I recently was listening to the most recent album release by Disciple, their album called, "Southern Hospitality" and on there is a track called, "Lay My Burdens" which describes exactly what I am having to do these days. To understand, I have provided a link to the music video exclusively premiered on Tangle (formerly GodTube), click here to watch it.
Lately, with rehearsals being three to four times a week on top of a different show in the midst of rehearsal for another show, I have been feeling so overwhelmed by it all. I have done my best to hide, but tonight it really came out and my mind just keeps going back to that song and the verse in Matthew 11:28 that says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I have been working and working, hashing out the details and pushing myself to work through issues I've had during rehearsals; I'm feeling burned out but I can't quit because I have rehearsal tomorrow night and a work project on Saturday. I've been feeling stressed and not really wanting to do the very thing I should do. I know I may not have as busy of a schedule as my spiritual siblings, but going from having nothing to do 24/7 to what I've got going for me now is a major change that's taking a toll on me. As if that wasn't enough, my health is still sub-par and in some ways I feel like it's holding me back. I don't want to complain too much about that though, because I'm not writing this to complain about how "bad" I've got it.
God tells that we will face hard times, but that doesn't mean we have to be overburdened and worn down by our circumstances. In fact, we know from Isaiah 40:31 that when we wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength. We don't have to always try and make things happen, God says wait on Him, and He will renew our strength. From this, I know that God is looking to restore me if I will just turn it all over to Him and wait for His guidance. Tonight, while I was emptying myself of everything before the show, God showed me just how easy it can be to surrender my burdens to Him. I seriously just felt a great peace flood me and that was when I said to God, "Okay, okay... Lord, I surrender it all to You. I give it up to You, just take it from me and deal with it in the way You want it handled."
Friends, I just want to encourage you that if you have been feeling overwhelmed, burdened, or just exhausted and worn out from the stuff you've got going on in your life that you can go to God with it all. None of it is too trivial, because you're His precious child and He loves it when you come to Him with even the littlest of things. He wants a relationship with His children, and if you don't know it yet, a relationship isn't always about serious stuff with deep philosophical implications. Sometimes it's good to go off about the small things. It may not always be easy to just give things over to God, but when you think about it like carrying a heavy backpack full of bricks, it just seems to make sense to give that backpack over to someone who is stronger than you could ever be to carry it for you. Maybe you feel like you don't need to let anyone carry that baggage for you, but another way to think of that baggage is really as garbage. That weight you carry is only bringing you down, and it won't make you stronger, unless you turn it over to God who can elevate you to place of restoration, peace, and understanding.
I pray that you all have a feather-light yoke rest of the week. Be blessed!
Until next time,
De Facto
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions
No doubt most people have now heard the news that President Obama has received the Nobel Peace Prize. The media is all abuzz with this, eating up every little bit of information that comes from the White House and from the Nobel Committee. Any skepticism has been crushed by the irrationally biased media fiends who worship the very air the president breathes. There are already articles artificially poising themselves as critics of the 2009 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, however upon closer inspection it is clear that they are only deceptive ploys to make the reader agree with the decision.
President Obama said that he was deeply humbled and did not deserve to be among those who have previously received the prize, and that's probably the most truth said since he started campaigning for the presidential office. According to an article I read on Yahoo! News, the Nobel Committee awarded President Obama with the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in honor of his plans to work towards disarmermant of nuclear weapons, easing tensions in Muslim nations, and efforts of diplomacy over unilateralism (talking to terrorist leaders instead of blowing them up.) According to one of the committee members, this decision was made in effort to bolster support for the presidents' policies.
In other words, President Obama hasn't done anything to merit this prize, but they're giving it to him anyways because they think he will do something good and they want to show support for his plans. HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING! It's one thing to award someone something if they've done something, but another if we award someone something for things they intend to do. In local news about a year ago, there was a man who saved an epileptic man from being run over by a train by laying down on top of the seizing man in between the two rails as the train passed over their heads. He received the highest honors and medals that society could bestow upon a common citizen. Imagine if he had been given those honors and medals for simply intending to save the epileptic man but not actually doing so. Suddenly anyone who has a whim to do something, regardless of whether they followed through with it could receive a reward. Or perhaps you have to be an ambitious black man from Chicago who had less than humble beginnings (yes, I said what I meant) that marries a very charismatic woman who helps you spearhead your campaign to the White House.
Perhaps the global agenda of socialists is much more well planned than just mere coincidence. The fact that President Obama and the Left use the racism card as both a way to squash opponents and reason to support the president (because we all know that voting for a black man solves the issue of racism in our country.) It really comes as no surprise then that the representative who was apart of the Socialist Left party was the spokesperson for the decision to award President Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize. If you're reading this and thinking I'm talking about global conspiracy, then rest assured that I'm not. What I'm saying is that in these dark times; the allies of moral/social relativism, neo-socialist governments, and spiritual ambiguity are more numerous than ever. The time for apathy is over, and if you don't want to have an opinion, or your opinion is to live and let live, then you will find yourself duped and becoming a slave to many masters who will be more cruel than you can fathom.
Until next time,
De Facto
President Obama said that he was deeply humbled and did not deserve to be among those who have previously received the prize, and that's probably the most truth said since he started campaigning for the presidential office. According to an article I read on Yahoo! News, the Nobel Committee awarded President Obama with the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in honor of his plans to work towards disarmermant of nuclear weapons, easing tensions in Muslim nations, and efforts of diplomacy over unilateralism (talking to terrorist leaders instead of blowing them up.) According to one of the committee members, this decision was made in effort to bolster support for the presidents' policies.
In other words, President Obama hasn't done anything to merit this prize, but they're giving it to him anyways because they think he will do something good and they want to show support for his plans. HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING! It's one thing to award someone something if they've done something, but another if we award someone something for things they intend to do. In local news about a year ago, there was a man who saved an epileptic man from being run over by a train by laying down on top of the seizing man in between the two rails as the train passed over their heads. He received the highest honors and medals that society could bestow upon a common citizen. Imagine if he had been given those honors and medals for simply intending to save the epileptic man but not actually doing so. Suddenly anyone who has a whim to do something, regardless of whether they followed through with it could receive a reward. Or perhaps you have to be an ambitious black man from Chicago who had less than humble beginnings (yes, I said what I meant) that marries a very charismatic woman who helps you spearhead your campaign to the White House.
Perhaps the global agenda of socialists is much more well planned than just mere coincidence. The fact that President Obama and the Left use the racism card as both a way to squash opponents and reason to support the president (because we all know that voting for a black man solves the issue of racism in our country.) It really comes as no surprise then that the representative who was apart of the Socialist Left party was the spokesperson for the decision to award President Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize. If you're reading this and thinking I'm talking about global conspiracy, then rest assured that I'm not. What I'm saying is that in these dark times; the allies of moral/social relativism, neo-socialist governments, and spiritual ambiguity are more numerous than ever. The time for apathy is over, and if you don't want to have an opinion, or your opinion is to live and let live, then you will find yourself duped and becoming a slave to many masters who will be more cruel than you can fathom.
Until next time,
De Facto
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Church of $cientology
It has come to my attention that there is an organization that is wicked. The evilness of this organization is so insidious that I am most grieved to inform you that it is a religious organization, in fact an entire belief system is upheld by this organization. I am referring to the Church of Scientology, also spelled Church of $cientology, Co$, or CoS. The Church of Scientology has committed crimes against humanity, against free speech, and against the masses who unified in an effort to bring down the corrupt practices of an evil empire. The singularly unified voice of Anonymous, a unregulated unofficial band of people who wave the banner of freedom and justice for all, has been fighting the good fight for a few years now with their biggest protest on 2/10/2008 which was the birthday of the late Lisa McPherson. The other biggest day of protest was 3/15/2008 which was birthday of the late L. Ron Hubbard, founder and leader of the Church of Scientology until he died and passed the baton on to David Miscavige.
I encourage everyone to do their own research, but as I have done mine, I'll share with you some of my favorites:
Why We Protest
Why Are They Dead?
Xenu TV
If you want to do less reading and more watching of videos, I've compiled a list of videos that will explain a lot of what you'd read on these websites. I encourage everyone to think about these things and while some of it may seem silly, melodramatic, or strange; be open minded and try to understand what is going on. This is not about the funny kids in masks, or the pirate costumes, or anything like that. This is about exposing and debunking the corrupt Church of Scientology.
Here are some videos, I encourage you to ask questions and watch more than what I post here and seek out the answers yourself.
Message to Scientology - A message from Anonymous to Scientology.
Who We Are - A message from Anonymous about who they are.
Call To Action - Another message by Anonymous detailing who Anonymous is and what they're goals are.
The Un-Funny Truth About Scientology - Smoothmedia mini-documentary about Scientology.
Scientology Crazy Followers - Members of the Co$ ruthlessly interrogate the camera man using ad hominem tactics. Although hard to believe, this is not a remote incident.
January Anonymous Protest - A video by Anonymous listing charges against the Co$.
The Anonymous Protest Scientology - A video blogger reports on Anonymous protesting Co$.
Anonymous Scientology Protest Philadelphia, PA June 14 - An ambassador of Anonymous explains what Anonymous is doing and a bit of history on protesting.
Anonymous Protests Scientology - 10th February 2008 - London - Footage by Anonymous from the protests that occurred globally, this is the protests in London.
Tom Cruise Scientology Video - This is a promotional video made by the Co$ that was not meant for the public. It was leaked sometime in 2008 and has since then struggled to stay on the Internet. The Co$ does not want people to see it, from their perspective it's considered "out-gradient" which is a term they use to describe a concept that if someone sees something before they're ready that it will not be accepted by the viewer. As far as Anonymous is concerned, the Co$ just doesn't want you to know how absolutely ridiculous the corrupt organization is.
There's a lot more videos that I would like to post, but I think most of you would be overwhelmed by all the links to videos. I think what's important is that you understand who Anonymous is, why they are protesting, and why they have to wear masks.
If you don't understand something, research it. Think for yourself, it's one of the few freedoms they cannot take away from you unless you let them.
Until next time,
De Facto
I encourage everyone to do their own research, but as I have done mine, I'll share with you some of my favorites:
Why We Protest
Why Are They Dead?
Xenu TV
If you want to do less reading and more watching of videos, I've compiled a list of videos that will explain a lot of what you'd read on these websites. I encourage everyone to think about these things and while some of it may seem silly, melodramatic, or strange; be open minded and try to understand what is going on. This is not about the funny kids in masks, or the pirate costumes, or anything like that. This is about exposing and debunking the corrupt Church of Scientology.
Here are some videos, I encourage you to ask questions and watch more than what I post here and seek out the answers yourself.
Message to Scientology - A message from Anonymous to Scientology.
Who We Are - A message from Anonymous about who they are.
Call To Action - Another message by Anonymous detailing who Anonymous is and what they're goals are.
The Un-Funny Truth About Scientology - Smoothmedia mini-documentary about Scientology.
Scientology Crazy Followers - Members of the Co$ ruthlessly interrogate the camera man using ad hominem tactics. Although hard to believe, this is not a remote incident.
January Anonymous Protest - A video by Anonymous listing charges against the Co$.
The Anonymous Protest Scientology - A video blogger reports on Anonymous protesting Co$.
Anonymous Scientology Protest Philadelphia, PA June 14 - An ambassador of Anonymous explains what Anonymous is doing and a bit of history on protesting.
Anonymous Protests Scientology - 10th February 2008 - London - Footage by Anonymous from the protests that occurred globally, this is the protests in London.
Tom Cruise Scientology Video - This is a promotional video made by the Co$ that was not meant for the public. It was leaked sometime in 2008 and has since then struggled to stay on the Internet. The Co$ does not want people to see it, from their perspective it's considered "out-gradient" which is a term they use to describe a concept that if someone sees something before they're ready that it will not be accepted by the viewer. As far as Anonymous is concerned, the Co$ just doesn't want you to know how absolutely ridiculous the corrupt organization is.
There's a lot more videos that I would like to post, but I think most of you would be overwhelmed by all the links to videos. I think what's important is that you understand who Anonymous is, why they are protesting, and why they have to wear masks.
If you don't understand something, research it. Think for yourself, it's one of the few freedoms they cannot take away from you unless you let them.
Until next time,
De Facto
Saturday, October 3, 2009
NaNoWriMo 2009
For those who are not familiar with the name NaNoWriMo, it's short for National Novel Writer's Month and you can visit the official website here. Every October, the NaNoWriMo website opens up with brand new material and freshly cleaned and archived forums as resources to help NaNo writers prepare for their novel. I am no exception, and this is my third year making a serious attempt at writing a novel. In 2006, I made a meek yet honest attempt finished the month with a mere 4, 500 on a title-less novel. In 2007, I wrote my first novel, Deadkeepers, which I finished the month with 36,000+ words and continued writing until I had finished the story. Oh, and in case you didn't bother to check the website; the significance of the word count is how a novel is defined. A novel, for purposes of NaNoWriMo is defined as literature consisting of 50,000 words. I had originally planned to write a novel in 2008, but took a break since I had to figure out my priorities and NaNoWriMo fell to the bottom of that list last year. This year I'm coming back to NaNoWriMo with tenacity. I'm inexhaustibly pumped up about this story I've got worked up in my brain. Let me give you a summary:
Katonda and Jamie are a young married couple just weeks into their second year of marriage. Katonda is an American-born Ugandan immigrant who works for his dad as the regional technical department head and his father is the owner of a major lumber industry. Jamie is a stay-at-home wife who is very active in her community. She attends city counsel meetings regularly, reads books to children every Tuesday and Thursday morning at the library, and travels to neighboring cities to give talks about the book she wrote on getting active in local politics. But did I mention that she has a disability? I haven't worked out which disability yet, but it prohibits her from walking extended distances without assistance of either a cane, a wheelchair, or someone to offer support. I hope you all are starting to see some familiarities in the story summary, as it is analogous to our walk with Christ and the romance that His Bride and Him share.
What I need is a little help from everyone and anyone who reads this. Given the summary, can you all suggest some possible title names? I know coming up with a title may seem trivial, but really I've found that coming up with a title gives me something tangible to work with and helps me focus on what's so important about this. Folks, I may not be a great writer, but I can never learn to be better if I don't keep writing and receiving constructive criticism. Help me get the ball rolling by contributing your ideas for a title based on the summary I gave you. If I base the title completely or partially on your suggestion, you will be mentioned and thanked in my dedication page.
Katonda and Jamie are a young married couple just weeks into their second year of marriage. Katonda is an American-born Ugandan immigrant who works for his dad as the regional technical department head and his father is the owner of a major lumber industry. Jamie is a stay-at-home wife who is very active in her community. She attends city counsel meetings regularly, reads books to children every Tuesday and Thursday morning at the library, and travels to neighboring cities to give talks about the book she wrote on getting active in local politics. But did I mention that she has a disability? I haven't worked out which disability yet, but it prohibits her from walking extended distances without assistance of either a cane, a wheelchair, or someone to offer support. I hope you all are starting to see some familiarities in the story summary, as it is analogous to our walk with Christ and the romance that His Bride and Him share.
What I need is a little help from everyone and anyone who reads this. Given the summary, can you all suggest some possible title names? I know coming up with a title may seem trivial, but really I've found that coming up with a title gives me something tangible to work with and helps me focus on what's so important about this. Folks, I may not be a great writer, but I can never learn to be better if I don't keep writing and receiving constructive criticism. Help me get the ball rolling by contributing your ideas for a title based on the summary I gave you. If I base the title completely or partially on your suggestion, you will be mentioned and thanked in my dedication page.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)