Sunday, December 31, 2017

Christmas Holidays and Christmas Cheer - Watch the Games have another Beer. Did you thank Jesus?

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 What is so important about the birth of Jesus?

First is the example he set for all of us.  We know we experience two major events in our lives, being born and dying.  Jesus was sent to show us what we have forgotten about the stages in one’s life.

He was Born, like us, although we probably missed out on the part of Mary and Joseph fleeing Bethlehem to avoid the Baby Jesus being killed by Herod.  I doubt too many of us were brought into the world in a manger in a sable.

Then he showed three apostles, Peter (Simon), John and James the Transfiguration, when the full grace of God was brought into him.  The three were blinded by the light emanating from Jesus.


Next, like us, he faced Death, a horrible death unlike anything we have ever seen or experienced.  From the time he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane through the trial, he was beaten, whipped, clubbed, crowned with thorns, while denied food and water for 24 hours.  Then he was forced to carry the Cross to his own Crucifixion.

In a little over 24 hours Jesus faced the most awful torture and death possible for a human while being ridiculed and blasphemed by those around him.  This was the will of the Father in order to give all people a chance to repent and receive redemption for their sins against the Father’s will.
 

Unlike us, after his death Jesus Resurrected from the dead, then went on to Ascend back into the Kingdom of Heaven.  In both the Transfiguration and the Ascension, Moses and Elijah showed up in spirit form when Jesus prayed.  All these mysterious and miraculous stages took place as a result of the Baby being born.

Enlightenment, hope, redemption and salvation were now possible for all people because this little Baby was born.  That is his gift to us, what is our gift to him?

Jesus was sent to Earth by his Father and ours to open us to the presence of the Holy Spirit and Father Creator within us.  Jesus is the pathway to discovering the Perfect Love of the Father for us and all his creations.


Once we seek out and discover the Perfect Love of the Father, we will learn to live the will of the Father.  Perfect Love is what you live by and project to all that is – in the Kingdom.  No small task.

You must master forgiveness, obliterate all bias, reject revenge, view the weakest as the strongest, view the least of us as the best of us, well you get the picture.  You will look at all others and see the face of Jesus, then look in the mirror and find him there as well.

It seems there are two prevalent notions about the Son of God, consistent with the concept that all of Creation was meant to be good, then again, what else would he create?  So, if he is all about good, what is the deal with all the sin in the world?  Considering we are the Father’s Creations, there seems to be an awful lot of nasty, even dreadful, dark stuff we generate.  Not good.  It is our contribution to the spiritual evolution of our soul.  How can you know good if you have never experienced bad?  Just another exercise of free will, the ultimate learning experience.


Believe it or not, when the anti-matter physicists of the future finally toss in the towel and admit God did create us, we may finally understand all the instructions he gave us through Jesus, and many others.  Our problem was we just did not get it right.

All of Creation seems to be built on the “Trinity” model, where Protons and Neutrons exist in the atom along with Electrons.  It is a matter of positive and negative energy as expressed in electromagnetic waves, two polarizing influences, and when they collide in an effort to destroy their counterpart, they combine forces in the surviving Electron.


Each polar opposite is trying to dominate, then absorb, the energy of the other.  Only one can be left standing, there can only be one, and that is the Electron.  So, when Protons and Neutrons fight it out, neither wins but the third entity emerges, the Electron.  The Proton did not defeat the Neutron, nor lose to it, they absorbed each other causing a cataclysmic reaction, thus completing the three elements of the creation Trinity.

When things get out of hand here on Earth, like we begin to embrace the Dark forces rather than light, the Creation polarity is out of balance being dominated by the Dark side, and the spiritual evolution of humans ceases, sometime moving into a reverse-enlightenment evolution.


When we embrace the wrong polarity in our lives, meaning the choice between the Seven Cardinal Virtues and Seven Deadly Sins, and we take the dark side, then we contribute to a growing darkness descending upon the Earth.  The more participants the stronger the force of evil grows as our free will makes more and more wrong decisions.

Satan, the Devil, or the Anti-Christ as I see the face of evil, convince people e can be creators ourselves with our power over Technology through Artificial Intelligence, and Biology through Genetic Manipulation.  Feed people’s egos, nurture their fascination with power and wealth, manipulate prescription drug to keep them sick or make them sicker, and now you can create anything.


Problem is, when you dance with the Devil the music never stops.

So, God did not reign down plagues, pestilence, foods, and famines on us as punishment for screwing up.  We, our collective free will, through the manipulation of fear and offerings of decadence, created the wall of darkness shrouding the Earth.

Embrace the light and you will find enlightenment.  Embrace the dark and in time your guilt will expose you, and your actions will betray you.  Your Golden Palace will be made of fool’s gold and disintegrate when you face judgement for your life’s contributions to Father Creator’ will, not your own will.

Self-indulgence has a price, it is called Redemption. Your pursuit of the temptations of the Dark Side might well have caused you to forfeit your right to Redemption.  You forgot to read the fine print in your pact with the Dark Side.  It says “you sold your soul to the Devil.”


God gives you many chances to repent and seek forgiveness.  If you ignore them all and fully embrace the promises of the Anti-Christ to make you God, it is possible you will be banished to the Void, the Black Hole of the Anti-matter, for eternity and beyond.

There is only one experience worse than pain for eventually pain goes away.  The Void of Anti-matter is your Hell, though devoid of human pain.  Rather it is the experience of total isolation devoid of all color, contact with people, pure black.  A Void of such depth of darkness where nothing can be seen, heard, or touched for eternity and beyond.

If you are reading this story or heard about it there is still a chance you can stop your spiral to the Void by repenting, and perhaps you have not forfeited the chance for Redemption.

Jesus showed us what we can do with our lives.   We are BORN, then we TRANSFIGURE when we embrace the enlightenment of the Soul endowed through the intervention of the Holy Spirit.


When called we have a physical DEATH, and are RESURRECTED as an endowed spirit.  Our last step is the ASCENSION, our triumphant return to the Father and the Kingdom.

Choices and consequences, that is what you face if you can ever break the temptations of the Dark Side and slavery to machines, artificial intelligence, or genetic manipulation.

So when that Baby was born over 2,000 years ago it was to a struggling working class family, not to an emperor, monarch, or aristocrat.  Yet this Baby was the only soul born to Earth I our history who demonstrated what we are capable of doing in our life, being Born, Transfigure, Resurrect, and Ascend back home to our Father’s Kingdom.


Think of the contrast with the world you call reality.

Are you happy?

Have you accomplished everything you could do in your life?

Did you ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit to guide you on your path?

Did you live your will or the will of the Father?


Did you transfigure into a state of grace as Jesus?

When you die are you prepared to Resurrect?

When you Resurrect are you prepared to Ascend to the Father’s Kingdom?

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas, Jesus did not?


He died so you might live forever in the Kingdom of his Father.

Celebrate and honor Jesus during the Christmas Holidays for his birth provided you the path to redemption and everlasting salvation. 

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Twelve Days of Christmas – The Feast of the Holy Innocents - December 28

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Today, December 28, is the Feast of the Holy Innocents honoring the baby boys of Bethlehem killed by Herod the Great, the Roman-appointed King of the Jews, in order to stop the birth of the new Messiah.  It was a desperate act by this torn king fearful that the coming King of Kings would usurp him.  You see, he was a brutal yet great builder, but his fear of Jesus drove him to become a fruitless mass murder.


His victims, the baby boys of Bethlehem, are honored on this day for they were instrumental in providing cover so the Baby Jesus could be saved.  The original intent was specifically for these children.  Over the years other causes have jumped on the bandwagon laying claim to the feast.


This is the fourth day of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and the third feast day in a row (St. Stephen and St. John).  The Twelve Days span from the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day to the Feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12).


On January 6 we celebrate the Epiphany, the day the Magi, Wise Men, and the many other prominent long-distance travelers arriving at the stable to honor the new Messiah.  A magnificent Star of Bethlehem illuminated the sky like a beacon guiding them home.  From kings, princes, priests, and rulers to shepherds and angels they were drawn to the Baby in the Manger.


This third feast in a row, the Feast of the Innocents, honors those innocent victims of King Herod who also died in their service to Jesus and Father Creator.  Such a cowardly act by Herod that he should decide the fate of the new Messiah.


How arrogant for any human being to believe their Will was all-powerful like the Will of Father Creator.  They have no concept of the power of the Creator’s Perfect Love for all of Creation.


In this day and age, it is so easy to get caught up in the frenzied, frantic, freaky, and fear-filled minds of the people.  It is like a giant vacuum hose sucking everything in sight down into an endless Black Hole leading to the abyss.


But enough of this babble, we know the frayed edges of humanity where wounds are laid open and can never be healed is alive and well, but we can free ourselves of the dark influence.

You want to find inspiration and hope?


Seek out a quiet place and meditate.  Purge your mind of all the worldly distractions, and free your spirit of all those other-worldly distractions.  It may take some effort, but you can achieve this pathway to enlightenment.

When you achieve the state of peace and solitude ask Jesus to activate the Holy Spirit within you, long dormant while awaiting your call for help.  As you have drifted farther and farther away from Jesus, who is the pathway to Father Creator, the Dark Side has harvested more and more weak and fear-laden Souls.


Rule number one in Creation, it is foolhardy to attempt to usurp control over any of the Creator’s Creations.  Whatever action you take to accumulate power and possessions never intended for individuals and are not yours to take, is a direct affront to the Creator.

You can kiss off the Kingdom and embrace the void of the abyss where contaminated souls are transformed into anti-matter for all eternity.  Perhaps you might call that Hell.


At present there are a considerable number of lost or contaminated souls walking the Earth who collectively represent a roadblock to salvation in the Kingdom for all others.  Do not be surprised if substantial numbers of these contaminants are suddenly taken from the Earth to clear a better path for those of faith, or those who will seek out and find faith given a chance.

Not all of the seeds that are planted will grow, some must die away so that others will thrive.


And now back to our pathway to enlightenment.  You are meditating, free of the worries and burdens of the real world, and beyond reach of the bad influences of the spirit world.  Now what?


I mentioned you must ask Jesus to activate the Holy Spirit within you, long dormant while awaiting your call for help.  What that means is Jesus is calling for the Holy Spirit to awaken in you those memories or DNA coding of the path to the truth.  Jesus is the path to the truth and the truth guiding your salvation is knowing the Perfect Love of Father Creator is already within you.
 

When the Creator made Creation, to make it complete, the Creator became part of His own creation, not just humans but all life forces of his own Creation, thus everything that is has a life force of the perfect love of the Father.


End of lesson for the day.

Twelve Days of Christmas - What do they mean?

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The Twelve Days of Christmas

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues:  1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Four Calling Birds *
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.
[* This is the 1909 American version.  Earlier English versions have "colley birds" or blackbirds.  There are other versions as well.]

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch:  1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Six Geese A-laying
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Seven Swans A-swimming
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Eight Maids A-milking
The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Nine Ladies Dancing
The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,
6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control.  (Galatians 5:22)

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Ten Lords A-leaping
The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Eleven Pipers Piping
The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Twelve Drummers Drumming 
The Twelve points of doctrine in the 
Apostles' Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.

Epiphany, January 6


By the Naznet Fellowship


Here are the 12 days, starting on December 26, and the historical feasts on each day.
December 26: St. Stephen (First Martyr)
December 27: St. John the Evangelist
December 28: Holy Innocents
December 29: St. Thomas Becket
December 30: St. Egwin of Evesham (or 6th day in the Octave of Christmas)
December 31: St. Sylvester I
January 1: The Circumcision of Our Lord (Octave Day of Christmas)
January 2: Holy Name of Jesus
January 3: Sts. Zosimus and Athanasius (or Octave Day of St. John)
January 4: St. Aquilinus (or Octave Day of the Holy Innocents)
January 5: Vigil of the Epiphany (and St.Telesphorus)
January 6: Epiphany
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Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Random Acts of Kindness Stimulate the Brain, Change the World, and divert attention from our Political Quagmire



The Power of Kindness
How to stimulate the brain and change the world.

What exactly is a random act of kindness?  While Wikipedia takes a stab at defining it whatever is on Wikipedia is subject to continuous change.  As a result there are numerous references on the Internet to Wikipedia definitions for the phrase, "Random acts of kindness" but all of them are different.  Here is the latest incarnation of their definition.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or people wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual person or people.  Either spontaneous or planned, random acts of kindness are encouraged by various communities.


Any further search for a definitive definition for this phrase has been met with frustration, deception and despair, all reactions contrary to the whole concept of random acts of kindness.

Perhaps the problem with today is our preoccupation with precisely defining what we are doing before we can do it.  When there is confusion in terms of the definition, there can only be chaos in the execution or lack of execution.

In other words, maybe we just think to much.

Why in the world do we need definitions in order to do good?  I mean do we really adhere to a world view that if it is not in Wikipedia or the Urban Dictionary then it cannot be right, or good or even worthwhile?

I use both resources on occasion but as a journalist I also realize that any effort to use democracy to create truth is doomed, and both resources do it.

What does that mean?  Both services allow their definitions and other content to be submitted by the public, edited by the public, changed by the public and even interpreted by the public.

That sounds like a form of democracy, power to the people, regardless of whether the people know the subject or understand the power.  It is like the French Revolution, a brutal and bloody overthrow of a monarchy in 1789 with no idea what to do if it succeeded.  It took them three times to get it right.



Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as follows:

French Revolution, also called Revolution of 1789,  the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789. Hence the conventional term “Revolution of 1789,” denoting the end of the ancen régime in France and serving also to distinguish that event from the later French revolutions of 1830 and 1848.

So what exactly is a "Random act of kindness" and why should we care what it means?

Well, I say a "Random act of kindness" is a selfless and often spontaneous act performed to help others or to cheer them up.  It is usually performed anonymously with no expectation for acknowledgement or recognition.

If we worried less about motive and reward and more about giving we would need no definition and no reason to act.  It would be an everyday occurrence because it was just the right thing to do whenever you can do it.

But from a scientific perspective there may be compelling reasons why you really should be doing it every opportunity you may get.

Helping others feel good and happy might just be your ticket to happiness and to a whole lot of other people, and that sounds like a good thing.

Science has proven that the brain generates chemicals naturally,  One of these is a hormone called serotonin found in the pineal gland, digestive tract and the brain.  It serves to transmit nerve signals to nerve cells.

Changes in the hormone level can alter your mood by making you sad when the level goes down and making you happy when the level goes up.  When you stay happy this endorphin protects you from depression while helping to strengthen your immune system.

Studies have proven when a person does a random act of kindness it not only increases the happy feeling, through production of more serotonin, for the recipient of this act of kindness, but also for the giver and anyone watching the act or reactions.

Imagine that, we spend billions of dollars on prescription drugs because we don't feel good only to feel worse and destroy our immune system in the process, when we could be feeling well by doing random acts of kindness.



Unfortunately, here in America it may be difficult to find people able to react naturally to a random act of kindness.  You see, if they are already under the influence of prescription drugs their brain is no longer able to react naturally to such acts of kindness.

Think about this, based on our national addiction to legal, prescription drugs, one could conclude Americans are about the most depressed people on the planet.  We have the highest standard of living, most expensive health care and education, more wealth and better homes and diets than most people.

Yet we have had a 400% increase in anti-depressant pill use the last two decades because of our depression.  That figure comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not me.


Helplessness, hopelessness, and immobilization are now the fashionable keys to being good Americans and great fodder for social gatherings.

Sooo.  Maybe our first random act of kindness should be to help people get off the drugs that are keeping them from being depressed in the first place.  There are a host of prescriptions to take care of our plethora of mind illnesses.

Here are some of the manifestations of depression and mood swinging.

Which Drugs Are Abused?

The most commonly used prescription drugs fall into three classes:

1. Opioids
Examples: oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and meperidine (Demerol)
Medical uses: Opioids are used to treat pain or relieve coughs or diarrhea.
How they work: Opioids attach to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (the  brain and the spinal cord), preventing the brain from receiving pain messages.

2. Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants
Examples: pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal), diazepam (Valium), and alprazolam (Xanax)
Medical uses: CNS depressants are used to treat anxiety, tension, panic attacks, and sleep disorders.

How they work: CNS depressants slow down brain activity by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter called GABA. The result is a drowsy or calming effect.


3. Stimulants

Examples: methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall)
Medical uses: Stimulants can be used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD.
How they work: Stimulants increase brain activity, resulting in greater alertness, attention, and energy.

Here are some of the results of our obsession with depression.

Therapeutic Drug Use
(Data are for the U.S.)
Percent of persons using at least one prescription drug in the past month: 48.5% (2007-2010)
Percent of persons using three or more prescription drugs in the past month: 21.7% (2007-2010)
Percent of persons using five or more prescription drugs in the past month: 10.6% (2007-2010)
Source: Health, United States, 2012, table 91 Adobe PDF file [PDF - 9.8 MB]

Physician office visits
Number of drugs ordered or provided: 2.6 billion
Percent of visits involving drug therapy: 75.1%

Most frequently prescribed therapeutic classes:
Analgesics
Antihyperlipidemic agents
Antidepressants
Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2010 Summary Tables, tables 22, 23, 24 Adobe PDF file [PDF - 382 KB]


What other people are saying.

Imagine this!  Kindness extended, received, or observed beneficially impacts the physical health and feelings of everyone involved!

Did you know that a single act of kindness can; bring a rush of euphoria, followed by a longer period of calm, reduce stress, increase the sense of self worth, happiness, and optimism, lower blood pressure, diminish pain, an increased sense of self-worth, greater happiness and optimism, translate to immense immune and healing benefits, increase a sense of self-worth, greater happiness and optimism, enhance our feeling of joyfulness, helps reverse feelings of depression and lower the heart rate.

Kindness Breeds More Kindness: In findings sure to gladden the heart of anyone who's ever wondered whether tiny acts of kindness have larger consequences, researchers have shown that generosity is contagious.

Goodness spurs goodness, they found: A single act can influence dozens more.

The positive effect of kindness on the immune system and on the increased production of serotonin in the brain has been proven in research studies. Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body that makes us feel more comfortable, peaceful, and even blissful.

In fact, the role of most anti-depressants is to stimulate the production of serotonin chemically, helping to ease depression. Research has shown that a simple act of kindness directed toward another improves the functioning of the immune system and stimulates the production of serotonin in both the recipient of the kindness and the person extending the kindness.

Even more amazing is that persons observing the act of kindness have similar beneficial results. Imagine this! Kindness extended, received, or observed beneficially impacts the physical health and feelings of everyone involved!

Wayne Dyer

Kindness isn't just a fluffy, feel-good, warm-fuzzy concept. It is a powerful, energetic experience that transforms both the giver and recipient at such deep levels that some say it can work miracles. When we open our hearts and reach out to others in kindness, our brain releases endorphins—the morphine-like chemicals that produce the feelings of exhilaration know as the "runner's high." Acts of kindness, according to researcher Paul Persall, also cause your brain to release "Substance P," a neurotransmitter chemical that blocks pain. These two powerful physiological processes have an immense influence on our body/mind/spirit and the way that we experience life.

A steady flow of endorphins and Substance P through our bodies strengthens our immune system, keeps us feeling happy, joyful, optimistic and energized. This heightens our sense of well being so that we feel calmer, more centered and focused no matter what kind of stressful events might be happening around us. Physiologically, these brain chemicals improve circulation, reduce blood pressure, increase body warmth and improve weight control. Kindness helps us relax so that we can connect with others and with our own good feelings.

Janae Weinhold, Ph.D.

Now heal thyself and then help heal the world.

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