Five Reasons I still Hope

5 Life Lessons

 1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
 During my second month of college, our professor

 Gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student

 And had breezed through the questions until I read

 The last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

 Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the

Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,

 Dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?

 I handed in my paper, leaving the last question

 Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if

 The last question would count toward our quiz grade.


 "Absolutely, " said the professor. "In your
careers,

 You will meet many people. All are significant.. They

 Deserve your attention and care, even if all you do

 Is smile and say "hello."



 I've never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned her

 Name was Dorothy.



 2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain



 One night, at 11:30 p.m.., an older African American
Woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
 Trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had

 Broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

 Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

 A young white man stopped to help her, generally

Unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man

 Took her to safety, helped her get assistance and

Put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
Address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a

knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a

Giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
Special note was attached.
It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway
The other night. The rain drenched not only my
Clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying

 Husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God
Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving

 Others."
Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those
Who serve..
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and

Sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in

 Front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and
Studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he
 inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the
Waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
The table and walked away The boy finished the ice
Cream, paid the cashier and left.. When the waitress

Came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
Table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
Were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had
To have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
Roadway.. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
Anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by

And simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the

 King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did

 Anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
Vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the

 peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the

 peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed

 a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note
from the King indicating that the gold was for the

 person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The

 peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve
our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness.. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will
 save her.." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed
next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing
the color returning to her cheek. Then his face
grew pale and his smile faded.

 He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Hope Still Lingers On

The past few weeks I have been reading a lot of news, watching news, and basically paying attention to world events. A Mosque is potentially going to get built near ground zero. The summer heat is seemingly unbearable. Earthquakes are rocking the planet. Violence, bloodshed, and strife is happening all over. The fact that it is happening now and that it always has been has left me into a bit of a thinking pattern. More thought, of course, than "am I going to get my Warrior on Guild Wars to the Fire Island to beat the Prophecies campaign?" Oh, my thoughts are so much more than that.
In regards to the Mosque, first of all. I know that no matter what I say that whatever happens will happen. Its not my choice. Now, it is very apparent from my blogs, profile, and if you've ever taken the time to know me to know that I am a Christian. Follower of Christ, I do see Him more than just a "prophet", but rather He is the Son of God. He is God in the Flesh but He is not the Father. To spare time, I'm not going to get into an explanation of that again. Its the previous post that has all that if you want to read about it. What I will say is this, I don't agree with Islamic faith. However, I don't hate them one bit. I don't hate. I love to love. Its such a beautiful feeling. There are many things in this world that I don't agree with, but I'm not going to come off as some crazy zealot and be an extremist. I am all for peace. If I had my say in the locale of said Mosque, I wish it would just be somewhere not so close. Am I saying take their butts back to the Middle East? Of course not. I won't say that because, after all, America is land of the free. Everyone can stay here. And remember, my friends, unless you are 110 percent Native American blood, your ancestors didn't have that right either. Myself? I am part German, English, Irish, French, Cherokee, and Choctaw (and whatever else I have no clue). The thing is, is that I am an American. People can immigrate here if they so choose. Legally. Of course, back then that wasn't a stipulation. Times have changed, its a bigger country(as far as population), so it needs to be done that way. So, no I'm not against a Mosque being on our soil because our Constitution does say that we have the freedom of RELIGION as well. I am a Christian. Its not my place to get in between what you and God do.
As far as the heat goes, I wish it was Fall. I don't say in Winter, I wish it was summer. I can't stand the heat myself. It drives me batty and my allergies go off the chart nuts. The violence and bloodshed out in the world. I can't do much about that but I can live my life the way that God has chosen. So, in my heart that He has touched, I wish for peace. I don't like anger, strife, or any form of negativity. It does break my heart to see all these people cutting down each other and hurting one another. Sometimes I really think that if the human population would put in half as much energy into being productive and not destructive, it wouldn't be such a violent planet. Man is always against man it seems. Through violence or speaking with a venomous tongue.
Mother nature is seemingly shaking like crazy right now, so I pray for all those that are affected in Indonesia with all the earthquakes that are happening. I really don't like earthquakes. I remember when I lived at my dad's house, little tremors going off. Quite frankly, they used to scare me because earthquakes are really no joke.
I guess the main point of this writing is to say that, I know that the world is seemingly being turned upside down with all these aforementioned happenings. Is it being too much of an optimist to say that I don't lose hope yet? Through it all, I think that if humankind can show more of their humanity that we can learn to love each other as individuals. Through our differences, through our opinions, can't we learn to agree to disagree? People have different perspectives and I am sure that some will even disagree to the things I've spoken of in this ramble. Even then, I do hope that there is humanity in people though. If I had one wish, it would be for people to do that. To learn how to love and forget how to hate.
Wishful thinking from this bout of randomness.

God bless everyone and sincerely, I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Love and Peace, Susan.

Now I lay me down to sleep....

Today has been another one of those trying days. My body hasn't been operating properly for some time now, but the emotional and thinking part of me is always working. I always seem to be thinking of some subject matter. Sometimes it can be as silly as thinking of a game that I play and wondering how will I ever beat it. Then, sometimes I tend to think on more important matters. Today, it was a day of thinking of complex thoughts and the conclusions that I have formed in doing that.

I realize how weak my physical self is in going through this trial. I'm mostly not wanting to let it beat me because I've been holding on fast to my faith. That was what I was thinking about today. My faith. I am a Christian, Calvinistic in doctrine but Christian in faith. To make this clear, I do not bow down and worship John Calvin. I just believe that we are predestined in the role that we have. Now, that doesn't make me any better than any soul that has ever walked on this planet, I don't know who God has chosen. He could call you when you're 10, 25, or 70 for all I know. I don't have the knowledge of that, but what I do have knowledge of is what God has been doing in my life.

Some people will say, why believe in an invisible thing? Blah blah blah. Well, to me, God is not a fairy tale in the least. I know in my heart that God is very real, He did create everything that we see. I am a firm believer in the Trinity. The belief, by the way, in the Trinity is not polytheism, it is very much Monotheistic. To explain the Trinity the best way that I can so that one can understand it is that God is the Father, God is the Son, and God is the Holy Spirit.The Father is not the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. In 1 Timothy 2:5, Paul continues to teach that there is but one God while recognizing Jesus as the divine-human Mediator between God and man.

The biblical teaching on the Trinity embodies four essential affirmations.

1.) There is one and only one true and living God.

2.) This one God eternally exist in three persons ~ God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

3.) These three persons are completely equal in attributes, each with the same divine nature.

4.) While each person is fully and completely God, the persons are not identical.

It was so very important that Jesus came here like He did to die for our sins. You hear that so much and some nod and agree, others just give you that funny look like "Why do I need salvation for my sins?", or others just say that yeah, believe in Jesus but you need to work and do *such and such* to earn the right to Heaven. The main thing here is, people don't really realize why sin bothers God so much. He is a perfect Being. He created us. He doesn't sin. He can't stand sin. He actually loathes and hates it. If your name is in the Book of Life on the Day of Judgment, then you will be allowed into Heaven to worship Him for ever.

Alright, now you're asking yourself, why would I want to worship Him forever. I'm getting to that. Hell is a very real place. It is full of gnashing of teeth, pain, sorrow, eternal anguish. Eternal is defined as having infinite duration. That means, that it will never end. You will want something to drink, you won't get it. You will want just a second of relief from the pain and it won't happen. It lasts literally, not a manner of speaking, forever. The reason I want to worship the true God, the living God, the Being that Created everything and gives us the air to breath, is because of the very true fact that He has saved me from that. He has saved my soul, out of none of my doing whatsoever, from an eternal everlasting fire pit of pain, suffering, and punishment.

Eternity is a very long time to live in something like that. To exist, rather in a permanent state of torment. There is no going back either when you do realize, hey God does exist and He even came here to die for my sins, so Since I see and Believe, I'm sorry. It does not work like that.

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ~John 20:29

He wants us to have faith before the fact, not after the fact. Its like when you're a child and you get in trouble for some misdeed. Your parents do something to let you see the error of your ways, not let you off Scott free. That would not allow you to learn.

So, after saying all this, my thoughts earlier today when I was just laying in my bed and thinking. I was thinking of how fast it seemed that we got here, but in reality, years and centuries have passed. It seemed like all of a sudden, it was like BAM I'm here. God knew me before I even came into the world's existence. He knew when He first formed the Earth, Universe, everything so long ago that there would be a Susan. He created every hair on my head, cell, eyes, all of it. He created me with love. He does love me so much and I know this because He sent His son to die a most horrible death to pay for the sins that I commit. He knew the wrongs I would do in this life and died for me centuries before I even cried my first tear, told my first lie, or rebelled against my mother and father. He knew I needed that. There is no way that I could ever do anything on this planet that could make God forgive me for the sins, the things that separate me from Him. The hard cold fact is, there is nothing any of us can do by ourselves to gain admittance into His presence for all eternity and have complete forgiveness. Jesus came here to do that for us. He is the only one that has ever been born into this world that was without fault. God saw complete and utter favor in Him. He was perfect. He died for us. His blood cleanses us. He makes us perfect so that we can also show no fault when we stand before God so that our names will be in the Book of Life.

I was thinking so much today. When we get before Him, all of us will. Everyone will stand before Him, whether or not you believe in Him now, we all we be before Him to face that judgment. There is no hiding. I thought of why we should fear God. The fear I would have, is that I would be turned away. That I would be cast from my Creator for ever. It wouldn't be like before we were born either. We would completely and totally realize everything that happens. We would have full conscious state of mind of what was occurring to us. The human in me wants no one to go through that sort of pain and torment. Its not up to me. Its really not. I am a person full of fault and have no right to judge anyone. What I can do is urge people to realize the truth of it all. That we were created with God's hands. He sent His son to do what we just can't do ourselves. No matter how good you think you are, unless one has Jesus' righteousness imbued upon you, then it is a very real thing that you would be separated from Him for ever. That separation is full of pain. To be with Him is not. He is preparing a place for the ones He has elected. Those people will spend their time in Heaven worshiping this very loving and just God. Some may ask, Why is it taking God so long to go and build this place? This new Heaven and new Earth? Well, God doesn't live in time. He created time. Its different for Him.

I do know these things about myself. I fully believe in God, The Trinity, and the Bible. I know that I desire to do good, but without God I can't. I understand that I am a human and that I need Jesus to be with God for all eternity. I don't want to sin but I find myself doing that and I can't stand it. I thank God everyday for His love, grace, and mercy. I only hope that people that I love dearly will come to those truths as well some day. I can't force it upon them, nor will I even try. I will explain, as I do when asked, why I believe, how I came to believe it, and that of the like. It is refreshing to realize that no matter how weak I am physically that my spiritual self is always strong because of Him.

Maybe soon I'll write out my own personal testimony in a blog or something. It wasn't an easy road at all, but then again, nothing worth it is ever easy.

Until next time, God bless and Jesus Be with You all.

Love always,

Susan

References:

ESV Bible on the section speaking of the Trinity.

The summer of pain

The last few months have been a rather trying experience. I think this cyst just wants to piss me off. I went a few days without having much pain, just dizziness and then I woke up this morning/evening with a strong burning sensation in the back of my head. Called in and now I'm just trying to let the medicines run through my veins and thinking a lot. I guess things could be worse. They could be better, too though. I just have to somehow survive until next Thursday when I go talk to the neurosurgeon and praying to God that he will agree to do the surgery.

As much as I need that surgery, I'm also scared that it will happen at the same time if that makes any sense at all. I mean, this is my brain here. That little thing in your skull that helps you remember things (which I've had a hell of a time doing lately), keeping balance ( um, problems there too), speaking correctly (I sound like a drunk sometimes and I don't drink), and remaining conscious (which I do black out......)......

....Ok...maybe its a good thing I wrote it out like that because I see it in my face like that. I'm just worried, exhausted, and blah right now.

Other than that, the only thing on my mind at this moment is how much I miss my family and I wish I could be around them through this.

I got other things I could type about, but my opinions probably wouldn't be that popular. I'll probably blog about things such as a woman's right to work, friends, and educational type things. Right now, I'm going back to lay down. Have a good Friday everyone and God bless.