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Pantless Prima Donna

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[18 Oct 2004|09:45pm]


WHEN Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,


Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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LOOKIT!!! [11 Oct 2004|02:34pm]


[info]ninjaguydan did it for me! You all need to go check out some of his work.
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Squibbed from mandroid [06 Oct 2004|08:29am]


This is an image of Mount St. Helens, taken from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The Observatory and VolcanoCam are located at an elevation of approximately 4,500 feet, about five miles from the volcano. You are looking approximately south-southeast across the North Fork Toutle River Valley.

This image automatically updates approximately every five minutes. Please make sure your web browser is not set to cache images or you may not see the updates when the web page refreshes.


http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

Check out this page for answers to your questions about the image:
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/archive/index.shtml
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[13 Jul 2004|02:09pm]
[ mood | amused ]

I'm having way too much fun sifting through and replying to comments in a friend's journal about farting at work.

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[11 Jun 2004|06:14am]
"Whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence, rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm steadying your way....Goodbye, and God bless each and every one of you, and God bless this country we love."
--Ronald Wilson Reagan
Republican National
Convention, 1992
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I'm with Calvin's dad LOL! [10 Jun 2004|06:28am]


I hate phones.
Being a recceptionist for a couple of years will do that to you.
And it is still just beyond me why people insist upon leaving messages on my cell phone. Its not like I ever check them.
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[02 Jun 2004|10:40am]
[ mood | annoyed ]

After that I'm really tempted to say something severely racist just to satisfy all these people that are screaming "RACIST," at me.
I'm sure they would love that. As long as I'm being accused of doing something and am being "punished," for it...I MIGHT AS WELL DO IT/HAVE DONE IT.
Too bad. It won't happen.
Now...
Listen up and listen good.
I do not appologize for what I said nor do I feel the need to explain myself further. No one is listening, anyway. Why should I waste my time?

If you want to remove me from your friends list for having an opinion that differs from yours go right ahead.

Don't like it? Don't read it.
Simple as that.

I don't want any more of this bullshit spamming out my inbox.

8 comments|post comment

Andy has my Vote for President [28 May 2004|07:44am]
Right on, Andy Rooney! Andy Rooney said on 60 minutes a few weeks back: for those of you that don't know Andy Rooney, he is an 82 year old US TV commentator)

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens.Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door. Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE? I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milk shake, a pack of cigarettes,a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English! My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours. I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry self if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines. I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business. We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations. I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor. I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building. Ask your buddy that invented the Internet to help you. (Al) It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.

And if you don't like my point of view, tough.
12 comments|post comment

[16 Apr 2004|01:19pm]

             
God is Faithful.


The Purpose:
Genesis 9 [MSG REMIX]
[12]This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life. When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see it and rememeber the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on earth.


check out what else this user had to say
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[04 Mar 2004|12:31pm]

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Walls for the wind,
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire -
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire!

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.
Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.
Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children's children,
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

May you live to be a hundred years,
With one extra year to repent!

May there be a generation of children
On the children of your children.

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And heaven is overflowing.
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[03 Mar 2004|12:59pm]

Sign the Petition or Get the Code for Your LJ

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ok that's it [17 Feb 2004|06:33am]
[ mood | annoyed ]

      
Marriage is love.


  
Marriage is sacred.



Frosted Lucky Charms are magically delicious.




               
 
               

Marriage is defined by God, not by Man.




HAHA! Spammy spammerson has struck AGAIN!
Look at all the pretty little colors and all the stupid little fights this BS is causing!
GO LOOK GO LOOK!
Its really cool!

look at liberals being intollerant assholes!
See the trolls take advantage and post faggoty rainbows all over conservitive communities!
See pagans bashing Christians and Christians responding with swearing and name calling.

I'm removing the stupid little rainbow from my journal. This fight does not directly affect me and is, quite frankly, really starting to annoy me so I intend to have no further involvement with any of it.
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and so I've transferred this here....deal with it [05 Dec 2003|11:54am]


This journal is FRIENDS/INVITATION ONLY!






Due to the fact that I've made the mistake of allowing so many weasles into my life over the course of the last several months...I bring you...

Lauren's Honor Code

Learn it, live it, love it.

All those who find this a tad harsh can kiss my butt.


From this day forth I do solemnly swear to look for the following in all those I might one day call my friends:

TRUSTWORTHINESS
RESPECT
RESPONSIBILITY
CARING
FAIRNESS
CITIZENSHIP


These standards are those enforced by the military school I attended several years ago.
It has been slightly altered to serve as a reminder to me, specifically.

Honor Code
The honor code states "You will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. Every person who wishes to become a part of my life is obligated to support and enforce the honor system."

The honor code is a minimum standard for all people Lauren will associate with. When you live by the code, your word is your bond, you only seek credit for what you have done, you respect others and their property (physical or intellectual), and that you demand the same standard of behavior from all others.

-end rant-

and now on to the good stuff!

Who am I??


I am the weakness that supports you and the strength that inspires you.
I am the kindness that protects you and the cruelty that destroys you.
I am the fire that burned you and the water that doused the flames.
I am a loyal friend and a powerful enemy.

I am a force to be reckoned with...with a heart the size of Texas.


THIS...describes me perfectly:



I am a BIGTIME smartass. Some people find this to be offensive. Those people are stupid.


and now...for your viewing pleasure:

A ton of useless crap I think is cool!

Wishing you a Child's vision of the world

May you view the world with the faith
and sense of wonderment of an angelic child.
May all you see, and experience, make your eyes
light up and your soul, dance.
May your love and enchantment flow, like the clean
clear waters of a mirrored pool and
May all who meet and know you, see the angel within.

© Poem by C'nedra








"Today, I will be too calm for worry, too noble for anger and too strong for defeat. Today, I will believe anything is possible…
Today, I will make a difference."


"give us your tired and weak
and we will make them strong
bring your your forighn songs
and we will sing along
leave us your broken dreams
we'll give them time to mend
there's still a lot of love
livin' in the promised land

Chorus:
livin' in the promised land
our dreams are made steel
the prayer of every man
is to know how freedom feels.
there is a widing road
across the shifting sand
and room for everyone
livin' in the promised land.

so they came from a distant isle
nameless woman, faithless child
like a bad dream
'til there was no room at all
no place to run
no place to fall

give us your baby breath
we have no shoes to wear
no place to call our own
only this cross to bear
we are the multitude
lend us a helping hand
is there no love anymore
livin' in the promised land

Chorus:
livin' in the promised land
our dreams are made steel
the prayer of every man
is to know how freedom feels.
there is a widing road
across the shifting sand
and room for everyone
livin' in the promised land.

and room for everyone
livin' in the promised land
"

-Willie Nelson




The Fire Faeries



The Fire Faeries are the flames
that rise up and lick the sky as
the portal opens to the other realm.
They are not the keepers of the
flame, for they are the flame.
They make their images known for brief
moments in time. They can been seen in
the dancing in the heart of the inferno.
Or perhaps it is the fire sprite that dances
atop the candle wick as an illumination
to our realm.


"Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last."


Firefighter's Prayer



When I am called to duty God,
Wherever flames may rage,
Give me the strength to save a life
Whatever be its age.


Help me embrace a little child
Before it is too late,
Or save an older person
From the horror of that fate.


Enable me to be alert
And hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently
Put the fire out.


I want to fill my calling
And give the best in me,
To guard my every neighbor
And protect their property.


And if according to your will,
I have to lose my life,
Please bless with your protecting hands
My family one and all.




"We take risks not to escape life… But to prevent life from escaping us."


"One morning in church
in a small Texas town
The church was 'bout empty
but it didn't get us down.
Mrs. Phillips was asked
to close the service in prayer
and the things that she said
made me cold...in my chair.

She said
Our life is a Bible
for some folks to see
I wonder just what
they are reading in me
are they reading God's mercy
and love in my life?
Or do they read pain and jealousy
envy and strife?

Ohhhh I wonder just what
they are reading in me?"


"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and wrong…
Because sometime in your life you will have been all of these."



"When you rise above somebody who is trying to cause conflict, the conflict turns from being between you & them to being between them & themselves."





http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-name/index.html

"In time of change, there is no incentive so powerful
as the hope for a better tomorrow."


I will never forget




"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings us, but by the attitudes we bring to life."


for my mom

for my dad

for my grandmother

for our country and our troops








yours truly,
~*~*~*~Lauren~*~*~*~
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[24 Nov 2003|02:29pm]
The Rainbow Connection

(sing along with Kermit)


Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.
All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic...
... Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name.
... Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm s'posed to be...
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

Laa, da daa dee da daa daa,
La laa la la laa dee daa doo...
2 comments|post comment

[25 Jul 2003|09:23am]


This journal is FRIENDS/INVITATION ONLY!




Site Meter


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I like this [24 Jul 2003|12:39pm]
Spinning The Word

By Alden Swan



Most of us by now are familiar with the concept of "spin," the practice of stating information in such a way as to make a listener tend to agree with your position. People have always done it; the concept, of course, was introduced by the serpent in Genesis 3. Spin has now become something of an art form, openly recognized and highly valued by people--most notably, politicians--who regularly have spin-doctors on staff. By the time the politicians and half a dozen commentators are through re-spinning the information, you have no idea what the facts really are. I really hate it, but accept that this is life in the darkness. After all, the only reason to "spin" anything is to keep the truth hidden. As John tells us, "men loved the darkness more than the light, because their deeds were evil." But what really gets me is when Christians do it, especially preachers and Bible teachers.

Once in a while I will turn on a Christian radio just to hear what's out there, and I am amazed at the trash that is being taught. For whatever reason, Christian TV often isn't as bad, at least in the spin department, although there's certainly some amount of spinning going on. Usually, Christian TV is just plain weird, but for whatever reason, the stuff they put on radio--while giving the impression of being serious legitimate Bible teaching--seems to be delivered with a lot more spin.

Perhaps adding to their credibility, many teachers on Christian radio are usually just pastors who really pastor local churches. Most are not well known personalities, outside of their geographic area (or sometimes even in their area). How they get into radio is anybody's guess, except that most small time Christian radio stations are probably looking for inexpensive programming, and Pastor Mike down the street is a whole lot cheaper than the syndicated shows. If my presumptions are correct, what I am hearing is even more alarming, as it means that there are many pastors out there who are continually spinning their congregations with their particular take on Christianity.



WHAT I HEAR

Perhaps it would be easier to say what it is that I am NOT hearing that I find so alarming. I don't mind pastors, or anyone, for that matter, having odd theories and thoughts on various things. I have more than my share of odd theories, I am sure. But what I am not hearing from these people are statements like, "this is my current understanding of this passage," "there are many interpretations of this, and this is mine," or "this is why I believe what I believe." Instead, what I often hear are bold statements that essentially say, "this is the only way to understand this verse, and if you don't agree with me, you are wrong."

Lately, for example, I heard one pastor take a pretty extreme view of wives submitting to their husbands, bragging about how his wife recently submitted to him. I have heard fairly specific end-times pronouncements. I have heard several statements such as "tune in tomorrow and hear pastor Bob give us the Christian view on ____," as if to disagree was to take an un-Christian position. I feel sorry for the people in these pastors' churches. I feel sorry for their families. I also feel sorry for those who are not empowered enough to turn off their radios.



WHY SPIN?

James 3:1 says, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." I would think that this verse, if not conscience, would keep pastors and radio teachers from putting any spin on what they teach, or at least want to qualify what they say as their opinion. In fact, with a warning like this, I would have to be pretty sure I was being called to teach before I said anything.

That being said, why would anyone feel the need to put spin on God's Word? If they believe Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart", is it not powerful enough on its own merit? Why can't Christian leaders merely let the Word of God speak for itself?

I find Jeremiah 31:33, 34 a very interesting passage, talking about life under the New Covenant:

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
“ I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
“ For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."

In spite of what Jeremiah says, I think that with many pastors & teachers, there is a need to be the authority, a need to be looked up to and revered as their "source" for revelation, as well as a need to be able to convince people to agree with them. I obviously can't say this about all of the nutty pastors and teachers out there, but I am sure it's true for many of them. I know, because I have dealt with the same issues.

The root cause, I think, is essentially a lack of faith. I think with many it's a deep-seated fear of being wrong, and if they can convince people to believe them, perhaps they can believe it themselves. Why are we so afraid to be wrong, anyway? Heck, I know that I am wrong about all kinds of stuff - the Bible tells me that I understand in part. How can I truthfully represent anything else?



I think modernism is partly to blame, with it's over-emphasis on reason and understanding. The implication is that we should be able to prove truth, and if we can't, we have failed. I think very few pastors can conceive of a powerful ministry based on their lack of certainty. Can you imagine a successful end-times teaching where the bottom line is, "we really don't have a clue when (or if) the rapture will happen?" Or, what about a successful radio ministry where the closing line is always, "I have given you my thoughts on these verses, but in spite of my education and study, my thoughts are no more valid than yours, because you have the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth?” Wouldn't it be refreshing, not to mention empowering?



Of course--and this is potential reason number two--if people started believing they didn't need radio teachers and pastors to spoon feed them truth, then a large number of these pastors and teachers would have to go out and get real jobs. So, there's always the pressure to keep the numbers up in the audience, whether it's radio or the church pews. There is perhaps also a carryover in the protestant and evangelical church from its Catholic roots, where the Pope and priests are seen as the vehicles of God's grace and truth. In this mentality, listening to (and believing) some pastor or teacher's perspective is raised almost to the level of scripture, instead of merely being seen as merely the perspective of an equal.



Another cause for our need to be the authority is simply sin, or as Paul characterized it in 2 Timothy 3: 2-7, "People will be lovers of themselves ... having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth." It almost sounds like this was a prophetic word about some radio preachers.



No matter how much we have learned to trust God to work in our own lives, it seems that it is much harder to trust that God will work in someone else's life. Therefore, we drive ourselves crazy trying to put people into our boxes, and in some cases, into boxes that we know we ourselves won't fit into. Again, it comes down to faith. If we really believe that God's Word is powerful, and that the Holy Spirit really is powerful enough to guide us into all truth, even in the face of postmodernism and new age teachings, then all the pressure is off. We don't have to do the convincing. That's the Holy Spirit's job.



Isn't that good news? In fact, isn't that a part of The Good News?





THE CHALLENGE



No matter how hard I try, I know that I am not going to be able to change all of the pastors and teachers out there who are spinning God's Word, either out of an intent to persuade and control others, a lack of faith, or mere ignorance. As much as I would like, I don't know if I can even reach and bring healing and grace to those people that I know who live under the bondage of spin.



Rather, the challenge for me, and for you who read this, is to try as hard as we can to be honest in our presentation of God's Word, acknowledging our lack of total understanding and the great potential that we might be wrong on some things. Be bold in expressing your theories, but open to others as well. And let's turn off our radios once in a while and give God a chance to spin His own words in our hearts.





© 2002 Alden swan
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