Context
In the Book of Leviticus Chapter 19 God forbids tattoos among other things, when they are done for the purpose of worshiping the dead.
For those who haven’t studied it, they should not quote and wrongly use it as a defense or justification for other acts or omissions condemned by God. To do so is to face some dire and endless consequences in the end.
There are better ways to make your point or argument without misleading folks about Scriptures, which makes you look more uninformed than the closed-minded ones to which you are directing the misinformation.
Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!
Whenever I start to doubt, I don’t get the opportunity to doubt for very long.
God will always sweep in with little interactions with complete strangers, or nuggets of encouragement from unexpected and unlikely sources which remind me He is taking care of things in His time, at His pace. And they are not just situations or words that I can form into thinking so. They are specific to the point of being strange as to how they come up at that moment, in that place.
Those who don’t understand, did not place within me the desire and passion for what I am prompted to pursue.
He did.
I tell people what my goal(s) is/are and some of them stare at me blankly, or try to explain all the reasons it might not work out the way I think, instead of helping me find solutions to defy those probabilities.
I have not prayed to those people to help me, to guide me, to make possible what seems impossible based on facts or probabilities. I have prayed to Him.
With God, my odds are 100%.
If you doubt it, or have reasons to give me why I should reconsider, then shut up and take your doubts somewhere else.
What you perceive as logical, or probable, or realistic is irrelevant to me. I don’t answer to you.
Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG):
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
I do this. I am thinking of writing it down and charting it with pen and paper.
For now I use an application that allows me to follow my progress and failings in a 13-week cycle. The application allows me to track one of the 13 Virtues for the week, and make a mark for each day that I fall short. Once I have finished the last week, I reset and start again.
So far I have only been able to get through one of the virtues for an entire week without a mark. It happens so infrequently I don’t even remember which of the virtues it was.
I am strict on myself. I make the mark whether the failure to maintain the virtue was in committing an act, omitting an act, treating someone else improperly (even if only passively or covertly), or even merely in thought if I allowed myself to consider the improper thought for any real amount of time.
Is that extreme? I do not think so. I am preparing for Greatness!
Thanks to castingofthemoltensea for posting one of the other videos in this series earlier. It was a great reminder of how much I love this series from GL of MA.
For some reason, 18 year old Jesse Camp from Wanna Be a VJ came into my thought process today. I was wondering what became of him.
I’ve been focusing a lot lately on things that make me laugh, or smile (click here to read the related post as to why); and Jesse was one of the people who I remember laughing a lot about/at/with when I was a much younger man.
The most recent thing I can find is this video showing what Jesse was up to in 2010 when he talks about turning 30.
I welcome anything more recent about him if anyone knows, please send me a message or comment.
I really do like this radio station...! :)
You can hear a lot of medieval stuff, here :>
…listening to it, right now!
Source: gigis-adventure
Takin’ Care of Business
I Traveled to Roseville. CA with my coach tonight to visit Roseville Lodge #222, F&AM.
My coach was standing in as the Senior Deacon the Sublime Degree of Master Mason being conferred one of their members.
It was my first opportunity to see one since my own just a couple of weeks ago. What an honor for him to invite me to see it. As always, his work was perfect!
After the degree their WM presented me with a tiny little apron with the lodge’s contact information on it and the words “First Time Visitation” printed on it. What an awesome way to recognize first time visitors to their lodge.
I forbid you to shave any part of your head or beard or to cut and tattoo yourself AS A WAY OF WORSHIPING THE DEAD.
Another great couple of EA degrees tonight. It is a wonderful thing how not only does each lodge have it’s own personality, but each degree for each person has it’s own personality of sorts as well. No matter how many times I see the exact same ceremony, it continues to be that way.
On a personal note, the WM approached me after the degrees tonight and said he is continually impressed with my degree work, and zeal for the craft. He has extended to me the opportunity of sitting in as the Marshall for the rest of the year in an unofficial capacity, since our Marshall seat is still open for this year. He also said that if I am willing and able to make the commitment to be present for officers’ practices and at the Masonic Officer’s Association meeting each month, he would be even more honored if I allow him to install me into the position formally as his Marshall for Eureka #16 for 2012, which would also be put on record officially with the Grand Lodge.
There are others who have been raised much longer than I have, but they just aren’t around that much, or when they are, they’re just not that into the ceremony of it all as much as I am, and are content with where they are in their journeys at this point.
I however, absorb the ceremony and the multiple layers and paradigms of meaning and symbolism, etc. I think I will choose the second option. The work seems easy to learn, and I already have plans with the SW to be in his line next year anyway.
Jesus isn’t just looking for beautiful people. The Bible says there was nothing attractive about Him. He isn’t just looking for successful, influential people. He turned the world upside down with blue-collar fishermen. He isn’t just looking for talented people. He turned a sack lunch into a banquet for thousands. You wanna know what Jesus is looking for? He’s looking for people who are willing to be a part of the greatest story ever told. Are you willing?
(via walkingonmypath)
Source: leeyounger
I find that those who go to the level of being insulting and demeaning when speaking against a belief system are really trying to convince themselves, not others.
Their innermost being just can’t find peace in what they are saying when they go on and on about how the beliefs they are rallying against are wrong.
They hate it because it means they aren’t living right and have to submit to something—and so they know they can’t just keep calling the things they do/say/feel/permit okay saying that it makes them “happy” when really creates a painful battle within oneself, which explains the anger that evidences itself on the outside as a result of that internal struggle.
That is why it has such venom. It is fight or flight syndrome. The fight is for spiritual peace within, but the change that would require causes them to flee into hatred so they don’t have to inconvenience their choices.
A seed of true peace in oneself is incapable of yielding any fruit but peace.
The same rule applies to love, kindness, hate…and so on.
We are best served when we stop searching for happiness, and instead start searching for peace within. Those who have found it, will not bother themselves with what someone else is believing. To do so would interrupt the peace that has been achieved.
Focus on you. The only focus you should have on others should be in providing for whatever you see lacking in their lives and are able to help with, or guide them to the ones who can.
1 week and 1 day since my MM°, and I only have about 4 sentences left to have the full MM° proficiency completely to memory. :)
Source: textfromdog
Christian, Husband, Father, USAF Veteran, Freimaurer @ Eureka #16 CA, Cyclist
