Someone sees, revisited

Well, I learned something today. God gets all the glory. I should never make the assumption that my own hands, in some clever way, have wrought me the victory. You see, earlier today, i read, for no good reason, and in disobedience to Jesus' teaching about praying in secret, I shared with my respiratory therapist, some of what I was sharing with you all about asking for prayer. And therefore, it appears that when I fell asleep for an hour or so, the respiratory therapist snuck, and messed up my ventilator settings in an attempt to make it appear as if God had not really answered our prayers, and as if God was displeased with me. But because I do not give up too easily, I figured out that something was wrong with the settings. I inhaled, and as I inhaled, I evaluated the details of when and how the vent was failing to allow me to breathe properly. Well, to make a long story short, I insisted on getting a different therapist to take a look, and she made numerous adjustments, and now, once again, I am breathing comfortably.

I can only say that the interaction between prayer and my ability to care for myself reminds me of the verse "Therefore work out your salvation in fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure". So, God does not give up very easily, does He? And when we see what a great God we have caring for us, it encourages us to believe: "Yes! God has something for my life!"

 ♬      Twila Paris: I See You Standing

A Flame Burning Within

Friendship is real. We have proven it!

♬    STUMBLIN' IN
        by Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman

Our love is alive and so we begin

Foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumblin' in

Our love is a flame, burning within

Now and then firelight will catch us stumblin' in

Wherever you go, whatever you do

You know these reckless thoughts of mine are following you

I've fallen for you, whatever you do

'Cause, baby, you've shown me so many things that I never knew

Whatever it takes, baby, I'll do it for you

Our love is alive and so we begin

Foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumblin' in

Our love is a flame, burning within

Now and then firelight will catch us stumblin' in

You were so young, ah, and I was so free

I may have been young but, baby, that's not what I wanted to be

Well, you were the one, oh, why was it me?

'Cause, baby, you've shown me so many things that I'd never see

Whatever you need, baby, you got it from me

Our love is alive and so we begin

Foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumblin' in

Our love is a flame, burning within

Now and then firelight will catch us stumblin' in

Stumblin'in, stumblin' in

Foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumblin' in

Ah, stumblin' in, mmm, stumblin' in

Now and then firelight will catch us stumblin' in

Oh stumblin' in, I'm stumblin' in

Foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumblin' in

Someone sees

Someone Is Paying Attention from A Friendly Human Being on Vimeo.

A little humiliating to have to ask the general public for prayer. But as I think about it, who it should be humiliating for is the Church. The Church has failed so miserably in communicating to the people of the world that Jesus loves us, that a sincere believer like myself is left all alone, accused and misunderstood. And I don't think there's a soul out there who can make a defense for it. Who out there can tell me that the Church in the 21st century is a righteous church? Even the Pope has had to make compromises that I'm sure he wishes he didn't have to make. However, I do not want to get on the bad side of anyone who can spare me a prayer.

If you, out there, wherever you are, can take a few moments to behold my sorry situation, and pray for me, it is all I ask.

Sitting In Limbo (Jimmy Cliff)

Sitting In Limbo from A Friendly Human Being on Vimeo.

A song that gives me hope. I know I talk about friendship. But what most of you do not know is that there is no one to care for me. Only Almighty God. I look to Him for strength. It is His choice alone whether I perish, or whether I revive. His choice. And I say, AMEN.

Friendship with God, Friendship with friends, prioritizing, and who's doing the prioritizing anyways?

It all starts with: I am very committed to friendship. The trust between friends, and the level of comfort that can be established between friends, is a rare and beautiful thing to me. Something worth searching a lifetime for! This being the case, I have personally made some foolhardy sacrifices for friends. Perhaps foolhardy. Not sure I'm able to get God's perspective on my actions too clearly. And the answers will not come in too clearly. This is why acceptance and unconditional love become so very important. You may just be calling someone a fool, who actually is the only one carrying the answers! I only know how my mother taught me, and I will go ahead and share it again:

    One evening when Abu Ben Adem was sitting in his study, an angel from the Lord  appeared to him. "What are you doing here?", Abu Ben Adem asked. "I am making a list of everyone that loves the Lord", the angel answered. Adem asked, "Am I on the list?" The angel said "You are not". Then Abu Ben Adem replied: "Pray thee, write me down as one who loves his fellow man". The next night the angel appeared in Abu Ben Adem's study once again and said: "I am making a list of all those who the Lord loves, and your name is on the top of the list!!!"

This was the greatest legacy my mother left me with. She saw how very much I struggled to please God. She saw that in my efforts to please God, I was setting aside the importance of being kind, and considering people's feelings. And therefore she told me of this poem (which I paraphrased, and which she paraphrased for me) about the how important it is to God that we, as much as we can, avoid being cruel and cold to one another.

This is the nature of the Almighty God I believe in. Why worship, if there is nothing worthy of worship in God?

♬    Nicole Nordeman: Wide Eyed

4 Him - Where there is faith.wmv

Love Lifted Me

Love Lifted Me from A Friendly Human Being on Vimeo.

Being Friends Is A Blessing

Good morning. I am learning that many people don't have any idea how to be a friend,  and that it's alright. It's nothing to feel upset or hurt about.  Those who value friendship and the sincere sharing of love can feel blessed and privileged that our lives are happier and that we exist on a deeper level than the majority. We are very special, and should at all times do the things that will keep us and our relationships healthy.

♬   Mouth and McNeal: How Do You Do

In the Position of Friend... with no friends

So sad. My stats are not high on any of my internet work. And now, 2 friends who I thought would be sticking around for a while, I have gotten very offended with, and decided that if they have that kind of attitude towards me, "bye".

And so I'm left here, with this position of friend, which basically means, I do not have any type of important position. I do not have a paying job, and I've broken all the rules of how to chase after The American Dream. Pretty depressing huh?

But let me tell you, someone here where I live told me I'm good at being a friend. Why? Because I'm always willing to help anyone who is hurting with any type of a problem. I am basically quoting what a worker here said to me.

I'm not like others. I don't play games with people and I don't play games with God. As much as I am able, I carry out what is expected of me. So I have the courage to let go of friendships that were going nowhere. Friendship is a treat, not an obligation. When people know that we are only their friends because we feel obligated, they really have no respect for the friendship, us, or themselves.

♬    Twila Paris: True North

Pass It On

Pass It On from A Friendly Human Being on Vimeo.

A time to raise the banner for RESPECT

I have talked quite a bit about humility. Humility is kind of like the mayonnaise in the tuna salad. It holds things together. It keeps things from falling apart. When we show a willingness to do things someone else's way, we can continue to move toward accomplishing whatever we are attempting to accomplish. Being agreeable is a very likable and oftentimes needed character trait.

However, as the design for living and surviving on this earth has been laid out, there are exceptions to every sort of system that humankind is able to figure out, and so it is with humility. We cannot take the lower seat every time. We are called upon to stay alert in our relationships. Pat responses rarely work. We are to see each event as unique. This has come to me recently because an online friend became blatantly disrespectful, and I realized that she had been taking advantage of me, and that she was not a sincere person. And now I blocked her, and I sincerely hope she doesn't bother me anymore.

So, successful relationships need us to be humble and cooperative, but not at the expense of our self-respect. As much as we are able, we need to gently and discretely let people know that we are not to be taken advantage of. And I know that sometimes people are stuck in situations where they have no control of how they are treated. But self-respect is something that happens within us, so we can always control that.

♬. The Staple Singers: Respect Yourself

Can't Keep It In

Can't Keep It In from A Friendly Human Being on Vimeo.

Making sure we stay focused, keeping in mind that religion is a great help. But if it takes our eyes from knowing that at the center of religion is love, then it becomes useless.

Anyone mad? Why not don't be and say you were?

I imagine we all go through times when people "push our buttons". They do and/or say something uncaring, and our anger and pride take over. There are probably a variety of reasons why people push our buttons. But lately, I seem to have begun to train myself to just to let it go. Whatever the upset, whatever the unfair occurrence or words spoken, whatever has been done to me, I look at my anger as a happy child climbing the ladder of a water slide, and just gliding down the slide, till he or she makes contact with the water, and the impact makes a great big splash! And GONE! My mood has changed. Whatever anger and injustice I experienced no longer matters.

Are you upset? Are you angry? Let it slide down the waterslide and into that pool. So much fun! Gone! Only having fun in the water now.

Be true to you

I'VE GOTTA BE ME
by Sammy Davis Jr.

Whether I'm right or whether I'm wrong
Whether I find a place in this world or never belong
I gotta be me, I've gotta be me
What else can I be but what I am

I want to live, not merely survive
And I won't give up this dream
Of life that keeps me alive
I gotta be me, I gotta be me
The dream that I see makes me what I am

That far-away prize, a world of success
Is waiting for me if I heed the call
I won't settle down, won't settle for less
As long as there's a chance that I can have it all

I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
I can't be right for somebody else
If I'm not right for me
I gotta be free, I've gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die
I've gotta be me

I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
I can't be right for somebody else
If I'm not right for me
I gotta be free, I just gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die
I gotta be me