The Same Fire that Produces Destruction, Produces Life

So God formed woman from man. God recognized that nothing outside of man was going to be comparable. So He did something different. He took 1 body, 1 soul, 1 will, and created 2. So the question is, what happens when you put two wills together?

There is a great deal of potential for 1 person. One person can spend their life sitting around doing as little as possible and just barely getting by, or one person can unite and drive entire nations or the world. Our his history books are full of people who changed the world by their actions. However, the only way to really build anything is by cooperation with others. When you take one person and create 2 from them, the potential is for the wills to unite and bond, to grow together. A two cord rope is not easily broken. Two people working together have a much greater potential than does one person alone. By working together they can accomplish and be more than either one could accomplish and be alone.

However, at the same time the potential and reality is that those two wills will conflict with one another. That conflict is natural and to be expected. It is a part of life. Two separate and comparable wills will produce conflict. Arguments and fighting will occur, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Where two wills unite that spark and friction produce the heat, oxygen, and fuel necessary for combustion. Fire is produced, and that fire can heat a relationship, purify it, and destroy it depending on what is done with it and how. Conflict is not necessarily bad, and it is also not necessarily good, but it is necessary and inevitable. Thus the same fire that produces destruction, also produces life.

Image from ndanger used under cc license.

Incomplete Yet Whole

It's important to understand that it is not good for a man or a woman to be alone. Neither are they complete in and of themselves. She needs more than herself, he and God alone is not good. Man needs woman and woman needs man. We are each incomplete alone.

However, it must also be stated that an incomplete man and an incomplete woman together are not complete. To understand this i will use 2 analogies. First, what most people who are single think is that when they meet the right person it will be like 2 pieces of the same puzzle put together. They will connect together, and they will be complete. The puzzle will be done. It's a nice concept. It's fun. It's romantic. It's a concept that seems to pervade today's young marriages, and if kept will destroy those marriages.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the reality is that when God separated man and woman He did not just leave them wholly incomplete. He made them each whole. God took from man, sealed him back up, and make him a whole being in and of himself. God took the rib / side / beam / part of man and formed woman from that. God made her whole as well. So now one whole and complete being (that needed more than just himself & God) is two whole incomplete beings that need each other (& God).

I stated earlier that i had 2 analogies. Well the second analogy that i had i realized didn't work. However, i did find this picture which fills in another analogy that i was considering. When a piece of glass (or in this case a mirror) is broken there is no way to make it complete again. The broken pieces are whole in and of themselves and in theory if you put them back together would make a complete mirror, however the reality is that no matter how perfectly the pieces of a broken mirror are fit back together, they will never be complete again. It works the same way with a man and a woman. Neither are complete in and of themselves. They need each other to be complete, but even by putting them together it doesn't make them perfectly complete.
Well, the analogy is still not all that great, but i think it gets the point across. Hope this helps.

Image from J. C. Rojas used under cc license.

"Make Him an Helper - - as His Counterpart"

It's interesting that in the passage where God says that it is not good for man to be alone that He talks about a partner that is suitable to him. I like how Young's Living Translation puts it "make to him an helper--as his counterpart.' " So He brought Man all of the animals and man named them, but none was found suitable for him. No other creation could be considered man's counterpart. There was nothing comparable to him. So God took a rib / side / beam out of man and formed woman from it.

Notice this, what most translations use is the word rib here. It is the Hebrew word meaning rib, side, beam, chamber, etc. Its implication is more than just as a small bone of little importance and significance, but rather as a whole section or part of Adam. It is not just something that by taking it from Adam would be a mere inconvenience, but rather that by removing this rib / side / beam man is now missing an important part of himself, that without it he is not, nor could be whole. A large part of who man is has been removed, and there is no way to regain it in and of himself.

Image from bleam used under cc license.

"It was good... It is not good"

I think the first step to really understand marriage is to look at the source. Why does marriage exist? Where did it come from?

For that we need to go to Genesis 1-3. First, God created the heavens and the earth.
1) On the first day God created light and separated it from the darkness.
2) Next He created a firmament & divided the waters from the waters.
3) On day 3 He created dry land
4 - 1a) After that He defined the lights and instructed them to rule over the day and night.
5 - 2a) On the next day He created the foul of the air and fish of the sea.
6 - 3a) Finally He created the beasts of the field and man. "Let Us make man in Our image"
So God created man in His image... and all of it was good!

Then in chapter 2 God makes an interesting statement; "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." I believe that this statement says reams about both man & God. God created man in His own image, yet it is not good for man to be alone. Man needs more than himself. Man needs more than himself & God! Not only that, but man NEEDS more than himself & God. It is not an issue of, it's probably not best for man to be alone. It's that it is simply not good for man to be alone. It is not good for him at all.

Well, the girls are awake now and i have to go. I was hoping to get a little further than this, but so be it. The note i want you to leave here with is this: Even though we have been created by the God and creator of all things (and in His image), we still NEED more than just relationship with Him. It is not good for man to be alone.

Image from Bluedharma used under cc license.

What is Marriage?

That seems like a silly question. Everyone knows what marriage is. . . don't they?

You would think that it is a simple question with a simple answer, but that's not so much anymore. With the divorce rate so high and so many broken marriages, the concept of what marriage is seems to be much different than it used to be.

One of the books i'm looking at writing deals with this issue of what marriage is, and i am planning on posting some of my thoughts and concepts here as i work through them.



Image from gregoconnell, used under cc license.

Changes

Changes in the way we do business! I have not been very good at updating my blog lately so i'm going to attempt to make changes to how i do it.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that i don't write. In fact i write in one form or another almost every day. I just don't usually do it on my computer. So i decided that since everything we do (or don't do) is about priorities and making time for what is important, i would go about this a different way. What i will be writing is going to have to do with the notes thoughts and comments that i had throughout the week and already wrote on paper. This way the transition will be easier and less time consuming. Also it should make it so that i'm not consuming so much time arguing and debating. So, hopefully this will stick.

Image from true2source used under cc license.

Our World Through Rose Colored Glasses

It's funny to me how we as people tend to look at our world and society and assume it is so great. The mentality is that we are the most "advanced" and the most "civilized" society. Our view (American/first world nations) of this comes not only from where we are, but who we are. We look at where we are compared to where we have come and assume that we are in a better situation now than in previous generations. It's an automatic assumption. It's a self-centered view. "This is my life, and my world, therefore it must be the best!"

Part of it is that our society has become so technologically advanced and we assume that that is a good thing. Our world is changing so fast that the previous generations get left behind. We change so fast that it creates division between one generation and the next. We are so isolated and separated from our past and where we have come from that all we tend to see is now and the future. As a result we blind ourselves to the problems of the present and our society.

I think that another key point to all of this is human nature. It is human nature that we focus on ourselves. We think that we are right and everyone else is wrong. Our world revolves around us, so our world must be the best. We were raised with our parents and society giving us what we want. The entertainment industry is focused on giving us what we want (or what they think we should want) and appealing to our selfish natures. So of course we tend to think that our world is the best.

How can we think otherwise when all we've been taught is self-focus and rejection of the past. I think it's time to start taking a look at life again; at our world again, not as the marketing department wants us to with the "consumer" world view, but with some real understanding.

Old Notes Make Way for New Ones...

I have just recently finished filling up an old devotional/sermon notes notebook and before really getting into a new one i wanted to go through and highlight some of what i thought were key notes. Due to wanting to limit my space, this is just a sampling of my notes. You can read all of the posted ones at my googlepages page.
Keep in mind, some of these things are not necessarily statements of complete truth so much as my thoughts at the time.

Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord...

What does it mean to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, (soul, mind, and strength)?
OT Heart = center of a man = person = core of a man = seat of the will = the whole man
Broken (Crushed) Heart = Humility & Repentance
Fat & Uncircumcised Heart = Failure to recognize & respond to God = complacent (come from pride?)
Hardened Heart = Failure to accept God's will (turn away)


Men vs. Women

Men find the solutions to womens problems
Men are always looking to fix things for women when much of the time women just want men to find them

Women find the solutions to mens problems
Women are constantly trying to fix men for themselves, when much of the time men want women just to accept and respect them.

O, Lord my God...
when i in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hand has made.
I see the storms. I hear the rolling thunder. Your fire throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee. How great thou art.


Job 23:6

Would He contend with me in His great power?
No! But He would take note of me!

Job thinks that God isn't paying attention?
God already has noticed him. That's why he's in this mess!


There's much more to see. Check it out!

All the Guys (& Girls) Need to Read This! - A bulletin, response, & commentary

The bulletin below has been making the rounds on myspace and i had to comment on it. This principle is one of my major pet-peves.

I know way too many really beautiful girls who think they don't look good... It hurts... because it's our fault, guys I mean YOU. We make girls feel like they have to be perfect. You know what I mean, flat stomach, big boobs, round booty, long legs, sexy lips, and on top of all that, they have to dress like a whore, and be one as well... nobody can measure up to that... and its not fair... because nobody should have to. Girls prefer being called beautiful instead of hott or sexy. The little imperfections are what make people special. If everyone was perfect the world would be so boring, variety is what makes life interesting. So guys, stop making girls have to live up to your, I'm sorry, our... deluded fantasy visions of perfection...

girls who agree repost.
and to the few guys who have balls and agree repost this

In my expereince as a therapist and from talking to girls, guys, men, and women, this is a joke. It amazes me how often this comes across. From what i have seen, women and girls tend to dress up more for themselves and each other. They are looking for someone to make them feel better about themselves and want to be accepted by their peers.

For instance, Married women rarely dress up for their husbands. They dress up when they are going out. They dress up when they are going to be seen by other women. They dress up when they want to feel good about themselves. Rarely do they dress up for their husbands.

At school girls dress up to look good in front of other girls (and to attract guys). Girls are constantly critical of how they and other girls dress. On the other hand, many times most of the guys couldn't tell you how you are dressed differently today than yesterday.

It's easy to blame the guys, but the reality is that more often than not it's about a girl trying to fit into HER OWN or her peers (other girls) expectations and views than the guy's expectations or views.

Take responsibility for you own insecurities, don't blame everyone else.

I have been trying to decide whether it's a good idea to leave this post on my MySpace account or to take it off. I had posted it as a bulletin in response to the initial bulletin, but thought that as my response seems kind of critical or could be taken as attacking, thus it might not be the best idea to make it public for anyone/everyone to see. There is nothing quite like a youth leader appearing as if they are publically attacking a youth from the youth ministry they are involved with. So i put it as a blog post on my MySpace account instead. Now i'm wondering if it would be a good idea to remove it from there as well for the same reasons. However, i really don't want to because i see it as such a major issue that needs to be brought to light and not ignored and swept under the rug.

Any thoughts?

Edit: I have officially removed it...

Answers... hopefully

Mike posted this comment and i thought it would be good to try to answer his question for him.

Ok, strange question. You're confident that Jesus Christ spoke with God and is his last true prophet, right?
Why do you think devout believers of another religon disagree? I'm especially curious about the ones who spoke with God after Jesus, such as muslims, and mormans.

This is not a question that has a simple answer. Especially in the limited space available here. So i will try to answer as best i can in the space i have. First, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus the Christ (Messiah) is not just another prophet. This is made clear in the Old Testament a.k.a. the Jewish scriptures. Let me go through a series of scriptures to deal with this. (I am aware that the Jewish Scriptures have chapter and verse divisions that are not exactly the same as the Old Testament Bible, however the content is the same) . Most of the beginning of this list is basic principles...

1) God is Holy - Leviticus 19:2 Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I, Jehovah your God, am holy.
2) Man is a sinner - Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
3) Sin separates man from God - Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have come between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, from hearing.
4) Attonement is through blood sacrifice - Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood. And I have given it to you on the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.
5) Complete or true attonement is only available through the Messiah's sacrificial death - Isaiah 50:5-9 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12
6) The Messiah had to have already come - Daniel 9:25-26 Know therefore and understand, that from the going out of the command to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in times of affliction. And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself. And the people of the ruler who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And the end of it shall be with the flood, and ruins are determined, until the end shall be war.
- 7 weeks is 7 7's or 49 - the city of Jerusalem was rebuilt in 49 years. 62 7's is 434 years after that that the Messiah was supposed to have been cut off (killed) but not for himself.
7) Jewish Messiah is required for the salvation of both the Jew and the Gentile - Isaiah 42:6 I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand, and will keep You, and give You for a covenant of the people, for a Light of the nations;
8) The Messiah is eternal - Micah 5:2 And you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you being least among the thousands of Judah, out of you He shall come forth to Me, to become Ruler in Israel, He whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.

There are many, many, many, many other prophesies concerning the Messiah/Savior showing that he would be more than just a prophet. I found this website that covers many of the prophesies concerning the coming and fullfillment of the Messiah.

What does all of this have to do with Islam and Mormanism? Simple. These religions treat the Christ as if he is simply another prophet and his coming, death, and resurrection was not the completion/fulfillment of the law that the old testament (Jewish scriptures) and new testament show that he is. Their added "scriptures" are attempts to "complete" by addition what has already been completed. As Revelation 22:18-19 states; For I testify together to everyone who hears the Words of the prophecy of this Book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add on him the plagues that have been written in this Book. And if anyone takes away from the Words of the Book of this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which have been written in this Book.

As i said, this is a limited explanation and does not even come close to fully answering your question, but under the circustances and time & space limitations, this is the best i could do.

Part of My Testimony

This is part of my testimony and some of who i am.

I grew up in a Christian home and was saved at a young age. As i grew older i knew that God was real and working in my life.

When i was around 10 or 11 years old God came to me asking me if i loved Him more than something else that was very important in my life. It took me a moment to look at what I saw of the church and decide that if all of these rules, expectation, and lifelessness that is so prevalent was what it meant to be a Christian, i didn't want to love God more than anything else. So I told God that.

It was not long after that that God began taking all of those things away one at a time. Those next years were very difficult as my world completely fell apart. I continued to go to church and was very involved through my teen years. I worked very hard to be a good Christian and was very frustrated being the only person i knew around my age that was actually trying and feeling that instead of my life being better because of it, it was really only getting worse.

So for a while i began to turn my back on God in part. I was angry with Him for what seemed like His abandoning me. As time went by He drew me back and showed me that He was with me and that all that time He was removing those things that i had placed in my life ahead of Him until there was only Him. Since then He has been replacing those things one at a time.

One of the biggest things that had gotten me through those difficult years had been people that God had put into my life to reach me, like my high-school sunday school teacher. It was because God was working through those people and their influence that i even survived through those years.

This has been a huge factor in my life and has led me to be involved in ministering to youth & young adults and counseling with youth, families, and couples.

By the way....

By the way, i am actually on MySpace. Can you guess what the address is.... wait for it... wait for it... That's right! http://www.myspace.com/jcmasterpiece

Rage Against the Machine

I posted this on my MySpace blog on Thursday... What Mike commented in my last post is exactly along the lines of this.

This morning i woke up from a not so great dream and was thinking some more about anger. In my dream i had gotten completely fed up with a bunch of crap people were giving me and i blew up. It reminded me how much anger comes from pain.
When God created us, he created us with amazing abilities to protect ourselves. One of the ways a person is able to protect themself is through anger. When someone is hurt or in pain, many times it is not possible for that person to express that hurt or by doing so it would cause a great deal of problems. As a result they turn that pain into anger in an attempt to protect themself.
Ephesians 4:26 says to "Be angry, but do not sin". Anger in and of itself is not sin. Anger is a feeling. It's what we do with that anger that can be sin.

Just something to keep in mind and remember for when you need it.

Why Do the Nations Rage?

These are some of my thought while i was doing my devotions this morning. Psalm 2:1 asks,
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?

The chapter goes on to talk about how the wicked attempt to stand against God's anointed, and God promises to/about His Son and the kings.

The first line of the first verse is what i was really focused on this morning. Why do the nations rage? Why do people stand against God? Why do we get so angry?

My first thought was that it's because they have no hope, but that sounded too much like a SundaySchool answer to me so i kept asking.
Because something is missing?
Because they/we feel the need to justify ourselves?
Because me, I, myself (pride)
Because sometimes the only way to stop guilt, feelings of hurt, emptiness, etc. is to turn those feelings into anger...
To make the internal, external.
To give an external source (???find something to lash out at???) to an internal source/problem (???an excuse for our own faillings and guilt???)

So now what? What is the internal problem?
In Psalm 2 those standing against God and His anointed say,
"Let us break Their bonds in pieces
and cast away Their cords from us" vs. 3
They didn't/don't like the Israelite's/God's rules & laws. They made them feel guilty (showed them their sins). ...removed their (self)justification & made them responsible for their own actions.
It's easier to offer a sacrifice to Baal asking for a blessing than to admit and acknowledge self-sin and a need for true repentance.

This is so much of a problem in our society today. What do you think?

Stress About the Job Hunt & the Little Ways God Speaks

The job hunt has been really stressful for both Lori and i. We had been wanting to leave Arkansas pretty much since the moment we got there. We finally felt like we got released from there in the beginning of June. We had felt like the move from Pocahontas to Hartford was more about faith and trust in God than about the job.

Since we have moved here i have been working very hard to find a job. It has been very difficult and draining. The other day Lori and i were having a discussion about it and about how frustrated we are that so many doors seem to be closing with no real direction. It has been causing us to re-evaluate our goals and in part to question God's instructions/our ability to recognize His instruction. In other words just to doubt.

As part of the discussion i had told Lori a number of times that really "i just don't know what to do". Afterwards i just needed to go for a walk to clear my head. I have been walking down to the park, jogging around the park, and walking back trying to just talk to God in the mornings as a part of my devotions. So i went to clear my head and talk to God. As i was walking i was just talking to God telling Him how i feel and that "i just don't know what to do".

As i was walking i went past a house where a guy had been standing there looking at a log in his yard. It looked like a decent sized log but he had ropes tied around it and it looked like he was well on his way to getting it into his truck. I said "good afternoon" as i went by and just kept walking. I thought that maybe he could use some help. But then i figured "nah, if he needs help he'll ask for it". But the thought wouldn't go away. So i told myself that if he was still there when i came back through on my way back that i'd ask if he needed help (not that abnormal of an excuse on my part). I started to feel convicted and gave myself a hard time about it, so i turned around went back and asked him if he needed help...

What kind of response would you expect from a question like that? "Sure, i could use some help" "No thanks, i've got it" or something similar probably. Well, that's not the answer he gave. As soon as i asked, his immediate response was "I just don't know what to do" **SMACK** He said to me exactly what i had said to both Lori and God. The exact words! Needless to say, after some work we got that last log onto his truck with some effort and went on our ways.

I told Lori about it when i got home and apparently she had had a similar experience of God speaking and confirming to her in her time while i had been gone. I'd tell it, but that's her story. It never ceases to amaze me when God just does those little things to give us strength and support right when we need it. It's just His way of saying, "I'm here and I know what's going on. I haven't forgotten about or abandoned you."

My Dangerous Idea

I wrote in earlier posts about the World Question and what my response would be to last years question of what i believe to be true even though i cannot prove it. I promised that i would write about this year's question "What is my dangerous idea?", so here it is.

My dangerous idea is that our modern public educational system is almost completely failing today's youth. If the purpose of the education system is to prepare young people for adulthood and to give them what they need to succeed in life, than it is failing miserably. More and more education above and beyond the basic 12th grade is required to have anything more than a minimum wage job. And oftentimes even that is not enough. I currently have my Masters Degree and am preparing myself to get my Doctorate, but even with all of that education, it was very little preparation for the real world.

The public school system does not prepare people to work and hold down a job, it teaches them to be students. For those people who are not very good at academics (even though they may be great at other things), forcing them to fit into the education system and attempting to force them into a mold that they may not fit simply teaches them to see themselves as a failure instead of building the strengths that they have to help them to be productive.

I do not blame the teachers and educators for this as they often do their jobs very well. Oftentimes they do this at their own personal expense of time, finances, and other potential gain. I believe that the flaw is in the system itself.

In order to explain this properly i need to go over some historical background. Prior to the industrial revolution much of what would have been considered the education of a child was done either through working in the family business, working in the fields, working in the home, and/or doing an apprenticeship/journeyman work. When a child was old enough to be able to do any work,....

Well, that's better, but still not finished...

Not What i Can do For Him, but Who i am With Him.

Isaiah 66:1-2
Thus says the Lord,
"Heaven (is) My throne
And earth (is) My footstool
Where (is) the house that you will build Me?
And where (is) the place of My rest?
For all those (things) My hand has made
And all those (things) exist"
Says the Lord.

"But on this (one) will I look
On (him who is) poor and of a contrite spirit
And who trembles at My word.


This passage talks about how we tend to focus on what we can do or build for God. The reality is that there is nothing that we can do or build for Him that will please Him. He already has it all. He created it all. But the one thing that He does look at and desires from us/his people at the time is that we are/they were poor (depressed in mind or circumstances; also translated humble) and of a contrite (maimed, [figuratively] dejected) spirit and who trembles (afraid, reverence) at My word.

We want to do great things. God wants us to seek and fear Him. When we seek and fear Him, He can use us to do great things. But when we try to do it our way, we inevitably fail.

Poetry & Purpose in Isaiah 61:10-11

Isaiah 61:10-11
א) I will greatly rejoice in the Lord
ב) My soul will be joyful to my God
א) For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation
ב) He has covered me with the robe of righteousness
א) As a bridegroom decks (himself) in ornaments
ב) And a bride adorns (herself) in her jewels

א) For as the earth brings forth its buds
ב) And a garden causes what has been sown in it to spring forth
ג) So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations

The poetic structure of the passage has been highlighted using Hebrew letters

The first section is preparation and lead for the second section
The first two lines are what the author is doing, or who he is
The 4 lines after that explain and flesh why that is so

The second section explains who God is and what He is doing
The last line appears to be the purpose of the entire passage

In the last stanza notice the parallel between the last two lines.
garden ~ Lord God
what has been sown ~ righteousness and praise

In the last stanza i find it interesting that "the earth brings forth it's buds" while "the garden causes what has been sown in it to spring forth"
The first is a natural process while the second is what has been/is being produced (purpose).
That in turn applies to the last line.
"So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations"

Intelligence Tests

Yesterday something i was reading pointed out the first of these two intelligence tests. Being someone who enjoys these kinds of things i was naturally interested,... then caught in the trap. Because of these tests i wasted most of the productive time that i had had yesterday (thankfully i still got the work done that i needed to). But, being the kind person that i am, i decided to share to lack of productivity around the office, and now with you. I got a 20 on the first test so far (although i haven't finished yet), and that doesn't count the 3 or 4 that other people blurted out so i can't count as my own. On the second test, when i left work i had had a score of around 15, but again i'm not through with it yet (and i had a lot less time to work on it).

Let me start you out on the right foot. My wife blurted this one out to me, so i couldn't claim it as one i had figured out so i will pass the answer on to you.
26 L in the A = 26 Letters in the Alphabet. Enjoy and good luck

So how did you do? (What is your 1 day total?)

Sexualizing Youth? Good or bad?

After reading the comments on my last post i decided to pose some questions for the readers and commentators of this site. Kim made the comment that "Society is sexualizing our children at younger ages than ever before", and that this could be causing numerous problems. I commented that i agreed with her, but let's see what you have to say.

1) Do you agree that our society is sexualizing our children at younger and younger ages? Why?
2) Is this something that is a problem? How so or why not?
3) If this is a problem, what can we do to change it?

So now i leave it in your hands...

Feminism and Politically Incorrect Advice for Men

I have been working on and trying to get this post done since about Thursday. Now it's Sunday and i still don't have it finished. I get the feeling that if i don't post this soon, i never will. So here's an unrefined but postable draft.

A friend of mine that i work with found the article, Politically Incorrect Advice for Young Men and bookmarked it. I was focused on getting necessary work work done at the time, so i came back to it later. Much of what this article says i have been recognizing for years and is one of the big issues that i have with today's society. Femminism and our current mentality on love (stemming from the femminist movement) have taken over our society to such an extent that it prevents both men and women from reaching their real potential. There is a reason why so many men abandon their families and so many women are left to raise their kids as single moms.

Anyways this article is about the author's awakening and advice to young men and should really be taken seriously. I especially like what he said in point 7:

Society is addicted to sex. The atmosphere is sexualized. Human relationships have been degraded. The best way to fight sex addiction is to get married. Sexual liberation is not wanting sex (because you have it.)

Understand, i do not fully agree with everything Mr. Makow states, especially in regards to his staying "Make work (not women) your passion". A man that is burried in his work with disregard for his wife and family is called a workaholic. I believe that you should make your work and your family your passions.

Anyways, this article has alot to say about the current state of our society and some of the falacies that pervade it. I recommend that you read it.

What do i Believe?

Last year’s World Question was “What do You Believe is True Even Though You Cannot Prove it?”  I suppose that there are a great many things that i believe, and that i cannot prove.  

For instance i believe that no one is an accident.  I believe that every human being has a purpose greater than themself that they can reach/attain, or not, but never on their own.  I believe that every person has the potential to attain to great things, world changing things, yet never fulfill their purpose.  I believe that there is more to a human being than just a body and mind; that every human being has a soul/spirit.  I believe that there are unseen forces in this world that are at war with each other, continually battling for our lives and souls, attempting to bring those purposes to fruition or to bring us to destruction.  I believe that everything we do is connected to ourselves and the world around us.  Thus as no one is an island unto themselves, nothing one does, does not affect others around them.  Thus nullifying the idea that i can do what I want as long as it doesn’t affect anyone else.  I believe that all of these things are connected, and more.

There are many other things that i believe that i cannot prove by science and mere reason.  What i've stated here is just the tip, of the tip, of the iceberg.

So, what do you believe?

The World Question

It appears that each year the Edge Foundation, Inc. asks an annual "World Question" inviting scientists and intellectuals all over the world to respond with thieir thoughts and ideas. Many of responses end up published in a book. Last year's question was "What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it", with the responses published in the book What We Believe But Cannot Prove: Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty .

This year the question is "What is Your Dangerous Idea?" The explanation of this question on the website reads

The history of science is replete with discoveries that were considered socially, morally, or emotionally dangerous in their time; the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions are the most obvious. What is your dangerous idea? An idea you think about (not necessarily one you originated) that is dangerous not because it is assumed to be false, but because it might be true?

Hopefully sometime soon i will have time to post my responses to these two questions. Untill then feel free to comment on how you would answer them.

Homosexuality in Development

There are many that say that homosexuality is a nature (as opposed to nurture) issue and that the idea that a person can "become" homosexual due to circumstances is rediculous.

There is an article on C|Net.com about how a Boy Joins a Sordid Online World Through His Webcam. It's about how he got online with his webcam to meet girls and ended up as a major player in the online child pornography world including homosexual prostitution as a result of manipulation and "grooming".

he would pay Justin $50 to sit bare-chested in front of his Webcam for three minutes. The man explained that Justin could receive the money instantly and helped him open an account on PayPal.com, an online payment system.

"I figured, I took off my shirt at the pool for nothing," he said recently. "So, I was kind of like, what's the difference?"

Justin removed his T-shirt. The men watching him oozed compliments.

The article goes on to explain how this is developed and what made him suceptable to this kind of problem.

The emotional turmoil left Justin longing for paternal affection, family members said. And the adult males he met online offered just that. "They complimented me all the time," Justin said. "They told me I was smart, they told me I was handsome."

In that, experts said, the eighth-grade boy's experience reflected the standard methods used by predatory adults to insinuate themselves into the lives of minors they meet online.

"In these cases, there are problems in their own lives that make them predisposed to" manipulation by adults, Lawrence Likar, a former FBI supervisor, said of children persuaded to pose for pornography. "The predators know that and are able to tap into these problems and offer what appear to be solutions."

Overall it is a really interesting article with quite a bit to say. I was rather disappointed however that almost no focus was placed on what has helped to bring him back out of the problem, with just a quick note saying;

Justin himself has found a measure of control over his life. He revealed the details of his secret life to his family, telling them of all the times in the past that he had lied to them. He has sought counseling, kept off drugs, resumed his connection with his church and plans to attend college beginning in January.

But, such is life...

Pride & Control

It's funny, because i know that God always listens when i speak.
I also know that He speaks and oftentimes i don't listen.
But what really amazes me is how much He says, by saying so little.
Tonight this is what He said to me...

You say you want My will.
You say you want to do My work...
But you say only if you do it.

I guess the title says it all...

How to Make the Bible Fit Your View

So many people do this so naturally and without even thinking about it, but i thought i'd break it down for you with some examples.

1) Read the Bible with pre-set assumptions. You will often find what you are looking for. This is actually what every person tends to do.
2) Pick and choose the passages you want to accept and that fit your view and ignore any that don’t. It usually helps to quote these passages to others so that if people do disagree others can support your view.
3) Pick and choose whole sections of the Bible. If you don’t like something you can always say that it is a metaphor and it should not to be taken literally.
4) Redefine a word to make the verse that it’s in fit your view
5) Impose our culture into the Bible as though it was the culture of the Bible times. Attempting to change the Bible to fit the culture is a long held tradition and is especially sought in today’s society.
6) Don’t even read the Bible, and pretend that you know what you’re talking about.
7) Don’t read the Bible and claim that it is irrelevant, ancient, or useless.
8) Read multiple translations. That way you’re more likely to find one that might say what you want it to. This is especially evident in pop-culture "Christian" books.
9) Keep an eye out for new translations. There have been numerous attempts to make more “politically correct” Bibles that sacrifice accuracy for social acceptability.
10) When the Bible does say something that you disagree with point out any possible contradictions in the Bible and say that it is not accurate and should not be taken seriously rather than working through those, so called, "contradictions".
11) Do research and studies through sources that you know & agree with, and disregard as inherantly flawed any that you don't. It usually helps to point those flaws out to others.

If anyone can think of one that i missed, feel free to comment.
I set up a wikiHow article on making the Bible fit your viewpoint.

Silence is Golden

Silence is Golden

Sorry i haven't posted in a while.  I was commenting so much on Jewish Atheist's blog here for a while that it kind of burned me out.  When the network at work and the satellite uplink started having problems it meant that the only time i could post was in the evenings at home or first thing in the mornings and i found that it was making me a little too temperamental.  So i needed a break.  I’m back for now, but in a limited fashion.  The network at work is still on the fritz for a few more weeks and my mother is coming into town tomorrow, so as usual, my time is limited.  Well, enough of my boring excuses…on to more important things.  

Are Those Who Oppose Homosexuality Criminals?

What is the problem here? Senator Kennedy is again attempting to make it illegal to make a public statement against homosexuality.

In an article on World Net Daily as of the 21st, Kennedy was attempting to attach an ammendment that would make speaking out against homosexuality a crime to The Streamlined Procedures Act of 2005 and before that the Child Safety Act .

After a failed attempt at passing "hate crimes" legislation, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is trying to attach an amendment favored by homosexual-rights activists to another bill, an activist group warns.

Kennedy sought to pass the controversial legislation – adding "sexual orientation" to the hate-crimes law – through the "Child Safety Act," but this time the vehicle is "The Streamlined Procedures Act of 2005," which deals with federal criminal procedures, says Concerned Women of America.

Tom Perkins as quoted in the article states:

"It is shocking that a bill designed to protect children from sexual predators is now being used to protect the sexual preference of homosexuals."

More recently he has attempted to attach it to the Sex Offender Bill and some are concerned that this may prevent this bill from passing.

A fight over federal hate crimes legislation could torpedo Sen. Orrin Hatch's push to strengthen the nation's sex-offender registries and clamp down on sex crimes.
The Senate Judiciary Committee gave quick, unanimous approval to Hatch's bill Thursday, clearing its way for consideration by the full Senate.
But Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said he plans to try to attach language to a bill that would require tougher sentences, provide federal assistance and offer grants to prosecute hate crimes - those motivated by hatred for a race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

Basically, if this was passed many of the comments that have been made in JA's post Letter to Dad and my subsequent post about my Paper Outline would be considered hate crimes if they had been made in a public setting. This would be the case even as something that was overheard in a conversation, and could result in serious jail time for the commentator.

So much for the right to religious freedom and the freedom of speech.

Tag, i'm it.

Well, since i was tagged by Jewish Atheist, i guess i will have to answer it, but i may not pass on the tag. I won't be able to finish this post now, but i will at least get started.

My list my quirky habits and strange hangups:

1) I have ADHD and am constantly fidgeting.

2) I have difficulty getting started on things and staying on task (also part of the ADHD)

3) I tend to mistake what other people are saying or hear what they are actually saying instead of what they are attempting to say, and as a result hear all kinds of amusing comments.

4) I tend to notice and comment on what and how people say things often pointing out double negatives and such as they tend to annoy me.

5) How i act and what i say on my blog often is extremely different from what i'm like in real life (just ask my wife). In real life i tend to be really laid back and not very opinionated about most things. However, as you can tell when it comes to issues that are important to me, i tend to be very opinioniated.

6) I really enjoy stirring things up, which i rarely ever do in real life.

7) I don't like using a capital "i" in my writing. I'd get into it but i don't have time at this point.

Well, that's a start.

Paper Outline

In a debate on Jewish Atheist's blog i has mentioned a paper i had written on for one of my classes. This is the outline to that paper.

What is Homosexuality?

• Not an issue of black and white. There are many shades of grey.

• When is someone considered homosexual?

– Any homosexual experience or interest at all

– Many to a majority of relationships are homosexual in nature

– Almost all or all relationships are homosexual

• Homosexuality vs. Homosexual Experiences

“Just because someone has a homosexual experience does not mean that they are homosexual.”

How Many People are Homosexual?

• Many different studies have shown different statistics

• NHSLS (National Health and Social Life Survey)

• These stats are adjusted to allow for concealment by some respondents

• 92% Men 95% Women – Exclusively heterosexual

• 7-8% Men 4-5% Women – Have had at least one homosexual experience

• 2% Men 1% Women – Exclusively homosexual

Views of Homosexuality

• Sin

– This is a lifestyle choice that a person makes. They are this way because they choose to be this way.

• Mental Illness or Defect

– Homosexuals are this way because there is something wrong with them and they need to be fixed. They have had bad experiences or they are sick.

• Nature

– These people are born this way. It is in their nature, and as such they should be accepted as they are without judgment or condemnation.

What is the Source of Homosexuality?

• Genetic Factors

– Prenatal Factors – Hormonal problems during development

– Differences in Brain Structure - one study showed this, but the study had a number of different flaws

– Endocrine Imbalance – Testosterone treatment not shown to be effective (horny not hetero). Other hormones being studied, but still inconclusive.

• Environmental Factors

– Homoseductive mother

– Learning theory

– Others

– In reality no one can tell you how to make your child homosexual

• A Combination of Both

Can Sexual Orientation be Changed?

• APA View

• “That conclusion (that homosexuality can not be changed) found support in the APA’s December, 1998 criticism of efforts to change sexual orientation. Its president, Rodrigo Munoz, summed up the association’s position: ‘There is no scientific evidence that reparative or conversion therapy is effective in changing a person’s sexual orientation. There is however evidence that this type of therapy can be destructive’” (Myers, 1999)

• Conversion Therapy – Limited success

– Exodus International

Common Problems

• Self-esteem and acceptance

• Relationship problems

– Family and friends

– Community

• STD’s & AIDS

• Career Problems

– Difficulty at jobs due to bias

Biblical Perspective

• The homosexual act is a sin

• Sin separates man from God

• We are to show Christ’s love to the sinner

• We are to help the sinner

• It is the job of the Holy Spirit to change the sinner

• I Corinthians 5:1-8

Counselors Perspective

• What do you do when a homosexual individual comes to you seeking help for personal problems? Why/Why not?

• What do you do when a homosexual couple comes to you seeking help in their gay or lesbian relationship? Why/Why not?

• What are the consequences of your decision?

If anyone has any questions about this paper just ask and i will see what i can do about answering the questions. Just keep in mind that this was written a couple of years ago and may not have all of the updated research.

When Evolution & Creation Collide

Eric keeps bringing up in comments to me about how he doesn't see a conflict between Christianity and evolution. So i decided to do a post on that subject.

There are many, many, many, many reasons why evolution and creationism collide i will only touch on two "Life" & "Death".

Life -
Genesis 1:25-28 And God made the beasts of the earth after its kind, and cattle after their kind, and all creepers upon the earth after their kind. And God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.
And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and all animals that move upon the earth.

Gen 2:7 And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

God created man in His own image. He formed man from the dust of the ground and gave him life by breathing life into him. Thus man was not alive until that breath of life was breathed into him. This is what makes man different than any other creature. This is why of all of the creatures of the earth, only man has art, poetry, a recorded history, a society, an extensive education system, and can grow and develop well beyond the individual. Every other creature of the earth lives off of instinct with little culture. Man came alive with the breath of God. This is a premise that exists and defines much of the Bible.

The problem then comes with evolution in that evolution teaches that man was not created in God's image. Man is just another animal that evolved from other animals (monkeys). He was not created from the dust of the earth after the other creatures, and the breath of God did not bring life to man because he is just an evolutionary extension of monkey.

The Scripture says that God created man uniquely from other animals.
Evolution says man is an evolutionary extension of monkeys.

The Scripture says that man's life came from God's personal breath.
Evolution says that man had life before he existed, in the form of monkeys.

Death
Gen 2:15-17 And Jehovah God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.
And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Rom 5:12 Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed on all men inasmuch as all sinned:
Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more they who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.)
1Co 15:21 For since death is through man, the resurrection of the dead also is through a Man.

Death did not exist before man sinned. This is another basic principle of the Bible. Death entered the world because of the sin of man. Therefore man needs a redeemer from death.
This is a problem with regards to evolution because evolution teaches that before man existed many, many species lived and died. In fact, according to evolution, man only came to be because previous generations and species died out and a form of monkey evolved with each new generation to slowly become man.

The Scripture says death came because man sinned and Christ came to abolish death.
Evolution says death existed long before man existed. It is a part of the formation of everything thus there is no need for a redeemer.

Thus the theory of evolution undermines these two principles that are at the very core of Biblical teaching and understanding. These principles of life and death are foundations of most of the religions of the world including Christianity, Judism, & Islam. Thus evolution undermines almost every major religion in the world. The theory of evolution was formed and is at it's very core anti-religious as it's founder was. When evolution alone is taught in public schools those schools reinforce an anti-religious viewpoint. Thus this goes against the concept of the right to religious freedom without cohersion and the seperation of church and state.

Mike's Thoughts on Prayer

Mike Camiolo made this comment on my last post and i thought that it deserved it's own post, so here it goes.

Quick piece (of) food for thought. I went to New Year Services last night and I was reading the book. I hadn't noticed before, but the prayers are basically just asking God to do this for me; or God help this go well; or God I love you, your awsome. I hadn't realized how little personal empowerment there was. I would have much rather been reading prayers saying "God, help me keep myself safe" or "God, when I strive to reach my goals, help protect me from failure." It seems like we're tiny little Mites around God's feat, and if we want to be like him, then we should start asking him how he got that way and stop worrying about asking God to protect us from other Mites.

Intolerance, Narrow-Minded, & Biased

It irks me so much when people use terms like these towards Christians just because they don't like what they say or disagree with them. What's funny and sad about this is that those that say such things are doing exactly what they criticize Christians of doing.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
defines Narrow-Minded this way "Lacking tolerance, breadth of view, or sympathy; petty." To put it another way, it is a lack of acceptance or tolerance of another view because it disagrees with one's personal view.

I don't doubt that Christians are that way. What i am stating is that when a person criticises someone else and calls them intolerant, narrow-minded, & biased they are often doing exactly that themselves. To say that someone else does this then ignore this entirely in oneself makes the fool of the one labeling the fool.

Every person is intollerant, narrow-minded, and biased. Would you be tolerant of someone coming into your house day after day and taking something of yours? Would you accept the viewpoint of a 28 year old man wanting to have sex with your 13 year old daughter? If someone came into your work and said that all teachers / engineers / therapists / doctors / whatever you happen to be were fools and a plague on society do you really think that you would be unbiased? Absolutely not. Some of these are extreme examples but they are set up to prove a point.

Every person in the world is intolerant, narrow-minded, & biased! Some are willing to admit it and some criticise others because of it. I know and fully acknowledge that i am intolerant, narrow-minded, & biased. I have never pretended not to be. In school i was taught that therapists need to be as unbiased with their clients as possible. However, i was also taught that this is a continual process and will never be fully achieved.

Birthday Survey

LIFE: INSPIRATIONS
Who would you hate to be stuck in a room with? 
Some of my client's parents... It's no wonder they have the problems they do.  A lawyer or politician i can handle... a parent who is messing up their kids life and all they can think about is themselves... that makes me insane.

Who would you want to go to lunch with?  Hmm.  That's an interesting question.  Are you asking about the living or anyone in history? 
In present times: probably a recent Christian author such as James Dobson (i know dbackdad is going to give me a hard time for that).  I would like to talk to some of these authors about book ideas and such. 
In History: the easy answer would have to be Jesus as number 1.  Next would probably be the apostle John.  His writings really have a lot to say and i know for a fact that there's so much more there that i'm missing.

Are you a leader or a follower?  I can do both, although i tend to follow more than lead.  Actually i tend to like to be my own person not really following or leading, and i tend to get nervous when other people follow me. 

You receive (in the mail, of course) a one-hour pass to the Throne Room and a sitting with Jesus. You are allowed two questions. What do you ask? -- I don't know.  At this point i don't think that there is any real questions that i need answers to.  Recently my relationship with Christ has really felt strained and distant and it has been difficult for me to spend the quality time with Him that i really need to.  So i think that it would be good to be able to spend that one hour just sitting in His presence spending time with him.

What characteristic do you despise?  I'd have to say selfishness & pride - after working with kids and seeing how selfish parents can mess them up it really infuriates me

What conditions make you feel closest to God? – When i'm at the end of my rope and am dead tired.  When i have nothing left to give and it's not enough.  When i'm at my worst and i cry out to God and just spend time in His presence praising and worshiping or just resting.  That's when i feel closest to God.

What was the most recent compliment you received and savored? 
Actually, my little sister and i both realized that we aren't very good at giving or receiving compliments.  So as for savoring i can't say that i've done that in a while.  The most recent compliment was when the doctor here said to one of my clients during a treatment team meeting that i may be one of the best therapists in the facility. 

What was your favorite subject in school? 
That depends on the school.  In highschool it was my pottery and sculpting classes. 
At *IT it was probably cermics.
At the Bible college it was any Bro. Fount class or Marriage and Family. 
In my masters program it was usually most classes led by the three primary Counseling professors although my cultural perspectives class with a person that they flew in from South Africa was really, really good as well.

Happy Birthday (Tomorrow) Survey

Well, tomorrow is my birthday so i decided to do a post/survey on... me!  I was just going to do the whole survey tomorrow, but as much as i tried to shorten it it's still too long.  Big surprise there considering how long winded i tend to be.

BASIC LIFE
Name/Nicknames: JCMasterpiece of course / JC & JCM

DOB: September 23, a day that will live in infamy... or not.

What is your middle name?  Believe it or not, Joseph

What do you have for breakfast?  Cereal during the week, and usually i make something fun on Saturdays.  Sunday could be just about anything.

Favorite ice cream?  No real overwhelming favorite.  I usually like fruit flavors, but it all depends on what i'm in the mood for.

Butter, plain or salted popcorn?  Extra Buttered.

What kind of car do you drive?  I really enjoy my 2001 Ford Focus.  I just wish it was a standard instead of an automatic.

Favorite sandwich?   Something Philly Cheese Steak style

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation?   Italy...easily.

Where would you retire to?  Somewhere in Italy or Sicily preferably, but i think Lori would have other ideas

What did you do on your last date?  We went and got ice-cream.  Then we went for a walk in the park.

Your favorite color(s)?  Black, Burgundy, and Hunter Green

What's your favorite item to cook? 
Hmm, my favorite would probably have to be omelets.  They're fun to cook and eat, and recently i've gotten much better at flipping them

On a scale of 1 to 10 how computer savvy are you? 
Probably a 7 to 8.  Everyone comes to me with problems or questions and i can usually help them, but i'm definitely no hacker

Beach, City or Country?   Hmmm.... this one is a toughie.  Probably in a suburb or town close to a city.  Preferably near extended family and close friends...  Top preference would be somewhere in western NY.  Needless to say Lori and i are really ansy being out here in the middle of nowhere

ENTERTAINMENT
What video game system?
Of the current generation i would have to go with Nintendo Game Cube, then PlayStation 2, but not X-Box (Bill Gates has too much of my money already and i don't like the idea of his company trying to take over and monopolize another area of my life).  
For the coming generation i would have to go with Nintendo Revolution, then when the prices drop the PlayStation 3.

What current games? 
Video games: I've been on an RPG kick lately and currently i'm playing Lord of the Rings: The Third Age.  I almost have the main part of the game beat with all areas at 100%.  I'm currently in the last level. 
Card games: A homebrew 2 player version of Euchre that combines some aspects of Spades into the gameplay. 
Board games: I've gotten my wife into Risk lately.

Recent Reads? 
Non-Fiction: The Bible, Wild at Heart, online news sites, & blogs. 
Fiction: Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, online news sites, & blogs. 

Favorite Reads?  Non-Fiction: The Bible.  Fiction: Shogun.

Recent Movies/Television?  Sahara (pretty good) / Rides
Favorite Movies/Television? Lord of the Rings trilogy, the origional Star Wars trilogy, Fiddler on the Roof / Firefly & the new Battlestar Galactica series.
What movies have you watched over and over?  The (original) Star Wars trilogy and Fiddler on the Roof

Favorite sport to watch?   Professional and World Cup Soccer.

Coincidence? I think not!

I've said it before; I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago. It's one thing to believe in something unexplainable (not the right word), but when it plays out right in front of my eyes/ears it just doesn't cease to amaze me.

Just over a year ago my wife and i had a long talk with someone that we don't usually get to spend a lot of time with. It was funny because in one conversation my wife said something completely out of character for her. When she said it, it totally blew me away. I couldn't believe that those words were coming out of her mouth. Doing what she wanted would be almost totally selfless and would mean basically giving up a year of her life for people that she hardly knew. (Needless to say i have had a great deal more respect for her since that conversation.)

I was more than a little concerned with the way that the conversation was going. It's not that i didn't like the idea, or that there was anything wrong with it. Actually, i thought the idea was great. I was concerned that she was saying it to other people before she really had a chance to process what she was thinking. What i expected to happen was that as we talked about it more over the coming weeks (in private) that she would decide that she didn't want to do this after all (which was what did end up ahappening eventually). In the process we would have spoken about it to someone else and not doing what we mentioned might cause difficulties especially if somehow what we were talking about somehow got out. That's not to say that i expected one of the three of us to talk about it with a bunch of people, but you know how it goes when something that is said in private somehow ends up very public. In this case it could have very serious repercussions no matter what.

Well, this past weekend i got a call from this third person. The point of this call was that they wanted our permission to take my wife's idea and run with it themself. Circumstances have drastically changed and they were currently in the position to make it happen while we were not. We gave this person our blessing and they were going to do some more praying about it before they brought the plan to the people it was for. This person is planning on using the exact same stipulations that we had all talked about and it's pretty much pre-planned.

It's just so amazing how one conversation over a year ago, and the plans invoved in it, can affect things over a year later. When we had had the conversation at the time the other person had stated that they so wished that they could do this but that they were in no position to. Just over a year later and after some major (unplanned) personal loss what had been talked about looks like it will happen. Just not the way we expected. (It's still not fully decided though)