Head Cold

I didn’t catch the flu from my coworkers, but I do have a head cold. I slept most of the day yesterday and will likely do the same today. We’ve all decided no work until we are no longer coughing. At least everyone else is feeling better.

The Master’s Garden

The Master’s Garden
By Marguerite McCreary

The Master came to the garden
To pluck the fairest rose.
He passed thru the paths in the garden
The fairest flower he chose.

There low hung the head of the blossoms
That grew within that wall,
For the Master had passed and had taken
The fairest flower of all.

But the Master had use for that flower
So perfect, fragrant, rare
To bloom in his own fairest mansion
And live forever there.

The Flu

This flu season has been one of the worst on record in many years. Luckily (knock on wood), I haven't gotten it. I took my flu shot, but everyone in my office has the flu. They also have a strain of the flu that is not covered by the flu shot. I feel doomed. However, I'm just going to keep washing my hands and staying away from everybody. For the next few days, I am in charge of the museum. I have plenty to do to keep me busy, so hopefully, I won't be too bored. My coworkers just need to stay home until they are better and no longer contagious.

What Is a Liberal?

Let's just start by saying, read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:27). Most of this applies to what it means to be a liberal. 

 

Conservatives may call us libtards, a word I find incredibly offensive. What we do most often is follow the advice of Jesus Christ. We help our fellow man when he is down, we turn the other cheek, and we love all of God's creation. Conservatives, no matter how Christian they claim to be, cannot say the same. We believe in the Beatitudes:

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Matthew 5:3-10

 

Liberals come not to destroy the beliefs of our forefathers, but to fulfill their true meaning. We do not break our vows, but work to fulfill them. When we make a promise, we do our best to keep it unlike many conservatives who harp on family values, yet harass women, cheat on their wives, or flat out lie to your face. When we give to charities, we don’t flaunt it in public; we quietly give. We do not loudly profess our faith and denounce others for their differences, but see value in all of God’s people and all faiths. God said, “For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:45) We often pray in private instead of loudly professing our prayers and making others follow along with our beliefs. We don’t hoard our treasures just to be called the rich, but give to charities and help others who are in need. God says if you store up your money, the moths will eat it, but if it is stored in heaven then the moths cannot eat it. The Lord God will provide for us, and we must help Him provide for the less fortunate.

 

We don’t judge others or profess empty lies. We know we are not perfect; we must first understand that before we can understand others. God has told us, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 6:12) As liberals, we may not always do what is most popular, but wide is the gate that leads to hell and narrow is the gate that leads to heaven. We are always on the lookout for the false prophets who proclaim to follow the Words of Christ. But in the end, conservatives are like wolves to sheep. People who proclaim falsely will eventually eat away at us. The weak-minded will follow the wolf because he tells them what they want to hear. Yet the wolf always betrays his prey.

 

Liberals build their politics on a solid foundation of the Constitution and the teachings of the Founding Fathers. Conservatives are like those who build their houses on the sand. Eventually, it washes away as their lies catch up with them. We must continue to build onto the firm foundation of Christ. While not all liberals are believers in Christ, we all have these traits in common. We take the Golden Rule seriously and do unto others as we would have them do unto us. It is the foundation of all moral religions and philosophies. We must not allow conservatives who only wish to line their own pockets and loudly proclaim their righteousness to win out. We know from God that the moths will eat their money and not to be like those who proclaim loudly at the temple for He frowns upon them.

 

One last piece of advice from a liberal: “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.” (Matthew 7:6) If you throw your weight to conservatives, they will merely turn and attack you. Their loyalty is misguided and they waste what is given to them.

 

P.S. Usually, I don’t discuss politics and religion, but I am tired of Republicans proclaiming the religious high ground when it is the liberals who hold the high ground.

Moment of Zen: Adam Rippon

Cute

A little cuteness for Friday. TGIF!

What I Blog

I blog what I want to blog about. I like my blog to be mostly uplifting, about things that interest me, and hopefully interests you, my reader. I often don't write about things in the news because it's depressing. It doesn't mean that I don't care about what's going on. I do. I care deeply. However, I'm not going to harp on something simply because it's in the news. We all know that the current American president sucks. We all know that America has a problem with violence. Do I really need to harp on these things when my readers agree with me (or maybe you don't). The thing is, I have no desire to ignite a flame war. Internet trolls will always try to incite flame wars, but they just come off looking like idiots. I aspire to uplift not to put down, and I hope that of my readers as well. 

We have a guy that teaches transcendental meditation at our school. He always remarks on how calm I am. I try to project a very chill personality. I don't like to get upset and I try not to get myself into situations where I will lose my temper. Because trust me, I have a very bad temper, but I keep it in check. Instead, I try to stay positive. If this world were more positive and less negative, we'd have a much better world. Politics is a prime example of this. Politicians often run on what they are against not what they are for. Think how different politics would be if politicians were positive instead of negative. What a world we could be living in if more people were positive in their outlook.

Umm...

One of the difficulties of doing a daily blog is finding something to talk about each day. The truth is I tried and tried to come up with something to talk about today,  it nothing was coming to me. I started to talk about a commercial I saw: But

Why does this man drink Diet Coke Twisted Mango? "Because if nature can't twist it," he says, "at least this can... can." ...Get it? Like the French dance... Never mind.

But I couldn't embed the video, so there was little point if you hadn't seen the commercial. However, the guy in it is so cute, not usually my type, but when he says, "Get it?" and smiles, he has the cutest smile.

I could also, of course, talk about the Olympics. Adam Rippon has become the star of these Olympics, and talk about adorable. He's just everything you'd want in one package. And can we just take a moment to contemplate Johnny Weir's hair. It gets more outrageous by the day. And don't get me started on his outfits.

Anyway, that's what's on my mind.

In the Evening

In the Evening

Fenton Johnson

I
In the evening, love returns,
Like a wand’rer ’cross the sea;
In the evening, love returns
With a violet for me;
In the evening, life’s a song,
And the fields are full of green;
All the stars are golden crowns,
And the eye of God is keen.

II
In the evening, sorrow dies
With the setting of the sun;
In the evening, joy begins,
When the course of mirth is done;
In the evening, kisses sweet
Droop upon the passion vine;
In the evening comes your voice:
“I am yours, and you are mine.”

The Passion of the Cut Sleeve

Chinese emperor Ai of Han, fell in love with a minor official, a man named Dong Xian, and bestowed upon him great political power and a magnificent palace. Legend has it that one day while the two men were sleeping in the same bed, the emperor was roused from his sleep by pressing business. Dong Xian had fallen asleep across the emperor’s robe, but rather than awaken his peaceful lover, the Emperor cut his robe free at the sleeve. Thus “the passion of the cut sleeve” became a euphemism for same-sex love in China. 

Our Own Fruit

Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit. (ESV) (Proverbs 12:12)

Thieves are jealous of each other's loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit. (NLT) (Proverbs 12:12 ) 

Do you ever find yourself envious of other people? It is only natural, everyone does, it's part of being human. Watching the Olympics, I envy a lot of these athletes: their stamina, their strength, their beauty, etc. However, we don't have to act on our feelings. While we can’t steal these things from the athletes, we can and often find other flaws in people to make ourselves feel better. This verse tells us that with being strong in our faith comes the ability to create our own fruit! Of course, this is done through God. If we are to be envious, envy someone for their faith and emulate that. We can work hard to have better bodies and work on our own strengths. But how awesome to know we can rise above thieves, who only steal from each other, and instead can glorify God with creating fruit. 

Moment of Zen: Pizza

Sleeping In

I have to work this Saturday, so I am off today. I plan to sleep in and take it easy. I actually got to stay up and watch the Olympics last night. I wanted to see the men's figure skating. I always love watching the men. 

Winter Olympics

Each night when I turn in the Olympics, my eyelids grow heavy and I fall asleep. I end up watching them the next day because I have been recording them. It's not that I find them boring, I just can't seem to stay awake.

Happy Valentines Day

Well, it's Valentines Day, and once again I am single with no prospects in sight. I know most people like to have chocolate on Valentines Day, but I personally have never been that big of a chocolate fan unless it contains caramel or peanut butter. I'd much rather have fruit flavored candy. I know that puts me in the weird category, but I like fruity candy better than chocolate. Well, I doubt I will get either today as it will just be another day at work. I hope all of you have a wonderful and loving day, and if you have a significant other realize how blessed you are.

How Do I Love Thee?

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

What is more appropriate for the day before Valentine's Day than this beautiful love sonnet. It's one of my favorite poems and was first published by Elizabeth Barrett Browning in her book Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850). Most critics agree that Barrett Browning wrote the sonnets, not as an abstract literary exercise, but as a personal declaration of love to her husband, Robert Browning (who was also an important Victorian poet). Perhaps the intimate origin of the sonnets is what led Barrett Browning to create an imaginary foreign origin for them. But whatever the original motives behind their composition and presentation, many of the sonnets immediately became famous, establishing Barrett Browning as an important poet through the 19th and 20th centuries. Phrases from Barrett Browning's sonnets, especially "How do I love thee?," have entered everyday conversation, becoming standard figures of speech even for people who have never read her poetry.

I wanted to post this poem for all those I love, including my wonderful readers. I think my favorite part of this poem is "if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death." How wonderful is that line. We know all things will be greater in heaven than on earth, so to be able to love better after death implies to me that the love in life is as great a love as can be imagined. Only in heaven could it be greater. That's a powerful statement of love. I have family and friends whom I love with all of my heart, and I hope one day I will find love in a romantic way. If you have found that kind of love, I admire you and am jealous. If you haven't, then I hope you too will find it someday.

For those like me who are single on Valentine's Day, it can seem so lonely, but there is one thing I have learned over the years: you must love yourself. Before you can truly love someone else, you have to first love yourself. If there are things about yourself you don't love, you will never allow yourself to be loved in the way we all deserve to be loved. So love yourself, and allow yourself to be loved, too. To ultimately answer Browning's question, "How do I love thee?" I must love myself first so I can love you more.

Adam Rippon

I love this picture of Adam and Gus. Both are so handsome. Adam did fabulous last night, though his score did not reflect it like it should have. Here is one more Adam and Gus pic.

Also, last night was the season finale of Star Trek: Discovery. Wow! What an episode. Like so many of the episodes this season, it was jam packed with action. Also, it had a surprise ending that I'm not sure anyone saw coming.

Confidence

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (NLT) ( Hebrews 11:1 ) 

Faith can be simplified to mean trust.  It's trusting in God even though you can't see, smell, or touch Him.  Yet, he is still all around us. It's trusting that He loves you and will always have your best interest at heart.  Once you believe that He loves you, it becomes easier to place more faith in Him.  How are you faithfully trusting in God? 

Moment of Zen: Opening Ceremonies

Olympics

Last night was the beginning of competition. Tonight will be the opening ceremonies. I watched last night because it was mainly figure skating. It's one of the few winter sports that I care anything about watching. I watched the men's short program for team skating (I recorded the couples because they were on too late). The men's program was quite disappointing. There was a lot of hype over some of the skaters just to watch them fall down. Plus, Johnny Weir was a commentator and he's just a snarky bitch. It's one thing to be a snarky bitch around friends who appreciate it, but it's another thing to be on live TV and be a snarky bitch. I did not care for the men's program last night. Let's hope the opening ceremony is fabulous.

Headache

Right after supper last night, I came down with a major migraine. I took some Tylenol and watched Jeopardy but nothing seemed to help. So I took my stronger medication and went to bed. I'd really wanted to see another episode of Altered Carbon.

Altered Carbon

Last night I watched episode one of the Netflix show Altered Carbon. The series takes place over 350 years in the future, in the year 2384. In the future, people's consciousnesses are contained in "stacks", storage devices attached to the back of a person's neck. Physical bodies are turned into "sleeves", mere disposable vessels. Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), a violent mercenary, wakes up 250 years after his sleeve is killed, and he is given the choice to either spend the rest of his life in prison for his crimes, or help solve the murder of the wealthiest man in the world (James Purefoy). The first episode consists of Kovacs trying to navigate this new world, and deciding whether he will help solve the murder. I may not have understood everything that went on, but overall, I enjoyed the episode.

I would have probably watched two episodes, but I walked into the kitchen only to realize that Isabella was out of food. Why doesn't she tell me these things? So I had to run out and get her some cat food. That took up just enough time that I couldn't watch a second episode.

Tuesday

Usually on Tuesdays, I post a poem. This Tuesday, however, I couldn't find a poem that suited my mood. So I thought maybe a song, since lyrics are essentially poems. Again, I couldn't think of an appropriate song, so I googled "greatest song of all time." The search results sent me to Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Their number one song was no surprise "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan. I hate Bob Dylan. I can't understand a word he mumbles. I do like his son's music though. Is it a joke that Rolling Stone picked "Like a Rolling Stone"? I looked and couldn’t find any place that said it was a joke. Anyway, that's me babbling for the day. What is your greatest song of all time? Mine might just have to be "The Impossible Dream" from The Man From La Mancha. That's the one that came to my head anyway.

Super Bowl

It really didn't matter to me who won, the Patriots or the Eagles. I'm not a fan of either. I probably lean more toward the Eagles because I like their QB Nick Foles, and I don't like the Patriot QB Tom Brady. No matter who plays, many of us still watch the game because we want to see the commercials. If you watched it for the commercials, what was your favorite?

History

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. (NLT) Ecclesiastes 1:9

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. (ESV) Ecclesiastes 1:9

When we gain meaning from anything apart from God we are never completely satisfied. It is only when we seek God that we are truly content in ourselves, our circumstances, and our relationships. While there may be nothing new under the sun, you certainly can count on a relationship with God that is refreshing and satisfying.  What are you thankful for that God has been showing you lately? 

Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://jctrois.com

http://www.jctrois.com/dailybibledevotion/devotion.html?devo=QS4tuNV87Z

Moment of Zen: Mirror, Mirror

Budget Resolve

The budget crisis with my project is finally over. First of all, my job is guaranteed through October. That’s good news because I’d been led to believe that it had been shortened to July. The second thing is that I will be able to travel and conduct three of the last four interviews. So, I will be making a trip to Boston in the near future. Also, the funds needed to finish my job were also approved. So we are full steam ahead.

From WBHM in Birmingham

The Southeast is home to roughly 35 percent of LGBT people in the U.S., the largest LGBT population in the country, according to data compiled by the Williams Institute at UCLA. This find might seem surprising to some since most Southeastern states have few or no policies protecting LGBT people. A team of researchers in Georgia are seeking to learn more about the lives of LGBT people in the South. Eric Wright, who chairs the sociology department at Georgia State University, says there are a number of reasons why so many LGBT people call this region home.

"One of which is that the cost of living generally speaking is lower in the U.S. South than in other parts of the country," he says. "There's also been what some researchers have called a reverse migration, particularly of minorities."

That means many Southern LGBT people who migrated to more progressive areas of the country are returning to the Southeast. To find out why so many call this place home, Wright and his research partner, Ryan Roemerman with the LGBT Institute created what they call the Southern Survey. It's a comprehensive study that seeks to examine the lives of LGBT people across 14 Southern states.

"One of the things that we want to be able to accomplish through this survey is to be able to provide our non-profit partners across the South with data that they can use for policy development, grassroots organizing and fundraising," Roemerman says.

The survey is by and for LGBT people in the South. This may help them better understand individual needs of the community, such as housing for transgender people or health services for lesbians living in rural areas, Wright says . And, he says, it will also help decipher the needs of this community in different Southern states. According to the LGBT Institute, more than half of the 100 anti-LGBT bills proposed this year were drafted in Southeastern states.

The survey is open through this month and the team expects to release its findings early next year.

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