is simply “I’m sorry” & “I forgive you;” followed by right action.

     In 2005, I was passing through a staunchly radical Muslim Indian city with a British Tour group. Apparently, every Muslim man in the city had sworn their gun to shoot to kill any & all Americans in sight. Me, being19 years old, very white, Christian and American was not in a particularly safe place; but, thoroughly excited from the thrill of danger. We were just passing through with a British Tour Group; but, nonetheless we took every safety precaution possible. It was surreal. For 2 days we were not allowed to go near windows, to be seen on the roof or to go out in public without an escort. Needless to say I got to pray and read my Bible, A LOT. I was meditating on  Christ's words "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." I've read those words a thousand times in the past; but that time, revelation hit me like a lightning bolt! Oh, how did I weep over Christ's revealation of forgiveness! At that moment of prayer and meditation God showed me how people justify what they do. People justify their actions, whether right or wrong, they have themselves CONVINCED they are doing the right thing for that moment in time. People are decieved, by themsleves, others or circumstances. This is crux of Christ's ability to forgive those that were torturing him to death! This is how abusers, murders, theives, liars and all manner of evil can be forgiven- released - allowed to float away in the air like a dandelion seed upon the wind. Those who hurt us are truely decieved into thinking they are justified in their actions. This DECEPTION, the fact that they really don't GET IT, is how we can forgive them for their foolishness. Yes, they probably did, somewhere deep down inside, know something was not quite right. (we all know the feeling!) Let us consider that they caved under the pressure of the screaming circumstances, emotions, expectations, fears, lies, cultural beliefs etc.(we've all done this in our way before) All of Humanity needs beautiful forgiveness.

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
   to break the chains of injustice,
   get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
   free the oppressed,
   cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
   sharing your food with the hungry,
   inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
   putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
   being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
   and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
   The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
   You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

If you get rid of unfair practices,
   quit blaming victims,
   quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
   and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
   your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
   I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
   firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
   a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
   rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
   restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
   make the community livable again.

~ God,
Isaiah 58




Forgiveness is part of justice. Vengeance is justice without forgiveness. Vengeance is death. No life. No hope. No new beginnings. Forgiveness offers life. Offers hope. Offers a new beginning.

Forgiveness is not an option- if we want personal, relational and spiritual peace. Humanity can keep their un-forgiveness; but, there is the sacrifice of release, peace, life and hope. Forgiveness must be whole and complete, covering every surface! We must forgive ourselves, as much as, any other offender. Not forgiving yourself is a form of pride. Even thinking yourself, unworthy of forgiveness- God's complete forgiveness is a form of selfish pride, deceiving yourself into a bent, false humility. God says all of our sins are forgiven completely upon repentance and declaration. To put your sins above God's grace is to put yourself above Him & justice. This, at the very core is condemning pride, thinking you know better than God.

All. Is. Forgiven. 

Perspective

From this unique vantage point, I approach life.

As a nurse I see death & suffering.
As a traveler I see death & suffering.
As a Christian humanitarian I see death & suffering.
As an intellectual I see death & suffering.

As a nurse I see life & healing.
As a traveler I see, in the eyes of the children, life & healing.
As a Christian I see Godly faith, hope & love bringing deeper life & healing.
As a Godly intellectual I see potential answers to the sufferning in the the world.

There is HOPE for the World <3

Relevance of God & Calculus

Using the Language of Mathematics/Calculus to Explain Basic Concepts of God

Example 1

God is Infinite.

The space between numbers is infinite. For example on line X from point a:0 to point b:1

You can infinitely attempt to reach the number one with f(x)

 0.89, 0.891, 0.89111111111111111111111111 & on to +∞ always getting closer 1 but NEVER reaching the number 1. Positive Infinity:  +∞

The same principle applies for negative infinity:    -∞ (In the reverse/negative direction on the line between two points)

God doesn’t have a beginning or an end. You can search for God’s beginning or end and never reach His beginning or end- God existence is infinite.

God = (-∞, +∞).



Example 2

Does God know the future & how ??? Ask good ol’ mathematics.

x=choice y=time

Let’s say that every choice we make at a specific time in our life is a plot on an (x,y)  axis. All the other variables can be included in the function: f(x).  You can even say that bad choices & timing are negative numbers and good ones are positive. Because our life is a f(x) it has limits =D All the decisions we could possibly ever make at various times are plots on the (x,y) axis.  Once again, there are infinite possibilities even within our limited f(x) for areas on the (x,y) axis. Because God is infinite He can see the infinite potential (x,y) points for our lives. He can even see how our lives, individual f(x), influence and affect each other infinitely- because He is infinite!



(Disclaimer for all the nerds about to comment… it’s been 8years since I took Calc 1 and this is written in Lay-mans terms for multiple reasons =) & I’ve been subsisting (like any good nerd/geek) off of coffee for 20hrs without sleep… =D

An Australian Adventure

Monday, November 15, 2010

           I woke up to oppressively sticky stale heat. Had a big day planned ahead at the Blue Mountains in Australia. Pulled on some shorts and a light top fully intending to survive the sticky hot day ahead. We hopped on the bus to the train station. Then we jumped onto the train for a couple of hours and it began to bucket (bucketing: the Australian phrase for torrential rains:) Once in Katoomba Tamara and I dodged the gushing gutters and sloshing rain to the Common Ground Café. The Common Ground Café had a rustic,  warm, wooden cozy feel. They served good wholesome food! I partook of a lovely Dandelion Latte’, Pumpkin Curry Soup and an onion, bean sprout melt. It was heavenly! And, YES, my Dandelion Latte’ was heaps better than Tams’ Chai. Coerced by adventure, out of the warm, cozy, rustic café we lunged across town. Traversing through the puddles and drops, searching for a couple pairs of decent trousers. Frozen and damp we dashed into a store and found some warmer bottoms. Better prepared for the day ahead, we boarded the tour bus full of vigor, while praying the rain away. Upon arrival to the mountain edge all you could see as far as the eye could reach was fog. Yes, cold damp, achy, wet fog. The white mist continued to grow and thicken, like clam chowder soup. While fog was thickening we were trekking through the mountain paths discovering waterfalls, making new friends and dodging the plague of water puddles. Finally after two foggy treks and buckets of rain with an epidemic of water puddles, we were slightly discouraged and quite soaked up to our shins. For a diversion while waiting for the warmth and dryness of the tour bus we decided to make a video about our mis-adventure. Then, no joke, the clouds parted and thousands of miles of wet, tropical, rocky mountains were revealed. We stood in awe of the Three Sisters and the view of the Blue Mountains from Honeymoon Outlook. We were elated. As we joined up with our new friends, a couple from London, we decided to attempt another soggy journey out into the wilds of the Australian mountains. Dodging puddles like bullets, splashing in the mud and soaking in the dripping water we were propelled by adventure along our last trek. The trek ambled alongside a wide, shallow stream that was falling swiftly through the mountainside. A thousand shades of green were on display in the infinite expanse. The fog had lifted and left a few misty patches upon the forested mountainside. We came out upon a lookout of a magnificent waterfall, steep mountain cliffs, emerald green forest and Sulfur-crested Cockatoos soaring about. On the train ride home our new friends sat across from us and chatted. Enjoying the winding down of an incredible day, we passed the time sharing photos and our memories of the trip. With a rustle and a shout of surprise a 3inch long blood-sucking leech was discovered by our English friend on the train floor beneath his feet and gushing bloody wound on his ankle. Frantically, everyone in the party began searching our own feet and ankles for dodgy creatures. Thankfully, the rest of us were free of leeches! HAHA! What a way to end such a crazy day! Gratefully we arrived home, leech-less and soggy; but also, exhilarated and ready for a rest and another adventure tomorrow!