True friends are supportive of each others' faith, even if it differs from their own

Faith. Don't think it is the power to believe that God is real. Indirectly, faith is a strong belief which brings an individual back to this power. But Muslins, Hindus, Buddhists, and even atheists are capable of strong, abiding faith which needs to be supported. And... I will relate this straight to friendship.

When I was in the 6th grade, I had a little friend called Sherry. I at the time, being from Israel, was zealous as could be about my Judaism. Sherry was from a very wonderful family, always made me feel welcome, and they were church going Christians. I knew nothing about all of what that meant. But it meant that Sherry believed in Jesus. Sherry and I were great, great friends, and she was really good to me. But it would come a time when we began to argue about religion. Here I have to confess, I began to bludgeon her and say mean things to her because I wanted her to give up Christ and believe as I believed. The arguing between us got out of hand, and unfortunately, just as we were about to graduate 6th grade and transition to Jr. High School, Sherry's parents decided to relocate the family.

You don't convince someone about a God of love by force. What people believe is the very deepest thing in their soul that gives them hope. I have met various people who have shared their faith with me. Though it was different from my own, I sincerely encouraged them. Religion is not meant to be about facts and figures. Religion is about following that thing that guides us into making positive choices for our lives. It is that thing that gives us hope. Bludgeon somebody to the point when they are no longer happy with what they believe, and all you may end up doing is losing a friend.

♬ Serena Ryder: Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream

BABY AIDEN: HOLD ON

This video of this tiny little guy with an amazing survivor spirit, touches my heart so much!

Sharing the things that make a difference

She fights the crowds of her hometown
The very streets her friends walked down
She's sick, she's dying
They all know
Exhausted wisdom of the world
She's still afflicted
Where is the cure?
Just touch the border of His clothes

There's no affliction He cannot ease
There is no captive He can't release
There is no wrong He cannot right
There is no lust He cannot tame
There's no unknown He cannot name
There is no cripple He cannot teach
To walk
To run
To dance
To fly

You are His miracle
Keep drawing nearer
You are His miracle
It's becoming clearer
You are His miracle
A few more steps
Reach out your hand and you will see
You are His miracle
Ready to be

Her fingertips touch garment thread
Her childlike faith
At last has lead her to
The very source of help
He turns and looks her eye to eye
It's God himself
And He replies
"Your simple trust has made you well"

There's no heart torn He cannot bind
There is no loss He cannot find
There is no mute He cannot teach To talk
To shout
To laugh
To sing

You are His miracle
Keep drawing nearer
You are His miracle
It's becoming clearer
You are His miracle
A few more steps
Reach out your hand, and you will see

YOU HAVE NO STORM HE CANNOT WHISPER
"Peace, be still"
YOU HAVE NO GIANT IN HIS NAME YOU CANNOT KILL
THERE'S NO HOLD ON YOU HE CANNOT SEVER
NOTHING IS TOO GREAT
NOT NOW, NOT EVER

You are His miracle
Keep drawing nearer
You are His miracle
It's becoming clearer
You are His miracle
A few more steps
Reach out your hand and you will see
You are His miracle
Ready to be.

Tony Melendez: You Are His Miracle

   

To unite with those who are fearful

Hearts Courageous

Give us ears to hear that still small voice
And give us lips forever willing to rejoice
May our eyes be lit with wisdom
May we know the Path that's true
And we'll march with hearts courageous after you

We're marching on with hearts courageous
We'll follow anywhere you lead us to
And should You lead us where the battle rages,
Still we'll march with hearts courageous after you

When sorrow dims our path along the way
May we see each time of darkness rise up faith
A time of hope, a time of courage
Knowing You will lead us through
As we march with hearts courageous after You

We're marching on with hearts courageous
We'll follow anywhere You take us to
And when You lead us where the battle rages
Lord we'll march with hearts courageous after You

We're marching on with hearts courageous
We'll follow anywhere You take us to
And should You lead us where the battle rages
Still we'll march with hearts courageous after Youu

Yes we'll march with hearts courageous after You.

The Maranatha Singers: Hearts Courageous

Friends mean a great deal to people with disabilites

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me..

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me

Listening to you, I get the music
Gazing at you, I get the heat Following you, I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet

Right behind you, I see the millions
On you, I see the glory
From you, I get opinions
From you, I get the story

Listening to you, I get the music Gazing at you, I get the heat Following you, I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet

Right behind you, I see the millions
On you, I see the glory
From you, I get opinions
From you, I get the story

Listening to you, I get the music Gazing at you, I get the heat Following you, I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet

Right behind you, I see the millions
On you, I see the glory
From you, I get opinions
From you, I get the story

The Who: See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You

I Live 4 (Raya Stuiver)

It has been a good while since I first announced here on my blog that I had created a YouTube channel to coordinate with this here blog. Actually, I have gone through a couple of different URLs for the coordinating YouTube channel. Well, at this point, I have figured out a technique for doing a thing that I have dreamed of doing for many years. I have developed a technique for combining animated gif files with popular music. And so, what I hope to do eventually is to get rid of all the videos I have made with just my face in front of the camera. I just feel that they were unsuccessful because I become too self-conscious in front of the camera. And now that I have a wonderful way of sharing the music I love without having to put my face in front of the camera, we have what has been termed, a win-win situation.

Anyways, as I've been fooling around and trying different things here with this YouTube channel, I somehow ended up with a setup where they wanted me to have a trailer for my channel. This here, for now, is my final draft of my trailer.

By the way the URL for this, my A True Friend YouTube channel is:

https://youtube.com/user/4theSakeofFriendship

As time goes by

It's a cold, cold world we live in. Everybody's so afraid to take risks. We are so afraid of being hurt. We don't ask for what we want because we are too afraid of being turned down. Our world has turned us down so many times. I'm speaking about my own personal experience. Me and myself, I am glad if I can help someone. And that's as close as I allow myself to get to love. And as close as I allow another to get to loving me. Because I have been hurt by love. I have been hurt by friends. I have seen friendships where I really believed in someone, and I was disappointed.

Colour My World

As time goes on
I realize
Just what you mean
To me
And now
Now that you're near
Promise your love
That I've waited to share
And dreams
Of our moments together
Colour my world.
With hope
Of loving you.

Written by:
James Pankow

♬  Chicago: Color My World

Only for You (Trace Balin)

I would hope that in spite of the troubles i face, i could take a moment to tell the Lord i love Him. Or maybe just "hi Lord" or something.

How can we then love?

Friendship can be an enormous challenge. Hatred is a reality, and if someone should dare to be an authentic True Friend, then facing that hatred exits is mandatory. How can we be a friend at all if we are too cowardly to look at the opposition?

Jesus admitted there was hatred when He told us to "Love those who hate us" (Matthew chapter 6). He acknowledged hatred. But He told us how to handle it. How challenging is that?

To add to the challenge that hatred poses in individual human beings, who we are called upon to find it in our hearts to forgive, there are also world powers that specifically see those who love and wish to work toward world peace as an enemy. I am referring to what was once called "The mob", or "The Mafia". Also, my observation has been that China has really really become wealthy and powerful.

Our current president, President Obama, had very beautiful dreams about what this country could be. But after he took office, he learned that there are world powers who see peace as a threat to their wealth, and a threat to their ability to continue adding to their wealth. Unfortunately, as United States President, he had to think of what was best for ALL Americans, and many of his good intentions had to be scrapped.

But friendship continues to be that priceless thing that keeps our world glued together. Not even the greatest of evil forces are more powerful than love. I don't think a person in the world would want to wake up in the morning if they didn't have someone in their life who they loved.

♬   Elton John: Love Song

Yes it does! It takes the patience of a Saint!

So it's been a very very long time since I wrote a blog, but here I am. I wanna tell you all about the changes and complications that have occurred for me with blogger since I have been using a new and upgraded device. First of all, and very embarrassing, the images I've uploaded to coordinate with my blog disappear. I have discovered that if I delete them from my homescreen image collection, they get removed from my blog. I don't know why this is. Then I also had to go through a little bit of a process to verify myself, which I did. And they also gave me an email address so that wherever I am, if I want to create a blog, I can send it through my email. Something that would never happen, because I'm way too meticulous about my blogs.

Anyway, to go onto addressing friendship issues. I know when I have someone who I care about, and suddenly I turn around and see them suffering very much, it tears me to pieces. Such is the case now with my Dad. Very much earlier in my blog writing, I mentioned a few times that my relationship with my brother is strained, and that I wish it were not so. Well, people get older, and the juxtapositions within relationships change, and my brother's self esteem has hit rock bottom. I realized this because of things I found out on the internet about him. But also because after the death of my mother, my brother has sought to work ruin for my Dad, and it is breaking my heart.

What do you do, when a close family member is hurting? When forces that you have no control over are working against someone you love? The only thing I know to do is pray. Be patient with your circumstances, and be patient also for your prayers to be heard.

Men are not bestowed with the same kind of patience as women have. If it looks like they're gonna lose, they very quickly get tempted to walk away from the game. But as one who has been given Eternal Life, I know that God goes on forever. God is the winner of every game, and those who have him living inside them, can never lose. Still, not everybody is as confident as I. But all of us only need to hang in there with everything. And realize that there's a whole other world within the heavens, one that is not at all effected by all the double dealing that goes on here on earth.


♬ The Worship Community: Stilled and Quieted my Soul

Please don't obey the despair

I am at a crossroads once again. In 1979, I graduated with a BFA from Temple University-Tyler School of Art. After I graduated, I lost my mind. I literally went insane. Later I found out that statistics show that the majority of schizophrenia occurs at age 19, exactly the age that I was. And presently my situation allows me quite a bit of time to think, and I realized why it happened.

I had a successful four years of college. I excelled and was considered among the most talented artists in the school. But after I graduated, I could not find the strength within myself to stand up and be counted! Simple as that!

And this apparently, is what happens to many 19 year olds. I look back, and it's almost comparable to being born with a birth defect. there is a complete blank in my life where there should have been a lively drive to be somebody. At least to succeed in my goals as a painter. But nothing.

And so, now I am going to be 57 in September. Every obstacle I created for myself, I was resourceful and determined enough to get beyond. And in spite of myself, I think I might place in the category of an achiever.

Yet this time, I am aware of what happened in the past. I do not want to throw away my chance. I do not want to hide behind humility when it is not required. I am going to be very very careful, and slowly continue down the path that God has created for me.

♬ Wayne Watson: For Such A Time As This