It's called "eQuest for Truth" and can be found at http://www.equest4truth.com/. I think the title is clever!

So, if you've ever wondered how horses can be incorporated into Christian ministry, they have some pretty good ideas at the eQuest website.

Nobody has to be taught any of the above to stay alive.  However according to religion your being alive is totally insignificant compared to the eternity that awaits you afterward.  When you compare something finite to something infinite the finite something (no matter how large) is reduced to zero in comparison.

So effectively your life on earth does not matter at all in the grand scheme of things.  Yet you are born with the 'absolute essentials' to live.  If the afterlife is infinitely more important why must we rely on others to teach us?  Why aren't we born with a sense of God?  I mean knowledge and belief in God are infinitely more essential than breathing right?  Yet every single person is born without religion or belief of any kind and this puts their immortal souls in potentialy infinite danger.

If God created us and belief in him is essential to our eternal lives, shouldn't awareness of him be part of our 'absolute essentials'?  It should be.  But it's not.  So God gave us the most incredible handicap, in that we have to just 'hope' somebody tells us about him (and the correct him at that).

Either that or maybe we weren't created.

I'm just saying...

July 14, 2008

9:37 am

The Fall effects everything around us. The curses on the serpent, woman and the land that followed have made this world such a difficult place to live in. Constantly, we are fighting back the thorns and the hard land that fights back. I find that my work is extremely difficult. I have to scratch and claw to support my family. I also want to start my own business where I could sell something like Corona beer merchandise or Hannah Montana backpacks, but the ground fights back at me. My wife and I had saved a bunch of money for a business, and it was all wiped away by an unexpected bill.

Women don't have it much easier. The confusion of gender roles have set them into the workplace, which hurts the family unit. Women have a difficult time in pregnancy, with great pain they bring forth children into the world. They turn to help from places like this because the men are not around to help them.

The Fall has killed everything. Can you imagine what it was like in the garden when you tried to plant something and it worked! It grew! C.S Lewis described this in the Magician's Nephew, and it was so beautiful that I started crying. My hope and faith are in a redeemed world - a new heaven and new earth where work will be as it should and the curses shall be lifted!

   The Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited

(NLNG)one of the biggest player in the global gas industry and foremost gas company in Nigeria recently organized a two day forum for its vendors in Port Harcourt to re-assess the 2007 year as well as formulate guidelines for the 2008 fiscal year.

THE FORUM WHICH SEGMENTED THE VENDORS INTO TWO CATEGORIES TOOK PLACE ON THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH OF JULY 2008 AT THE PROTEA HOTEL GRA PORT HARCOURT.

THIS YEAR’S THEME “ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE” WAS DERIVED FROM THE IMPRESSIVE VENDORS PERFORMANCE IN 2007. 

THE FOCUS OF THE 2008 FORUM WAS FOR STOCK TAKING ON THE 2007 PERFORMANCE AND TO EXPLAIN NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR VENDORS IN DISCHARGING THEIR FUNCTIONS WITHIN 2008. 

MR. PETER ADENIYI OF THE VENDOR REVIEW UNIT SAID EACH VENDOR’S PERFORMANCE IS MEASURED BY THE DELIVERY TIME, SUCCESSFUL BIDS RECEIVED AND THE QUALITY OF DELIVERIES IN RELATIONSHIP TO PURCHASE ORDER  AND SPECIFICATIONS.                                   

HE SAID WHILE IGNORANCE AND NON -COMPREHENSION OF PURCHASE ORDERS, POOR ESTIMATION, POOR COMMUNICATION AND UNREALISTIC LEAD TIMES COULD IMPEDE PERFORMANCE, BUSINESS SPECIALIZATION AND KNOW HOW, STRICT ADHERENCE TO ENQUIRY AND PURCHASE ORDER TERMS WOULD IMPROVE PERFORMANCE. 

                               MR. CHRIS AFUBEROH AND KAYODE FATOKUM

                              OF THE PROCUREMENT UNIT SAID VENDORS ARE

                               EXPECTED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE

                               MANUFACTURE, SPECIFY WHERE THE ORDER WAS

                               ISSUED AND WHERE TO DELIVER GOODS.

THEY SAID IT WAS WRONG TO ASK NLNG TO COLLECT MATERIALS FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS BECAUSE THIS LEADS TO PROBLEMS IN STOCK TAKING.

ACCORDING TO THEM, THE CHALLENGES POSED BY THE RENEWAL OF DUTY FREE EXEMPTION CERTIFICATES, WOULD COMPEL NLNG TO OPERATE A COMPLEX ARRANGEMENT OF EX-WORKS TOGETHER WITH DELIVERY DUTY PAID (DDP).

THEY SAID THE COMPANY HAS RESOLVED TO ACHIEVE MINIMAL COST IN ITS OPERATIONS BUT WOULD NOT COMPROMISE QUALITY AND URGED VENDORS TO AVOID USING SOURCES THAT LACK CREDITABILITY.

                               THE LOGISTICS COORDINATOR FOR NLNG MR. SOLA

OLAFIMIHAN SAID THE COMPANY DESIRES THAT VENDORS PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS, PERSONNEL, RESOURCES AND INFORMATION THEY PROVIDE.

HE SAID ABOUT HALF A BILLION NAIRA HAS BEEN LOST TO TRANSPORTATION OF MATERIALS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF PROPER PACKAGING.

MR. OLAFIMIHAN ALSO SAID THE COMPANY WOULD ONLY PAY FOR GOODS THAT ARE SUPPLIED IN GOOD CONDITION.

                              MISS MINA JOHNSON –HART OF THE

                              CONTRACTING  UNIT URGED VENDORS TO DEVELOP

                             EXPERTISE IN  THEIR BUSINESS, EVOLVE ADEQUATE

                             PLANNING  PROCEDURES TO ENABLE THEM MEET

                             WITH THE  CHALLENGES OF COMPETITION.

SHE TOLD THEM TO HAVE A WORKABLE CONTRACT ADDRESS, FUNCTIONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBERS AS WELL AS IDENTIFIABLE OFFICES FOR EASY CONTACT.

VENDORS WERE ALSO URGED TO PATIENTLY CALCULATE THEIR UNITS AND MEASURES CORRECTLY TO AVOID DISCREPANCIES THAT COULD DELAY RESPONSE TO QUERIES AND APPROVAL OF CONTRACTS.

                            WHILE MR. AUGUSTINE AJAGWU PROVIDED

                            AN OUTLINE ON NLNG CONTRACTOR HEALTH

                           AND  SAFETY ENVIRONMENT  

                           EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS, MR. CHRIS EDE SAID THE

                          REASON FOR DELAYS IN PAYMENT FOR EXECUTED JOBS

                         ARE  DUE TO SEVERE FACTORS SUCH AS NON

                         PROVISION OF  ORIGINAL COPIES OF CONTRACTUAL

                        AGREEMENTS, INCORRECT DATES ON BILLS,

                        DISCRIPANCIES ON  INVOICE AND NON ENDORSEMENT BY

                       APPROPRIATE  OFFICERS.

HE SAID MOST INVOICES ARE QUOTED IN DOLLARS WHEN ACTUAL WORK WAS DONE IN NIGERIA AND SAID THAT THIS COULD ALSO DELAY PAYMENT.

                               THE HEAD, BUSINESS STRATEGY AND SUPPORT,

MR. SUNDAY UNAH WHO SAID THE FORUM WOULD IMPROVE SUPPLIERS-BUSINESS CAPACITY, URGED VENDORS TO ADHERE TO THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THEM.

 ACCORDING TO HIM, EACH VENDOR IS AWARDED CONTRACT BASED ON QUALIFICATION, CAPACITY, TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND FUND.

                                A CROSS SECTION OF THE VENDORS EXPRESSED

CONCERN AT THE NEW POSTURE OF NLNG ON DEMANDING THAT SOME GOODS BE SOURCED FROM A PARTICULAR MANUFACTURER AND THE DDP REQUIREMENT.

THEY HOWEVER, COMMENDED NLNG FOR ORGANISING THE FORUM.

LATER IN AN INTERVIEW, THE HEAD BUSINESS STRATEGY MR. SUNDAY UNAH DESCRIBED THIS YEARS SESSION AS AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE PREVIOUS SESSIONS OF 2006 AND 2007.

If we're all made in the image of God, then we must be creative to some extent. What form of creativity do you use to reflect this image, and to bring glory to God and to love the world?

Here you are the "press release" of the event:

Image by Khamudy Mannonen published under a Creative Commons license.

A series of mythological artworks exploring
the themes of temptation and revenge.

Opening 12pm PST (SLT), 27th July 2008 until 7th September 2008

Musa Artis: Temptation & Revenge is a new exhibition that began life as a project penned for Second Life’s Fifth Birthday celebrations but developed into a larger independent exhibition. The central theme explores two of the darker influences on human nature and how these have been worked into the fabric of mythology. Drawing influences ranging from ancient Greece through to Celtic and more modern subcultures, each individual exhibit features a display of images, worked into the environment by each artist helping to contextualise the subjects depicted.

Musa Artis is a group of artists formed during the conception of the Temptation & Revenge exhibition in 2008, which came together due to a commonality of interests and philosophies regarding art within Second Life and were determined to create successful collaborative work in an independent fashion, free of the regulatory interference of either event organisers or gallery promoters. Temptation & Revenge represents their first in world collaborative project.

Visitors are very much encouraged to take their time exploring the individual exhibits and the ambience of the natural settings, interacting with the scenery to create their own custom images.

The opening reception and toga party begins at midday on Sunday 26th July, with music provided by guest DJ Arahan Claveau.

SLURL will follow in coming days.

This exhibition includes work by:
Keeran Blackadder, Ganymedes Costagravas, Raul Crimson, Cerdwin Flanagan, Zinc Karas, Khamudy Mannonen, Pilgrim Miles, Keiko Morigi, Silverdrake Sparrow.

Exhibition photostream -
www.flickr.com/groups/musa_artis_exhibitions/

Contact: Khamudy@gmail.com
Alternatively, contact the artists in-world or through their Flickr profiles.

So, you know, you're invited to the party next sunday! I will post a SLurl before sunday.

However, the comments on her article which follow show that convicted Darwinists recognize the infuriating frustration they experience by the fact that no matter how many examples of genetic variation within a species they can point to (natural selection at work in the survival of the species), anti-evolutionary forces still remain unconvinced that macro-evolution actually occurs or that speciation - a new species emerging from an old - really happens.  Though they don't seem to recognize it, these defenders of evolution experience the same frustrations that believers in God feel when no matter how many believers testify about the power of God in their lives, the atheists, agnostics and skeptics still maintain it proves nothing regarding the existence of God since each testimony is purely anecdotal.

As a non-scientist, I must admit that the evidence Judson offers is underwhelming.  Yes it does show how within a species variation occurs as natural selection predicts.  But the evidence offered could just as easily be proof of intelligent design - that the Creator God built within His creation the ability for species to adapt and survive.  The fact that Galapagos finch beaks change over time indicates survival of the species is a force in nature and that the genetic code is flexible enough to allow great variation over time.  But all the variation shows is that when conditions change the beak size changes - larger and smaller, back and forth through time without any new species emerging.  The finch gene code keeps the less helpful trait in the DNA and stores it for a rainy day as it were; and when that rainy or draught period comes along, the species is able to survive because the genetic variation is built into the species, but it does not morph into a new species.

And one has to ask - given that scientists have bred countless generations of rats, mice and fruit flies for specific genetic traits, has there been even one instance of a new species emerging as a result of selective breeding?  If under ideal laboratory conditions it doesn't happen, how can we assume it happens in nature?

The theory of evolution has got many things correct and can overall explain many aspects of the variety of species in the world and the variations within a species.  But at least to this observer  it still does not have quite right an understanding of how a new species originates. 

And though I am a believer in a Creator God, I fully acknowledge that at some point whatever God does in creation becomes part of the natural order and can be fully studied by science.  So I think scientific explanations for life are possible - science is capable of exploring all aspects of creation within the time-space limits of science.

But so far, at least in my eyes, all that evolutionary scientists can actually show or prove is the survival of the species is factual, which is a far cry from showing the origin of new species.   And the claim that "well, it takes billions of years for speciation to take place" - I would ask with physicist John Polkinghorne  give us a rough estimate:  we are talking science here, facts and figures, so give us an estimate for how many generations and how many years are necessary for a new species to emerge or for a functioning eye to appear.  Because if you can't or won't, then your theory is no different than the Sidney Harris cartoon joke (what's funny about science?") about two physicists looking at an equation and saying "at this point a miracle occurs."

See also my The Spontaneous Apperance of Life:  God is Creative 

Deacon Keith Fournier offers such a reflection in The Divine Design. He refers to the metaphor of a quilt, a grand tapestry and notes that, "The quilter begins at a center point, with a patch of cloth that becomes the reference point from which he or she weaves the entire pattern of the quilt. From that center, the design emanates and to it, the design returns." The 'center' which Fournier is referring to is Christ. Christ is the center of the Divine Design, from which all things emanate and to which all things shall ultimately return. Fournier emphasizes this point, but it is also important to emphasize the other rich meaning behind it - that the Maker pours himself into the design also. He is not disengaged from the design, but present within it, and in that sense there is an intermingling between the Divine and the created order, and this intermingling is described as the Mystical Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:12), the intimate and mystical communion of love that we experience with our Creator - the Everlasting Covenant. The Maker is therefore revealed to be both transcendent from the tapestry but also immanent within it, at its very center. Perhaps that is how one can understand the phrase, "God's ... center is everywhere, but his circumference is nowhere." (Apologies - I am not sure to whom that quote is attributed.)

izhaar na kar paaye khud se kabhi gham-e-daasta apni,
teri yaadon ne kambakht ghamo ka bhi gala ghont diya.

sukun-e-saahil paane ko zehmat uthayi hamne
kya jaante the saahil se takra ke bikhregi kashti apni

kar diya kaafir iss sachche musalmaan ko
masjid mei bhi ab to teri bandgi karta hun

I find myself in awe of what I see during these morning forays. I live in an area with paved jogging trails. These trails wind for miles through the woods. They rise and fall with the lay of the land. They wind around corners. They dip next to streams.

Running alone, as the sun breaks over the mountain ridge that rises over my neighborhood, I frequently find myself praising God for the wonder of His workmanship. It is more than lip-service. It is a groundswell of praise from my soul, an almost involuntary rejoicing. Praising God for His creation is a thread that runs throughout Scripture, but it is a practice we as the American Church culture seem to have lost.

We have no excuse. Paul attests to the idea that we can look at the natural world and see evidence of God’s hand (Rom. 1:20.) And it is no wonder sunrises are colorful, mist is mysterious, the dew majestic in its crystal coolness. As the Firstborn of creation, the very world was created for Christ’s pleasure: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). Yet, I simply do not hear a consistent song of praise for Creation coming from our 21st century churches.

Maybe it is due to the speed in which we go about our lives. We simply don’t have time to pause and really observe the world around us. Maybe it’s our insular lifestyles. We sit as desks, or in offices, or in classrooms. Our time is spent separated from God’s canvas by man’s construction. Maybe it is a perceived sophistication; we live in the age of technology and information. Has contrived reality trumped the reality of our Divine surroundings?

Whatever reason, I have tried to make it a point to notice my surroundings more, and to give credit where credit is due.  Honestly, I feel closer to God as a result. I am more grateful for what I see around me. And I feel I am more aware of an element of God’s character our church culture has seemingly neglected.

Old hymn writers had it figured out:

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

How Great Thou Art
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

1.) Have you ever seen a remote control car, boat or plane? A person leads the vehicle with a remote control and guides it wherever he/she wishes. It appears that the vehicle is driving itself and has no connection to the remote, but the vehicle is NOT driving itself and it DOES have a connection with the controller.

In fact, if there were no connection between the controller and the vehicle, there wouldn't be any way for the vehicle to have guidance or power to go. The invisible connection between the remote control and the vehicle is by what are called radio waves. You cannot see these waves but they are there, nonetheless, AND, they ARE connected to the vehicle, giving it guidance!

It appears as if the remote and vehicle are "separated" from each other, doesn't it? But the truth is that the remote and vehicle are absolutely connected by the radio waves. The connection is VERY REAL, even if that connection cannot be seen with the naked eye. John 4:24!

Creation's connection with Jesus, by analogy, is kind of like the connection a remote control has with the vehicle. Jesus made us and sustains and guides us all! As the last post stated, all things live move and have their being in Him! We can't even breathe without him! 1 Cor 8:6!

The "radio wave" connection is similar to the communion and connection we have with Jesus in the Holy Spirit EXCEPT that the Holy Spirit is a Person with a distinct personality. The Holy Spirit is not a thing or a radio wave, but the Third Person of the Trinity! 2 Cor 13:14, John 16:12-15! In history, the Holy Spirit has often been referred to as the "Go Between" Person of God. Rom 8:26-27! All created things are something like the vehicle, in that they have no power or ability to move apart from the Father, Son and the Spirit.

Obviously, this analogy falls a little short of a fully accurate picture because Triune God DOES NOT control every move we make, even though he is the basic source from which we make all movements. We are distinct and have a real freedom to participate in His Truth with understanding. And we have freedom to choose and make decisions just like Triune God. We are made in God's image Gen 1:26!

However, just as the vehicle has no power of its own to move and get around, we, too, only "live, move, and have our being" in Jesus Christ, the Son of God! Acts 17:28!

Now, it's one thing for the remote control to guide the car from a distance, but what if the controller could actually get inside the vehicle and start guiding it even more "up close and personal"? Wouldn't that make the connection with the remote control and the vehicle even more "intimate"? That is something similar to what God the Son did.

Jesus came from a "distance", per se, to get "up close and personal" and become what we are, FULLY! The Father's plan was for the Son to get into human flesh and make the connection between God and creation even stronger than it already was!! Astoundingly, Jesus not only got in creation, "the vehicle", but is still in creation in his divine flesh and always will be! Jesus will always sustain and guide all of Creation in His Divine/Human Body! Matt 28:18!

Think of how stupendous this is - with another analogy! J

2.) If YOU had created monkeys, and you wanted the monkeys to be able to relate with you forever, would you consider becoming a monkey in order to make that happen?! An even larger question is: If you did decide to join the monkeys as they were, would you REMAIN 100% monkey, FOREVER, so that the monkeys (who had sinned against you!) could share in who you are forever??

If you said that you would, I would NOT believe you!! Ha-Ha! I wouldn't do it either! John 2:23-25! BUT God the Son did this exact kind of thing for us!!! He stooped to the level of a human being and remains a glorified human being for our sake! Phil 2:5-11!

3.) Another good example and analogy of our connection with Triune God in Jesus is our human body. We ARE connected to our toes but we are also "distant" and "distinct" from our toes at the same time! We are NOT our toes, and yet, our toes are fully connected to us, right?!! Right!

We can also influence our toes immediately, through the connection of nerves, at anytime, but we don't directly control our toes 24 hours a day, do we? Don't our toes sometimes move involuntarily, or "on their own?"

May these examples and analogies be yet one more proof for those of us who believe, that everything, and everyone, is caught up in the Life of the Father, Son and Spirit! Creation was made by the Triune God and His Fingerprints can be seen everywhere when we have eyes to see!

The title of this blog "The Authoress" was chosen because of my intention to one day write a book. I am hoping that one day is soon. There seems to be some piece missing in my life that has kept me from starting it. It may be my need to experience the world more or that one great idea to get the ball rolling, but either way it hasn't come yet. Until then you may get snippets of ideas, chapter titles, characters, etc.  I hope everyone finds my daily antics, peeves, and ranting interesting. I will try my best to keep you all amused.

Sincerely,

The Authoress

Evolutionists have been touting this very overhauled idea since the late 1800's but it has only been in the past 100 years that scientists have begun to realize the flaws in this Victorian theory. Darwin wasn't living in an age of Scientific Enlightenment, so a lot of his predictions and thoughts ended up being wrong. However, since Evolution has been fueled by certain philosophies, it's necessary that it carry on as long as possible. Since it obviously has errors, it's time to do some patch-work.

2 of the problems in Evolution have been: the Fossil Record, and DNA & Genetic theory. With the Fossil record, there's no history of these "Evolutionary Changes" which Darwin Expected to find. (Darwin himself noted this problem.) As far as DNA & Genetics go, there's a whole host of problems. First, DNA can only replicate species after their own kind. Secondly, there'd have to be too many mutations (which are BAD things) to happen to achieve well-structured DNA.

Evolutionists, though, feel kinda sorry for Darwin. They saw that he made some mistakes, so they're nice enough to want to fix them. How kind :) Even though Darwin would probably of abandoned his theory if he had lived today, Evolutionists are just too "nice" to let the theory go out of style. In order to keep up with these flaws, they Evolve the theory to fix new problems (which is what the article talks about, though in a subtle way).

The Creationism and Intelligent Design movements, however, haven't had to fix any "new" problems which modern science might reveal. (Side note: this is much like how the Bible hasn't been shown to be historically incorrect amidst new archaeological evidence.) When new scientific evidence arises, the theories of the 2 movements are strengthened. As Robert Jastrow said,

"For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries." [God and the Astronomers]

Kick and skip

The hearts throb

Of sea and travellers

Of sea boat men

Not From luggage weight

That they carry on foot

That increases

Material burden

Not the hard

Hit of boats

In other words, life couldn't evolve, so god did it. But thanks to a 1987 court ruling on creation science, any mention of god or creation is completely forbidden, so they had to think of a new way to get creationism into class. So they took a creation science textbook, later known as Of Pandas and People, and put the buzz words "intelligent design" in the place of all mentions of creation, creationism, etc.

In the 2005 Kitzmiller vs. Dover trial, early editions of this textbook were released that show, in the IDeist community's own words, that creationism is the same as ID. They changed no definitions, just words: creation to intelligent design, creationism to intelligent design, creationists to design proponents.

The scientific community is dealing with some deceitful people. Their only arguments are religious based ones and yet claim that their argument is one of scientific credulity.

These people are well known, and I've blogged about them many times, but this time has a very valid purpose. On the blog Uncommon Descent, they call everyone in the scientific community evolutionists and darwinists, neither of which exist as official scientific terminology. Yet they propagate these creationists buzzwords, and others, as well as calling evolution a religion for the purpose of getting ID recognized as science.

I propose today that we retaliate by calling intelligent design the following: IDeism, Dembskism, and their proponents IDiots, as they're doing the same thing to us.

"Detroit City Gardeners?"
"Local Grown--and we deliver?"

My point in offering these two articles is that I think there is an innate tie between spiritual disciplines (of which I consider gardening one), justice (not just "social" but real YHWH-brand justice), and the movement from brokenness and alienation to the God-intended nature of humanity. Genesis indicates that the inital relationship between humanity and God included, either for narrative or literal purposes, an organic relationship with the Earth. I find it very interesting then when I hear people talk about feeling "disconnected from God" when they have no connection with the broader organic whole of creation, including other people, efforts at hospitality/generosity/justice, and the Earth itself (Note: I have heard Rob Bell express this same thought, so I should say he did influence some of the wording).

Jesus' greatest parables about the Kingdom of God had agri-centric themes such as vineyards, seeds, sowers, and harvests. Is that merely a result of a literary/rhetorical device, or is there some credence to the fact that perhaps a connection to the earth and the fruits and vegetables it produces is able to shape and reinforce a relationship wtih the Creator God?

I welcome your thoughts and your prayers for Holley, Bailey and I as we walk this path together.

listening: "bed of lies" matchbox 20
reading: "the grapes of wrath" john steinbeck

 

"What a wonderful life I've had. I only wish I had realized it sooner."

 

Part of the reason I moved to Los Angeles was to re-establish a connection with myself. I was getting to a point where I had no idea anymore what I really wanted or who I really was. I had picked up a lot of ideas along the way that sort of "became" mine, but weren't necessarily me. I've been challenging myself here to really root out what I like. And to start taking some time to do things that every year I would say I wanted to do, yet never did. I signed up for French class. I went to my first ballet lesson in almost nine years last night. I'm making an effort to remember that quote above. I have had and do have a wonderful life. It's time to realize it. It's time to be grateful for it. And it is time to allow it to expand and grow.

So go out there today and create another beautiful day in your wonderful life. Start this morning out by writing down your "to do" list in a more creative and purposeful way. To Do: "Walk the dog."

Revised To Do: "Today, July 23rd, I am creating a healthy body for myself and a healthy and natural experience for my dog baby. My walk is creating time and space for me to calm my mind (my mom is calling it walking meditation), to focus on my gratitude, to repeat my affirmations and to smile. I am creating stillness by performing this small act and opening myself up to the opportunity of new ideas, postive thoughts, and a healthy life."

You'd be amazed by all the ideas of what you're creating just by walking the dog (doing the dishes, paying the bills, etc.) that will come to your mind. It's a more creative, more purposeful way to write out your to-do list and (at least for me) it makes me more appreciative and grateful to perform the smaller tasks in a meaningful context.

I am sat in my back garden, laptop on table. Only to be disturbed by next-doors cat climbing a hedge to get at some young Sparrows. It disturbed them and then followed them further down, only to get a young one who had obviously recently learnt to fly. The noise that the parent bird made as it followed the cat with it’s new found capture was really disturbing. A mother crying in desperation! Hoping for it to escape.

I hate cats!