New Year , New Beginnings

Personal Log 0940.132023

Before I get started I noticed that this site is free for like thirty days and then you have to pay to keep using. Im sorry I am not playing a penny for your thoughts where I have to pay to write. If anything it should be the other way around. Any how with that being said I dont know if I will be continuing after thirty days.

New Years, always an interesting time of the year. People party, set goals, make resolutions, some even look back on the previous year and decide on what needs to be improved and in what areas. New years for some tho is just another day. I never did new year resolutions cause no one ever really kept to them. I figure it was just a way for people to try and trick themselves into doing things they don’t or didn’t want to do. Millions of people say “my new years resolution is to get into shape.” So they start going to the gym and working out, well that might last the first couple of weeks and then they start putting off, which is them saying yea I give up on this. I am going to eat healthier, week later here comes the cheeseburger and fries with a milkshake. Guess I never saw the point in a resolution. But then I had someone ask me what mine was, and of course I told them I didnt do resolutions because they are a waste of time, and gave the examples I just gave here. They chuckled and smiled and said thats because people set unrealistic goals sometimes. Now I am not saying that eating healthier or getting into shape is unrealistic, because they are good goals, but how much drive are you going to have? That is whats unrealistic. Fads and things of this nature are unrealistic. So what is a realistic goal for you if you want to call it that. I thought a moment and was like you know thats true. Never thought about it like that. So I have had the same resolution as I have had in years past. To continue to grow and learn in my faith, to grow closer to God, to be a better husband than I was the year before, and to be a better person than I was the previous year.

I have had some tell me that I am good and that what I do is good enough. And you know what, that doesnt sit right with me. Because I dont want to be just good enough. To me thats like doing just enough to get by, and thats not me. I had a great weekend, had a wonderful time with my wife and mother in law, got to kiss my wife in the new year, things were good. Could have been better but things were good. You might ask what could be better, well first off we could not of been sick, that would have been nice. To me, New Years is like… chapters in a book. Where one chapter ends, another begins. We all should strive to do better, to be better, to want better. But here is the thing, people sit around and wait for better to happen, and its not because it doesnt happen that way. If you look and listen closely enough to what is going on, you can hear the crys. People crying out for something different, for change, they want to see a difference being made, they want to see change happen. Its an outcry it really is, think about it… still dont see it? Well lets look at a few things in recent history. We had the whole race thing again, which sparked the “black lives matter” and then shortly after that you had the “blue lives matter” which was for the outcry of our police forces. And now we have another division, and that is over COVID. Every where I look I see division. We turn to our government to make things better or right, and they say they will because of the outcry, but politically what do they gain from it. Which is why I dont vote. Because I know I am not going to get an honest answer to any of my questions, I am going to get a political answer. But thats a whole different area anyway. But people want to see change, they want to see a difference, but they create these things and create more division. Its not black lives matter or blue lives matter. Its not, what it is tho is All Lives Matter. Thats what it should be because there is no division in that.

People cry out for change, they want to see changes made, they want to see a difference being made in there neighborhoods and towns but they never will, and when they time comes where drastic change does happen it will be to late. Its easy to sit around and yell and scream and argue and fight over things that you believe to be right, or when an injust thing has occured, or when things just seem to be going down hill. To first fix a problem is to recognize that there is one.

Just real quick let me give a little bit of back ground on myself. I am a typical guy, who goes to work does his job and does his best to take care of his family. I served in the military for almost 11 years and I am now a combat vet, served in the federal government for 5 years, and now work as a low level security guard. I have been homeless three times in my life, and oh by the way I have my BSM for all the good that it does me. BSM means Bachelor of Science in Management. I have done my time in service and I have lived a life that most would have given up on. I have had anything but an easy life. But one thing I have come to know and understand is that our government does not care about anything but itself. So for those that are waiting on our government to make things better, your going to be waiting for a while. By now your wondering what the point is, well here you go. With everything I have been through, I have not given up even when it seems like the whole of the world has turned its back on me. I still fight on. I fight on to try to make a difference, to bring change in my small little part of this world. If you are reading this one and havent read my other entries then after reading this one I recommend you go read I Dont Know entry. And all of this will kind of bring things together.

Now back on subject of my rant for the day. People are sitting around waiting for someone else to come up and fix their problems. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news but no one can and/or is able to do so. The only people that can make a difference and bring real change is ourselves. But heres the problem with that. No one wants to change! Therein lays the problem, people are unwilling to change themselves so there will never be any real change. People are to selfish anymore. So like I said in my entry I Dont Know, people like me, who are trying to make a difference and be a positive change and influence, we get looked at like we are strange like we are up to no good. I cant even fully explain it to you because lets just face it, I dont fully understand it either. I can only speak on what it is I see and experience myself. As I look at humanity in this era, I am saddened at the direction it is going. Because, unfortunately things are just going to continue and get worse as we go along. Children are going to get even more confused, and people are going to get even more self-centered and sensitive to things that they find offensive. I for one dont really care if you get your feeling hurt by what I say. Because lets face it, people want to hear the truth, because they cant handle THE truth. They want the truth told to them so that it makes them feel better and justified, not THE truth where it actually might be painful to hear. Just like I do not condone nor do I tolerate this whole gay transgen les community thing that they have going on. And again this is where THE truth comes in and no one wants to hear it because they would be condemned by it.

Because here is THE truth, and it comes right out of the book of Romans the very first chapter as a matter of fact. This is the very reason why I do not tolerate the gay community.

Romans 1:18 – 32 NASB 1995

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and reptiles crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
Here it is clear as day as to the sins being commited. As a Christian, I do not hate the person that commits these acts, its the sin within them that I hate. But this is THE truth that no one wants to hear, because the truth or their truth is easier. I couldnt be a good Christian if I did otherwise. One day Jesus will return, and when He does its not going to be pretty, for those who live like such that is said above. For the believers it will be a glorious day of reckoning and atonement. We wont be able to change like we want, not until Jesus returns. Some are not going to like this message, most will reject it and I will be slandered for THE truth. No where in the Bible does it say that this walk through life was going to be easy, especially if you walk with Him, it really isnt going to be easy. I pray for all of us. But it is time for a new beginning, a new start. 
 We can start now, right here, right now to make things better for ourselves and live a godly life, one that was set by Jesus. Life already isnt easy as it is, and some would say well I aint doing anything to add to it. I’m not adding anything to it, I am just simply leading and living a life you dont understand and condemn me for. Search for THE truth and not the truth, because the truth isnt THE truth, and no one that is of this world wants to hear THE truth, because it interferes with their (the) truth. 
After reading that I am sure your like wow what in the world dude, whats wrong with you. But here the thing, I dont hate anyone, in fact I love everyone. I dont hate who a person is, I hate the sin that controls them. All I can do is plant a seed, a seed that I hope and pray that one day will grow. I just want to help people, in anyway I can and then when I am asked as to why, tell them its because thats what God would want me to do, no matter who you are, what you have done or not done, what you have been through, none of that matters to Him so why should it matter to me. God loves all his children, but He is not going to be able to save all. Now if this has gotten you to thinking let me ask you a question. And it is one that was actually presented to my wife at one of her bible studies. 
If God came to you today, and asked you to give yourself to Him, just as you are right now, today? Just as you sit there reading this, with all of your fears, worries, doubts, faults, concerns, pain, and the list could continue on. Would you be able to?
 Now here is this for you, because I would almost be willing to be that the majority of you probably said no. So here is another question, are you ready for it. What is holding you back? Truly what is holding you back?
God is standing right there before you, with His hand reached out as you drown in your own sea, and all you have to do is take His hand. Let me put this in different terms. God wants us all, God desires us all, God Loves us all. Trust me, we all want what is best in our lives, if we desire to be great. We seek happiness, we seek love, we seek to belong, we seek to be wanted, needed, desired. And you know what, God gives us exactly what we need and nothing that we dont, God want us to be great and He can give us all that we seek and guess what? He has, but we have to accept it, for some you probably think that it is to hard to do, that what I am asking is to hard to do, again I ask, what is holding you back?
 
 God wants a relationship with us, and not just any relationship either. He wants an intimate relationship with us. We desire an intimate relationships with those we love and care about, such as our children, parents, spouses, friends family, and so on. God is our Father in heaven, we are His children, and he desires an intiament relation ship with His children just as we do with our own children, and with our own parents. This desire is no different than what God desires as well, and if that is the case again I ask what is holding us back from Him? And here is what is worse, for some of us, we tend to have a deeper more intimate relationship with our pets (dogs/cats) than we do with each other, let alone with God and how sad is that and how far have we fled for this to happen? This is just sad, so again I ask what is holding us back?
 Most people as well when asked what the cross is supposed to mean and/or represent and most say hope, salvation, and a few others which is great and they would be right. We want to see the good that comes from the cross. But what did it take for that to happen. What about what was endured upon the cross? What He had to endure before the cross? Jesus pain and suffering, not just the physical aspect, but also the phycological aspect as well. How would you fare? Then he took up His cross, that His body was placed upon, Christ’s blood that was shed and was stained upon that cross. His death upon it, that blood stained, painful, agony filled, torture, and everything in between. What message do you receive from the cross? Would you be able to take up your cross? And not only that but take up your Cross daily? You think these questions difficult or hard, but honestly they are not. Its either Yes or No, you can or you can’t. What makes me laugh is I can hear Yoda in my head, because I know there are some that will say I can try, but there is only do or do not, there is no try. The choice has to be made one way or the other. There is no straddling the fence about this, you can’t teeter one way more than the other. You are either in, or your not. Your either for, or against. You cant pick out the parts that you like and ignore the rest. It doesnt work that way. Either way, we still have to make the choice, just like everything else in this life we have to make a choice. If your still struggling with this, then I ask once more, What is holding you back? Jesus never said the path would be easy, but just from our experience walking the path of life is already difficult, it sure isnt a cake walk. But it could be easier walking the narrow than the broad.
So which way will you go? If God, came to you right now (which He is) and asked you to give Him everything, every part good or bad. Would you?
Lets start the new year off right and lets become a better you. God Bless!
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August 8, 2023

All of that seems quite oppressive. As I grew older and came to understand that fact, I lost faith.

Wishing you the best, regardless of which side of the fence one sits. That’s true unconditional love, unlike that which is attributed to the Biblical character known as Jesus Christ.

There is another story that proposes he was actually a Buddhist, but never mind, that’s just another story.

I appreciate your warning about this site requiring a subscription. I’ve also made the choice to depart even before getting started. I just found seven to choose from 100% via Google.

Warm regards, Ponder