News:

Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life. -Steven Wright

Main Menu

Psalm_97's thoughts

Started by Lynx, January 10, 2011, 12:59:57 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

sunlight

  :attackhug: Be full of hugs!

Lynx

I am having a ball!  My life, through no fault of my own, is awesome.  I know a lot of great people, I have a great family and a great church, and I'm having a great time. 

I feel I should say this to counteract all the christians who advertise how down-trodden they are.  I'm not talking about people who tell you about their problems, and I'm not talking about anybody here - indeed, we would like to know what we should pray for you about - I'm speaking of those who believe (and advertise their belief) that the world is against them because they are christians.

It's easy to spot these people.  They have made a career out of being put down by people.  They have become professional punching bags, at least in their own eyes.  They are always complaining about all the things that have gone wrong, and every time it's always the devil's fault.  If the car breaks down it's the devil working against them.  If they get a call from the bank that their account is overdrawn, well, the devil is in that place anyway, he always is attracted to banks because they're greedy.  If anyone does anything they don't like, of course it is because people in the world hate christians.  Of course these people themselves are never at fault when anyone dislikes them.  It's always because they are christians that disagreements and strife occur, because as we all know, if you are a christian the whole world is against you.

On my first day at a job I met a man who asked me if I was a christian.  When I said I was, he said he was a christian too, then warned me in a doleful voice that "this company hates christians."  I didn't say it but I was thinking it... "Yeah, I can tell they already did a number on you."   :smirk2:

Another guy I knew was always asking people about what they did as christians, and always comparing it to (or rather, contrasting it with) what he thought a christian SHOULD be doing.  One day he was debating me on something when the boss came by and admonished us to work, not talk.  She was right - though I had been deliberately keeping pace with work, the debater's work had slowed down as he concentrated more on his current argument.  When the boss went on her way, the debater looked at me sorrowfully, shook his head and said, "Some people just can't stand hearing folks talk about God."

These people will use the Bible to support their viewpoint, usually taking verses out of context.  They will quote the verses that talk about a christian having trials to face, the places where Jesus said the world will hate us for His sake and how "it is impossible that offenses not come."  When they have made themselves feel really low in this manner they will usually sigh and say, "Well, that's just my cross to bear," ignoring the fact that the cross Jesus mentioned we are to bear has nothing to do with trials. 

Curiously enough I have a Bible as well, and (assuming they have the same kind of Bible I have) it talks about victory.  It talks about having joy that can not be described, peace that can't even be comprehended and blessings in abundance.  It talks about putting people in the church in positions of authority only if they have a good reputation in the community, which can't happen if all those non-christians are automatically against christians.  Most of all, it talks (a LOT) about reaching out to others in love, not building a wall between yourself and the world so they can't get you.

So yeah... My name is Isaac, I'm a christian and I'd like to state for the record that I am having the time of my life over here.  I'm busier than a midget mountain climber, happy as a pig in mud and my life is altogether great.  I have had a few trials but they have always been transitory and moderate.  I've met a few really rude people but I've noticed they are rude to everyone, equal-opportunity jerks, and they are far, far outnumbered by the many great people I have met.  I have a reason to look forward to getting up every day and I'm thoroughly enjoying the life God has given me.

And if you want to tell me how bad people have treated you because you are a christian, there will be a $5 surcharge for whining.  I take cash, money orders, Visa, Mastercard and most checks.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Roscoe

Isaac- I TOTALLY like this....except for where you brought midgets AND pigs into it...... feeling like I just got hit a bit... :laughhard:
Potstirrer and snoop extraordinaire   "I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world."- Thomas Edison

Lynx

COMPARISONS

When you look at me
And I seem so strong
Don't compare yourself to what I seem to be
You can't see the real me
Though I've been your pastor
Since you were a child
Your teacher, your friend
Your mother or father
Or just a person in the church that you look up to
There's a part of me you'll never see

You don't see the temptations I face
Or the times I may have failed
You don't see the times I've been angry
And had to bite back a hurtful word
Or the times I have been hurt myself
But I hid the pain behind a smile
Until I could be alone to cry

What you see
Is not all of me
And when you think I'm strong
I'm really not
Don't compare yourself to me
And feel that you are weak
There is a part of me that I hide
Just as you hide a part of you

And for all you hide your faults
Your failures and your pain
You just never know
I might think I'll never be
As strong as you
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

THE HARD WAY

You are the person who disagreed with me
The driver who's fender I bent
The customer who's order I got wrong at that restaurant
The one who got offended at what I said
The person who took the other side in a sunday school debate
You were so convinced that you were right and I was wrong
That whenever I tried to argue my case, you shouted it down

You took the easy way
You yelled

I could yell too
It is much easier to raise the volume
Organize my arguments and shout them one by one
For I'm certain I am right and you are wrong
(Just as you are certain you are right and I am wrong)

It's so much easier to yell
But it never gets us anywhere

It's much harder to listen to you
Really LISTEN to your statements and admit you might be right
Nobody likes to be told he is wrong
To accept that he is wrong is even harder
It's hard to let you think that you have won
For winning seems so important to you
And my human nature wants you to be defeated
It's hard to wait while you are yelling
Hard to be patient and not try to shout louder

It's much harder to not yell

But I will take the hard way
Because it's the only way to get anything done
If we both take the easy way, we never will listen
We will shout our arguments and eventually leave
And we will each think what an idiot the other person is
And though you still take the easy way
Though I have to let you sometimes think you have won
I know that nothing will be accomplished
Until we both take the hard way
Until we both learn to listen
Until we both refuse to yell

So I will take the hard way
And I will wait patiently while you think you have won
I will try to ignore my wounded pride
Ignore the voice that screams for more volume
And tries to make me force you to see my side
Because someday I hope that maybe
You will take the hard way too
Someday, if I can keep from yelling long enough
You might learn that you don't have to yell
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

Man, I'm about to the point I could write a book on temptation! Here lately it has been very strong.

Mind you, the things I have felt tempted to do are all patently ludicrous.  Even if I didn't know some of them were wrong, simple logic would be enough to tell me to avoid them.  Also I'm a great believer in learning from the mistakes of others, and I have plenty of examples of what happens when a person goes down those roads.  I don't want y'all worrying about me, I'm not about to do anything stupid.

But for some reason the temptations have been much stronger of late.

Applying a little old fashioned logic to the situation however:  If I am so inordinately tempted to do something that is contrary to logic, common sense, my own nature and what I know is right, it must be something from an external source, something from outside that is attempting to influence me.  I don't even need a christian's normal spiritual radar to figure that out. 

But it seems recently I've had more than my fair share of it to deal with. 

I was thinking about this at work.  Meanwhile my music player was playing different songs, as it will do whether I am listening to it or to my own thoughts.  Suddenly a song broke through my thoughts that struck a chord.

"It always gets the darkest just before daylight
And old satan fights his hardest in the middle of the night
The dawning of a brand new day is drawing near
Thank God the sun will soon appear"

I know that's true.  The most bizarre week I ever had in my life was right after I finally hashed it out with God about me being a minister.  From out of nowhere it seemed the forces of hell had all charged into battle.  First a guy at work ripped my pants pocket for no apparent reason, refused to pay for it, then quit the next day because he "can't stand working with a nerd."  Then a girl at work (very much the wrong kind of girl) asked me out on a date, first time that had ever happened to me before. 

Not that I feel I'm in the middle of the night the song talks about, mind you.  I have a good life, I am well aware of it and I take full opportunity to thoroughly enjoy it.  But I can't help wondering what is about to happen.  If it is something that causes this kind of battle to try to derail it, it must be big.  I just wish I knew what it was - it would help if I knew what to look forward to.  And how much longer I would have to wait.  And why I have to wait so long.

Sorry.  This thread is "Psalm_97's thoughts."  Right now my thoughts aren't quite as upbeat as normal.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

#31
WHEN THE SKIN CRACKS

For a good many years now I have had something happen every winter.  The backs of my hands get dry.  Not all at once, and not catastrophically - just a little bit drier every day.  I don't know why it's only the back of my hands, neither do I know why they get so dry when the rest of my skin seems to have no problem.  But if I don't do anything they just keep getting drier and drier, little by little every day. 

Of course there's an obvious solution:  Skin moisturizer.  One little dab would keep it from happening at all.  And every time I notice my skin is drying out I think, "Man, I really need to get some moisturizer on them."  But I never do; I'm on the road, I'm busy cooking something, I'm reading a book, I'm typing something on the internet... and by the time I'm done with whatever, I have forgotten all about my hands.  The bottle of skin lotion is on top of my dresser, which I walk past at least ten times a day, but I will go for weeks without using it, while my hands keep drying out.

One fine day at work I glanced down at my hands and saw a thin red line.  Odd, I don't recall getting anything on my hands... Wait, that's blood!  My hands had become so dry they had started cracking and bleeding.  It didn't really hurt much, but it was alarming enough that I immediately got some moisturizer from a friend who always carried some in her purse.  When I got home I started applying moisturizer from that bottle I had walked past for weeks.  My skin kept absorbing, absorbing, absorbing... For about five hours I kept adding lotion a bit at a time, and it kept vanishing into my skin. 

But something was still wrong.  Although my skin was no longer dry, it still felt rough.  It had long since gone past merely dry, and had actually been damaged by the lack of moisture.  No amount of moisturizer could return them to normal right now.  I would have to keep lotion on them until the skin healed. 

If that were the end of the story, it would have been fine.  But there are other things that I let go, things that might not be a problem at the start, but are at the end.

Video games for example; those of you who know me well remember the trouble I used to have with video games.  Not that they are evil, and I'm not saying anyone is going to hell for playing pac-man... but for me they were a problem.  Especially video games with a good story line. 

I knew there was a problem.  I knew I spent a bit too much time with a game controller in hand.  But hey, it was something to take up free time, right?  That's what these things are made for, to take up free time so you won't get bored.  And I really did enjoy them, and I have to say I was quite good at them. 

But over time the problem grew.   Video games became quite literally all I thought about when I was at work, church or anywhere else.  The family could go to our favorite restaurant without me, I had a level to beat - and I knew just how I was going to beat it because I had figured it out during Sunday School.  Bible reading, any church activity besides normal services, everything that could be skipped was skipped so I could get back to the game.  What was supposed to take up free time was taking up time that should have gone to more important things.

But it was no problem.  I could put down the controller any time I wanted, and I did sometimes.  Multiple times I went a whole week without even turning the console on, and I didn't really miss it.  See?  No problem!  Then I'd start playing again and be right back in the groove, spending all my time playing. 

It finally ended as a result of an argument with God.  He pointed out some inconvenient truths one day while I was driving to work, and the argument lasted all the way down the road.  When I got to work I called my grandmother and told her I was going to sell my console and all my games, because I knew if I didn't do something to block myself, by the time the work day was over I would have found some way to rationalize myself out of it.  To use the skin analogy, my hands had finally gotten so dry they had started cracking, and I had to fix the problem.

And just as my hands were not back to normal immediately, the video game problem didn't disappear overnight.  It took some time to become sociable again, to learn how to enjoy the company of my family and church family.  And I had to find something to talk about besides how great the current game I was playing was.  But, just as my hands would never have come to such a state if I had applied some lotion when I first noticed they were drying out, this problem with video games would have been a lot easier if I had killed it when I first noticed it was a problem.

There have been other problems mind you:  This was just the most notable.  There was a website of satirical humor that I found quite funny, but after a few days of reading it I noticed my attitude was becoming more snarky.  I wouldn't say hurtful jokes, smart remarks, but I sure was thinking them a lot.  I had to stop going to that site.  Then there was a chatroom made for music makers (that's me, that's me!) which I found quite useful.  I learned a lot there.  But they were not christians in that chatroom:  They talked about many things christians have no business talking about, and though most of them spoke civilly to me in particular, they routinely ridiculed christians in general.  When I was praying about a certain temptation I was enduring, God turned my attention to that chatroom - I've learned enough there and it was affecting me, time to leave. 

Of course if I had not applied lotion even when my hands started cracking, I probably would have still survived.  A few cracks in the skin is not exactly lethal.  But if I had let it continue unchecked my skin would have sustained permanent damage.  It would not be ruined exactly, but it would never have been the same.  And if I had not sold my game console, if I were still reading that hilarious satire, if I were still hanging out in music chat, it probably wouldn't make me backslide... but it would be a drain on my spirit.  I don't think I would leave church, but I wouldn't get as much out of it.  And the longer I continued doing the things that weighed down my spirit, the more it would affect me.

So here we are in winter again.  Finally, FINALLY it is getting cold enough to really call it winter.  And my hands are drying out again.  But don't worry about me, I put some lotion on them right before I sat down to type this.

I just pray I can be as prompt to realize and deal with the other kind of problems now as well.  It's so much easier to handle these things if you don't wait until the skin starts cracking.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Roscoe

Potstirrer and snoop extraordinaire   "I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world."- Thomas Edison

sunlight

  :attackhug: Be full of hugs!

Lynx

#34
Okay about temptation... now it's just getting silly!  For some reason I have a strong temptation to get drunk?  I'm starting to really question satan's intelligence.

That even looked stupid when I typed it just now.  I don't even like drinking.  I tried it, many a moon ago, just to see what it was like (I wasn't always a christian.)  Not to the falling-down-drunk point, just enough to see what it felt like.  I knew a lot of people who drank, and some of them were quite intelligent otherwise, so maybe there was something to it, right?  I lived alone at the time and I planned it carefully.  I picked a day when I had nothing to do, nobody would come by, and I would have the whole day to recover. 

And I hated it.  I felt tired, my perception of reality was dimmer in all ways, all senses fogged a bit, coordination impaired... it felt exactly like being sick, except to a much lesser degree, and no muscle pain or throwing up (although I hear if I had drunk about four or five times as much I could have experienced that last part as well.)  I couldn't wait for it to wear off. 

I have decided people who enjoy life have no reason to get drunk.  The only people who could possibly want to get drunk are those who find life intolerable and want to take a break from the experience for a while. 

This only increases how ludicrous this temptation is (the ludicrity?  ludicrousness?  ludicrocity?)  If satan knew anything about me he wouldn't even have tried this one.

I now have a new concept of satan.  He is like a noob (newbie, n00blet, total amateur, rank novice) in a multiplayer first-person-shooter video game.  He doesn't study his target, doesn't look for weak points, doesn't change to a more effective ammo type for the situation, doesn't even check his weapon to make sure it's appropriate for the target.  He may waste a rocket on an unarmored soldier or try to use a handgun to take out a tank.  He doesn't even aim very well, just sprays shotgun rounds and hopes to hit something. 

If anyone else can think of a better explanation, by all means please let me know.  The feeling of temptation is strong, but I'm not so much tempted as puzzled.  Why in the world would anybody or anything think a temptation to go through THAT again would be effective?  All I have to do is call up memories of the last time to dispel any urge to try it again.  If I were in charge of trying to tempt me (another me) to do something wrong, I'd go for something closer to home. 

Seriously, if you have any better idea what it's all about, feel free to explain it to me.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

ANNOUNCER:  Hello, and welcome to What Have You Learned, the show that allows guests to relate some of their past experiences and share what they have learned about them.  This show has nothing to do with Michael Feldman's "What do you know?" show.  I understand Mr. Feldman himself has requested we make that very clear.  I hear that... um... there was also something about a cease-and-desist order and some time in court.  Anyway, let's get right to the show.  Our first guest is Mr. Isaac.  Hello Isaac, welcome to the show.

ISAAC:  Thanks, glad to be here.

ANNOUNCER:  I uh... notice you seem to be rather interested in the audio equipment.

ISAAC:  Yeah, this is a wild setup.  Hey, is that a Trilogy board?

ANNOUNCER:  Wait, don't mess with that!

ISAAC:  It's cool man, I wasn't going to change anything.  I just wanted to touch it one time.  Wow, a real Trilogy!

ANNOUNCER:  Er... yes, well let's get on to your experience you came to relate.

ISAAC:  Sure man.  Well, we had a party last night in Children's Church.  We don't have the standard parties - Christmas party, Halloween party, stuff like that - we have Random Party Nights, spaced in between the parties everyone else has through the year.  In this case I thought it would be a good idea to have one at the tail end of January.  Christmas was long past, the kids' Spring Break was a long way off yet (long time for a kid anyway) and it is generally a long, grey, cold time of year.  A party right about here would be just the thing, ya know?

ANNOUNCER:  Great idea actually.  We might have a party tomorrow, now that you mention it. 

ISAAC:  Yeah, so what we did was, we had snacks first.  Then we had a Hangman tournament, with one point per letter, ten points for solving the phrase, five points minus for if a kid was talking a lot or running around.  The winner got a grand prize, a box of assorted candy and snacks... and down at the bottom, a multi-tool knife.  The Hangman phrases were taken from lessons I had taught between now and the last party we had back in mid-November.  Of course the kids who had been paying attention to the lessons would naturally do better.

ANNOUNCER:  Oh of course.  Sounds great so far.  So what went wrong?  I assume something did go wrong, otherwise you would not be here to share what you learned.

ISAAC:  Well the problem centered around the snacks.  You've heard of a chocolate fountain, right?

ANNOUNCER:  Uh oh, I see where this is going... But yeah, I've heard of them.

ISAAC:  But those things are a pain to clean up.  Too many tubes, pools and stuff.  Plus, let one kid drop a strawberry or something in there and the tube is clogged up but good.  No more fountain.  So instead I did a chocolate pot and they dipped stuff in it.  Strawberries, marshmallows, slices of some kind of strawberry snack cake and some assorted Milano (tm) cookies.  They loved it.

ANNOUNCER:  But with all that chocolate, I bet I know what went wrong.  The kids were wild all the rest of the night and drove you nuts, right?

ISAAC:  No, the kids were cool.  They had to take turns because obviously you can't have more than two at a time around a chocolate dip pot.  But they were okay with that and everything went rather well.  No trouble with the Hangman tournament either, everything went smoothly.  Sis. Alexis won the prize.  She gave the knife to her brother Gavin though, because, "He's more into that stuff." 

ANNOUNCER:  Wow, I bet you were surprised?

ISAAC:  Actually I was.  I was expecting a lot more trouble from them, with caffeine in their systems.

ANNOUNCER:  Well I've got the jumping to conclusions out of my system now.  So what did go wrong?

ISAAC:  I found out you really need to clean out that chocolate dip pot right quickly.  People will want to take some leftovers home, sure, but get them to move along so you can take care of it.  That stuff gets harder than a tire iron if you let it get cold. 

ANNOUNCER:  Oh.  I hadn't thought of that.

ISAAC:  Yeah, neither did I until I tried to clean it out the next day.  And with the consistency you need in a chocolate dip pot, it doesn't scrub right off either.  It kind of smears and takes forever, not to mention a lot of rinsing the washrag out and starting again, to get the stuff off.  And all the time you're trying to get it clean you're smelling chocolate, which makes you hungry, but you can't eat any of it because it's all covered with soap water. 

ANNOUNCER:  Yikes, that would be torment!

ISAAC:  Yeah, you're telling me...

ANNOUNCER:  So to summarize, clean out that chocolate pot right away.  Well thanks for coming by Isaac.

ISAAC:  No problem.  Hey, could I have that ribbon mic?

ANNOUNCER:  No, I'm afraid our sponsors would get a bit touchy if we started giving sound equipment away and buying more to replace it.

ISAAC:  Well, had to try.  Catch ya later.

ANNOUNCER:  And that's all the time we have today folks.  Join us next time when a Mr. Seth will tell us all about raising birds, and why you don't want to get involved in it.  See you then.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

#36
Computers can be infuriating.  Just saying.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

THE COST
Some of the guys at work have been having a lot of fun with me lately.  They keep trying to argue me into doing things they know I would never do, and discussing said things loudly when they are in my vicinity.  Getting drunk, strip clubs, drugs, you name it, they have mentioned it.   :roll:  They seem to take a perverse delight in teasing me about them, specifically because they know I'm a christian.  Superficially it might be seen as just a bunch of guys having fun, but there's something deeper.  Their attitude says very plainly, "Look at all the fun you're missing.  Look what this religion stuff is costing you."  They seem to think their fun would be fun for me too, but I "can't" because I'm a christian. 

But their fun has a cost too, and it is not one I am willing to pay.  I do not choose not to join their fun because I can't.  As the old song says, I could chew and dip, I could snort and cuss, I could party all night...  There are many sins that are not illegal, and in a free country I could do any of them I choose.  But I choose not to because I do not want to pay the price.

I'm not talking about money either, although certainly there is a financial cost.  All these things they call fun do cost a bit.  A pack of cigarettes is expensive these days, and getting more so.  But the chocolate I prefer is a bit expensive as well.  If money were the only cost it would be no problem.  I never have minded paying a bit to get what I want, what I know I will enjoy.

A friend of mine who is a financial advisor said the true cost of something is not in dollars and cents, because that value changes with inflation.  The true cost is the things you could have done with that money, that you are giving up when you spend it.  In this light, the things the guys at work keep nagging me about assume a much larger cost.  There is a good reason God said not to do certain things.  Things that are "sin" are not just arbitrary, they were designated thus because God knew we would be better off to avoid them.  Drunkards have all number of health problems.  Thieves get caught and have to give up their freedom.  There are obvious social and health dangers in having an affair or using a prostitute.  Frequent profanity is proven to decrease a person's vocabulary and intelligence (and besides, I could cut someone down much more effectively with some well chosen insults than with common cussing... not that I would, but I'm just saying.)  Drugs, that's a whole list of costs in itself.  My father and mother both did marijuana when they were in college.  My father used to have an eidetic memory, until he smoked some pot.  My mother's ability to discern how far away objects are was impaired.  I have little enough brain as it is - you think I want to roll the dice and see what it'll knock out for me?  All the things people are afraid they would have to give up if they came to God, they are all detrimental.  The cost of doing these things is much higher than money could ever cover. 

But even then, there is a greater cost.  If I did things I knew were sinful, there is a terrible cost, one that I could never bring myself to pay.  It would cost me God's presence, His guidance, the communication and communion I enjoy with Him.  God would not withdraw from me to hurt me, as punishment for what I had done.  He wouldn't leave me in anger because I was going against what He said.  He would leave for the same reason there was a veil in the temple, the same reason the Holy Ghost was not given until Jesus had paid the price for sin on the cross - because a holy, pure God cannot tolerate unholy sin.  A heart that is deliberately soiling itself with things it knows are sin is a heart God cannot stay in.  God would have to leave.  And that is a price I cannot bear to pay.

I will not do the things "the boys" do, that they keep trying to argue me into doing, that they seem to enjoy so much.  Not because I can't, for I could do anything I want.  Not because I am better than they are, for I must admit I am not.  I will not because the price is far too great.  For what the cost would buy I can not, will not, and will never pay it.

Sorry, I just can't afford that.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

I just realized I have been sadly negligent in not posting this on the forum yet.  My apologies, and enjoy the following lunacy. 

To set the stage:  someone mentioned something about being normal.  My chatroom stats are  "Age: 9045  Gender: Neutral  Location: Antria, a planet in the Xyphos Nebula" because I don't like to give out my real stats....... so I have fun with fake ones.

What follows is what was spawned from a random comment, my off-beat stats and a very bored and inventive mind.



[01:00am] * Isaac is normal
[01:01am] <Isaac>  I am just like everyone else here on Xyphos. We all share the same brain and run our bodies by telepathy.
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> wow
[01:01am] * Quits: CAguy (java@~-794C4525.sd.sd.cox.net) (Quit: Jesus loves me, this I know...)
[01:01am] <Isaac>  When I can catch a targizh and get its brain, I can download my personality unit to that brain.
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> no wonder you cant move fast
[01:01am] <Isaac>  Then I won't have to share the community brain with everyone else.
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> your brain is to slow to move that fast
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> lol
[01:02am] <BoredGirl> you have to share
[01:02am] <BoredGirl> yours is not going to work down her on earth
[01:02am] <BoredGirl> here*
[01:03am] <BoredGirl> we work in a fast pace enviroment
[01:03am] * Joins: CAguy (java@~-794C4525.sd.sd.cox.net)
[01:03am] <Isaac>  Oh we think fast. The community brain is very large.
[01:03am] <BoredGirl> wb
[01:03am] <BoredGirl> you sure
[01:03am] <Isaac>  But there's always someone hogging the Xathan lobe, that controls telepathic control of our bodies.
[01:03am] <Isaac>  :(
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> why do you do that
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> you need to share
[01:04am] <Isaac>  I do share
[01:04am] <Isaac>  But not everyone does
[01:05am] <BoredGirl> sure whatever
[01:05am] <BoredGirl> lol
[01:05am] <Isaac>  Some people try to eat up more telepathic bandwidth than others so they can have better fine muscle control.
[01:05am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:05am] <Isaac>  As if being able to wiggle your ears will help you catch a targizh
[01:06am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:06am] <BoredGirl> must have some big ears then
[01:06am] <Isaac>  No, it's just that our bodies are born with no brains, so we have to control the bodies from the central brain
[01:07am] <Isaac>  Until we can catch a targizh and use its brain
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> so you havent caught one yet
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> thats explans alot
[01:07am] <Isaac>  You could use anything really, from a voldir on up, but a targizh has the biggest and fastest brain you can get
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:08am] <BoredGirl> so you have to have a bog head to hold it
[01:08am] <BoredGirl> big*
[01:08am] <Isaac>  No, just a normal size head. Even a targizh brain won't stretch the cranial capacity of a normal Xyphosian body.
[01:09am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:09am] <BoredGirl> whats normal there
[01:09am] <BoredGirl> since you have no bodies like us
[01:10am] <Isaac>  It would be impossible to explain in your english language
[01:10am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:10am] <Isaac>  You have no words for the parts of our bodies.
[01:11am] <Isaac>  The closest you have for our manipulative appendages is "tentacles"
[01:12am] <Isaac>  But that's not really accurate
[01:12am] <Isaac>  It's more like tentacles with millions of little hands
[01:12am] <Isaac>  But they're not really hands
[01:12am] <ChRiSsY> wow, what did i miss?!
[01:12am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:12am] <Isaac>  They are more like microscopic hooks
[01:13am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:13am] <Isaac>  Scroll up Chrissy
[01:13am] <Isaac>  BoredGirl is so bored she got curious about what we Xyphosians look like



The saga continues............



[01:57pm] <browneyes> bored isaac?
[01:57pm] <Isaac>  No, I'm running some music files
[01:57pm] <browneyes> i take it u like music
[01:57pm] <Isaac>  I only WISH I were bored
[01:58pm] <Isaac>  Nah, can't stand music. Why? :P
[01:58pm] <browneyes> lol
[01:58pm] <browneyes> seems to be all you talk about
[01:58pm] <browneyes> at least, it is when i'm in here
[01:58pm] <browneyes>  :D
[01:58pm] <Isaac>  No, I talk about my planet too.
[01:58pm] <browneyes> oh yes
[01:58pm] <browneyes> how are the fellow aliens on your home world?
[01:58pm] <Isaac>  To me they are not aliens. To us YOU are the aliens
[01:59pm] <browneyes> so exactly what galaxy is your planet in?
[01:59pm] <Isaac>  Didn't you read my stats?
[01:59pm] <Isaac>  MyStats ===>>   Age: 9045  Gender: Neutral  Location: Antria, a planet in the Xyphos Nebula   <<=== MyStats
[01:59pm] <browneyes> wow
[02:00pm] <browneyes> ur old
[02:00pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:00pm] <Isaac>  No, we just have really short years
[02:00pm] <browneyes> so one year to us is how many years to ya'll?
[02:00pm] <Isaac>  Our planet goes around the sun so fast you could get a headache from the g forces if you stand up too quickly.
[02:01pm] <browneyes> I see
[02:01pm] <Isaac>  Makes gravity interesting though. You're a lot heavier at night than you are in the daytime.
[02:01pm] <Isaac>  So you want to do your shopping in the daytime.
[02:01pm] <browneyes> why is that?
[02:01pm] <Isaac>  Because then packages will be lighter.
[02:02pm] <browneyes> so do u have flying cars?
[02:03pm] <Isaac>  No
[02:03pm] <Isaac>  We have mass transport.
[02:03pm] <browneyes> ahhh
[02:03pm] <Isaac>  It's a little thing we wear usually on the third uulongh (those things like tentacles, but not)
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  Looks a bit like one of your smaller wristwatches
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  It's the controller for the mass transport grid.
[02:04pm] <browneyes> then why does it matter what time you shop if you travel by mass transport?
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  Well you still have to carry packages
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  I didn't say TELEport
[02:04pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:04pm] * Quits: lightbulb (cda52928@B779F135.CBC34631.8297EAB9.IP) (Quit: CGI:IRC (EOF))
[02:04pm] <browneyes> i know
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  The grid just picks you up and puts you down somewhere else.
[02:05pm] <browneyes> you ran lightbulb off to
[02:05pm] <Isaac>  Wer're still working on teleport
[02:05pm] <browneyes> want a tic tac?
[02:05pm] <Isaac>  It's like flying, but you have to control where you go with the wristwatch-like device.
[02:05pm] <Isaac>  And the grid keeps track of everyone to make sure we don't run into each other mid-air
[02:06pm] <browneyes> what happens if the grid breaks?
[02:06pm] <Isaac>  Are you kidding? Something that important, we have TONS of redundancies and backups.
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Wouldn't be good for everyone in mid-transport to suddenly fall out of the sky.
[02:07pm] <browneyes> mmmm....
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Could get a broken tharynx, especially if it is nighttime with higher gravity.
[02:07pm] <browneyes> so is your skin green
[02:07pm] <browneyes> do u glow in the dark?
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Why would my skin be green?
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Why would I glow in the dark?
[02:08pm] <Isaac>  My skin is a quite normal iridescent purple
[02:08pm] <browneyes> purple was my next guess
[02:08pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:08pm] <browneyes> purple with green spots
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  What purpose would glowing in the dark serve? We can see in the bands you call infrared and ultraviolet, so we have (by your standards) great night vision.
[02:09pm] <browneyes> do you have chocolate on your planet?
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  No :(
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  We have to get it shipped in
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  And the shipping is unbelievable.
[02:10pm] <browneyes> i don't care what color you are or even if you can fly
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  We have to send a robot that looks like a human to buy it.
[02:10pm] <browneyes> NOTHING compares with chocolate
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  I never said we could fly
[02:10pm] <browneyes> i said not even if you COULD fly
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  Last shipment the robot found some Lindt chocolate. That's the only brand we are going to order it to get next trip.
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  :D
[02:11pm] <browneyes> no knid of advanced technologe can compare with chocolate
[02:11pm] <Isaac>  Yeah, I know. We tried to replicate it, but the replicated chocolate stunk.
[02:11pm] <browneyes> you can't replicate something that good
[02:12pm] <browneyes> don't you think since chocolate is made out of beans it should be considered a vegetable and therefore be in the food pyramid?
[02:13pm] <Isaac>  Um............ it already is, in my science. It is recognized as the most important of the five major food groups.
[02:13pm] <browneyes> i tried that with my mom when i was little
[02:14pm] <browneyes> it didn't work
[02:14pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:14pm] <Isaac>  Your mom is not as scientifically advanced as we are.
[02:14pm] <browneyes> no she's not :D
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

kmymbir

I'm curious, If you are using a central brain and sharing it, then the space you have to function is limited? But if you catch a Targizh and download your unit, then does the space you get expand, or does the central Xyphosian's all share the new brain? If you all connect to the new Targizh brain then it would seem like you have not really expanded your space. But if you indeed get to have that area all to your unit then at some point, some one on your planet should have been able to come up with a color besides purple to describe you, with all the knowledge and advancements I'm sure you could come up with something a bit more definitively appropriate? ;)
"It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others." - Unknown

Lynx

I said iridescent purple.  Not near the same as regular purple.  And yes, now that I have a targizh brain I have it all to myself.  I still keep in contact with the Central Brain, but I no longer have to share the Xathan lobe to control my body - I'm on-site, I can control my body the way you control yours, from the inside now.  :)
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

#41
DISCLAIMER:  The following is a rant.  I tried to phrase it more nicely but it still came out as a full-blown rant.  If you feel strongly about, or rather against, certain styles of music, you will probably find this offensive.  You have been warned. 



There is one thing that has been bugging me for a long time.  This is people who go around bad-mouthing certain styles of christian music they don't like.  I'm not talking about people who just don't like certain styles or singers, and if there are some styles you don't like, let me make it clear I'm not talking about you.  Please don't take offense.  I'm talking about people who dislike certain styles of music so much that they actively disparage the whole style to anyone who will listen, and even louder to anyone who doesn't want to listen.  If you're the kind to talk bad about a style of christian music, by all means help yourself to all the offense you want.  You've earned it.  :P

People who put down certain styles of music can be from all ages, and there are people to put down every style.  Generally elders disparage more modern music and younger people look down their noses at older styles, but the attitude they all seem to have - and the reason it gets on my nerves so much - is that because they don't like that style, it's "not real christian music."  I have seen some people with this attitude evident in their diatribe against whatever style they didn't like.  Regrettably I have actually heard some elders say that, in those exact words, about some modern music.  "That's not real christian music." (Insert sneer here.)

I'm going to share a secret with you.  To an extent I actually agree.  There are some singers who put out music that is allegedly christian, but they are not doing it as a ministry.  They are doing it to make a buck, or to gain fame, or for whatever personal reason they have, but there is nothing of God's spirit in their music.  There are also some who have a real message, but it's not from God - I vividly remember one album I found that was full of nothing but songs that complained about how hard life was for christians.  I could cite many examples, but there might be someone who likes a group I would list, actually gets a blessing out of it, and I don't want to ruin it for him.  There are some who sing in a particular style and you get the impression they are only using that style of music because they think it will sell better.  There are some who sing songs that have words praising God, but they sing it in a very showy manner.  This is regrettable, but a fact of christian music - there are, have been and will always be imitators, just along for the ride, with no true ministry in their music.

But here's another secret that you might not like so much... I can find examples of the very same thing in your favorite style.  Just because you can find some empty music in a certain style doesn't mean it's all bad.  This is the reason this chaps me so much.  If you want to put down a certain singer, that's between you, God and that singer.  But if you put down a whole style, you're putting down some singers you've never even heard, some who have some real anointing, some who have a real ministry in their music. 

The problem is, it's so easy to broad-brush a whole style with your opinion that you formed while hearing one or two half-hearted singers.  Younger people claim older gospel music is slow, boring, old fashioned... well, some of it is.  And elders sometimes complain that modern music depends on a driving beat instead of the Spirit... and in fact, I have to admit some of it does.  Some say southern gospel is just a contest to see who can hold a note the longest... unfortunately some is.  And what some people say about bluegrass is true, some of it really is just showing off how well the musician can play the banjo.  But you can't judge all the music in a style by one or two bad examples. 

Unfortunately far too many people do just that.  I have to be amazed at your audacity.  How can you judge singers you have never heard, in a style you admittedly don't care much for, as not really having God's power and anointing behind them?  How can you claim every singer in a certain style has no ministry?  Do you really think every singer in that style is vain, venal and only in it for himself?  No, surely not - in your heart you probably don't believe that.  But when you put down a whole music style, you are in fact saying just that.  You may not realize it, you may just be venting on that style because you personally don't like it, but you need to listen to what you are actually saying.

By the way, young people:  I hope you remember every word you say when you put down the music elders like.  Someday you will be old and you will have to eat those words, and all the salt in the world won't make them taste better.  Someday your music will be considered old fashioned by the new generation.  You elders know exactly what I mean.  Remember when you were young and you got so frustrated with your parents because they couldn't understand why you liked that awful music?  Mm-hmm, now you see where they're coming from.  Keep that memory firmly in mind when you think about the current batch of young people and their awful music. 

Right here I'd like to say something to the young people alone.  A lot of churches are singing only modern songs.  You feel good about that.  I can understand that.  But please stop rubbing it in the elders' faces.  A lot of young people seem to have the attitude that "We're going to sing our music whether you old people like it or not."  Hate to break it to you, but we didn't go with modern music because it's necessarily better.  We chose it because it's modern, and our church has a vested interest in remaining relevant to the world we're trying to reach.  And yes, I know it's easy to get an attitude about it when elders complain about that modern music.  People don't like change, and you will find when you get old that the older you get, the less you like change.  You have your modern music in church.  Be happy with it, but be happy a bit more quietly, please.  And may you be given the same grace when you are older and it's your turn to see the music you like traded in for something new. 

Look, I know we can't get everyone to like the same style of music.  Some will find modern music too noisy and fast, some will be irritated to no end by country christian, and there will always be many who simply cannot stand bluegrass gospel.  I'm not asking you to like all styles of christian music.  I just wish you wouldn't be so noisy in your dislike.  Believe it or not, for all the modern music that depends on a driving beat, there is some with a driving beat and a good, God inspired message.  There is some southern gospel that is not just "showboating."  There is even some bluegrass that has some anointing, not just fancy picking.  And when you dismiss that whole style as "not real christian music" you are making a very dangerous judgement.  And getting on my last nerve in the process. 

END OF RANT
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

When God does something for you, then you know God's providence.

When God does something for others through you, then you know God's love.

When you can get more excited over what God has done for others through you than about what God has done for you... then you are a little bit closer to knowing God.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

Something I would like to say to certain people at work:

"Thank you for being a grump.  In every group there is one person who is always grumpy, always talking about people, always gloomily predicting the worst.  I think it's a cosmic, universal law.  But with you doing the complaining, I am free to be upbeat, cheerful and get the job done, confident that the job of complaining is being taken care of by someone else.  Keep up the good work."   :cool:

Of course saying that would only make the grump more grumpy, so I wouldn't say it to him.  But that's what ran through my head tonight.   :biglaugh:
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

Being a Christian is like riding a bicycle.  The faster you go, the easier it is to maintain your balance.  The slower you go, the more you wobble, and the more effort you have to put into just staying upright.  And if you stop you fall off.

"Living for God easy is hard.  Living for God hard is easy."

Ecclesiastes 10:10  If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Lynx

It has been a long, hectic day.  I've been running flat-out since I got up, and as the day went on it only got worse.  Everything had to be done today, I was constantly watching the clock and I still don't know how I got it all done in time but I did.  At work it was even worse - problems on the line slowed things down and we worked like mad to catch back up, while dealing with a boss who was not in the best mood.  From the time I got up until I got home I was going in several different directions at once, with no time to rest.  Good thing I had dark chocolate.   :smirk2:

When I finally get home I can relax, catch up on the forum, see what's going on in christian chat - unwind a bit.  And after I've been sitting a while the day catches up with me and suddenly I'm almost too tired to turn the computer off and make it to bed.  So another day is spent, getting many things accomplished, and I lie down to get a good night's sleep, to prepare for the next day.  And in all the things I got done, I never made time to talk to God.  There just never was time.  Oh well, I'll pray tomorrow.  I hope.

But then I think of the relationship God had with His people in Eden.  The Bible says God came personally to talk to them in the evening.  In the beginning everything God made was perfect, and He was free to be with the humans He had made.  But after the humans had sinned, God could no longer have that relationship with them.  The wages of sin is death, and unholy people cannot survive in the presence of a holy God.  If God had tried to resume the relationship He had with them, they would have been destroyed.  So for the sake of His people, God had to give up that relationship for a while.

There was limited contact of course, because man also cannot survive entirely without God.  But it was tedious, messy and not very effective.  Man had to make sacrifices for his sin, to atone for it.  Even then it did not wipe out his sin, only pushed it ahead of him by a year.  And it still did not restore the relationship God had in the beginning.  God could be among His people, but there had to be a veil in the temple separating Him from them.  The veil was not for God's protection, as if God needed to keep Himself separated from the people's sins.  It was for the people's protection, so they in their unholiness would not be destroyed in the direct presence of a holy God.  Only the high priest could come in God's presence, and then only once a year, and then only after various rituals and cleansings... and even then he shouldn't have been able to survive in God's presence, but it was absolutely necessary to apply the blood of the sacrifice so it was allowed.  So God provided a way for His people to survive for the time being, but He still didn't have the relationship He had lost.

But finally, FINALLY the time came to wipe out His people's sins.  At last the backlog of sins that had been rolled ahead could be taken care of, and God's people could once again survive in His presence.  When Jesus finally died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn down the middle because humans no longer had to be protected from God's presence.   God could finally have the relationship He had always wanted, the one He had been without for so long.  He could finally be with His people again.

But I just didn't have time today to talk to Him.

Jesus died on the cross to save my soul, to pay for my sins.  But there was something in it for Him too.  And when I pray, I receive guidance, I thank God for my salvation, I ask God to take care of some things.  But sometimes it is good to just talk to God, to be with God, in His presence for a while.  If God never did anything else for me, never took care of any need I had, how could I not have time to talk to Him?  It's all He ever wanted for Himself.


I didn't come here to ask You for anything
I just came to talk with You Lord
You've answered a million prayers or more
That I forgot to thank You for
I just came to talk with You Lord

Maybe tomorrow there'll be trouble and sorrow
And a thousand teardrops may fall
But until I face tomorrow's task, I have no special thing to ask
I just came to talk with You Lord

"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing:

Kim

                             TOUCH HER LORD
There are so many things in life.....that I can't understand.
It wouldn't be that hard for You.....to touch her with Your hand.
She lived her life daily.....to please You in every way.
"Trust Jesus always" are words.....I remember, she would say.
Now Lord, I know You're with her.....her side You could never leave.
She has so much faith in You.....to her Bible she would cleave.
Now Lord, I am asking You.....to please help her understand.
Reach down from Heaven.....and guide her with Your hand.
She needs Your touch now.....more than ever before,
This battle she's fighting.....seems more like a war.
Her mind just isn't there.....the way it used to be,
But I know her heart is pure.....this I'm sure you see.
So Jesus, give her strength.....and understanding, if You will.
Keep her safe and close to You.....Your power, please don't conceal.
Just one little touch.....from Your hand above
Would heal her, I know.....and make her free as a dove.
There are reasons, they say.....why You do the things You do,
Our minds can't comprehend.....but our trust is in You.


         I wrote this poem for my mama.  She has Alzhiemer's and it just seemed to fit.                 

sunlight

Wow... I think Alzheimer's is one of the hardest things to deal with....
  :attackhug: Be full of hugs!

Roscoe

Quote from: Kim on March 19, 2013, 11:36:14 PM
                             TOUCH HER LORD
There are so many things in life.....that I can't understand.
It wouldn't be that hard for You.....to touch her with Your hand.
She lived her life daily.....to please You in every way.
"Trust Jesus always" are words.....I remember, she would say.
Now Lord, I know You're with her.....her side You could never leave.
She has so much faith in You.....to her Bible she would cleave.
Now Lord, I am asking You.....to please help her understand.
Reach down from Heaven.....and guide her with Your hand.
She needs Your touch now.....more than ever before,
This battle she's fighting.....seems more like a war.
Her mind just isn't there.....the way it used to be,
But I know her heart is pure.....this I'm sure you see.
So Jesus, give her strength.....and understanding, if You will.
Keep her safe and close to You.....Your power, please don't conceal.
Just one little touch.....from Your hand above
Would heal her, I know.....and make her free as a dove.
There are reasons, they say.....why You do the things You do,
Our minds can't comprehend.....but our trust is in You.


         I wrote this poem for my mama.  She has Alzhiemer's and it just seemed to fit.                 
You made me cry when I first read this, and then again finding it here....I still think this is one of the most beautiful verses ever. And yes, I'm lucky to have such a talented loving sister... :P
Potstirrer and snoop extraordinaire   "I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world."- Thomas Edison

Lynx

TREASURE
(rough draft)

There is a story of a rich man who was also a devout christian.  One day God spoke to him, as God had spoken to Solomon, and asked what the man would like.  The man asked to be allowed to bring one suitcase to Heaven with him when he died.  (Please ignore the obvious biblical objections to such a thing.  It is just a story.)

The next day the man filled the largest suitcase he could find with gold bars and left it by his bed.  When he prayed that night he mentioned to God that this was the suitcase he would like to take with him when he died.

Eventually the man did in fact die, and found himself at the gates of Heaven with his suitcase.  As he was dragging it up to the gate, an angel asked him what he was doing.  He told the angel God had said he could bring one suitcase, and this was it.  The angel said he would have to inspect the contents, so the man opened the suitcase.

The angel pulled out a gold bar, stared at it, put it back, pulled out another, all with an air of disbelief.  Then he called another angel over to consult with in low tones.  Finally he came back to the man and said, "Well if God Himself said it's okay I guess it's okay.  But why would you want to bring road paving bricks?"

The story is amusing, or maybe not, but it started me thinking - even if we could take it with us, what could we take from this life that would do any good?  Jewels?  The foundations of Heaven are made of the stuff.  Money?  There's nothing to buy there.  Computers will be obsolete, we will have better music there than even the best songs in my CD collection, the food will be better than I could ever whip up in my kitchen, a lion beats any dog or cat any day for a pet... Even if it were possible to take something from this life to Heaven with us, there is nothing I can think of that would have the slightest value there.

Yet Jesus Himself said to lay up treasures in Heaven.

To lay up treasures means the more we work for these treasures, the more we will have.  But what kind of treasures could we store?  It can't be God's presence, because everyone will have that equally - nobody will get more face-time with God than someone else based on what he has done on earth.  Streets of gold, river of life, everyone will have equal access to.  But Jesus specifically said to leave off storing riches here on earth and "lay up" treasures in Heaven.

While I was thinking about this, I began thinking about our pastor.  He has had a long and varied life, and a very interesting one.  He is now 82 years old and his health is starting to fail, and we have to face the fact that we will not much longer benefit from his presence.  But if he ever does die, we surely will have to rent the local school's basketball court to hold the funeral - our church will not be able to hold all the people who know him.  Everyone in town knows and likes him.  I don't think he has an enemy in the world.  You can't just make a quick trip to the store for one thing when you go with him... Everyone he meets is a friend he has known for years, and they all have to stop and talk.

This is because he has spent years working for God, doing God's will, helping anyone he could.  His life's work was not just to build a church in our town, but to reach out to those who need help, to reach them in God's name, with God's love.  Small wonder everyone knows him.  And if he ever does die, he will have a long life behind him that he can truly say was well spent. 

This is the only thing I can think of that I can take with me, that will matter in Heaven - the people I have helped along the way.

It will not be a matter of pride, of "look at all the things *I* did!"  There will be many others who have done more than I.  I seriously doubt I could ever do more than my own pastor has done, for one. There will be no place for bragging.  But it will matter to me.  I will be able to know that I took that one to church, encouraged this one when he was down, gave that one something he needed more than I.  I will know that, instead of spending the life God has given me in piling up things that will not matter in Heaven, I used it to help others.  Each person I have helped will be a treasure to me - not a treasure to flaunt in front of others, but a treasure to ME personally. I will know that I have made a difference, that my life was not spent in useless things.

There is a story of a king long ago, in a faraway kingdom, who decided to build a great highway that would span his entire kingdom.  The project took many years and a lot of effort, but it would make travel across the land much easier.  A few months before it was completed, the king sent messengers all throughout the land advertising a contest.  The messengers declared the day the road would be finished, and announced the king would give a great prize to the person who traveled a marked-off section of his new highway the best. 

On the appointed day many people showed up to travel the road.  Some athletes were ready to race, some came in luxurious coaches, some traveled with a lot of friends and told stories along the way.  Each traveler had decided he knew what "best" meant and each spared no effort to enact what he considered the best way of traveling the road.

As the king stood at the end of the designated section of road, person after person, group after group crossed the finish line.  The King asked them all how they liked his new road.  They said it was great, but all of them complained about a big pile of rubble the road builders had left in the middle of the road at one point. Frequently a person would ask the king if he had traveled the road best, but the king would only say, "Wait and see.  I'll tell who has traveled it best after everyone has arrived."

Finally, as the sun was setting, one last man crossed the finish line.  He was tired, somewhat dirty and carried a leather bag in his hand.  He approached the king and said, "My lord, there was a big pile of rubble left in the middle of the road.  I cleared it away, and I found this bag under it.  Could you please find out who it belongs to?  It is filled with gold coins."

The king said, "That bag belongs to you, for you have won the prize.  The person who travels my new highway best is the one who makes it smoother for others."

As christians, we are to put on the mind of Christ.  What did Christ do when He was on earth?  He helped people.  He healed blind eyes, lame legs, sickness, He couldn't pass a funeral without totally ruining it (when the dead man gets up, the funeral's over... wonder if the mourners ever got paid?) He was always reaching out to those who needed Him. 

Matthew 6:21  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Christ's heart was with the things He treasured.  He spent His time helping others, then turned to His disciples and told them to lay up their own treasures. 

I wonder how many treasures I have stored. It won't matter if I have more than someone or less than someone else.  Comparisons with other people will be about as useless as a wad of money in Heaven.  What will matter to me is, do I have as many as I could have?  It will be far more important than a gold chunk of street pavement.  A person I have helped will be a treasure indeed.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church, I sing at home, at work, in the car, at the supermarket, at Wal-Mart..."
:sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: :sing: