Another influential media!!!

I don't tend to use the word dark very much to describe how things are going, I prefer to use words like "shitty", or "just plain lousy". I guess dark (to me)tends to describe the spiritual side, and I must admit that if I were talking about that it would be fucking black right now. The song above (My Immortal) talks to me about living within my head with myself! On the bright side (there is always a bright side - even for me - the realist), I am looking at help.

The other day I talked about how we are so influenced by our parents in what we believe or how we live, and even how we think.......we do the same now with the media. The media has probably more influence on us than probably most people we know. They tell us what to wear, how we should look, what we should eat (healthy or otherwise), what we should watch on TV or shouldn't watch for that matter. They slant their news stories to fit their beliefs (be it conservative or liberal) so as to influence us...and we are influenced by it, and believe it or not (going out on a limb here - won't be the last time either) we are sometimes more influenced by the media than the Bible. We say that we believe the Bible, what we should do and how we should live, what God said and what Jesus preached, but the more that society or the media tells us otherwise, we then become more culturally or ethically tolerable to things that the Bible would tell us otherwise. A lot of cities hold gay pride parades. Thirty years ago that would have been unheard of, but now, because of how the media has portrayed them lately or "promoted" them, you come across as anti-gay or homo-phobic if you even speak against them and what they do. Everyone should still be entitled to an opinion. The Bible speaks quite clearly on homosexuality, yet we have watered it down rather than take a stance.

A couple of days ago, the order of Canada was given to (abortionist) Henry Morgentaler. All thanks mostly to the media. So many other people who are so much more deserving, but the media focuses on ratings and promoting their slants and bias. After hearing the news of being recognized, Morgentaler said "(It's a) sign of recognition for all the work I've done over the years and the sacrifices I've made," Wow, he is not kidding. Isn't that an interesting word he chose, when he uses the word sacrifices!!! All those babies sacrificed for his recognition. Bastard. Oops...probably can't say that. Might be seen as Morgentaler-phobic, or politically incorrect, or maybe even the greatest media "sin" ... being intolerant!!!
FTBS

One small step, one big tumble.

Had lots of time to think this past weekend driving to Minneapolis, but it was a time of one step forward, two steps back....one questioned answered, two more questions asked. Did lots of thinking about God, religion, etc. Thought about how we are influenced by our upbringing about what we believe. Whether Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon, Jew or Atheist....we are very much influenced by how our parents brought us up in that belief/surrounding. We don't (most of us) question what we believe at that point, some of us don't even question it now. We just assume that our parents are telling us that this is the truth and this is what you need to believe to be "a good person" in life or who/what you need to follow to get to heaven or the equivalent (depending on your faith or lack of). After all, surely our parents would not lie to us about something so important??? So as we grow up, we believe that our religion, or our God is "the one", and everyone elses belief system is wrong (probably even more so in the Christian faith because of the exclusivity of Christ - the only way). It is only recently for me, that I am questioning my faith to see if this is "for real", and not my daddy's faith. There is so much of what is in the Bible that requires faith. Not too much room for logic or reason if your thinking tends to take you along those lines. So many more questions that you once took for granted, but when you stop and think about them you wonder....do I really believe this stuff. Some of this stuff is pretty far fetched when you think about it (I guess this is where faith comes in). I remember watching an episode of All in the Family years ago and in one episode Archie Bunker describes faith as "...believing in something that nobody in his right mind would believe." Maybe I will look for a book and see how others answer these perplexing questions I have. Just wish I had done this (questioning of faith) when I was younger, but for the most part just glad to be doing it even now. Even at Bible College I was never challenged to think about what I believe, but to just have faith and God will show you. I am a realist and skeptic by nature, so that thinking just does not work for me, or, I suppose, it just makes it harder for me. Even in my experiences at church, I find I will listen (when I used to attend church) to what is being said, but never question what is being said or challenge it. I just assume the preacher is speaking and interpreting God's word to all who are there. I need to question these things.
Some of my latest "God Questions" (as I call them), are.....

Why create a people where at some point there is a possibility of hell at the end for some?

When I think of what I learned as a kid in Sunday School or in Bible College, I think there is a lot of really far fetched stuff to believe in, and I suppose not really much different than maybe some of the far fetched beliefs of other World Religions. I am not saying that I don't believe in what the Bible tells us, but am just saying there are lots of things that to me are really "off the wall". For instance, the virgin birth, the fact that God always was, the resurrection, heaven and hell, and the second coming.....just to name a few.

I have not abandoned the faith, just showing where I am struggling and questioning. I believe it is all part of all the other shit I am going through at this time. I wonder if my parents ever questioned what they believed, or did it just pass on down the line from their parents, etc etc etc......

Time to think

This graph represents how things have gone within me over a fairly short period of time. Things are pretty dark right now. I will have lots of time to think over the next few day as I am driving to Minneapolis. I am only one trip away from hitting bottom so I have decided to look into some help. I have decided at least for now, that I don't want to be on medication, as that only masks the real problem of what lies beneath. I may change my mind someday but i would rather get to the root of things than just the surface. The time alone to think may be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing when negative thoughts come. Regardless, whatever happens...I still see it as a beautiful life.

Thoughts this week!!!!!!!!

One thought I had this week while standing in line is How much time in this life is wasted on things that aren't worth shit. As i was waiting in line, I thought I must wait in line just about everywhere I go, Superstore, the Bank, Tim Horton's, Walmart, traffic, Airport, on the freaking phone (where my call is important so wait on the damn line) ....and I could make this list longer. Not only is time wasted standing in line, but do I really need to be there in the first place. We live in a society where we have so much expendable cash. We spend it on coffee when we could make it at home, we buy junk at Walmart or Superstore that we really don't need or go out to restaurants when we could eat at home. I am sure that I would spend a good 10 - 20 % of my income on shit I don't even need. Which brings me to my next point....

At work there is a Samaritan's Purse poster up saying that a child dies every 20 seconds. How amazing it is that I can walk by that poster a few times a day and not give it much thought other than , yeah, that is too bad. Yet I can wait in the store for something i don't need so I can fill my face, or buy a new TV, or a new lawn chair to sit on outside, or a new BBQ, because the other BBQ, well it is just getting old. Where to draw the line between what we know we should do (take a look at the Tony Campolo video on the right) and what really is not necessary. Just another thought I had this week.

Finally, something that continues to really piss me off, are those guys/girls standing on the street corners holding up the piece of cardboard that says "Hungry and broke. Too polite to steal". Isn't that nice of them that they don't steal....I guess that depends on how you look at it. Here they are stealing from those who give them money (and there must be a lot of people giving them money because they continue to make their living at it). One line they should add at the bottom of their sign as well is "too $&%&$*# lazy to work like the rest of you".
How many places are in need of help, but what the hell, they probably make much better money at this. There are people out there who do need assistance, but when you get lazy people like this, you just get tired of all the handouts.

The cookie cutter church devotional

Still searching for answers ......... for God ......... for purpose, for some sense of enjoyment, happiness (temporary or even permanent), etc. So in my "searching" I went for coffee the other day with someone and we were discussing the church and what it looks like to us. We spoke as if the people in the church were chocolate chip cookies. Giant cookies, little cookies, some with lots of chocolate chips, and others with only a few, some that were homemade, others that were store bought. Then one Sunday morning in came a chocolate chip cookie that had raisins in it. Well the whole church was abuzz. "Quick, someone get those raisins out of here, otherwise the whole batch will be ruined". A little far fetched?... maybe a little. In this analogy the raisins are sin, so are the chocolate chips...but unlike our chocolate chips (which everyone has) we are now seeing something that we don't like. It is one thing to have those chocolate chip sins in full view of everyone, because we all do those things, but to see raisins and chocolate chips mixed together, and wait just a second.........oh my goodness there are some peanuts in there as well as raisins, and "Oh no, they are wearing jeans too!!!" The homemade cookies are the ones who basically believe what your parents believed and the store bought are the ones who became Christians later.

Some sins it seems are more "acceptable" than others...like the ones "we all do or have done", but heaven forbid when we see someone in the church commit a sin that we usually keep buried within the dark deep caves of our hearts and minds. Simply an illustration for all of us on how we treat (whether in word or in thought) those who are either different from us or are displaying those very sins that we also harbour inside.


Obviously, I have still not found what I am looking for......stay tuned.........

Thoughts from today.

Judge not, lest ye be judged. Thought about that verse for awhile this morning. It is amazing how even after all these removed from bible college, how much you still remember, even though it has been far from where I am at lately. Anyway, while I was thinking that verse today, I was thinking about how often I judge others, as well as how often others judge me. I guess in some way shape or form we all do it (not saying it is right), just stating fact. I came to the conclusion on the part about people judging me that it is okay, I can't control what people think of me or my views, just like they can't control what I think about them. It comes down to a heart motive, why we do what we do. I always remember someone from Bible college saying to me, "For every finger you point at someone else, there are two others pointing back at you". Always remember but don't always pay attention to it. But, I try. When I fuck up, I have to move on.

When I judge others, for instance, when I look at them and think or say to them, you know what, you need to do this (sound like doctor dumb ass or Dr. Phil when I do that). I see their imperfections and think if they would only change this or that, they would be the better for it. Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn't but they did not ask for my advice, and even if they did they may not want to hear it anyways.
I need to fix myself first before I can even think of trying to fix them (yeah I can hear the verse that applies here also). Get the freaking two by four out of your own eye, then help them remove the speck. Can I fix myself....maybe. Is church the answer....not now , it is not even on the radar. In fact, right now I find it hard to work in one, when I feel I am not on the same "mission" as those who work there, and are Christian. But, what the heck,it is what it is. Is Jesus the answer....hmmm sounds like the old Sunday School stories we learned in church when it seemed the answer to everything was Jesus, even when the question being asked was, "What has lots of hair, four legs, and barks"? As a five year old you are thinking maybe it is a dog, but because I am in Sunday School, surely the answer has to be Jesus. Digressing, yes. Jesus could be the answer to what is causing my problems....won't admit to a definite yes or no right now though. So when I see that people are having problems I will not give advice....maybe some.... if asked.... maybe. I thought about this today, that how can I tell someone else who is going through a similar issue, that they need to do "this", when I won't do it myself. That is when the light went on.

The other thing I thought about while vacuuming, was the fact of being censored, or stifled, or hushed in what I think or believe and even blog about. So if there are people who read my blog, just a note, it will contain things I think about, or my beliefs about God, and about where I feel the church is headed or even I how see the church, or how I see life and all the things I experience......because I can. So can you. Hell I might even grow from it. We should all have that freedom to speak what we believe....and we should all have that freedom to not share that belief also.

Good? Good enough? For......

That I would be good. How about Good enough?....good what...good friend? good worker? good husband? good person? good father? ...the list could go on and on. I have failed at all of these at some point. In fact, still failing on some if not most, as we speak. Really at another crossroad right now in my life, actually I am at a couple of them. Major ones? Yeah, some might say so! The ones I am thinking of, are big enough that it requires a big step to go and change them. You know those times when you start to think I can't do this anymore...I have reached the end of the rope or end of the line, in what I am doing and I need to change it. Do I really want to change it, or is it just a mood thing right now. I have lost the desire, not 100%, but certainly about 95%, therefore I feel it is necessary to change it, or change my attitude. I can't change what people think of me (based on whatever decision I make), whether they like me or hate me. I need to do what is right for me. For a long time I found I was very much the people pleasing person, still am, for the most part (believe it or not) too, but shit that really wears a person out. Eventually you have to say, NO. Not as easy as it sounds after saying yes for so long. The older you get the harder it is to change, change your way of thinking, change what you have always done, mostly out of habit, change yourself, change from the same routines and tasks that have been performed day after day. Again, this list could go on and on. Sometimes I think it would be just so much easier to start all over, somewhere else. No one knows you, you could be who you really are. It is not only hard to change from the same old same old for yourself, but for those around you who are seeing a change in you, and they don't like the new person you have become. Really it is still the same you, at least on the inside you know you have always had these thoughts but could never express them before because of personality (maybe shy or just not wanting to rock the boat, or afraid of what people will think, etc). One day, you just "wake up" and realize, why should I worry about what other people think of me or my beliefs. This is who I am and is a part of me. As for making the change mentioned at the beginning, well I am working on it. Hmmm I think. I am close to the point of reaching out for help....how close...Hmmm well I guess I am also at the point where I can just say Fuck it. Still patient, waiting to see what the weekend holds, maybe even next week, heck I think I can even wait until July....not sure I want to rush into any life changing decision here, so I need to take my time..............