RA_Morrisurn:uuid:7cb7d0c2-f97d-ec31-8aaa-97450de239d22008-10-30T01:31:57-04:00RA_MorrisTate and Bradyurn:uuid:22b413a2-73ce-b408-d7ec-bfb4ca387e9f2008-07-03T15:40:00-04:00A Hymn by Tate and Brady New version edition of 1698. Public domain.
Have mercy, Lord, on me,
For you are ever kind;
Let me, oppressed with loads of guilt,
Your faithful mercy find.
Blot out my crying sins,
Nor me in anger view;
Create in me a heart that’s clean,
An upright mind renew.
The joy your favors give
Let me again obtain,
And your free Spirit’s firm support
My fainting soul sustain.]]>Charles Wesleyurn:uuid:93fd58ce-7539-b3b6-ffdc-8bef459877022008-07-03T15:38:01-04:00A Hymn by Charles Wesley (1707-1788). Public Domain.
Author of faith, eternal Word,
Whose Spirit breathes the active flame;
Faith, like its finisher and Lord,
Today and yesterday the same:
To thee our humble hearts aspire,
And ask the gift unspeakable;
Increase in us that kindled fire,
In us the work of faith fulfill.
Faith lends its realizing light,
The clouds disperse, the shadows fly;
The Invisible appears in sight,
And God is seen by mortal eye.]]>Katharina von Schlegelurn:uuid:3aa6cf16-37aa-f746-8c69-74dfaabcd0a42008-07-03T15:36:30-04:00A Hymn by Katharina von Schlegel , 1752. Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897. Public Domain.
Be still, my soul – the Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide –
In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul – thy best, thy heav’nly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul – thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past;
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake –
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul – the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.]]>Anima Christiurn:uuid:1c71ff05-441a-bb85-1eed-ccae3e257c6a2008-07-03T15:33:25-04:00Anima Christi, sanctifica me.
Corpus Christi, salva me. Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Passio Christi, conforta me.
O Bone Iesu, exaudi me.
Intra tua vulnera absconde me.
Ne permittas me separari a te.
Ab hoste maligno defende me.
In hora mortis meae voca me.
Et iube me venire ad te,
ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te
in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Soul of the Christ
Soul of the Christ, make me legitimate and worthy of You.
Body of the Christ, deliver my soul from sin & its consequences, rescue me from peril, keep me safe. Blood of the Christ, refresh my thirst for You.
Water from the Side of the Christ, cleanse me.
Passion of the Christ, intensify my strength and comfort me with Your Help.
O Good Jesus, please hear me out.
Within Your Wounds, store me away in concealment.
Do not allow it to pass that I may be pulled apart from You.
Ward off from me the malignant host.
In the hour of my death bring your voice to me.
And make me to come to You,
That with Your Saints, we will praise You
For ages of ages.
Amen.]]>Avinu Shebashamayimurn:uuid:222ce5a1-a50b-4973-de72-5cf524a53ee02008-07-03T15:25:39-04:00וניבא * Avinu, Our Father, םימשבש
Shebashamayim, Who is in Heaven, ךמש שדקתי
Yitkadesh shimkhah. Be sanctified Your Name. קתוכלמ אבת
Tavo malkhutekha, Let come Thy Kingdom, קנוצר השעי Ye’aseh retzonekha, Be done Thy Will, םימשב השענ רשאכ ץראב Ba’aretz ka’asher na’asah va’shamayim. On earth as it is done in Heaven. ונקח םחל םויה ונל-ןת
Ten-lanu haiyom lechem chukeinu Give to us this day our daily bread ונתמשא תא ונל חלסו U’selach lanu et ashmateinu, And forgive us our sins, ונל ומשא רשאל ונחנא םיחלס רשאכ Ka’asher solechim anachnu la’asher ashemu lanu. Just as forgiving we are to those who sin against us. הסמ ידיל ונאיבת-לאו Ve’al-tevieinu lidei massah, And lead us not into the hands of massah, ערה-ןמ ונליצה םא-יכ Ki-’im hatzileinu min-hara. But deliver us from the evil one. קל יכ Ki lekha For thine הכלממ-ה Ha-mamelakha Is the Kingdom הרובוגה-ו Ve-hagevurah And the Power תראפת-הו
Veha-tiferet, And the Glory, םימלוע ימלועל Le’olemei ‘olamim. Forever and ever. ןמא Amein. Amen.
* Hebrew reads left to right but font is putting it right to left. My apologies to the pure. (RAM) ]]>James Montgomeryurn:uuid:e490f6f4-9152-10d9-c145-71708a8730572008-07-02T20:52:36-04:00A Hymn by James Montgomery, 1822. Public Domain.
God is my strong salvation,
What foe have I to fear?
In darkness and temptation
My light, my help is near:
Though hosts encamp around me,
Firm to the fight I stand;
What terror can confound me,
With God at my right hand?
Place on the LORD reliance,
My soul with courage wait;
His truth be thine affiance,
When faint and desolate.
His might thy heart shall strengthen,
His love thy joy increase;
Mercy thy days shall lengthen,
The LORD will give thee peace. ]]>John Marriotturn:uuid:e512ef90-0cda-1fa6-1494-44e4f3ee6ad62008-07-02T20:51:17-04:00A Hymn by John Marriott (1780-1825). A version altered from the original. Public Domain.
God, whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard,
And took their flight,
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And, where the gospel day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
Let there be light!
Savior, you came to give
Those who in darkness live
Healing and sight;
Help those who seek to find,
Heal those whose hearts are blind,
And in each humble mind
Let there be light! ]]>William W. Howurn:uuid:123ee0f0-3608-2dbd-fc47-02b55635ad502008-07-02T20:49:57-04:00A Hymn by William W. How (1823-1897). Public Domain
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who you by faith before the world confessed,
Your Name, O Jesus, be for ever blessed. Alleluia.
The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes your rest;
Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest. Alleluia.
But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on his way. Alleluia. ]]>Rowland Hillurn:uuid:d9b7c4c8-3aac-e03b-f416-e733bdd8b07c2008-07-02T20:48:24-04:00A Hymn by Rowland Hill (1744-1833). Public Domain.
Around the throne a glorious band,
The saints in countless numbers stand,
Of ev’ry tongue, redeemed to God,
Arrayed in garments washed in blood.
They see their Savior face to face,
And sing the triumphs of his grace;
Each day and night they sing his praise,
To him the loud thanksgiving raise. ]]>Edwin Hatchurn:uuid:3ba45ec4-83e8-4685-9093-0393ffa3d7f22008-07-02T20:47:09-04:00A Hymn by Edwin Hatch, 1878. Public Domain.
Breath on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love,
And do what thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with thee I will one will,
To do and to endure. ]]>Edward Caswallurn:uuid:0735387a-177e-2f94-8638-832c1fbeb9632008-07-02T20:45:11-04:00A Hymn by Edward Caswall (1814-1878). A version altered from the original. Public Domain.
Holy light on earth’s horizon,
Star of hope to those who fall,
Light amid a world of shadows,
Dawn of God’s design for all,
Chosen from eternal ages,
You alone of all our race,
By your Son’s atoning merits
Were conceived in perfect grace.
Mother of the world’s Redeemer,
Promised from the dawn of time:
How could one so highly favored
Share the guilt of Adam’s crime?
Sun and moon and stars adorn you,
Sinless Eve, triumphant sign;
You it is who crushed the serpent,
Mary, pledge of life divine.
Earth below and highest heaven,
Praise the splendor of your state,
You who now are crowned in glory
Were conceived immaculate.
Hail, beloved of the Father,
Mother of his only Son,
Mystic bride of Love eternal,
Hail, O fair and spotless one! ]]>All Thy Saints In Warfareurn:uuid:1152d209-bc8d-a2ab-fb5e-096d06fbcdda2008-07-02T20:43:08-04:00All Thy Saints In Warfare
A Hymn by Horatio Nelson, 1864. Public Domain.
Apostles, prophets, martyrs
And all the sacred throng,
Who wear the spotless raiment,
Who raise the ceaseless song;
For these, passed on before us,
Savior, we now adore,
And, walking in their footsteps,
Would serve you more and more.
For that “beloved physician”,
All praise, whose Gospel shows
The Healer of the nations,
The Sharer of our woes.
Your wine and oil, O Savior,
On bruise hearts deign to pour,
And with true balm of Gilead
Anoint us evermore. ]]>a.t.o.n.e.m.e.n.t.urn:uuid:d5350426-757d-c26d-1518-08bb8c48c4b02008-01-21T19:20:53-05:00Dear LORD,
I am a sinner, for I have sinned since my birth into these worlds and times.
I am not worthy to even smell the sweet, fresh air that YOU have provided, much less draw it in within my lungs.
I am not worthy to behold the beautiful wonders and splendor that YOU have established and designed, not worthy to peer through the Darkness and into YOUR Light.
I have not strength that YOU alone have not endowed. Surely, the lowly have more than I.
My heart beats not to my own tune but to the rhythm that YOU have composed. Each note, each pause, from beginning to end, YOU have timed and arranged from even before there was substance.
I am so sorry for hurting YOU. I apologize for the shame my Soul presents before YOU. My iniquities have smoldered YOUR Wrath. YOUR Anger I feel within my bones.
Please do not turn YOUR Face from me. I need YOUR Loving Embrace and the shelter of YOUR Wings.
Although it is impossible for me to even walk in YOUR Shadow, I will strive for righteousness, in which YOU have said that YOU delight. YOUR Love for me I shall shine forth. But please be with me, when I lack luster; polish and refine me as silver and brass.
I love and am exceedingly glad in YOUR Teachings and YOUR Lessons. I shall seek YOU; I shall seek Truth and Love. For Joy and Peace, Strength and Power, Prosperity and Understanding all come with these.
My Wickedness bubbles deep within, but my Physician lances the boils, drains it into the abyss. My Sin is swept away by the Sword of the Word and the Blood H.E. shed.
Let not Your Power drain from my Soul, but increase my Worth and guide my Direction, aligning myself with YOUR Perfect Ways. I want YOU to define who I am, was and will be.
Remove iniquity from my Heart, from blocking my Path. How can I move forward to purity when I am continually stained? Yes, trust in YOU and I will be saved.
With Love and Praise,
Your Child
Divrei Hayyamim, דברי הימים, SecondBookofChronicles, SeventhChapter, FourteenthVerse]]>Real Girlsurn:uuid:ac09045e-f5ca-dfec-b074-1541bc338f092008-01-14T20:55:17-05:00We want them Real Girls
Them girls they Love to Love
We need them Real Girls
They believe in the LORD above
We love them Real Girls
Sweet Lady in the streets
We want them Real Girls
Blazing Fire in the sheets
Don't want no Fool Girl
Who disrespect our home
Don't want no Slut Girl
Can't trust that ass alone
Don't want no Blue Girl
She always swim in tears
Can't take no Wicked Girl
Ya wind up doin' 15 years
That Real Girl that I need
Gotta put me in True Bliss
That Real Girl that I want
Gonna make her My Miss
That Real Girl that I find
She melt me with her Kiss
This Real Girl that I've got
She know that I can't resist ]]>P.O.E.M. # 1urn:uuid:1b6ad96c-c975-0aa0-10e8-1d8f92ca80ee2008-01-14T20:40:55-05:00Please have True Faith
In the LORD
There is Real Strength
In H.I.S. Love
Reap Your Joy
Through H.I.S. Heart in Your Soul
H.E. will bring You Peace
In Your World
Please have True Love
With each other
Treat each Life like
Sister and Brother]]>F.O.R. the Children: Emotionsurn:uuid:464331af-b95a-0fd1-5fd2-f318c31e16d52008-01-14T20:22:24-05:00Your Emotions are a very Powerful Aspect of Your Being. Ensure that You are in Control, no matter how Intense Your Feelings might be. These Feelings are a Direct Representation of Your Spirit. They often Manifest in Your Physical Self, thereby exposed as “Body Language”. If they Manifest in Your Mental Self, then Your “Attitude” becomes Apparent. If they Manifest in Your Spiritual Being, then Your Soul Itself is Exposed. Energies, are Influenced onto Your Being from Your surrounding Environs (Physical, Mental and Spiritual) and are what Your Emotions are Reacting to.
The Influences of Your Emotions within or through the Aspects of Your Being proceed from the Physical, then Mental, then Spiritual. Something Initially Affects You in the Physical sense, then Your Mentality and, lastly, Your Soul. Internally, Your Soul controls your Mental state, which then executes through the Physical. Physical Aspects of One’s Self are the easiest to change, even unto Someone else, but are what most consider the hardest and often Retain the Negative Side, stifled by a lack of Self-Challenge. It is very easy to change a Physical Aspect by sheer Free Will. If you are Angry, Smile instead. If your Hand is in a Fire, Pull it out. If you foresee a Complication, Stop and Plan ahead accordingly, then Proceed. Even by a Change in Motion, One Outcome can have many Variations. The Mental and Spiritual Aspects operate in the same Manner. The Spiritual Aspects are truly the hardest to break, although a lot believe that it is an easy Thing and accomplished by Many. However, a Change in both the Physical and the Mental Aspects does not guarantee or warrant an equal Response in the Spiritual One. Just because One outwardly appears, at least in the Culture’s eyes, of extreme Righteousness and Communicates (Transfer of Mental Aspects) of the same Intensity, it does not One a Prophet make. The Soul has to be changed also, maintained with a Consciousness of Truth and Peace of Faith, to lead ahead to Salvation. If You maintain True Control of Your Emotions, You will be Able to withstand the Pressures and Trials that Life throws at Us All. Do Intake those Physical Influences that Increase Your Mentality and Spirituality. Do Intake those Physical and Mental Influences that Strengthen Your Spiritual Self. In Turn, Your Strong Spirituality will provide a Positive Guidance for Your Mental and Physical States. A Positive Mentality will bring Vitality to Your Physical Existence. A Strong and Positive You will become a Great Influence on those that are around You. All because You took Control of Your Emotions. ]]>W.O.M.A.N.urn:uuid:71e21bed-7354-8c35-f783-3974871b1c362008-01-14T19:49:50-05:00The Female is not a Weak and Inferior Spirit. She is an Equal to Her Male and is His Complement. She has Knowledge and Strength that is Incomprehensible to the Male. Where He Lacks, She Compensates. When He is Lost, She is a Guide. What He cannot Feel, Tangible it is to Her. She can See when He cannot. His Weaknesses are Her Strengths.
So each Male must seek His Female, for it is Written that He should part from His Parents, Cleave unto Her as they are One and Let no One Render them Asunder.
Woman alone Brings Life forth and Her Blood is Precious; She takes Pain no Man can deal with to Bring the Pleasures of Humanity forth. In the Conception, She receives the Pains of the World and Sheds Her Blood and Dances with Death as She Brings forth Joy. In Deliverance, neither Pains nor Bloodshed nor Death can withstand Her Purpose as the Forge of Life.
The Love of the Female leads Her Male to Salvation and Eternal Life and Inspires the Presence of the LORD. Without Her, there is no Reason in or for Life. It is for every Woman to Understand Her G.O.D.-Given Power and for Every Man to Cherish It. ]]>Eat like an animal and eat what you want to.urn:uuid:d6812cd8-6573-bbc7-7bee-41eecf589b032008-01-04T10:16:15-05:00 Sounds like a good mantra, huh? This is how every human wish they could eat. I believe that this is how one should eat every day. It is a little misleading because the animal that you eat like determines your physical development. Also, though you can eat what you want, compromises are to be made so that you obtain the goal you desire.
Modern society, most especially American, is full of diets, food pyramids, weight loss schemes, personal trainers, workout plans and even mail order meals. All these methods, some of which can drain one’s bank account faster than they can provide a healthy physique, and yet, the U.S. leads the modern world in obesity. It also leads in deaths that can be traced back to poor lifestyle habits. On top of that, commercialism sells tons of health-oriented products that many purchase but never gain full usage from. Before you whip out your plastic or checkbook for the next deal guaranteed to make you look like that chiseled model on the screen, hear me out.
Instead of solely concentrating on weight (losing and lifting), many people should be looking at their metabolisms, how much energy they intake vs. how much they use, vigor, vitality and body fat percentage. Foremost, they must be what they feel comfortable with, not what everyone else looks like.
Women need to understand that they have a natural amount of body fat necessary for the female physique. Female breasts and buttocks have a higher proportion of fat content than males and look a lot better, too, if I might add. To me, and a lot of other virile men, women with curves are definitely sexier, more attractive and more desirable than the near-anorexic bony models the media presents to us. Ask any skinny girl and she will complain about her inability to gain those curves. So some fat is okay, it just depends on the location of the deposits and their uniformity. Being underweight is not healthy, either, especially if you have poor muscle strength or vitality.
Men need to comprehend that their stereotypes of what a man should look like is not necessarily the healthiest physique and neither is the lifestyle required to maintain that false appearance. Muscles are great but if you need to take countless supplements and drugs to sustain that build, you’re probably developing the wrong body type for yourself. Men should not focus on the size of their muscles but the relative and overall strength, stamina, shape and endurance of their muscles. The additional products that many bodybuilders take often have serious consequences over time. Why look like Arnold but not be able to make love to your girl when you can look like Lance Armstrong or Bruce Lee and go all night? With the only veins bulging being in your neck then you are going to have issues getting blood elsewhere, if you know what I mean. At the same time, looking chubby and loveable is a sure recipe for health problems and the shortening of life. Happy and fat doesn’t work very well six feet under.
Humans are animals, right? I mean we are not plants, although there are couch potatoes, and we are not minerals, though some intake more pills than actual food. So that means we are probably could learn a few lessons from our multi-legged, feathered, furry, scaly and otherwise nonhuman animal compatriots on Planet Earth.
Most animals are very solidly built, even those that we associate with obesity. What is considered to be pure fat, like the bellies of many large herbivores like cattle and elephants is often, in actuality, bloating from gases produced during digestion. These same creatures also produce great amounts of flatulence. Those that are vegans can relate to this.
Other animals, like whales, do have great amounts of fat, called blubber. These deposits are not a result of obesity but are used as energy reserves and insulation against the cold environments that they inhabit. So if you live in areas that are frigid and don’t wish to wear proper clothing or plan on not eating for a long while, then you can risk a higher body fat ratio because you’re going to need it or die from hypothermia or starvation. But I suspect a lot of obese persons are not in either of these categories.
Believe it or not, skinniness is not something that nature desires either. Underweight animals are usually malnourished ones and are subject to low immunity responses and a lack of vital energies. All animals are built perfectly for their survival needs. An animal that is thin or slender most often uses that to its advantage in acquisition of food or avoidance of predators. They also usually have intense metabolic rates requiring a near constant intake of energy.
You say but what about pigs, they are fat, or snakes, they are skinny. Pigs that are domesticated are usually very fat, with large deposits. This is because humans prefer tender pork and they are bred and raised to produce that type of meat. However, wild pigs or boars are some of the most diesel animals in the world. They are great runners, also. Try to catch a piglet or get away from a ticked-off boar and you will find out what I mean. Snakes do tend to be slender but they usually do not eat for long periods between meals and conserve energy regularly.
So what animal do you envision yourself to be? Be realistic about it. Don’t wish to be a gazelle if your build is closer to a hippopotamus. I choose the felines or the canines for myself and they all have the same similar build no matter what the size. Kitty and Fido are built just like their cousins, Leo and Lobo, just smaller. They are very muscular and have great energy outputs, at least when they want to.
I was watching a nature program on lions. I have always noted that lions have an awesome physique, sensual, vigorous and definitely healthy looking. Although a great amount of their lives is spent resting or sleeping, they have tremendous strength, good stamina and decent speed. They also spend hours upon hours mating, during that season. I wondered how they could maintain that build and energy level on such a high-protein diet. Watching a pride consume a recent kill, I saw that the first thing consumed by the patriarch male and his choice female was the stomach. I have not known lions to suffer from cholesterol-clogged arteries but since they are not known to be munching on fruit, I suspected that this was their major source of vegetable matter. Most of the animals they hunt are strict herbivores, eating leaves, whole grains and other high-fiber and starchy plants. I later postulated a notion that with proper exercise, sufficient rest and a diet consisting of lean protein (the prey animal’s flesh), some fat (the prey animal’s skin), high-fiber, starchy/sugary plants and plenty of water, one could duplicate the relative physique of a lion.
I began to observe other animals, as well. Large herbivores support their great size by eating great amounts of vegetable matter and expending a certain amount of energy. These animals, however, maintain a small percentage of fat, contrary to their appearances.
I saw how birds and rodents, which do have large fat reserves and intake tremendous amounts of food, have proportionally powerful metabolisms, including rapid heartbeat and respiration rates. As in other animals, these fatty deposits are retained prior to a condition of great energy expenditure, such as migration, in times of food scarcity or non-active periods, such as hibernation. So, unless they are physically travelling long distances (by airplane or automobile doesn’t count) or not going to eat for a season, then there is no reason for a human to keep large amounts of fat on their frame.
Another observation is the “full” reflex in humans. You know it, when you feel that if you eat another bite, you’ll vomit. Most people are taught or raised to believe that this is a good feeling, to be full. Guess what? That reflex is intended to be a warning signal from you stomach to your brain that an unwanted condition (overfilling) is approaching. The main drawback to this is that overfilling starts the stretching of the stomach walls, enabling anyone who ignores the reflex to eventually increase their appetite and eat even more because now the stomach thinks it’s low. So when you feel full, stop eating. Put aside what remains, do something active and come back for the rest later, unless, of course, you have to trek across the savanna with the other wildebeests.
I know that you have heard it before but I going to say it again because some of you just are not listening at all. If you want to unstretch your stomach, eat several small meals over the course of time instead of a couple of huge meals. You still will have to do some activity to keep from converting the food to fat, but you won’t have to worry about feeling hungry all the time because the stomach will be conditioned to smaller amounts in it.
If you starve yourself, something that no animal ever does intentionally or without a good reason (and it isn’t for a diet), you are just telling your body that it needs to hold on to the fat because it might need the high energy that it contains. Your body is very stingy with using fat unless it is convinced that no extended periods of lack of food will occur.
Learn to balance foods, especially those that are your favorites or that you find yourself craving. Want a nice, juicy steak? Eat an equivalent size salad to suck up all the cholesterol before it gets into your bloodstream. Like sweets? Discover fruits, especially dried ones. They can actually be very, very sweet. Don’t forget water to help flush out any excesses your body doesn’t plan on keeping. Don’t put salt on food when there are tons of spices that can make your food taste awesome. When it comes to starches, try to incorporate those that have a high fiber content, like whole grain or vegetables, or a high-protein content, like beans. In fact, make fruits and vegetables the main component of each meal. Treat the meats and regular low-fiber starches as the side items.
I like to think of myself as a vegetarian that eats meat. A typical meal, for example, would be cream of tomato soup, a spiced and herbed, roasted skinless chicken breast and potatoes, with pink beans and seasoned corn, a simple romaine salad with a little french dressing, a mango and a pear for my sweet tooth. With a walk to the store or around the block, I’m good.
So, eat smarter, eat smaller but often, never don’t starve yourself, stay active as much as possible, rest well, drink tons of water and love what your are. Look to our animal cousins for inspiration. You’ll probably be soon roaring with happiness at the fit and proper frame you will have developed. ]]>Positive Tools, Negative Weaponsurn:uuid:fa67e6f5-1d22-074e-2b71-8eb6abf14ca52008-01-03T14:08:58-05:00
It is True that Anything Negative can also be used Positively, but it must be done carefully with Strictness to keep it from Straying. Any Tool, a Hammer or Blade, a Thought or Belief can be used just as easily for Destruction as well as Construction, depending on the Wielder’s Purpose.]]>F.O.R. the Children: Prayerurn:uuid:18cbad3f-64d9-8762-603a-5048a9a1d4fa2008-01-02T20:49:07-05:00