01-26-24:
"four more years, Four More Years, FOUR MORE YEARS", shout the cult members as loudly and enthusiastically as one could possibly ever imagine... because, you know, life under state-control is much more enjoyable
when presented as comedic-entertainment (see Canada as another example with an idiot tyrant)... good grief... God, please save us... Your people grew too soft, comfortable, and distracted with obscure priorities to be decent managers/stewards of Your creation... so how about maybe send us some kind of spiritual-help... i've read that You've got some good angels, maybe a few of them can come help us out a bit... otherwise our country is reduced to tax-paying citizens endorsing and financing the actions of the evil spirit that's learning to govern the world, it's already got quite a cult-following, which obviously includes many world leaders, organizations, and governments... God, please save our souls, save our country, save our world... seems like most of us got too distracted, lazy, and comfortable to do much of it on our own at this point, so the idiots and sickos have had some nasty run of the place, and it's really taken it's toll on creation... so please send help, we got ourselves an evil-spirit that's getting pretty out of control over here on Your idea of 'earth'... would You please send us some spiritual-strength/help... Your creation needs Your attention, it's been mostly over-run by cognitive and spiritual idiots and sickos, those who are prime targets for the cult who worship themselves, their egos, the world's resources, and the evil-spirit that seems to be emboldened, and growing in size and influence that's manipulating them like a big game of chess... evil who weaponized suggestion/thought to accomplish it's actions and deeds... God, please send help... Amen. -- chris
11-28-23: feels like i've been extra stingy with God's Love since we left the haverhill, ma CMA church close to a decade ago, since then, my love was reserved only for those closest to me, with little room for anyone else... seems that i got hung-up taking responsibility for many things that were out of my control... i was also operating in a bad head-space/frame of mind, etc... i wasn't listening to my body's warning signals, and consuming prescribed meds that were actually more negative than helpful, and self-medicating with vino in an attempt to manage sleep and stress because the meds didn't... i learned a ton from that period in history, and even more when i weened off of three prescriptions that kept me mostly numb (except from the chronic pain) ten to fifteen years later... what a shitty period that was, numb/impaired in consciousness/thought/soul, and some degree of anger toward God for the church experience, and my state of mind and life-style... as shitty as it was, it was a figurative time in the desert, valley of the shadow of death--so to speak... i knew we'd eventually get back to some church, i just didn't know when, or which one... here's a tip to You, the reader, there are absolutely zero churches/denominations that are totally correct in their theology, fool yourself all you want to in thinking contrary, but no one has it right about everything... some folks the litmus is whether it's too boring, or the opposite, too much spectacle/distraction, maybe that's legitimate, maybe not... some folks it's the leadership's interpretation of doctrine/theology, rules and regulations, the stewardship of resources... i dunno, there are a zillion reasons why some churches are lively, and some should have shuttered their doors decades ago... anyway, now that i'm a bit more healthy in attitude/spirit/soul, and less impaired via pharmacology, and strong yet tasty wine, i'm starting to get more involved with church, and our community... but only to the degree that an ADD introvert that requires quiet time to restore my peace, and to process all of the information and stimuli consumed between those quiet times, only to the degree that i'm capable of without getting in the way of God... i don't know how all of this works really, but glad to be back in a place where i don't completely distrust church leadership, however, they are human too, and make mistakes, and are wrong about things just like everyone else, sometimes more than other times/seasons... no church denomination or organization is right about everything, but the fruits of their labor speak volumes as to what they are right about. -- ct
11-20-23: just another note about 'cults', a couple of the biggest signs are 'control', a straight-up cult will forcibly, or subtly control words/behaviors/actions -- if you are being an ass-hole they have every right to let you know as much, that's simply 'sound counsel', not control... straight-up cults will exploit naivety/ignorance/blind-spots, and your resources, including--but not limited to--your body for sexual fulfillment -- exploitation is an obvious, or subtle form of control, and imprisonment... here's a tip for you -- the reader -- Jesus came to 'set people free' not to hold people captive, He came to set people free in our body/minds/souls/spirits... folks that are trying to better themselves, be the best version of themselves, operate to a greater capacity, self-actualize, maximize your current potential... all of those things point to reality-based utilization of your free-will, intelligence, decision-making, understanding of cause-and-affect, and a desire to make positive contributions toward humanity, but all of those things require you to be free, not held captive by others... using your free-will and intelligence to make positive changes toward creation requires freedom, not control... 'control' is reserved for those who use their intelligence and free-will (gifts/resources) to harm/victimize/exploit/control others... your intelligence is a gift, use it wisely on your own (and to converse with God), exercise it, don't surrender it to cults, dictators, government... Christ came to set the captives free, but He also dealt with ass-holes/abusers/exploiters, and the like... let that be part of your 'how to recognize a cult'... if you are a violent idiot with a dysfunctional degree of self-control/regulation then you should expect to be corrected or controlled, no matter what society/culture/family/religion/organization you like to hang-out with... i could go on and on with this topic/subject, but it think i made my point, or two... exercise your intelligence lest someone evil take it from you... now go be free for crying out loud. -- ct
11-17-23: most folks with distorted perceptions of God (and reality) seem to be hung-up on particular circumstances/events that they couldn't control in a manner that they think God should have controlled, they don't think something was fare, expectations were shattered by witnessing some aspect/act of evil... everyone has trials to walk through, everyone experiences events that can be traumatic -- events, or people to grieve... grieving is mostly a multi-emotional exercise of coming to grips with reality... some folks take great pride in their accomplishments/achievements, their strengths, their 'use of free will'... you don't get free-will to use if you demand a controlling God, a God that controls every thought, word, and action of everyone, every animal, every man-made or natural disaster... God answers prayer in the way that only God can, but He DOESN'T micro-manage creation... we are all managers of creation to the capacity that we capable of... we all learn and discern at different ages, some folks can't manage anything very well, yet others seem to have their sh!t together from young ages... the experiences and events that sharpen our discernment between good and bad, love vs. evil, wrong from right--everyone is exposed to good and bad, everyone has a 'valley of the shadow of death' to traverse, and mountain-top highs to experience... many folks learn during these events, and some lessons are soon forgotten when the ego wasn't calibrated/tamed... what-ever the
circumstances/events
were that pushed us away from reality, only to grieve our very existence, what-ever those character-defining moments were, God wants you to turn-around for good now... grief will subside in do time, once you realize that you aren't God, just a small piece of Him, that helps maintain His creation, but can't control everything the way that you want to, when you want to... when you are ready to approach reality again, just ask God to give you more understanding of the events, and how to turn them around for good, otherwise, you let/allowed evil to win... i know you are better and more responsible to settle for that... I Love You, and so does Dad. -- ct
11-12-23: i'm not convinced on the theology/idea that we are all 'born' as sinners... everyone sins, of course, some folks it's habitual, there is human-nature and all, but at birth? sure, we are all imperfect, so you could make the case that we are born-sinners... but i dunno, it seems that babies don't come out of their mothers sinning away... i'm starting to agree with the idea that when we are born we are as pure as we will ever be in our natural world, but we fall from that purity, just as angels have fallen, and eventually we understand how far from purity we have fallen, and the use Jesus as the example to strive for when we receive our figurative 'circumcision of our hearts' by the mission of Messiah... not even sure why i'm contemplating this, i don't know that it's an important religiousy thing to even know for seekers and followers, once you understand the need for a relationship with God, and do something about it, a theological debate about whether the chicken, or egg arrived first seems much less significant... who knows, i'm wrong about lots of things, but it seems like the future is what's most important, not what your thoughts/actions/deeds were when you were less than one second old... eventually we become our own little gods, or tyrants to some degree, we do selfish things that hurt others instead of following the words and actions of Jesus, and require the forgiveness found through repentance and grace offered by our Creator... eventually we all sin, but i think we start out like the angels did, good and pure, and then we fall... how ever old or young we are when falling or elevating is unique as we are, and so are the circumstances that lead many folks back to God... feel free to correct me if i'm clearly wrong, i can be a big dummy. -- ct
09-05-23:
Me at 54 yrs old: God, i want to follow you
God: well, you took a wrong turn about 149,938 miles ago, but glad to hear that you remember me now
Me at 54 yrs old: holy-smokes, do i have to go and back-track?
God: no, it's water under the bridge, but you probably have a few folks to apologize to
Me at 54 yrs old: whew
God: well, that might be the easy part... the hard part is getting you to start looking at life from my perspective, and doing what's right
Me at 54 yrs old: gulp
07-22-23: i was reading a post on a social-media page, the person asked why scripture cannot be taken literally, some of it is historical, so some of it can be interpreted literally, it might not be one hundred percent accurate, or very detailed, or sometimes overly-detailed, but the historical aspects can be taken literally... but much much of the messaging is written in story-format, the stories within the stories, using metaphors that made sense to the direct audience that the words were spoken to, most folks should be able to discern what can be taken literally, and what are figurative/stories/examples... anyways, i don't know what your particular religious texts say or don't say, but my religious preference is a Christian-centric ideology, and so we use some terminology that certain religious writings are 'kingdom principles', they are things in life that make sense and can be applied across several fields, almost like laws of nature, or something like that, those are very important... but then there are exceedingly detailed sections that speak to traditional/ceremonial customs that really don't apply that much today... trying to interpret literal/historical text from metaphorical or tradition-passing, or what pats of text receives too much priority, or not enough priority is the downfall of certain sects/denominations/clubs, etc. -- ct
07-04-23: just finishing up a
joe rogan podcast (episode 2004) with ice cube as his guest, just about at the end, they both agree that you want to 'be rich' but be happy, you want to
have fun doing what makes you successful... joe says 'we know a lot of rich folks that are miserable fvcks, you don't want that, you'd rather be less rich and more happy' and ice cube agrees wholeheartedly ... a person will probably never really know when they are 'rich enough' to fulfill their dreams/desires/goals and expectations, but being more self-sufficient so you have the freedom to do what you are good at and enjoy, without being beholden to other folks seems like the more desirable goal... there are many self-made martyrs that punish themselves their entire lives because they never became self-sufficient enough to do what they really want to do, or do something they enjoy, they settled for what they think they have to settle for, and then 'put in their dues, kiss the ring, earn some scars', that's all fine and dandy for a season in your life, but it's no way to
live your life... when you find a talent (something that you are pretty decent at), and enjoy it enough to learn more about it and practice and challenge yourself with, and if your skill, or product is valuable and necessary enough to other folks that would hire/contract/sub-contract you to do it for them, well that's the type of job that you could 'be happy' doing, it'll be more rewarding to your mental health than settling for a painfully-boring/slow-death deal that you can do in your sleep, or that gives you nightmares about all of the shitty things you have to do, or some shitty folks that you have to work with, or being extorted and manipulated by leadership... it's not terrible to experience those types of jobs too, but slow-suicide/self-martyrdom from chronically painful employment isn't good for your physical or mental heath... better to search for other opportunities, or other interests, because you have valuable talents that might have yet to be discovered, you certainly have more potential than you will ever know, you might not realize how self-sufficient and capable you really are, you have the ability to positively impact and
contribute
value toward whatever sized environment/geography that your potential is capable of... don't make your life any more miserable than necessary, you don't have to give up on yourself thinking that you have to settle for a Shit-sandwhich Taster type of job, hard/challenging work is good, but if you don't feel like you are thriving in it, or that it's affecting your physical or mental health, then maybe consider turning down a different path... i can't tell you how many new paths and interests that i've traveled, or picked up over the years, all of those paths and learning new things, and putting in some hours practicing and challenging yourself helps you toward a life-style with more self-sufficiently, and greater fulfillment by your accomplishments/work/creations, etc. ... anyways... both Joe Rogan and Ice Cube certainly didn't come from wealthy families, so to hear a couple of guys that had to put in some hard work to get to the financial freedom that they both have now, both say that their 'being their own boss' type of self-sufficiency being more appreciated than continuing in the tormenting world of settling/compromising/selling your freedom and happiness for slow painful self-martyrdom, they didn't quite say it that way, but i think that's what they implied. -- ct
06-24-23: there's plenty of government abuse to complain about, and the ways that players exploit their clout and networks, and information--there's plenty of that to complain about, plenty of good and evil to write or complain about, plenty of observations/theories to share, plenty of traumas, plenty of joys--the simple type, the one's that inspire on a shitty day, plenty of desires/aspirations to share, and hopes to hope, and goals in pursuit--you know, plenty of those things... there is plenty to write about, plenty of things to mention, but it's all folly when i don't put it in prayer...that's all this website is, it's just me interpreting my environment, and then me just commenting (mostly complaining) on it, it's also just communicating to my children, or their children if they are ever curious about what chris thought about certain things... but it's really just a prayer, it's the things that i want to communicate with God, and it's also what therapists recommend to many folks 'journaling', it's a bit like 'talk therapy' but with our Creator, it must fall under CBT...so, look, there are plenty of things that i could be complaining, or writing about, but it's all noise, a different sort of noise... today i'm just writing to say thanks, thanks Lord, appreciating you today. -- ct
03-19-23: (read the next post after this one too)
poking the hornet's nest again, this time stirring-up some trouble with my Christian friends/brothers/sisters, etc... i self-identify as a christian, i was born and raised under Catholicism, and made a slight turn during my early to late twenties when i heard the concept of Jesus mission and teachings a bit differently, and it was enough to shake me out of the downward spiral that i was on at the time, and back to embracing reality (experiencing life with the understanding that we have a creator whom we are supposed to helping, not hindering)... i've read many different perspectives and opinions of who Jesus was, his significance to humanity, whether or not his genetic make-up was fifty-percent human and fifty-percent source/creator/God, and i'm not going to give my own opinion for the sake of this article, other than to say that he always seemed to point people into the direction of 'his father'... God... and that his discernment, teachings, and philosophies were brilliant/logical/sustainable... and his simple lifestyle and unwavering convictions to the eventual cause of his death demonstrated what someone who practiced what he preached really looks like... so those are my only opinions on Jesus that i will offer for this post, and stirring of the hive, except for this, that's possible to know/commune with God the Father without even heard about Jesus... you can tell when decent people understand the concepts that Jesus taught/preached like loving God, and respecting/loving other people, and not victimizing but helping others... you can tell when folks just sort of know that, even if they have never heard of Jesus, or maybe just heard the name before...
... here is a small part of it:
"
This special Lenten season is a time to reflect on
how change is only possible with the light of Christ, Dr. Michael
Keller, senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Lincoln Square, in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
"Many of us spend copious amounts of money trying to change our appearances, our prospects and our character," said Keller.
"It is very American to desire change," he said. "It is less obvious how to achieve it."
In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, the apostle writes, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light" (Ephesians 5:14).
"
I suppose i lied, i am going to offer a bit more of my personal opinion of Jesus... personally speaking, i think reading/contemplating, and maybe even studying Jesus and his teachings is probably the fastest way of understanding the reality of God, and his expectations, i think when you consider some older religious texts/writings that he referenced along with some of the clarifications that he made regarding those scriptures then it's probably the fastest way to your personal validation, connecting with, and communing with the same 'God the Father' that Jesus always tried to point people toward, i think that was part of his mission... but there are plenty of peaceful and respectful and kind folks in this world that have connected-with and sort of understand God without reading/studying Jesus, somehow they have grown, and matured, and changed, and evolved to understand many of the principles that Jesus taught, because every human has an innate desire to evolve in our actions and behaviors, just as we evolve/change to our world/environment, call it 'survival' if you wish, call it 'logical/spiritual/necessary evolution' if that suits you better... i think religious and philosophical contemplation can help folks connect with our creator, but i also think some folks are capable of connecting with God even if they haven't studied those sorts of things, and were never submerged in water, or partaken in bread and wine ceremonies... they hold others in high regard, they are interested in truth over fantasy, they live life-styles that would suggest that they care about necessary/sustainable things that will allow future generations to live as nice--or better--than they live... you see this with many cultures and people that appreciate being in nature, they have less barriers between them and God than those who hole-up in walls and prisons of various types... so, it'll be interesting to see if i get any feedback from fellow Christians as to whether or not my personal opinions cross a line of blasphemy... i don't get much direct feedback from this website anymore, now that i've offended just about everyone possible, so i'm not expecting concerned feedback... but some religious scriptures tell a story about a host of a feast/celebration that had plenty of empty seats at his table, so in order to fill them up he expanded his friendship/invitations to all sorts of other people, not just his besties--and when that happens who knows who you will end up dining with--it might be someone from pretty unexpected places and backgrounds, but somehow they still appreciate the host of the celebration, and the host appreciates them... Jesus expanded the host's invitation to many hungry folks from all different cultures and venues and kingdoms, he was like a walking, living, breathing billboard/sign/advertisement with an arrow pointing in God's direction, so to speak... anyhow, God bless you, and i hope you enjoy the rest of your sunday, this post belongs under the 'religious and philosophy' section, but some folks don't go there, and maybe ought to read this one. -- ct
03-21-23: i don't really feel like writing right now, but i will... i have small break in between a few things, and feeling relaxed with some pleasant background music... i've been thinking a bit too much about global-elites and the ways they are actively having their will on the peasants and herds and tribes and cultures of the world... and also about the chronic pain and an upcoming corrective procedure (technically it's three procedures on one joint) to fix one of the three joints that have been Screaming at me for years now, i've never been cut before except for wisdom teeth, i'm sure Ben and his team will do a great job, it's probably my recovery that i'm mostly concerned with... those have been a couple of stressors/anxieties lately...
... OK, enough with the opening... to pick back up from my poking at the Christian hornet-nest the other day i'll tell any reader from any background/geography/culture/religion/tradition that the heart of Christianity is really about everyone trying to get along, and respect one another, and be helpful and not taking advantage of others or victimizing others and to acknowledge and respect and draw near to our Creator/God/Universe as we go about our lives living in harmony/respect with our environment and one another, but it's more about understanding our environment, natural resources/sustainably with good stewardship, and especially respecting one another's value--mutual respect--do unto others--or whatever your culture wants to call it... and has much to do about those things, and about keeping our connection to our God/Creator/Source/fill-in-the-blank... and it's also based on ancient 'religious texts' that stem back to approximately one-zillion years ago, and it's full of old stories/history told about, or through, important people in old civilizations, the things they did right, the things they did wrong, the reasons behind their wars and struggles, and it taught future generations and cultures and civilizations far and wide--thing likes moral and ethical standards in societies and neighbors/friends and families, so it's a lot about that sort of stuff... and then it extends into newer books/accounts/letters from different folks, some that walked with Jesus, and some with second-hand accounts... and then when you look at what those letters say about Jesus's words and actions/deeds you will see some resemblance of a 'prophesied Messiah', whether he fit some sort of criteria or not, and could it be that such a messiah would be teaching that your expected 'liberation' isn't going to be through a militaristic-warrior, but it might be from a peaceful-warrior, one declaring that God wants our hearts to evolve/grow/mature in understanding of basic but important things like respecting God and other humans, and what respecting other humans might mean based on our concept of God, those are two simple/logical concepts to judge many things in life--you know, like 'does it respect/help others and our environment' with humble but adequate lifestyle and wasn't interested in expanding in self-indulging or possession-collecting, or is it a one-sided one person taking advantage of another, or gobbling-up too many resources for your own expansion and self-interests whether it be materialistic, or mental/manipulative/abusive? He used the cultural/medical procedure of circumcision as an illustration that we require a 'circumcision of our hearts' to comprehend/understand--even 'connect with' our creator, and wants us to respect one another, and to use our intelligence and understanding to do right by others, he is everyone's creator, and so this peaceful (but sometimes a bit disruptive in his passion/rhetoric and who he directed his words to, which brought him some nasty/brutal consequences (torture and execution) which some folks say was actually prophesied a messiah that would be a sacrificial 'lamb' to be 'slaughtered' as some folks say/suggest/claim...
... outside of what you like to call the real actual person Jesus, whether you think he is someone special or not, if you think he was 'meta-physical' combined with (or became) 'physical', and whether or not he fulfilled any physical requirements to be a prophesied messiah or not, whatever it is that you consider Jesus, you can't take away the logic/words/teachings/actions/lifestyle combination of him, he taught about the importance of recognizing/connecting with God his/our Father, and in doing so you will probably start respecting and not victimizing or manipulating or using others, and helping (sometimes even healing) those that could use it, sometimes the help required is obvious and sometimes it isn't... and so i think Jesus words/actions/deeds/teachings/example/life-style and bringing a sort of freedom and liberation of our spirit/heart/mind/body by teaching all sorts of things, even simple ten-commandment types of things, you know, things like not victimizing or abusing others, and to know why, and the why is because there is a real God, and there are all sorts of stories about people's 'encounters' with God, or speaking on behalf of a rational God that doesn't like people abusing and victimizing others because they don't understand mutual-respect, and then he also helped interpret/taught and answered questions about ancient religious writings/traditions and such... so even if you don't think that Jesus was a special person in any way, there is no doubt that you would still agree with the scope of his messages, and because much of it is quite simple and self-evident/logical really... but wait, let me try a new paragraph for that one...
... It seems that my Christian religion probably has too many rules of what 'being a Christian' must require, we have many diverse sub-sects which mostly have their own rules and traditions and interpretations of certain things, but ultimately all of those sects will preach similar sorts of things like i briefly described above, but the leaders and educators and mentors aren't always stable people with truth and honesty and integrity and respecting others and you end-up with some deviant sects/churches/institutions, but for the most part Christians are going to preach messages that are probably going to coincide with what i wrote above, and then they will usually do something to support and communicate to their community like to pray for, and who might have needs or just want prayer support, we Christians are usually good at supporting our community if there is realistic/constructive things that we can do (think Amish barn-raising sorts of things), so that's one of the sorts of things that lot's of Christians and our 'churches' sort of do, and so that sort of makes sense, that's part of mutual-respect and being part of a community... so you don't have to know a dang thing about Jesus, or exactly what he said, and what he meant by that, and what ancient texts it would cross-reference with, and you also don't need to know any special 'requirements' for being a Christian--i have some opinions based on different churches that i've attended, and different things that i've read and listened to--but my opinions based on certain theories and theologies isn't relevant for this topic--Jesus pointed people to God the father, that's the point, and people were attracted to him and his teachings, but he reminded people about mutual respect and helping others... there are some theorists that even understand the logic of many of Jesus's teachings/concepts/reasoning, but they won't acknowledge or maybe just don't have the ego/humility involved to understand the concept of a God that they can't see or touch or fathom, or they won't acknowledge Jesus as the source of their philosophies... i don't know, but some folks that never heard of Jesus may still understand the simple logic/concepts of respecting/loving/helping/communing with others, and they might show an appreciation for life and nature and reality and why mutual respect and sometimes 'support' is smart, and maybe their life-styles suggest that they are not overly concerned about gobbling-up and collecting too many things, or buying so many assets that other people that could really use those assets can't afford them or have access to them, they aren't trying to work some system where they know they are taking advantage of others, they are humble and respectful and have an appreciation for creation, they might sort of be connected to God the father... some folks just see the earth as 'God', they see creation as the creator, and i don't follow that system/theory but if they are otherwise decent folks then they are at least on the idea that there is something bigger then themselves, and the logic of sustainable lifestyles and being good to their 'God' and also to humanity, but people's interpretation of God is where things seem to get a bit flukey, and then what does God expect from you, that sometimes seems like another bunch of rules that you might consider (start with ten commandments, they are easy and logical and sustainable), and what you should be allowed to do no matter how annoying or depriving it is to others might be based on the church/village-elders/leaders... but really, Jesus explained/reasoned a lot of right from wrong, and to clear-up some confusion with some people's interpretations or ideas of what are necessary rituals/traditions, but he was telling folks--that would listen--that we need to do right by our neighbors, not victimize or control others or otherwise interfere with their freedoms that you want for yourself... two qualities of Jesus were that he was humble, and treated others equally/respectfully (even though sometimes he rebuked a bit), he was interested in truth and reality, not bull-shit artists or controlling or deceiving or brutal people, he had a particular disdain for what much of his ancestor's 'religion' had become, and the leaders that used their 'church' and gave them false teachings that would ensnare/enslave, he really didn't like those false 'religions' or it's teachers at all...
... so look, i had no intention of writing all of this, but now that i did--i want to re-iterate the thing that i said the other day, i identify as a Christian, but i think many Christians are missing the point, some folks use their religion for community/relationships/help/therapy/education, some use their 'church' for simple gatherings and teachings, it's what many cultures have been doing for years, but i think my opinions of what a person that is connected to God the father, and what many Christian circles may understand might be quite different, it's my opinion that the characteristics of Jesus, and understand the logic of the ten commandments (even though some folks may not put them together and classify those concepts as 'religion' because they just make sense, ten simple logical 'commandments' are really more like common sense when you are done acting like a spoiled-child, i think there are plenty of folks like that out there that may have never wanted to read or learn about Jesus, but they understand reality/sustainability/mutual-respect and are pleasant folks generally speaking, those genuinely pleasant (although never perfect) folks might actually be connected to God the father because they understood similar things/concepts, but from different backgrounds/theories/teachings, and maybe much of it was just observable and self-evident over time, it's what happens to people when they grow up... i don't think you need to say a specific prayer to connect with God the father, but i think if you are connected to some big 'God the father/universe/creator' then the words and teachings of Jesus will probably make sense and might possibly change your perspective and outlook on certain things in life (usually for the better), the bible isn't a terrible source for information, it's got a bunch of legitimate history mixed in with a bunch of stories, and it's concepts are pretty logical when you break them down into the most simple ideas (love our creator and other people too)... anyways, i've got a pizza to make, gotta go, hopefully i haven't blasphemed at you very much... i have plenty of opinions about lots of things, and i might be foolish or ignorant about many of them, so that's one of the reasons that i don't just dedicate all of my efforts and studies into 'things about God', because i know i might be the village-idiot on some matters and in some respects, and i really don't want to screw-up matters about God, so that's why i'm not a leader, leadership can be exhausting and rewarding, and also traumatic to the empathetic soul, and it can/will test your ego/integrity and beliefs and values and codes of ethics... but look, i'm going on and on and i have a pizza to make, one with black olives and spinach (maybe some fetta and tomatoes if we have them)... i love Jesus, and the core/heart of his values and teachings, but i think Christians have too many rules about what constitutes what sometimes, but understanding the way the truth and the life/light, and 'a greater good' or 'the big picture', and to live with peace and harmony to the extent that it's possible makes sense to mature adults, i guess that's what i'm saying... i've met some decent folks that in many respects live 'Christ-like', but their reasons for doing what they do, and behaving as they do may not be the exact same reasons as the die-hard religiosy types... and that's what i'm saying, meta-religion connects/identifies the common positive attributes of various theological belief systems, to look at things that unite and not simply divide... part of Jesus mission was to unite God's children to their father, some folks say you have to go through Jesus to 'get to the father', i'm a bit skeptical about that interpretation/translation, but maybe they are right, i think you need to make a personal connection to God, and i think they are many folks that do so without 'following Jesus', many folks 'follow' Jesus's logic in understanding right from wrong, growing in a trajectory where you quit rolling around in the smelly wrong, and not victimizing or bothering folks, but being decent and respectful to them, i've met plenty of those types, some of them have some decent understanding/concepts of God, folks that exhibit the 'fruits of the spirit' have probably connected to God the father, and are probably doing their best to make a positive impact on the world in the ways and capabilities that they can, and that's whether they said some special prayer, or take part in certain rituals, or have an exact belief system, the fact is that many of us carry some sort of dysfunction and can get a bit (or a LOT) wonky on occasion for a season, no matter how you pray, or how you do it, at some point we require adjustments to guide back on our positive and intelligent trajectories... so, it's been my pleasure to stir the pot and poke the hive, feel free to tell me why you disagree with my assessment and opinions, persuade me, i suppose that you could tell me if you agree with any of it as well, but i'm used to criticism, and i appreciate it... OK, pizza, right... God bless. -- ct
02-17-23: i don't really feel like writing,
but i watched a video, and it got me thinking a little bit about being sensitive toward a very personal God that people have used such fancy words like 'omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient' and other strange words to describe... God knows all because he sees all, he even experiences everything because we are basically God's sensors, we have free-will and all too, and we can
really get caught-up in the things that we also observe and experience and handle and create while being on earth in this dimension at this time... but that's why being honest is necessary, you might fool some folks sometimes, but you are never going to fool God, it's impossible, because God is literally living through us somehow/someway, God experiences life through us, and our senses are his senses/sensors... so getting on-board with God and living in reality rather then being overly distracted by the things that we observe/experience and living in a false-reality is just a silly time-waster, just get on-board understanding reality because you waste a bunch of good time dismissing the reality of God, his existence, his importance, his expectations, and his understanding... maybe it's hard to grasp how God can process so much information every second of everyday, and still love us despite our iniquities, but you don't have to really understand it, He is no matter what your opinion is on the subject... so push past your skepticism and comfort-level, and report back to God all that you see, hear, smell, taste, feel... report back all of your emotions... report back your observations... report back things that you believe require changing to be better... report back... well, look, you already are reporting all of those things back to God whether you are doing it consciously or sub-consciously, most of it is subliminal, but you already communicate all of things to God plus more... good for the guy down in Australia (watch the video linked above) that woke-up a couple of years ago, he articulated his experience very well... i had a drug-induced (mushrooms) 'wakening' of sorts decades ago, i can't say that i've lived as a shining example of what i think i should be, but God understands my short-comings, he sees them all of the time, and keeps nudging me back on course, on a trajectory of self-improvement, making mistakes and learning along the way, and seeking his/God's will for important (and sometimes not so important) matters, especially ones that will effect other folks... so, as i already mentioned, i really don't feel like writing, but sometimes i do anyways, it's a bit therapeutic to write sometimes, it helps you focus and gather your thoughts.. -- ct
02-05-23: look, i don't know how to really describe the 'essence of love', but if you are married then you have a general understanding of what unconditional love is like, if you love Christ and aren't married, then maybe you have a glimpse--or maybe even a better understanding, i dunno... but listening to gripe from married and un-married, and who has it worse and why, well, who ever has it worse has probably has empathy toward the suffering, those that don't quite understand things as you do... if your understanding doesn't quite match-up to the understanding of others then consider yourself blessed, you can't quite 'get' the thought-process of those who interpret life and had unique experiences and suffering differently, that's much of 'the magic' really, it's how different our situations are, and whether we are capable of grasping a different perspective and giving a shit about others... anyways, watched episode seven of season three of The Chosen, and you can't begin to recognize Simon's struggle if you can't think outside of your own micro-environment, nice try attempting to do so, but you have no idea really... welcome to life, and trying to understand others, and reality. -- ct
01-07-23: i like the series from
Angel Studios called 'The Chosen'... season three is underway, and i tried to get current yesterday... there are lots of big/impactful scenes and moments in any decent film, after watching most of four episodes yesterday there was a scene in episode three--depicting Luke chapter four--where Jesus reads from Isaiah chapter sixty-one... it gave me goose-bumps to my core... you might not appreciate everything about that particular series, but they do a good job, i like that they don't just use scripture as their screen-play, the apostles have their own personalities, and they use relatively modern english language vocabulary, so you get conversation, not just word for word scripture... i'm not going to critique their theology/interpretation, or anything else about the series for that matter, just want to show my appreciation, and that Jesus reading from Isaiah on THE YEAR of jubilee... that was some good stuff right there. -- ct
01-01-23: some folks link directly to one of the sections of this crappy website, meaning, they skip over the home-page, so here is my new year prayer, found on the homepage:
my simple prayer... i wish to see more clearly, i wish to think/process
and understand life more clearly, and i wish to be a sensor and vessel
that God appreciates and uses for his good and the good of mankind, and
to preserve the health and functionality of the vessel/body that i've
been endowed... simple enough? i think so, i hope so, because that's
what i'm expecting... may it be so... now the hard-part/challenge, using
such clarity, understanding, and physicality for the good of mankind,
and not wasted for my own delight and folly... and i pray the same for
you too—the reader—and for all of mankind... gifts aren't to be wasted
or exploited for evil purposes, our intelligence, potential, and utility
are true 'natural resources'... we are all natural resources that were
created to aid both God and man, and to sustain a healthy life and
environment for our current, and future generations… may we all
seek
truth and reality to truly make the world a better place to live...
our lives are designed to be of a continued spiritual growth and upward trajectory... one of the biggest hindrances to a positive trajectory (besides taking care of our physical/physiological needs) is our ego, and a lack of humility, not the type of humility where you pee your pants on a schoolyard with all of your peers pointing and laughing at your soaked pants, but the type that involves swallowing your pride, and remaining teachable... the person who has all of the answers is unteachable and does not posses a humble heart/mind/soul... if my new year's prayer sounds like one that you can identify with then make sure that your ego never has all the answers, that's an unhealthy ego that is destined for a rude awakening and some egg on the face, if not in this life it will certainly pay the price as your body fails and you meet your maker... if you pray the same prayer that i did above then also ask God to keep your ego in check, and teach you throughout your whole life, even you dying last breath will produce thoughts that you never knew... remain a humble and teachable person until you hear the words 'well done my good and faithful child', don't be fooled by an unhealthy ego, to do so is to your own demise... if you are too busy to learn and grow everyday then you are trapped by your own ego and poor priorities... God bless. -- ct
Celebrate
what you want to, and in the traditions that you choose, but if you
haven’t made a conscious effort to learn what Yeshua Hamashiach is all
about then ‘you don’t know jack’, as the saying goes. Do yourself a
favor, the most important favor of your life, and get yourself a real
bible this year… your mind/soul/body might be in a slumber and you have
yet to realize—a sleep which only Logos can awaken… then go one step
further, say a simple but meaningful prayer, ask God to give you
understanding as you read that bible, and to reveal himself to you
through the words of Luke, Paul, and his original witnesses… it’s not so
scary, but the longer that you wait the more that you’ll want to kick
yourself for not learning earlier in your life.
Jesus was Logos in
the flesh, and was much more intelligent than the fools who dismiss
him, and his teachings… do yourself a most important favor, and make the
next year the most enlightening of your life, so far… it’s time to
awaken now… God bless you. — ct
Logos can never be silenced, and it never dies... those are
impossibilities... those who speak it, and carry it may, but the words
of God can never die
question for the reader... what are you communicating to God right now? Well, you know that you are communicating things to God all of the time, right? we are ALWAYS sending feedback to God, whether we are intentional about it, or not... you don't simply 'hide' things from God, you can't just 'shut Him off'... we are enveloped within the creator of the universe... He sees what you see, hears what you hear, understands the reasoning of every one of your thoughts (whether they are rational or not)... well, look, you are communicating multiple things every pico-second to God whether you remember that you are, or not... so what are you communicating to God right this second? Whatever it might be, try communicating something intentional today, maybe even right now... my advice to the reader, work on behalf of God, not against, and be intentional about following the words and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth... God bless. -- ct
11-12-22: physical therapy has begun, the OT people are working on a few hot-spots, and the PT folks are working on a different gimpy joint... pain is pretty obvious, it's hard to ignore, it's needs no introduction, and it has many aliases (owwie, boo-boo, fracture, rupture, contusion, laceration, etc)... pain keeps you honest, it keeps you humble, it helps you realize that you are not invincible, and that humans have limitations... OK, enough about pain, and therapy, but i wanted to get it off my chest, plus i needed an introduction, so there you go... i just wanted to talk about vision and understanding and judgement, but the 'honest and humble' parts of the intro come into play... i wrote
this crude post on substack not too long ago, it was written with some political intention, but it's applicable for 'religion' too... much of religion is about how we view our Creator, the world, and everything that's within it--including ourselves, and other people... much of religion is to keep folks honest and humble, and balancing the ego as we grow/mature/learn... sure, there is worshiping God and all, you know, singing and dancing and lot's of traditions, but much of worshiping God is in the way we treat others, how we treat ourselves, and how we treat creation... everything that you see is contained within God, and we have been given life by God through means of our parents... the very way that you live your life is an act of worship too, worshiping God by acknowledging him in all that we do is expected, especially considering that we are un-wired extensions of God, and that God experiences creation through us... I didn't give myself life, so why should i live it like it's all about me, like i did some magical super-special thing, i didn't, i was gifted life by the giver of life, and so it's only fitting that i acknowledge God, that's one of the ways that we stay grounded in reality... and what about you, you and all of your stuff, and the life that you were given, i view you as equal, even if you own an entire continent, or don't have a cup to urinate in...the difference between you and i might be decided by our Creator, it might even come down to whether or not you identify God as the giver of life, and whether or not you worship him, or if you ignore God and let ego and pride get between your relationship with him and others... i don't know what's up, i've had some writer's block for a couple of weeks now, so this is harder than it should be... but consider this, arrogance and superiority won't buy you a ticket to heaven... a humble and respectful ego is a friend of God... a respectful ego treats others the way that they themselves want to be treated, a respectful ego 'gets it', and has a special understanding of things that matter... a respectful ego understands that people matter to God, we aren't/weren't mistakes... if the two most important commandments have to do with honoring God (and no fake gods), and treating others with respect, then it's our job to be diligent and discerning in doing so... acknowledging the gift of life that God has given us is a simple act of worship, so is behaving and showing respect to other folks too... predatory humans don't stand a chance in the kingdom of God, predators are parasites that require repentance, or they are doomed, they reap what they sow and hoard and collect the amount of wrath that awaits their judgement... anyhow, this post was interrupted several times, so i'll clean it up and add a bit more when i can concentrate again. -- ct