Re: Man! You're goin' to hell!

[Guest guest]

It has always seemed to me to be the ultimate arrogance to think we can start to understand God

,

To me the ultimate arrogance is not to think we can understand God, but to think that our understanding is the only correct one and therefore anyone who does not see things our way is an idiot! Sooooooo much of the suffering of the world comes from the "religious wars" and the need of people to force their beliefs down the throats of others. So sad that people cannot just leave each individual to develop his/her own personal relationship with God and find his/her own answers.

JanetStart the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.

[Guest guest]

My point exactly, Janet. I doubt that Christa could get out of nursing, or would. While you or I would have a hundred other we would like to do, Christa really only loves nursing. I never thought of it until just now, but she is a bit like my mother who was an alcoholic. She and my dad joined AA when they were in their 50's and my father went on do develop many interests and had a long, happy, and useful life after that. My mother never found anything else to take the place of alcohol and was dead in two years. Christa's whole life is her career and a huge change would have to take place. Maybe it will. I hope so, but am doubtful. She really has no other conversation or activities. It is a shame because she is bright and amusing. She dated my brother for 18 years before they married. She and I were friends first, and I introduced them when she was bouncing back from a bad relationship and needed a diversion. Her work and my brother have always been her total life.

Most of my career was as an ICU staff nurse, with a several years or relief house supervision, then a year of fulltime house supervision. I saw myself being sucked into the management thing and moved to another hospital. I officially retired at 62 and for the past four years have done hospice on a part time, then PRN basis. Perfect for me. That last five years, (after the change to the last hospital) were at a public hospital, and, to my surprise netted me a check for a few hundred a month for the rest of my life. I know so many nurses who work in hospitals with no retirement plan, who will be trying to live on Social Security some day. Were it not for prudent planning by my husband, that would probably have been me. Now I am free to mess with my garden, dogs, horse and am able to travel a bit and indulge in books and music as long as I control myself.

Life is good.

Re: Man! You're goin' to hell!

In a message dated 1/5/2008 12:53:59 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, labtrek1941bellsouth (DOT) net writes:

The older I get, the more surely I think things happen for a reason

,

Personally, I don't think there are any accidents or coincidences. There are just ongoing presentations of opportunities for learning and growth and some of them are very painful.

If I were your sister-in-law, I would wonder if its time to get out of nursing completely and do something else. I have been in nursing since Moses was in the cradle and in the home health and hospice field almost exclusively (a few side trips - two years in cardiac at UNC Chapel Hill when I first moved here because I had to learn the roads lol) for the past 20 years, and I have been turning down management opportunities for at least ten. In my field, going into management would mean a significant increase in stress and an actual decrease in pay. Middle level management almost invariably makes less because of the time demands put on them while they are on salary - I on the other hand make significant overtime when things get stressed at work lol. For me, avoiding that route has given me time to work with animal rescue and animal welfare organizations, develop my Reiki (and I am currently working on opportunities to do Reiki with aimals), belong to the Holistic Nurses Association, work on my painting and participate in the local arts council. I would NEVER have time to do all of that in management! I can take my state retirement at 62 if I chose and I am looking at one of those avenues for a second career instead of staying in nursing until I am 65, although I am sure it would be a pay cut

I just keep wishing I would win Lotto and have to deal with all of those choices, but I can never remember to buy a ticket! lol

Janet

Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1209 - Release Date: 1/4/2008 12:05 PM

[Guest guest]

Beautifully, said, Janet

Re: Re: Man! You're goin' to hell!

In a message dated 1/5/2008 1:14:32 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, labtrek1941bellsouth (DOT) net writes:

It has always seemed to me to be the ultimate arrogance to think we can start to understand God

,

To me the ultimate arrogance is not to think we can understand God, but to think that our understanding is the only correct one and therefore anyone who does not see things our way is an idiot! Sooooooo much of the suffering of the world comes from the "religious wars" and the need of people to force their beliefs down the throats of others. So sad that people cannot just leave each individual to develop his/her own personal relationship with God and find his/her own answers.

Janet

Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1209 - Release Date: 1/4/2008 12:05 PM

[Guest guest]

I agree. If I had listened to people when I went from college to my own business I would not be where I am. I was told you cannot go straight from college to your own bookkeeping and tax business you have to work for someone else for a few years.....At the time I had a daughter on 24 hour suicide watch, a disabled husband, etc etc.....so I started my own business from home. The first few years were tough but gradually I built a reputation and things began to get better. Now my business pays the bills, gives me time with grand kids, lets me hike, and has made me a very wide circle of friends and acquaintances! My daughter has improved, and my husband has be come accepting of his limitations for the most part. So life is good. Who knows what it would be if I had listened to others?!

Jane

I like the train of thought. I believe in: be careful of what you ask for, you don't know how your'wish' might be granted. Dont wish to hard for some things because you don't know if maybethings turning out how they did weren't better for you in the long run.My husbands young cousin was staying for us in a while and he'd neverhad any deep meaningful conversations with adults about his future,life, fate, god or any such thing.one day i was grumbling because we'd hit the red light and we wererunning late. Cousin says, " i wish we could just wish to god to makethe light and we would," and I said to him, "what if we would havemade the light and then been hit by a driver running the light? Maybeit was all for the best we missed the light." He'd never evenconsidered the concept before. He stopped wishing for a lot of sillythings he'd been wishing for and starting thinking about what was moremeaningful in his life. Opportunities. Opportunities play out in such an interesting fashion.I was reading an article about a woman who wanted to be a Chemistback when there were only a couple female chemists in the Unitedstates she got her degree and couldn't land a job because she was awoman, but she took the opportunities that presented themselves andended up getting paid nearly as much to do something in a related field. If she had listened to people when they said she shouldn't go tocollege for the degree and couldn't do it because she was a female orif she had given up after not getting the type of jobs she reallyyearned for, she wouldn't have gotten the really well paying job inthe end. laurie>> The older I get, the more surely I think things happen for a reason.The questioning you mention I think applies to all our relations withGod. My sister-in-law is a registered nurse, and has been at the samehospital since she graduated from college. She started as a staffnurse, got her masters degree (MBA with emphasis on hospitaladministration) and her CCRN (critical care certification) and foryears has been the clinical coordinator for ICU and ER. Now herhospital has been bought by a corporation and closed down. Even withall her credentials, management positions are all taken in thisimmediate area, and she has had to take a job as a staff nurse inanother hospital. She is, not surprisingly, quite depressed. I feelfor her, but wonder if this is not a hidden opportunity. She and mybrother do not have children and he has his own business as well asbeing a full-time firefighter. Her mother is elderly, feeble has hasa multitude of health problems. My brother and sister-in-law gotmarried just a couple of weeks before Hurricane Katrina, and both haveworked 60 to 80 hour weeks ever since. Being a staff nurse wil notmake a huge difference in their income. All of us who are nurses knowthat salaried managers, for the most part, work longer hours, and atleast in the hospitals make less on an hourly basis than staff nurses.Christa can now devote her new spare time to nurturing her stillyoung marriage, and to caring for the increasing needs of her mother.I have to believe that this is just one more situation where one canlook at what seems to be a bad thing and find that there might be theopportunity to make important and beneficial changes. Some couldcall it the hand of God. I would do so. > One of my favorite writers, Madeline L'Engle, said that people oftencomplain that they made a request og God, and that God did not answerthem. In truth, she says, God did answer. He just did not say yes. Like good parents, the answer that is best for us is not always theone we wanted to hear.> > > Re: Man! You're goin' to hell!> > > > Ok I have thought about this, and I am sure I will continue to doso. I will come up with other things the more I think, I usually dobut i am going to respond now with a few of my opinions...or thebeginning of my opinion...or whatever.> > I believe we were called to be witnesses of God. We are notjudges, or lawyers. Or we are not supposed to be. It is God's job tojudge. Our job is to bear witness to what He says is truth, and to letpeople decide for themselves what they wish to believe. Once we findwhat we believe to be truth, do we necessarily stop looking? Some do,some don't. > God gave all of us a mind, the ability to learn, and the abilityto make use of what we learn. Then he told us how to live to gain themost benefit. He wants us to choose his way. But he leaves it up toeach of us to find him. Although he promises he will be there when we do.> Just as the creator of anything, be it a house, a car, a watch,whatever, has the right to tell how it is used for the most benefitGod has the right to tell us how to live and get the most benefit. Hemade us in his image and gave us power, love, justice, and wisdom. Wecan use these to benefit ourselves and praise him or not...our choice.We always need to know we reap the results of our choice. And weshould be able to give a reason for whatever choice we make. "Because"is not a reason. For anything. It is a word. With little meaning Imight add.> I also believe our faith needs to be based on evidence. Thescripture in says faith is the assured expectation of thingshoped for tho not yet realized. based on EVIDENT realities.> And yes, faith is an ongoing test. One that needs to be checked.To make sure it is based on the realities and can stand the test ofnot always being what we want. Because it is not about what we wantbut about what is best for us. And He is the one who knows. > Mankind is in a trial. Satan has charged that no one will serveGod unless he can get something out of it. He claims we can ruleourselves without God's help. It is up to each individual person toprovide the answer to that by looking for, finding, and obeying God.or not.> And in the end, only He will judge.> That is my view. and my belief. and my hope. and my faith.> > Recently I was challenged about my hard wrought search for God, > something that has consumed me for many years. At this point in my > life I feel comfortable with the results of my searching and the > search itself, feeling sufficiently confident in my efforts,methods > and reasoning. But this friend had brought up an interesting point, > quite by accident I suspect, interesting nonetheless. He said: to > question the existence of God is a sin. I was surprised to say the > least; my friend isn't typically given to fits or spasms, so Ihad to > conclude he said this voluntarily, now I have to ask why hebelieved > seeking the truth was a sin and awaited his well reasoned reply;but > that wasn't about to happen, instead, his reply, as remarkableas the > challenge, was, "because," nothing more… Although I expected more > because my friend is not an idiot, I wasn't exactly waiting forproof > because I don't think there is any; but certainly not just"because." > I'm willing to accept that people believe solely on a feeling or > event in their lives, but my friend isn't a pious man, in fact, > according to his particular faith; "in spiritual jeopardy" is a > better description of his standing. So stop and think about that > answer for a moment, when he's speaking on behalf of his > understanding of God and all he can conjure up is a phrase most > frequently expressed in elementary school, "because?" > When pressed, it was clear that my friend had no real basis for his > remark; it's just what he thinks without even a basic understanding > of his belief system, but the tricky part for me was that he was > fervent in his remarks veracity. So, with little understandingof the > underlying reason for his faith, he deemed me sinful, and seemedself-> assured of his righteousness to boot; he's truly one of the flock. > Well herein lies my biggest concern with dogma and thefollowers, and > incidentally also the reason for my initial doubt as a child which > eventually lead me to search for God's existence. It's the > modification of scripture to fit the time's science and socialtrends > or in this case, a lazy and almost whimsical adherence for the sake > of not going to hell. It occurs to me that if God did exist, having > accomplished even a fraction of what he is credited with, he would > certainly have made a definitive scripture, a true word of God;that > being so, obedience would be prudent and each soul should makeevery > effort in this lifetime to get it right, not just guess. I think it > goes without saying that "just winging it" would be frowned upon.> In my mind the fact that most people don't bother to question their > beliefs makes me wonder about the level of their understanding, > commitment, and ultimately, their faith in that belief system. Most > believers accept their particular religion and its teachings arefrom > God or God inspired, but they challenge that same by continuing to > live life contrary to the tenets imposed. This arrogance does not > speak well of the power of that particular deity or lend much > credence to the adherents true faith. Certainly if I truly believed > my eternal damnation was on the line, I would make every attempt to > know what building God lived in at the very least. As for therules, > I would certainly try my hardest to understand and follow them.If I > knew God existed, I wouldn't gamble with my soul. Now I knowsome of > you are freaking out. Don't worry; I think I have a plan.> In the year 2007 it seems there should be little doubt about Godand > his laws, we all have reasonable educations, religious books are > everywhere, God is on everything from car bombs to currency, he > shouldn't be hard to find. But this isn't the case, and that fact > caused questions of faith for more than a few people, a largenumber > even having difficulty believing that God was ever there at all. > With the advances in our knowledge, new discoveries about our > universe and inner workings we're at a great position in human > existence for reason and faith. But ultimately one must lose forthe > truth to be found. Or does it? Science says yes, but faith accepts, > no. > Now one can't say definitively that God doesn't exist precisely > because it can't be proven. But we must also apply that samerigorous > reasoning to whether God does exist, which also can't be proven.But > if God is real, he gave us the very tools we now employ to findhim, > so no turning out the lights on this one folks. You may be thinking > that belief is a matter of faith, and I say faith is exactly the > issue at hand because there can be no real faith without belief, or > real belief without knowledge, and a lack of interest in gainingthe > knowledge is very telling and, in my mind, against the verynature of > the abilities God has empowered us with, therefore, against God. > Stunned by the arrogance of my friend's remark and uncertain of how > to proceed logically, I decided to explain why I was confidentof my > path of questioning. I told him that I believed when I died, ifI did > find myself standing next to him before God, I'd have just as much > chance of getting into heaven as he did, maybe even more. Because I > would say to God with earnestness, "I searched for you all my life, > but, as you know, our paths never crossed. Despite that, I lead a > moral and just life. I now have to accept that this was yourplan all > along."> Then I imagined that my friend would say, "Lord, I took a 50/50 > gamble that you were there, I didn't really know and played loose > with the rules, living life as I saw fit, while I should have been > looking. But as it turns out, I was right. So, where's my reward?"> I asked my friend, "Who do you think God would be more impressed > with, someone who searched for truth and never settled on false > beliefs systems because it was easy or comfortable, or someone who > accepted what was handed down to him, never questioning itsmetal and > then used it to judge someone else, proselytizing a unknowndoctrine > because he knew not of what he spoke?" There was silence for amoment > until he had a glow come over him, it seemed he had an epiphanyand I > was excited. At least until he blurted out with some measure of > relief, "Man, you're goin' to hell!"> My point isn't that I'm right or he's wrong, rather it's thatneither > of us truly knows and to state otherwise is ignorance, and likely > spiritual suicide. I believe its incumbent upon each person totake a > journey of spiritual self-discovery at some point in theirlifetime. > To determine beliefs, tests their sturdiness, shake them a bitto see > what falls loose and only then accept what remains, the onlypart to > withstand your natural ability to reason, the truth. > If after all this you find God then it was a test God himselfled you > to, otherwise why would you have the ability to think for yourself? > Then you can truly be confident in the knowledge of your path; a > critical prerequisite of faith. > If, on the other hand, you find that you don't believe, then youcan > carry on the rest of your life free and open, purged of thefears and > demons set upon you by misguided people in childhood. Either wayyou > reconcile the lurking doubt, the unsettled what if's and move one > step closer to enlightenment, which all can agree is a worthygoal no > matter the condition of your faith. > > > > > > > > >----------------------------------------------------------> Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year. > > > > >----------------------------------------------------------> > > No virus found in this incoming message.> Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1209 - Release Date:1/4/2008 12:05 PM> Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.

[Guest guest]

I like the train of thought.

I believe in: be careful of what you ask for, you don't know how your

'wish' might be granted.

Dont wish to hard for some things because you don't know if maybe

things turning out how they did weren't better for you in the long run.

My husbands young cousin was staying for us in a while and he'd never

had any deep meaningful conversations with adults about his future,

life, fate, god or any such thing.

one day i was grumbling because we'd hit the red light and we were

running late. Cousin says, " i wish we could just wish to god to make

the light and we would, " and I said to him, " what if we would have

made the light and then been hit by a driver running the light? Maybe

it was all for the best we missed the light. " He'd never even

considered the concept before. He stopped wishing for a lot of silly

things he'd been wishing for and starting thinking about what was more

meaningful in his life.

Opportunities. Opportunities play out in such an interesting fashion.

I was reading an article about a woman who wanted to be a Chemist

back when there were only a couple female chemists in the United

states she got her degree and couldn't land a job because she was a

woman, but she took the opportunities that presented themselves and

ended up getting paid nearly as much to do something in a related field.

If she had listened to people when they said she shouldn't go to

college for the degree and couldn't do it because she was a female or

if she had given up after not getting the type of jobs she really

yearned for, she wouldn't have gotten the really well paying job in

the end.

laurie

>

> The older I get, the more surely I think things happen for a reason.

The questioning you mention I think applies to all our relations with

God. My sister-in-law is a registered nurse, and has been at the same

hospital since she graduated from college. She started as a staff

nurse, got her masters degree (MBA with emphasis on hospital

administration) and her CCRN (critical care certification) and for

years has been the clinical coordinator for ICU and ER. Now her

hospital has been bought by a corporation and closed down. Even with

all her credentials, management positions are all taken in this

immediate area, and she has had to take a job as a staff nurse in

another hospital. She is, not surprisingly, quite depressed. I feel

for her, but wonder if this is not a hidden opportunity. She and my

brother do not have children and he has his own business as well as

being a full-time firefighter. Her mother is elderly, feeble has has

a multitude of health problems. My brother and sister-in-law got

married just a couple of weeks before Hurricane Katrina, and both have

worked 60 to 80 hour weeks ever since. Being a staff nurse wil not

make a huge difference in their income. All of us who are nurses know

that salaried managers, for the most part, work longer hours, and at

least in the hospitals make less on an hourly basis than staff nurses.

Christa can now devote her new spare time to nurturing her still

young marriage, and to caring for the increasing needs of her mother.

I have to believe that this is just one more situation where one can

look at what seems to be a bad thing and find that there might be the

opportunity to make important and beneficial changes. Some could

call it the hand of God. I would do so.

> One of my favorite writers, Madeline L'Engle, said that people often

complain that they made a request og God, and that God did not answer

them. In truth, she says, God did answer. He just did not say yes.

Like good parents, the answer that is best for us is not always the

one we wanted to hear.

>

>

> Re: Man! You're goin' to hell!

>

>

>

> Ok I have thought about this, and I am sure I will continue to do

so. I will come up with other things the more I think, I usually do

but i am going to respond now with a few of my opinions...or the

beginning of my opinion...or whatever.

>

> I believe we were called to be witnesses of God. We are not

judges, or lawyers. Or we are not supposed to be. It is God's job to

judge. Our job is to bear witness to what He says is truth, and to let

people decide for themselves what they wish to believe. Once we find

what we believe to be truth, do we necessarily stop looking? Some do,

some don't.

> God gave all of us a mind, the ability to learn, and the ability

to make use of what we learn. Then he told us how to live to gain the

most benefit. He wants us to choose his way. But he leaves it up to

each of us to find him. Although he promises he will be there when we do.

> Just as the creator of anything, be it a house, a car, a watch,

whatever, has the right to tell how it is used for the most benefit

God has the right to tell us how to live and get the most benefit. He

made us in his image and gave us power, love, justice, and wisdom. We

can use these to benefit ourselves and praise him or not...our choice.

We always need to know we reap the results of our choice. And we

should be able to give a reason for whatever choice we make. " Because "

is not a reason. For anything. It is a word. With little meaning I

might add.

> I also believe our faith needs to be based on evidence. The

scripture in says faith is the assured expectation of things

hoped for tho not yet realized. based on EVIDENT realities.

> And yes, faith is an ongoing test. One that needs to be checked.

To make sure it is based on the realities and can stand the test of

not always being what we want. Because it is not about what we want

but about what is best for us. And He is the one who knows.

> Mankind is in a trial. Satan has charged that no one will serve

God unless he can get something out of it. He claims we can rule

ourselves without God's help. It is up to each individual person to

provide the answer to that by looking for, finding, and obeying God.

or not.

> And in the end, only He will judge.

> That is my view. and my belief. and my hope. and my faith.

> In a message dated 1/1/2008 4:59:08 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

vaught1@... writes:

> Recently I was challenged about my hard wrought search for God,

> something that has consumed me for many years. At this point in my

> life I feel comfortable with the results of my searching and the

> search itself, feeling sufficiently confident in my efforts,

methods

> and reasoning. But this friend had brought up an interesting point,

> quite by accident I suspect, interesting nonetheless. He said: to

> question the existence of God is a sin. I was surprised to say the

> least; my friend isn't typically given to fits or spasms, so I

had to

> conclude he said this voluntarily, now I have to ask why he

believed

> seeking the truth was a sin and awaited his well reasoned reply;

but

> that wasn't about to happen, instead, his reply, as remarkable

as the

> challenge, was, " because, " nothing more… Although I expected more

> because my friend is not an idiot, I wasn't exactly waiting for

proof

> because I don't think there is any; but certainly not just

" because. "

> I'm willing to accept that people believe solely on a feeling or

> event in their lives, but my friend isn't a pious man, in fact,

> according to his particular faith; " in spiritual jeopardy " is a

> better description of his standing. So stop and think about that

> answer for a moment, when he's speaking on behalf of his

> understanding of God and all he can conjure up is a phrase most

> frequently expressed in elementary school, " because? "

> When pressed, it was clear that my friend had no real basis for his

> remark; it's just what he thinks without even a basic understanding

> of his belief system, but the tricky part for me was that he was

> fervent in his remarks veracity. So, with little understanding

of the

> underlying reason for his faith, he deemed me sinful, and seemed

self-

> assured of his righteousness to boot; he's truly one of the flock.

> Well herein lies my biggest concern with dogma and the

followers, and

> incidentally also the reason for my initial doubt as a child which

> eventually lead me to search for God's existence. It's the

> modification of scripture to fit the time's science and social

trends

> or in this case, a lazy and almost whimsical adherence for the sake

> of not going to hell. It occurs to me that if God did exist, having

> accomplished even a fraction of what he is credited with, he would

> certainly have made a definitive scripture, a true word of God;

that

> being so, obedience would be prudent and each soul should make

every

> effort in this lifetime to get it right, not just guess. I think it

> goes without saying that " just winging it " would be frowned upon.

> In my mind the fact that most people don't bother to question their

> beliefs makes me wonder about the level of their understanding,

> commitment, and ultimately, their faith in that belief system. Most

> believers accept their particular religion and its teachings are

from

> God or God inspired, but they challenge that same by continuing to

> live life contrary to the tenets imposed. This arrogance does not

> speak well of the power of that particular deity or lend much

> credence to the adherents true faith. Certainly if I truly believed

> my eternal damnation was on the line, I would make every attempt to

> know what building God lived in at the very least. As for the

rules,

> I would certainly try my hardest to understand and follow them.

If I

> knew God existed, I wouldn't gamble with my soul. Now I know

some of

> you are freaking out. Don't worry; I think I have a plan.

> In the year 2007 it seems there should be little doubt about God

and

> his laws, we all have reasonable educations, religious books are

> everywhere, God is on everything from car bombs to currency, he

> shouldn't be hard to find. But this isn't the case, and that fact

> caused questions of faith for more than a few people, a large

number

> even having difficulty believing that God was ever there at all.

> With the advances in our knowledge, new discoveries about our

> universe and inner workings we're at a great position in human

> existence for reason and faith. But ultimately one must lose for

the

> truth to be found. Or does it? Science says yes, but faith accepts,

> no.

> Now one can't say definitively that God doesn't exist precisely

> because it can't be proven. But we must also apply that same

rigorous

> reasoning to whether God does exist, which also can't be proven.

But

> if God is real, he gave us the very tools we now employ to find

him,

> so no turning out the lights on this one folks. You may be thinking

> that belief is a matter of faith, and I say faith is exactly the

> issue at hand because there can be no real faith without belief, or

> real belief without knowledge, and a lack of interest in gaining

the

> knowledge is very telling and, in my mind, against the very

nature of

> the abilities God has empowered us with, therefore, against God.

> Stunned by the arrogance of my friend's remark and uncertain of how

> to proceed logically, I decided to explain why I was confident

of my

> path of questioning. I told him that I believed when I died, if

I did

> find myself standing next to him before God, I'd have just as much

> chance of getting into heaven as he did, maybe even more. Because I

> would say to God with earnestness, " I searched for you all my life,

> but, as you know, our paths never crossed. Despite that, I lead a

> moral and just life. I now have to accept that this was your

plan all

> along. "

> Then I imagined that my friend would say, " Lord, I took a 50/50

> gamble that you were there, I didn't really know and played loose

> with the rules, living life as I saw fit, while I should have been

> looking. But as it turns out, I was right. So, where's my reward? "

> I asked my friend, " Who do you think God would be more impressed

> with, someone who searched for truth and never settled on false

> beliefs systems because it was easy or comfortable, or someone who

> accepted what was handed down to him, never questioning its

metal and

> then used it to judge someone else, proselytizing a unknown

doctrine

> because he knew not of what he spoke? " There was silence for a

moment

> until he had a glow come over him, it seemed he had an epiphany

and I

> was excited. At least until he blurted out with some measure of

> relief, " Man, you're goin' to hell! "

> My point isn't that I'm right or he's wrong, rather it's that

neither

> of us truly knows and to state otherwise is ignorance, and likely

> spiritual suicide. I believe its incumbent upon each person to

take a

> journey of spiritual self-discovery at some point in their

lifetime.

> To determine beliefs, tests their sturdiness, shake them a bit

to see

> what falls loose and only then accept what remains, the only

part to

> withstand your natural ability to reason, the truth.

> If after all this you find God then it was a test God himself

led you

> to, otherwise why would you have the ability to think for yourself?

> Then you can truly be confident in the knowledge of your path; a

> critical prerequisite of faith.

> If, on the other hand, you find that you don't believe, then you

can

> carry on the rest of your life free and open, purged of the

fears and

> demons set upon you by misguided people in childhood. Either way

you

> reconcile the lurking doubt, the unsettled what if's and move one

> step closer to enlightenment, which all can agree is a worthy

goal no

> matter the condition of your faith.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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> Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.

>

>

>

>

>

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>

>

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1/4/2008 12:05 PM

>

[Guest guest]

Opportunities. Opportunities play out in such an interesting fashion

I believe that we come to sooooo many crossroads in life, and each time we are faced with a choice that will lead to yet another set of opportunities, and we also choose NOT to take a path that might have led to others.

On the day I got on the plane at SeaTac airport I had one of the strongest intuitions I have ever had in my life NOT to get on that plane! I have learned since to listen to my inner voice and if I had an intuition that strong today I would not get on the plane, I would be convinced it was going to crash! But the plans were set and I did get on and I was depressed all the way back to New York. I have never made it back to the Pacific Northwest and the strange thing is that ever since I have a dream at least once a month that I am in some stage of moving back to Seattle and I am very excited about it! lol I have always wondered about that road not taken.

JanetStart the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.