Davids' Homage to Squares

This is a fun photo for me.... I took it at a clients home and was thrilled to see it used in the staging process.

Renaissances' Michelangelo 'face of David' gazing at Modernist Josep Albers: Homage to the Square. Hmm! What would your caption say?

Photo by: Chandra Brown
'mind- boggling simple'

Click the below articles for more art fun

David

Josep Albers

The Humbling Continues....

This is my prayer for you from the bottom of my heart with no strings attached and may the clarity of the purity I want to convey in it shine through any misperceptions that want to attach their filters to it.

My Prayer

May you always know who you are in Christ and live in that truth to the fullest. May the autonomy of living in Christ protect your heart and give you the strength to withstand when anything outside Jesus tries to conform you, control you or manipulate you to that standard, whether intentions be from the source of what seems good or from ignorance.

May you find joy in following God's purpose for your life without the shackles of expectation from others. May you understand the only voice you obey is the Holy Spirit. Let God define you, let God shape and mold you and through it all may you remain humble.

Ask those bold questions, let your light shine, don't be afraid to be YOU. Be willing to make mistakes but always be ready to correct when they are made and keep moving forward. Know the value in truly being sorry and saying it when you know you were wrong, even partially wrong. It has healing abilities that far exceed therapy, addictions, or the perpetual cycle of sadness. Saying the word 'sorry' and truly meaning it is far more valuable than personal affirmations or material gifts. It is the truest act of kindness. It is the only bridge maker in relationships when there is chasm. Verbally saying these words is a humbling act that opens the doors of forgiveness wide. Even if the receiver of those words doesn't fully accept, do it anyway, for yourself.

Put yourself out there for the world to behold, through your talents may they see God's handiwork and give Him glory for it.

It's OK to be silly, to dance, to sing, to get messy, to make mistakes. Value people above things, be willing to give the 'shirt' off your back to those less fortunate. Plan for those big ideas, dreams and things you do want and enjoy the benefits when you reach the goal. Love working hard but love playing too.

May you always find balance in your life through your relationships. First, God, then family, then friends. When you need advice seek those three in that order and then trust yourself for the final decision. May you understand the dynamics of communication without fear, assumption or judgment but in the full operation of openness, patience and love.

May you always be soft and moldable in the presence of God and may that shine through your countenance and actions. When you are soft and moldable in His presence, you come out with an unbendable strength against anything that is not of Him.

My prayer for you is to live abundantly in Christ and share His shaping of you with others so they can rejoice with you as you become exactly what He meant you to be.

All my Love,
Chandra

GALATIONS= FREEDOM... don't let anyone diminish what you have in Christ.

Have a 'Punny' Christmas

Get ready to groan, moan and sigh at this lame gift attempt to make you laugh, let loose and giggle. At least the traditional family care package has a little more flare than just sending the items wrapped in paper.

Ok, I admit I probably had more fun making these puns for the Christmas gifts than the receivers will have opening them but hey, my intentions are all bound up in the joys of giving. I had a blast and I hope my sweet friends and family will at the minimum break a smile at my feeble attempt to make a small offering bigger than what it is. I made it somewhat of a game to add to the fun.

So, without further malarkey, I present to you...

The How To Have 'Pun' On Christmas Care Package

Materials:

1. Scissors
2. Paper
3. Tape
4. Glue
5. Hole punch
6. Markers
7. 'Punny' Words to manipulate to your hearts content
8. Items to match the word puns
9. Tissue paper
10. Box for sending the 'pun' to your friends and family

'Let the Pun Begin'
By Chandra Brown

NOTE: I showed the front and back of the card. (It's just one card you'll use)

The Christmas Card

Cheese

Nuts

Latte

Money

Company Marketing Quip: RefreshIt, Fresh Water Bidet

MEMO

Posted by: Betty Bidet, Head of Sales

December 3, 2016

MEMO: You Can Sell ANYTHING! Encouragement for those behind in Sales

Dear Sale Representatives,

I understand the all encompassing concerns for the promotion of our product. I saw many of you inching towards the back door as we discussed the sales goals and product qualities in our last meeting. The following is an article we published in consumer reports to help our latest money maker gain ground in the market as we do not want to be back sided and in arrears over this new product launch. Read it and use the information to help you on the sales floor. No objection is too strong for you! Our product will 'tukhus' to the next level. Remember, Christmas bonuses hang in the balance and I'm routing for you.

Sincerely,

Betty

ARTICLE: RefreshIt For The Fundaments Of Your Family, by: Fanny Applebottom, Consumer Reports, December 1, 2016. Reprinted with permission.

RefreshIt For The Fundaments Of Your Family

Are you privy to the latest addition to the comfort station? Do you need to spruce up your oval office?     This product will help you take command of your lavatory. Quick, easy installation will send you on your way to derriere heaven. Just sit back, dial in your specific setting at your pleasure and let RefreshIt do the dirty work. If you need a little nudge in the morning, just RefreshIt, a cool spritz will do. For best results, use full measure. 

For a nominal price of 38.99, you can own the luxury of a traditional bidet without the needed extra space and back breaking installation. With a savings of a couple hundred dollars and the fact you do not need to move from one commode to another is priceless. Not only will you save on time and effort, you will literally be pirating the booty on toilet roll consumption.  Just think about those with young children in potty training, RefreshIt will make going to the loo a sought reward, speeding the process to success. 

Isn't it time to high tail it to your local handy store and revel in the callipygian savings? Don't be a donk and miss out on this revolutionary product your family will be sure to thank you for later. In fact, we are so confident you won't regret this purchase, we bet you'll be slapping your haunches and think to yourself, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" 

COMMENTS (12)

Hillary Duff 2 days ago

"I'm so bummed I didn't have this product in my washroom sooner."

Joe Plumber 1 day ago

"RefreshIt has given my plumber's crack a whole new outlook on life."

Booteus Maximus 15 hours ago

"Does it come with a cheek spreader?"

         (comment may need modification)

Cheekie 14 hours ago

"I had a crappy experience!"

     reply Fanny: "Should I be sorry or happy for you?"

Shootie Patootie 13 hours ago

"There was no more junk on my trunk!"

Soggy Biscuits 13 hours ago

"Not a happy camper! My buns got swamped."

     reply Fanny: "Umm, that's the point. Did you read the user's manual?"

Blue Moon 10 hours ago

"Talk about shooting the moon. WOWZA! The top setting on this thing strip mined my arse."

     reply Cool Keister: " Hey, Blue Moon! 'A nudge' from the 'cool spritz' was more like a fire hose      supplied by the Arctic Ocean.

     reply Blue Moon: "Hey, Cool Keister... LMAO!"

Happy Heinie 9 hours ago

"Now that I've got my RefreshIt, I don't need my morning coffee fix."

RefreshIt Command Station
Photo by: Chandra Brown

FOR FUN: How many 'BUTT' references can you find in this silly post?

A Humbling

The only way I know how to write about this is from the heart. It won't make sense to everyone and that is fine. The Lord has been extremely active in the molding and shaping of my heart lately it is almost too hard to keep it all straight. I do like to journal about the things He teaches me so I can look back in remembrance and be thankful. So here is my feeble attempt to keep events clear.

I must give a little personal background so the telling of recent happenings makes sense. I have always been somewhat of an outsider. The girl looking through the window, observing, taking notes, applying what I see if it is worthy and good and rejecting what I believe to be wrong and full of holes. I enjoy alone time and reflection so I can gather my thoughts about a subject. I've never been the cookie cutter girl who follows the crowd.  I definitely live life to the beat of my own drum but know the dangers of being too independent and have always kept strong, authority figures I respect in my realm of vision to keep me balanced.  I'm not a supporter of institutions or any of the sorority social clubs. I like getting down to the root of an issue and love blunt answers to questions. I'm not a girl who needs decorum, pomp and circumstance or ceremonial tradition to understand principles.

Being Chandra over my life span has helped labels stick to me that don't necessarily match my personality.  It has not been uncommon for new people in my life after getting to know me admit, "I thought you were aloof, but your just a quiet person who is really nice" or I thought you were a snob but you are not even close."

I've heard it enough that I actually sigh and can laugh. I'm pretty comfortable with who I am although it can still be hard when others' perception of you casts a light that isn't true over your identity. I recently had someone say after my character went through a mini onslaught that ruffled me more than it should have, "Chandra, you have to be careful of how your perceived."

I thought about that statement long and hard. How can I help how others view me from the outside when they don't really take the time to listen and get to know me or have a log so big in their eye they view me through that instead of taking the log out and viewing me that way. Not my problem. I can never help how others view me, it is an outside variable I can not control. (And this works vice versa, I too, have to be careful I do not judge unjustly) God also gave me Psalms 69 as my vindication and comfort.

Jesus was misunderstood, perceived incorrectly throughout His entire life.  His family at one time thought He was crazy, His disciples didn't fully realize what He meant when He spoke truth until much later in their lives. The world certainly got Jesus wrong and still does.

That's when God told me to love and view others through the lens of HIM. He said, since you know how it feels to be misunderstood, thought of in incorrect ways, you know how I feel.

Oh what a struggle this is for fallen humans. I told God, I am not perfect like you.  I can't see others like you do without YOU doing it for me. I am WEAK! (In my weakness, HE is made strong, to show HIS glory.)

So what does God have me do.... He told me to go to the institution that can hold many misperceptions, can be a foothold for deceptions and stagnancy, can be fraught with error whether intentional or not. He told me to go to Church. The building where people on many levels of walking with Him go to seek Him. Where people are not perfect, where people are real or fake in their pursuit or lack thereof of God. He sent me to the place I could judge harshly, I could scrutinize from the outside, where I could pick apart to the last detail and told me to humble myself in the assembly where others feared Him. (Psalms 22:25).The institutional church is where He wants to help me put on His lens of how to love people.  Imperfect people, just like me.

The Temple

Jesus in fact, didn't abandon the Temple but was sent there by God for various purposes. He was found at the Temple when his parents lost him as a boy (Luke 2:41-51). He got mad at the misuse of the Temple in Matthew 21:12. Paul cleansed himself through a ceremonial tradition in the Temple (Acts 21:26) Yes, I know the arguments on if Paul should have done this or not... I do not question it and think Paul's heart was in accordance with what God wanted Him to do.

I look at the Old Testament and see the plan given by God for the construction of the Temple. The time, effort, cost that went into the House of the Lord. The Dedication ceremony given by Solomon was astounding in the feat to get the celebration and sacrifices in order.  (I Kings 8) It took many people and several days to accomplish this. It took an assembly of like minded people working together to accomplish the goal. Their service, rubbing elbows and making sweat for the House of the Lord was in fact, a community activity, one they found joy in.

On the principle of the matter, I know we do not need a building, props, sound systems to have church. Church can happen in a house, it can be in passing for a few seconds or during the day at work in the midst of a conversation. The Holy Spirit has no bounds and as believers who are part of a body scattered throughout the land, having church is when we obey the promptings of the Spirit no matter where we are. On the flip side of the coin, Church can also happen in a building, with props, sound systems and a gathering of that scattered body in one place where individuals can come to rejuvenate, repair, give thanks and praise amongst those who are like minded.

The fact is, the church is imperfect, it's made up of imperfect people. Does it matter if some are there for dating, some are there for social purposes or business connections. These are all perceptions that may or may not be true but are to be left up to the Holy Spirit to work with not for us to get hung up on.

The church will always be imperfect because people are imperfect. God does care and wants us to mature and grow. That is what the New Testament is all about. The church figuring out, through relationship with God how to love each other as the babes in Christ learn and grow, how the mature can lead those babes in Christ through life examples and how leadership can teach the truth in love to correct and edify as the world's ways are sloughed off. The church is a bunch of individuals running the race side by side towards the goal of eternity. Sometimes that race involves rough spots, bruises, failures and re-starts. Where else can individuals go to patch-up, gain strength and keep going spiritually but in a body called the church.

Paul's love for the church is astounding. It is a fact, that God gave him a special love for those imperfect people he once used to persecute. He was an outsider, who knew the Word of God and Jewish custom by heart (Pharisee - Philippians 3:4-8), more than a bit religious. God took his background of knowledge, removed his spiritual blindness through a temporary physical blinding and equipped his heart for the service of the people (church).  I'm pretty certain God gave him an extra dose of love because the following part of his life after meeting Jesus was not one would plan for themselves.

Paul had his work cut out for him, correcting, admonishing, teaching, getting beat-up, threatened etc. I'm sure he had hushed scandalous talk follow him from city to city. I can hear it now, the perceptions and misunderstandings surrounding his presence, "Isn't he the Christian murderer?" "I bet he's made up this ruse of loving the Christians to get close and kill them, he can't be trusted." (Ananias certainly had to trust God's word about Paul and love him through this event in his life) Ananias probably got a ration of accusations too, "He hangs out with that guy?" (what a friend)

So here it is, I understand misperceptions and how that can effect the soul and it isn't easy. I understand following God instead of man can get you put in a corner with man because they don't fully understand what is happening. I fully trust God and where He leads me. If he leads me into an institutional church where pitfalls and imperfections will certainly be there (we are human) (whether it is for a season or longer), I am willing to be misunderstood for the benefit of what God has in store for my heart.

I Peter 5:6
(Thanks Dad for giving this verse to me at the right time)


John 14:27 is such a comfort...

This Article explains beautifully why I don't think Paul was out of the will of God when he ritually purified himself at the temple...

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/699-did-paul-sin-in-submitting-to-the-temple-ritual

The Substitute

Fake, additives, derivatives, fillers, enhancers, substitutes. Oh, the adulteration of things pure. The less than real is found in our food, beauty and social culture. There are full-time jobs, careers and research labs associated with the world of the fake. Faux is the new true.

Take a moment to think about the products and food found in your home. Look at those labels and do a quick tally of things unreal. I think you'd find a very high percentage of your daily living has been touched by the false fairy. OK, let's not think about that too much, one could go a little batty with all the unnatural ways we get through life.

The fact is, it's a part of us. Our human nature just can't help it. I'll even go as far to say true purity is just too much for the make up of man. Well, I'm getting ahead of myself again, I better start to get to my real thoughts before the tangent monster takes me on another adventure.

I believe we all have within us an innate sense to get back to Eden. We just know that things in the world just aren't the way they should be. We start off strong in our attempts to nobly hold onto the innocence we seem to understand in childhood only to find ourselves in a tangled up mess of half-truths, deceit and compromises.  Life is tough in this faux, faux world.

Pseudo Spirituality

I was reading Judges 17 and 18 and the topic of idols jutted out at me as something that needed to be added to the long list of fake things we battle in this world. As I read further I realized the times were not much different than what we experience now. It was said that the people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). Essentially the blind leading the blind.  The story shows a man in his feeble attempts ended up choosing the fake, the dead, the non-life giving substitute in place of reality.

The story begins with (I assume a middle aged man) named Micah stealing silver from his own Mother. He over hears her anger over the trespass and decides to give it back to her.  She then blesses her son and asks that the silver be made into two idols no doubt as a sign of piety. Micah even goes to the extent to try and be accurate by recreating the ephod. Micah then sets his son up as the priest of the household.

Maybe things weren't going too well with the son being the priest because along comes a 'gypsy' Levite (Levites were the tribe chosen by God to be His representatives - The priestly tribe) and Micah seeing his credentials, offers him room and board along with an annual salary for his priestly services. They get along really well and Micah thinks of him as a son.

Explorers from the Danite tribe come across Micah's house and find the idols and the priest. They figure why not ask the man of God if they will be successful in their quest to take over the land they are seeking. The priest says, 'Yes, they will accomplish their goal.'

Word travels fast. Six hundred warriors show up at Micah's house from the Danite tribe and they persuade the priest that overseeing a clan was better than a household. They secretly bagged the idols and left to raze the city of Laish, whose people were peaceful and kept to themselves. Micah pursues the warriors in order to try and retrieve his idols and his priest but went back home empty-handed. The Danites then took over the city and set up the idols that were once Micah's.

This story made me ask so many questions? Why did the Danites have to war against a peaceful city, couldn't they have built their own city especially with 600 strong warriors? It sure seems that the Levite priest was in it for the perks, why didn't he tell Micah to get rid of the idols and start worshiping God? He so willingly followed the clan and didn't even tell Micah he was leaving, he didn't seem too concerned about the spiritual welfare of Micah and his household.

garnetppl:Photo by: Kevin Walsh
Mica

The story of Micah just seems to go from bad to worse. Anytime I read it I always think of the sheet silicate mineral we call Mica and how easily it flakes and crumbles. Under a time of 'do whatever floats your boat' and man living on his own whims; searching for truth in anything other than the true source just causes our life to fall apart.

Micah is a great picture of man's search for God in religious traditions and focusing on the superficial outward rules. I strongly believe Micah even made his priest his idol. What Micah had was a package deal. He had pretty, expensive items along with a human figure head to make his attempts to look and feel righteous seem like a reality.

The Substitute

The word 'idol' gives off an ancient vibe as if those things don't exist anymore. They are just relics we read about, in fact, we know they are just statues. How easily we forget the word 'idol' also consists of ANYTHING that takes the place of God.  With that extended definition, I think it makes the term quite modern and up-to-date.  Idols now can be related in terms of: money, husbands, wives, kids, friends, careers, the self, hobbies. OUCH! Too close to home.

Idolatry and priorities when working in a symbiotic relationship cause havoc on our relationship with God and other people. The minute we get our priorities straight and keep God as our focus, the potential idols in our lives take the proper role, time and energy necessary for balanced living (John 7:38). Let's face it, anything that takes first place on our priority list other than God is a substitute, one that won't fulfill.

Idols don't offer anything and they don't deliver on any promises, or if we substitute people in the place of God our expectations of them will never measure up and cause us to be disappointed and angry.

Our substitutes are dead ends, yet we create them, we hold on to them, we spend our time, effort and money on them. We become emotionally attached to these dead icons and end up empty handed and not understanding why, just like Micah.

Quintessence

This is where I get a little teary eyed and my heart finds that small sliver of Eden staring back at my soul in the form of hope. Hope in the reality of God extending himself through all the universe and time to be the purity we search for while we live out the life sentence of a fallen world full of distracting substitutes.

The inerrant Word of God tells the story of God's intervention in mans' mistakes with the end result of good thwarting harm, God's name being glorified and man coming out smelling like a rose when he probably should smell a little more like a titan arum flower (corpse flower).  He offers that to all of us through the pages of time. We just have to make Him our priority. Every day!

My struggle to try to be close to God, please Him and allow Him to make my life straight has been a journey I can relate to 'a camel passing through a needle'. (Mat. 19:24). It is a narrow road (Mat. 7:14) that I can only stay on by relying on My savior, Jesus. I can truly say, because of His purity and His sacrifice, I am lucky enough to be washed clean and experience what real life is. I have not arrived and still experience encounters with the 'fake' but know that when that occurs, I've got the pure source for what is right, good and beneficial for my growth, JESUS!

Thank you Lord for your example of Purity, only found in Your Son! (John 14:6)



This Sermon SAYS IT ALL

My Man Gave Me Fresh Cut Flowers

The simple joys in life are found in flowers...

I was standing in the long grocery store check out line which gave me time to observe what others were purchasing. A few men had bouquets of flowers as the main course in their basket. I wondered to what occasions these little bundles were going to be given. I did know whatever the occasion a smile is what they should bring. This little exercise got me wondering about the bouquet.

The typical scene of 'man gives flowers to woman' abounds in novels, film and the not so kind world of the cliche. The bouquet has a universal pull on everyone's psyche. The bouquet can be generalized by calling it a bunch of flowers, it can be used as a relationship opener and rejection diffuser or an apology smoother. The most sought after bouquets are those given in love.

Our human emotions play a big role in the act of giving natural beauty which acts as a voice to our intentions. We owe a lot to these relationship builders God created for our good. So let's take the bouquet back from the grips of banality and habitual monotony and laud what these botanical creatures can really do.

My '18 Year' Bouquet

What My Bouquet 'Said' to Me

1. When my husband came through the door with the wild array in his hands. My heart jumped a little knowing he was one of those men I observed in the grocery store choosing a specific arrangement for the love in his life. He took time out of his day to think of me in a specific way.

2. I looked at the varietal blooms and each one was vibrant with color. The visual beauty was stunning. The textures, shades and hues added a new interest to the same old surroundings.

3. I immediately wanted to touch the soft petals of the Carnation, feel the brain-like structure of the Celosia and gaze long at the purple variation of the Amaranth. With daily chores that bespatter the typical day, the silky contrast was welcomed.

4. The Cockscomb (Celosia) was my favorite, it is suggestive of a highly colored brain. Something I'd like to feel I can lay some claim too. A woman likes to be loved for her brain as well as her body.

5. This floral offering was in no way mundane. I put it on the bedside table and when I awoke this morning something alive and beautiful was staring back at me. As I go about my day's work, I'll occasionally pass it and an appreciative thought towards my husband dances through my mind.

I sure hope that the five things I listed can help those hard working, providing, love mates with a new perspective on the bouquet. They really aren't cliches unless your heart says they are.

A little ditty to Feeling Good! Sing it Nina!

(Analogy, not pantheism or deep ecology intended)

Guest Post-DIY: Hanging Papasan Chair

Over the Summer break my friend re-did her bedroom, inspiring the idea to upgrade my own room.  I did some research for ideas and came across an article for re-purposing a papasan chair. I sold the idea of installing this style of chair to my parents but the tutorial was a bit vague.

Since I learned a few things during the process, I thought I'd share the details so others who want to accomplish the same goal can have a good resource and maybe cut down on a few mistakes that could happen along the way.

MEASURE

First,  make sure you have enough space in your room to fit a papasan chair. This means measuring the space and measuring the chair. I measured the papasan's diameter across and it was 45 inches, it would fit in my room but I knew it would take up a lot of visual space. Another thing to consider is the 'tilt' space. If you want to angle the papasan chair, the space in the room can be a bit smaller.
My mom also measured the trunk of her car to see if the papasan chair would fit for transport if you are purchasing it. We ended up asking a neighbor to borrow his truck.  Measuring is an important first step!

Other items you will need to measure is the amount of rope you will need. Always consider the extra amount needed for knots.

MATERIALS

Make a list of materials needed for the project.

• Papasan Chair Frame (sans stand)
• Papasan Cushion
• Rope - We used 25-30 feet of 700 lb rated, Nylon, 1/2 inch rope
• Box Cutter- for cutting the rope
• Lighter- to seal the ends of the rope after cutting
• Hitching Ring with 2 inch Screw Eye (we used 2)
• Joist/Stud finder
• Ladder
• Nail and Hammer (Nail to show the area on the ceiling where screw eye will be installed)
• Tape (Electric)- For rope management
• Measuring Tape

KNOT KNOWLEDGE

If you happen to be a girl scout or boy scout, you may  have earned a patch for knot tying. This will come in handy. We used  two types of knots to give our structure stability, which is an important part of the installation process. The weight of a body needs to be supported by the proper balance of the structure.

Another reason to use the correct knot is because the material also has to withstand wear and tear.

We chose 3 evenly spaced points on the chair frame to tie the ropes. We used the Sailor's knot to give these areas the strongest support without damaging the frame. We also used the Blood knot at the base of the hitching ring.

We used 15 feet of rope and tied these 2 ends in at an obtuse angle to the chair frame, creating a triangle at the mid point. We then tied a 10 foot section to the chair frame and the mid point (Lariat Loop Knot) of the 15 foot length rope creating a pyramid. This 10 foot sections made the chair adjustable. We could angle or flatten the chair as we liked. The extra rope at the end of the 10 foot section was used to tie the chair to the hitching ring.

INSTALLATION

It is important to find a joist in the ceiling to secure the hanging system. A stud finder will dictate where this is. Hammer a small nail into the ceiling to mark the spot where the screw eye and hitching ring will be located. 

Make sure there is enough room between the wall and the hanging chair before you decide to put a hole in the ceiling. Our joist was a little close so we used a pull system to help keep the chair away from the wall.  This pull system also helps with the stability of the structure by adding another stress point, a place for tension to displace and even out the load.

Secure the rope to the hitching ring with a blood knot and let the fun part begin, decorating your hanging chair.

DECORATING

I bought a neutral, cream colored, plush cushion to fill in the papasan chair for comfort.  I added blue throw pillows, a few stuffed animals and decorative fox tails to make it my own.

Photo Credits To: Chandra Brown

Thanks Dad and Mom for helping me!

Warning On The Wall

There is a photo print hanging on our family room wall that can be considered to contain litigious bifurcation. My husband brought this piece home from his art excursion to Cuba. It has always been an interesting study, we keep it exposed and it is one of the first things you see when you enter the front door. It is centered above our couch where most of our living occurs. My husband and I both have had our struggle with this particular piece. I remember a time my husband wanted to sell it and banish it from our wall. His sentiment was rightly justified yet we leave it up as a silent admonition.

I've always wondered what our guests and family think about the figures presented in the photo. I'm sure the photo bemuses some of our friends, "Why do these folks keep a photo of an atheist and a communist on their wall? Are they supporters of such thinking?" I suppose some could see a Nobel Prize winning writer and a Head of State, world stage celebrities in history and leave it at that. Maybe some of the younger generation that come through our doors don't have a clue who these figure are and ignore the photo as wall filler.

Look at these two people captured in a conversation. Each has influence and power. One through the use of language and one through force of will. Both have left their mark on the world and these marks have consequences. What topic are they discussing? Maybe the exchange was as simple as, "See you later." What we do know is shortly after this photo was taken Hemingway killed himself and Castro was dealing with the Bay of Pigs invasion.

'Fidel Con Hemingway' By Osvaldo Salas
1960

I look at this photo as a warning. Atheism and Socialism are sister ideals which works against God and deceptively undermines the relationship between man and man and God and man. I look at the outcomes of these ideals and see destruction, emptiness and pain.

As we live through our appointed course in history and witness the destructive aspects of these ideologies in the world and our own country it causes us to struggle. One must look at reality and embrace the mess we find ourselves in. We can't ignore the reverberations of these models for living and how they effect people.

At times, I too, have wanted to banish the photo that encapsulates the horrors of these ideologies. Why should I give any of my precious wall space to these icons, my home is my safe haven from the world's ills? I certainly do not agree with their thinking. Yet, we must remember the ills are what we fight against. These figures that represent the opposite of what I believe will be used as a reminder of where wrong thought leads and act as an allegory.

So it stays!

I Am Not A Deist

I've read a book that has brought a subject I like, mainly, how and why people think the way they do, into a clearer view.  Of course, reading this thought provoking book caused me to ping thoughts into the vast realm of questions, answers and corrections and catechize to this solitary blog, for whom I write for myself, my family, my friends and any web travelers that somehow find themselves here.

Synopsis of Nature's God

So, I'll get to it. The book is called, Nature's God, The Heretical Origins of the American Republic, by Matthew Stewart.  Mr. Stewart pens a well written account of the revolutionary ideas that birthed our government. He begins with the reason for his inspiration, finding a copy of Ethan Allen's, Oracle of Reason, 1784, a lesser known, possibly plagiarized work of one of our Founding Revolutionaries.

Mr. Stewart gives a crash course in the stem tree branches of the philosophers our Founders gleaned their ideas from and no doubt framed their life around which lead to a formed government. The Modern Age is experiencing the repercussions and ever-evolving outcomes of the brainchild they set about in the Eighteenth Century.

He makes the point that five, free-thinking, in your face and ready for change, young men lit the revolutionary fires which layed the foundation for the more refined, palatable Founding Fathers to define and execute into the public realm.  It takes agitators to implement change otherwise status quo will reign.

These five men were Dr. Thomas Young, Ethan Allen, Thomas Paine, Timothy Matlack and James Cannon. A sixth would have been added except he separated ways with the above radicals later in life due to a change in heart regarding the principles they stood for, his name was Benjamin Rush.

Let me stop here, do you remember these names from your History classes? I could only remember two, Ethan Allen and Thomas Paine. What I was taught about them was a flash paragraph or two in a story formatted way, written in a manner of fictitious heroes. Most do not know Dr. Young was the organizer for one of the most famous events in American History, the Boston Tea Party (Samuel Adams is the one we know who lead the men to accomplish it). Why weren't these men given more of the stage? I do believe because they were the purest form of the Enlightened belief system they carried close to their hearts. These were the radicals living out their very ideas in the open. Ideas that when introduced to the mainstream, wore rough.  Ideas that needed the direction of brilliant artisans of wordplay in order to be kept alive. Enter, the eloquent, refined, educated Founding Fathers, to serve up these ideals in a palatable, rhetorical method. 

There is a propaganda machine the writers of history love to use. It involves mixed truths, revisionism, hyperbole. This master machine sways political, religious and moral thought. Debates abound over the facts of history. The debate over the Founding Fathers faith is a big one. Were they Christians, were they Deists, were they Atheists? The only way to know is by first source or contemporary source information. 

Why does it matter as to what they believed? It matters because a mis-informed mind or dumbed-down community can be controlled right into slavery. (Spiritual and physical slavery.) 

Mr. Stewart goes into great detail as to what these five paradigm changing radicals believed and what the Founding Fathers created and launched into the world. He begins with who influenced their minds and backs it up with context, first hand and contemporary quotes. It begins with master thought play artisans, most commonly labeled as philosophers.  These people are theoreticians who study human behavior, the origins of the universe and frame it with knowledge under a scope of experiences; they attempt to define life. They explain the How and Why. 

Edward Herbert, 1st Baron of Cherbury: Deist
Portrait by : Isaac Oliver (1560- 1617)

Philosophy: The Ideas Behind the American Revolution

The Enlightened crowd of the Eighteenth Century borrowed from the following thinkers in some way or another:

Philosopher                                                                             Highlight

1. Epicurus - 342 B.C.                                                            Atomist/Determinist- Swerve Theory

2. Machiavelli - 1469                                                              The Prince- Founder of Political Science

3. Thomas Hobbes - 1588                                                       Political Philosophy

4. Baruch Spinoza - 1632                                                        Father of Enlightened Science

5. John Locke - 1632                                                               Father of Liberalism

5. Anthony Ashley Cooper - Earl of Shaftesbury  - 1671       Moralist

6. Henry St. John Bolingbroke -  1678                                    Deism

7. David Hume  - 1711                                                            Skepticism/Naturalism

The main idea and philosophy derived from these men and believed by Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin  and the radical five in a very small nutshell consists of:

1. God is reduced to Nature and 'God' is functionally interchangeable with 'Nature'.  

2. The world can be defined through scientific means

3. Reason defines truth

Humanism/Reason/Science: Deist Trinity

The above tenets describe a faith in oneself or fellow man, a support of Humanism. Religion outside of theirs is just a moral pendulum good for keeping a sound society. God and religion are just useful tools to keep the strings of society healthy just as a good story told to a toddler at bedtime placates them to sleep easier than just telling them to go to bed. Some of them upheld the Christian religion as a wonderful moral maxim for living but they admit to rejecting the 'revealed' aspects of God's word. The common thread throughout these men of influence is their progressive decent from the God of the Bible.

In reality, Deism is Atheism just trying to be nice so it can get along with others. It is a form of manipulation to the benefit of the self. It is a liberation from God through free will, therefore, the individual man becomes a god unto himself.  Deism is the precursor to Modern Liberalism. Deism just throws God a bone in giving credit to the creation of the universe, but it ends there and pretty much slaps Him in the face by essentially saying, 'stay out of everything else, I know more than you through my empirical senses, although I still can't explain how I'm made and truly work through those senses (Science). Oh, I have a lot of good facts that describe the physical make up of man even though I have an incomplete picture, there is brilliance in it even, yet YOU weren't involved in any way. '

A Few Random Thoughts 

If I could draw Deism, I'd draw a box with man inside where the limitation that are already set upon him only grow smaller because a deist can't deal with the miraculous wonder of a God that participates in His Creation.  Where as following the God of the Bible puts God inside and outside the box, the box has doors and windows that are opened only when a reality is understood that beyond the self is an omnipotent God that guides us as we live in that box.  

The title of this blog is a statement. Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to a friend, William Scot stating, "I too am an Epicurean," and proceeded to talk about how his doctrines where misrepresented. There is an irony in this letter as the Founding Fathers misrepresented the doctrines of God by reducing him to Nature and throwing out the parts of the Bible they felt were unreasonable. 

What the Founding Fathers failed to realize or did realize and rejected is the Bible is a philosophical wonder that explains more of life to an extent that science has proven it true (watch out revisionism and oppression of truth).  Even Richard Feynman, famous physicist has stepped down the ladder of Atheism and admits a being had to design the universe.  Keep Going Richard, He wants you to know Him. 

Now, I have railed against religion on this blog , some may try to equate that with a deistic principle. If you take the time to really understand what religion is through the teaching of Christ, you will realize the philosophy of His word. Following God is extremely different than following a set of rules and traditions, it is so much more.  Yes, it involves Him revealing Himself to you.

Although I am not a Deist, I am grateful for the work of the Founding Fathers. They have given a form of human government that can't be matched when compared with other forms over time. Yet, I think it is very important to know the truth of the matter,  Our Nation had heretical beginnings and it will always be tainted when God is eliminated.

Inspired Scriptures

Don't mess with God's Word: Duet. 4:2, Duet. 12:32, Psalms 119:160, Revelations 22:18-19

God's Philosophy: I Corinthians 1:19-21, I Corinthians 2: 6-8, Acts 17:18, Romans 1:20-2, John 14:6

Science in the Bible: Read this Article, Proverbs 2:6

It's ALL or Nothing with God: Revelation 3:16, Matthew 7:13, Matthew 7:21-23, Isaiah 35:8, John 14:23-24

He is Active: John 14:26, I Corinthians 2:10, I Thess. 4:8, Nehemiah 9:20

             

Parent = Teacher

I had someone ask me recently if I was a teacher. I immediately answered, "No!" I don't see myself as a teacher in the slightest. I didn't go to a school for that profession. Yet, in some ways I guess I am a teacher. I have taken on the responsibility to manage the education of my daughter, I do step in with my two cents every now and then. I am able to take the subject matter I am most familiar with and relay that information with primary and secondary sources to back the information with facts. That all falls under teaching syllabi.

This got me thinking, people in general are teachers whether we relate to the description of the word or not. We all have backgrounds, habits, interests, experiences, passions and traditions we follow. We live these day in an out and others can observe, study or listen to these ways and glean information from them.  This should make us think deeply on how we live, what we believe, what we say and do, how we spend our time, what we spend our efforts on etc. Life is too short to convey the wrong message. (Although I've noticed a pattern in my life, irony tends to follow me like a plague and I tend to be misunderstood especially when I try my best to convey truth.) Ahh, the lessons irony can teach!

If you happen to have children, you become an automatic teacher. So, to the person who asked me if I was a teacher, I must re-nig and answer with an emphatic, Yes! And I admit, I can be a good and bad one, if you care, you take the bad moments and use them too.

Parent = Teacher

God tells us teaching His ways to your children is a responsibility that is not to be taken lightly. In fact, you should live it, show it, discuss it, make it your focus, make it your source for life. The only way to find out what God's ways are, is by doing exactly what He tells a parent to do with their child (Duet. 4:10, Duet. 6:7). Talk with Him, get the facts and then walk it yourselves.  It's a circular learning model.

Deuteronomy 11: 8-9. " You shall lay upon these words of mine, in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way and when you lie down and when you rise." OK, since I'm now willing to say I am a teacher, (of a sort) I'll take the first part of this verse to expound on the principle behind the message of 'parent = teacher'.

Verse 8a- Once we've done our homework and actually talked with God about what He requires of us, we need to incorporate what He says into our thoughts, actions and deeds in order to make Him a part of who we are.

Verse8b-To bind His ways on our hands and make them frontlets to our eyes was an allegory to help us understand we need to make them permanent and at the forefront of our thoughts. Something that is a constant in our lives, something we can't live without or go a day without thinking about. God is literally in front of our face and can not be ignored.

Since teachers like to use facts to support or enhance their lessons, I'd like to take a moment and explain Verse8b a little more to help give historical context. Although the principles are real and need  no physical symbol to get the truth across the Israelites did write verses pertaining to God's precepts on slips of parchment paper and called them tephilin; or prayers. They were then rolled in a piece of black calf skin and then placed in a stiffer leather case supported by a thong which was 1 finger in width and 1 cubit long. The case was marked with the Hebrew letter called Shin; the three points of which were considered an emblem of God. The phylactery/frontlet was worn either on the arm or forehead during weekday morning prayer.

The verses written on the parchment paper included: Exodus 13:16, Duet. 6:8, Duet. 11:18, Exodus 13:9)

Many Bible scholars believe this ritual began after the Israelites returned from their exile in Babylon.

Verse 9- When you have made God the center of your life and He tells you His ways and you've applied them to your life and know them to be true because you have experienced the working dynamics of relationship ; talk about it at every opportunity with your children so they too will take the necessary steps to live in the same manner. (No ritual needed).

Parent = Teacher: Applied

In our mutual education endeavor, my daughter and I took the opportunity together to academically discuss different religions and how they compare to following God for part of our History/Geography course. I think she is beginning to understand the circular model of Duet. 11:8-9.  Go ahead and read her latest blog post and see what I mean. Following God Versus Hinduism by Alex Brown.

I truly believe children are a gift from God. If you have a child, take every opportunity to give them back to God! You won't regret it. I certainly don't and have been blessed beyond anything I could have ever imagined following God's command in Duet. 11:8-9.

Two Score and Ready For More

Last year we celebrated my parents 40th Anniversary in The Caribbean with a family reunion.  Fifteen of us gathered at The Providencial Islands for a memorable, relaxing time. I wanted to surprise them with a long lasting gift to commemorate their marriage. I knew I wanted to use art, something that can be lasting and has depth and meaning but how does one accomplish choosing the subject matter when there are over forty years of inspiration between a couple?

I tried to capture my parents in loving snuggles while at the resort, I even told them to mock kiss as if they were in a romance scene, trying to capture the moment of inspiration. They were not privy to my scheme to have an artist depict their forty years together as a gift, they probably thought I was nuts asking them to hug and snuggle for photo sessions while trying to relax in paradise. 

We returned home and I was at a loss on how to accomplish my goal. The pictures I took were hazy or not framed properly, what was a girl to do? Since the photo part of my gift wasn't coming together I thought I should write something to help those creative juice ideas flow. I asked myself about love, romance, marriage, vows and a thought kept appearing in my head. 'Love has so many faces'. How can I pinpoint Forty years of a couples life? It's impossible. 

I thought, start at the beginning, when they first met. I pulled out my Mom's high school portrait. The one I love so much of her and have showcased on this blog before. I look at her fresh features, her champagne locks tumbling over her shoulder, the effortless beauty she presents. I smile at the confidence in her amber eyes and know this portrait is inspiring. (Funny, later my mom told me she was reluctant to take this photo and just wanted to get it over with.)

I had my sister sneak a picture of my Dad's photo to me because I didn't have one. When she sent it, I knew these were the art pieces waiting to become my gift. My Dad's high school portrait is striking. The All Star American sports King with dashing jaw line jumped off the screen. His eyes cast a promising, strong yet unassuming structure about his face. The strength of his kind demeanor makes your eyes rest on his likeness with a sense of comfort.

After studying these two young love birds, I understood why they would have been attracted to each other and want to spend the rest of their lives figuring out what love means. Their youthful faces in their school year portraits taken about the time they met (my dad was in college) was a beginning. One with hopes, dreams, wants and willingness to navigate whatever life throws in the path together.

Without further ado, the following poem was inspired by their portraits and by their life example I have witnessed as their child. 

Revealing Their Art Gift
Photo by: Chandra Brown

Forty Years

Fix your eyes upon this face

and think of bygone time

of youth,

of beauty,

of grace.

A time when life was ahead of you

full of questions,

of hopes,

of dreams.

Next to you sits a part

with whom betwixt shared forty years

of the experiences,

of the details

of life.

With whom you forged a path

for family,

for friendship,

for love.

A path that speaks

of authenticity,

of wisdom,

of strength.

Fix your eyes upon this face

as time continuously unfolds

and treasure how two parts became one

by promise,

by deed,

by God.

Dedicated to wonderful parents!

Love,

Nathan, Chandra and Alex

The following Graphite Portraits and Time Lapse Video are produced by Artist: Brooke Burnaugh

Her talents have been a great source of Joy for my family. Thank you Brooke!

Then and Now
By: Chandra Brown

Guest Post: Comparing Heroes

I am proud to display my daughter's most recent essay for school, Comparing Heroes.

The wife of Odysseus

    Literary works are an avenue to define a hero, which the definition of, varies in different cultures. The ancient poem by Homer known as The Odyssey, written in the eighth century B.C identifies a Greek hero, Odysseus or Ulysses (Ulysses is the name given to Odysseus in Roman Mythology). Fast forward to the twenty first century, heroes are commonly depicted by pictures in story board form in  books such as; Marvel Comics. I will be writing about the similarities and differences of an Ancient and Modern hero.
     First, I would like to discuss the qualities and tests Greek heroes are put against.  Greek heroes consist of courage, strength, wit, maturity, and often commit bold exploits to prove their heroism. They do suffer failure as well but learn from their mistakes and become stronger. Greek Mythology takes a large part in the heroes' life, gods and other creatures manipulate their journey in good and bad ways. It is clear that Ancient heroes, when not relying on gods, rely on their human strengths and qualities. While most Modern heroes have abnormal powers within themselves. Some heroes' power is natural born while others are bestowed upon them through nature and or science; the gods of the Modern age.
     I have extracted a few examples of Greek heroism from the book. Ulysses uses his wits to escape from the clutches of a menacing cyclops. He uses humor to gain confidence with Polyphemus, who then asked for his name. Ulysses uses this opportunity to deceive Polyphemus and gives his name as, 'Nobody.' Soon Ulysses men are in terrible danger and he blinds the one- eyed creature in order to escape. Polyphemus seeks help for his injury and when asked who did this to him he replied, "Nobody." Secondly, he used his physical strength to hang on to moss growing on the side of a precipice to escape the treacherous monsters Scylla and Charybdis.  He also commits to bold exploits, though not mentioned much in the book, Ulysses fought The Great Battle Of Troy and was credited as the mastermind behind their demise through the Trojan Horse.
      Modern heroes share basic qualities with Greek heroes, similarities seem to be neck and neck but one difference stood out to me. Modern heroes seem to acquire the characteristics of a god while Greek heroes accept guidance from them. Modern heroes are depicted with special god like powers. For instance, Peter Parker, who is a human teenage boy is bitten by a spider that was experimented on in a science lab. He goes through a physical transformation and takes on the finest abilities of the spider enhancing his performance and senses.  His transformation into Spiderman makes him better than human and this was bestowed upon him through an accident. Other modern heroes such as The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man depict a hero who have god-like powers through natural abilities enhanced by science and technology.
       Through discussing the similarities and differences of Ancient and Modern heroes, one character rose above and proved as a true hero, her story crosses all bridges of time. This hero was Ulysses's wife, Penelope. Penelope defines a true hero with her reaction to real life circumstances.  She is put against a plight, we find her waiting patiently for her husband to return from his glory war in Troy. She not only waits 5 years but we enter her story in her twentieth year of faithful biding despite  suitors constantly at her door because they assumed Ulysses was dead (Penelope thought otherwise). She endured in her love for her husband who she only knew for a brief moment before his travels took him away and shows this by telling her suitors that she would not remarry until she finished a burial shroud for Ulysses. She uses her wits to delay succumbing to an unworthy match who would use and abuse not only her but her son and the land they lived on. So, each day she would work on the piece and rip up her progress by night ,so the cloth was never to be finished as a way to delay the suitors.  Her heroism rests in her character and the resolve to stay true to her word and original commitment to her husband. She protected her son, her household, herself and her property through her virtuous, un-selfish substance. She did this without a god interfering or helping and this relates to a more real view of our human story.
      In conclusion, Ancient and Modern heroes have worthy qualities and flaws that support the idea that self sacrifice in order to help those that cannot protect themselves defines a hero.

Written by: Alex Brown

Tend Your Garden: Post #8

Thistle
Photo By: Chandra Brown

"As is the garden, such is the gardener. A man's nature runs either to herbs or weeds." -Francis Bacon

I made a goal for my winter garden, eliminate a five gallon bucket full of weeds a day until the over growth was under control. I started in the East corner of the yard and worked slowly, inch by inch, towards the West corner.  By day three the weed problem was under control. The work wasn't tedious by any means, the soil was soft so the roots came out with ease as I dug deep in the soil. The sun shining on my face was welcomed as I methodically performed the task at hand with a mind set of constancy.  This pace lead to a quiet, pleasant state of solitude.

I found myself thinking about how much growth took place during a season when plants usually rest. The warmth and moisture we've experienced in these winter months have tricked plants into early propagation.  Winter's cruelty was soon felt; frost came not too long after the deceptive incubating environment. Weeds seemed impervious to this blight but more delicate plants like my hyacinth would die at frosts' first snap.

It was almost as if the weeds growing in healthy abundance were taunting the more delicate, seasonal plants to reveal themselves too early as an iniquitous jest, knowing all too well their final fate. I looked closely at the weeds in my bucket, they were large, green and plump; they stayed that way days after I pulled them. The hyacinth, still in the safe haven of the ground, were wilted with deaths' black mark on the edges of the flower petals.

A fleeting sadness was lifted as I studied the make up of the hyacinth. It may have suffered a few battle wounds but deep down, nestled snugly in the soil was its hidden glory. The energy reserves held in the bulb would come back to fight another day by sending another flower in the proper time.

It is true, "as is the garden, such is the gardener." I've had a recent bout with tending to those nasty, unwanted weeds that want to take root and sneer at you. A deceptive environment was letting them grow quickly, but thank goodness, I have a Master Gardner in my corner. He warned me to what was happening and told me what was required before the ground was lay waste.

Sure, a few petals have been frayed, wounds have left their mark but deep down and because of God's faithfulness, I know His plans will triumph.

Psalms 130: 3,4
Ephesians 4:32

Emerging Hyacinth
Photo By: Chandra Brown

Our Immortality

Recently, my daughter and I have read through a condensed version of The Odyssey for a school reading and writing assignment.  She is currently writing an essay on what constitutes an ancient hero contrasted with a modern definition of a hero. Epic literature can best be described as stories, narratives, tales laced with harrowing adventures perspicaciously put together with language to drive home an elemental truth. As I think on writing and history, another human theme emerges; morality and what is considered good, right and just. These components of writing kept bringing up another theme to my thoughts found in epic story telling, immortality.

The word immortality seems to be appurtenant with mythology; the traditional stories belonging to a culture with tales of gods and heroes depicting the answers to some of the greatest questions the human race encounters. Why we are here, how we got here and what we are to hominify as uniquely created beings.

Greek Glimpse of Immortality

Calypso offers Odysseus immortality using time as a conciliatory tool in her persuasion. She states, "For us there is no before or after, only now, wherein all things are and always were and always will be. Time, you see is a little arrangement man has made for himself to try and measure the immeasurable mystery of life." She proceeds to show him his past and future along with promises of imaginative variety to sway him.

Odysseus sees the pitfalls of the kind of immortality Calypso was selling. He placates her with adulation and states, " I can not be immortal, never to die, never to grow old. What use is courage then?" This statement sums up the idea man has one life, confined within time and growing old gracefully leading to a final end is a heroic, virtuous endeavor. Mortality in its indeterminate freedom is better than being a captive immortal.

Greek Mythology certainly champions the humanistic view that we have all that is needed within ourselves to successfully maneuver through the journey of life. Yes, people can live moral, good lives aside from God and even do some heroic amazing things that benefit human kind. Although some good may come of this, this way of life is pitted with paucity. It blinds one to the fullness God has in store for those who submit to His ways. Humanism has its end in self glorification which is limited by human bounds and has no eternal merit.  Humanism is essentially a Dead End. (Matthew 23, Romans 3:10, John 15:5)


A Modern Glimpse of Immortality

The modern age has regurgitated Greek immortality in the form of entertaining comic heroes and heroines such as; The Avengers, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and these stories mix humanisms' diegesis. In today's culture immortality is touched upon with a new mythology in the form of Transhumanism. Transhumanism is a belief that the human race can evolve beyond its  current physical and mental capabilities, especially by means of science and technology.

We have seen some of the effects of Transhumanism in the controversial human genome project. Robert K. Grahams, Repository for Germinal Choice was a precursor to current attempts at Genetically Engineered human perfection.  MIT is currently at the forefront of furthering these attempts at human advances towards immortal features.  Mary Shelly's Frankenstein comes to mind when I read about these technological advances.

Without going into more detail of our modern day, unethical, god-complex, humanism on steroids attempts at defining reality, I want to stop and define what real human immortality is. It must start with God and His immortality. He is the pure expression of immortality. Psalms 90:2 states His existence before anything created. God himself states his immortality in His name (Exodus 3:14) when he tells Moses, " I AM."  I AM signifies his self-existence and the Being of all beings.

Time and Eternity
Photo by: lumix2004

Human Immortality: A Truth

Since God is the ultimate immortal being, who created the human race (Genesis 1:27), we can now define what human immortality is. We know that we have a beginning through the fact of birth, philosophers throughout recorded time have tackled the issue of mind, body and spirit and the Internet definition of the word 'immortal' talks about the state of our current reality in this sentence, " Our mortal bodies are inhabited with immortal souls."

So it seems immortality has a basis in something outside of ourselves. It lies in something bigger than ourselves. I'm getting ahead of myself here, I need to stop and clarify a few facts regarding human immortality. Please bare with me as I try to explain a line of thought.

Calypso says time was a man made arrangement as a witty jab towards Odysseus' apprehension towards her offer. In the realm of truth,  God invented time for our benefit (Genesis 1:14). Time is placed in human history as a measuring tool. Time tells us we have a physical beginning and an end and in between these marks we have decisions and choices to make regarding the promises God has given us regarding eternity. Time is a mouthpiece of our mortality yet God intervenes in this medium through conditional, future promises outside of the confines of time in order to save us from the finality of mortality; Death.

The fact is God made humans in perfection, in His image then sin entered the world and corrupted the physical as well as spiritual aspects of His creation. Yes, in this lifespan our bodies are mortal,  decaying towards death but our souls  are immortal and when physical death occurs the soul lives eternally. (Hebrews 9:27)

This is where I need to bring my thought line back to the idea immortality is bigger than ourselves. I pose a question I'm sure has been asked before but is good to discuss under this subject matter. If our souls live on no matter what, why do we need God?

This is where the term death needs to be addressed further. Not only do our physical bodies experience a real death with all its physiological elements, our spiritual condition is either alive or dead as well. If your soul is spiritually dead, meaning without the redeeming value of Christ's promise accomplished on the cross, something humans can not ever accomplish on their own merit, your soul will live in a state of eternal separation from what constitutes life. There is no moving forward so to speak, it is a constant state of stagnation and want.  (And making a statement of faith  in Jesus does not constitute a free pass, salvation is an ongoing process through time).

Time is God's way to shake us out of our blind stupor, to see the reality outside of ourselves, and make every minute count towards what matters in life, sloughing off the things that hinder us in relationship with Him in the present state of being and solidify what will be made true in the future.

One more point and I'll end my speal. Calypso tries to seduce Odysseus with the promise of youth and says, " I was 2,300 years old yesterday. Look at me. Do you see any wrinkles." The world will promise us self gratification and stroke to our vanity now. God cares for your right standing with Him, he makes sure this is priority in our brief life in the point of time He places us in. If we can grasp the importance of Who He is, His nature, Why we are here (an interactive relationship with Him that CHANGES us) in that period of time before eternity he also promises us a new body, whole and without decay along with the mind of Christ outside the limits of time.

Human immortality brings us back to the perfection God intended for us in the first place; in body, mind and spirit!
PRAISE GOD!

Resources:

Bible Versus About Immortality

The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evelin

Note: Ulysses is the name Roman culture gives to Odysseus. Odysseus is the name Greek culture uses).

More Thoughts:
I find it interesting Eliphaz, a 'friend' of Job who unjustly accuses him of being punished by God because of his sin, does get the basic idea that humanism is wrong in his statement found in chapter 4 verse 17. "Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?"

I Corinthians 15: 35-58 is a glorious passage written by Paul to explain the future promise God has given us regarding immortality. This makes me thankful for any service or sacrifice that God may require of me during my lifetime.




A Great Memory from 2014:

Alex is learning about the Universe. The latest lesson was listing the characteristics of each planet. One thing that popped out to us was the measurement of time for each planet. There is rotation and revolution. Mercury takes 59 Earth days to rotate and 88 Earth days to revolve around the sun. This got us thinking about the characteristics of time. All these planets are spinning at different rates, we certainly compare these to the constant we know, Earth. This got us thinking about Psalms 90:4 "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by.." (The entire chapter is about our life in the span of time and how we need to be attentive to the accountability we have to God.) We find it amazing that God set the Earth's rotation and revolution as it is 1 day (Rotation) and 365 Day revolution. (It would take too long to go into all the details that make life happen because of this detail.) When we look out into space to study it, we are looking into something other than what we tangibly know and when we look outside of ourselves to God our perspectives have to change as well. In reading Psalms 90 it sure seems God has given us the mechanism of time as a benefit for our soul (verse 12). Is it a correct statement to say, time is a gift to help finite humans understand the 'position' we are in and to learn to trust the eternal infinite God? (It certainly looks like God doesn't 'need' time)