Streams of Consciousness & Thoughts~~~

[zeroturbulence]

Boooh....

Just getting everyone’s attention.

I want to file a complaint!

Why do you, CC, have to approve every single new thread???????????

Sometimes I have extremely good thread ideas, but I don’t post them because I know they won’t be approved before I’ve lost interest in the whole thing.

Is it in any way possible to allow new threads to instantly break through the glass ceiling and get published at ONCE???

I tried to post a poll a couple months or so ago and it never showed up. It wasn't anything controversial either. It was something meaningless like what's your favorite color. I guess they're getting picky.

...or maybe I decided not to post it. I can't remember. I think the alzheimers is really kicking in with me.

 

[17Bees]

I lifted this Christmas song from a youtube sub I watch. It's haunting for me to see the dullness and dismal winter somehow transform itself to beauty and hopefulness. I went to Banff Alberta at wintertime a few years ago and was struck by the towering landscape. The fir trees were like so many blades of grass, one next to the other. Crowded almost. How would they ever have enough water, you would think, until you see majestic sheer cliffs of rock mountains rising up out of the ground behind them and your questions is answered. Snow melt quenches that thirst and fills those lake beds colored white with ice. Aspen trees around the lake beds turn that landscape satellite gray in contrast to the dull green of the firs. It's a remarkable site. Winter is recompense really. It's atonement for spring.

If ever you reckon you see the smallness of this world, go see this for yourself. It reminded me how I felt when the Light of the World came looking to find me. I felt so small seeing the first time the bigness of it all. Merry Christmas all.

 

[cinder]

Well tonight was a nice Christmas party for one. It was warm enough to be out and about so after work when to the beach and watched the sunset, then had dinner at the best pizza place in town, walked through the christmas light display in the part, and then went to the coffee house and had tea and a huge (too big now I have a mild tummy ache) piece of fancy chocolate cheesecake. It won't be a white Christmas around here, but there may be an after Christmas dinner walk because it's too nice out to stay indoors.

 

[Lynx]

*perk

What kind of chocolate cheesecake was this? Was it made by the restaurant? If they shipped it in, what brand was it?

And a walk is a very good idea, one that should help with postprandial distension.

 

[Lynx]

Aaaaaand... I scared cinder away. She's probably now worried I'll eat her cheesecake.

It's a valid worry.

 

[cinder]

Aaaaaand... I scared cinder away. She's probably now worried I'll eat her cheesecake.

It's a valid worry.

I wasn't scared away, and it was the cafe of one of the local chocolate companies. It was called chocolate explosion cheesecake and had fancy stuff and slivered almonds up top, tasted like it had almond bits throughout the chocolate cheesecakey part as well and a chocolate crumb crust. But yes it was one of their made locally (I'd say in house but I think the main location about half an hour away might ship them to their other local cafes) cheesecakes. They've got lots of monster sized fancy cheesecake cakes. And they also do just basic cheesecake slices on a stick dipped in chocolate. But if you come visit hoping for cheesecake, you'll have to get your own.

 

[zeroturbulence]

If God doesn't make mistakes, why did he create the dinosaurs? And why did he kill them all off??

 

[cinder]

If God doesn't make mistakes, why did he create the dinosaurs? And why did he kill them all off??

Silly answer: Because he didn't want them eating us and we needed all those oil reserves.

More serious answer: I think there could be several possibilities and some of it depends on how you view some other stuff in history and whose chronological scales you use. Are we thinking this had to happen within the 6000 or so year window the creationists would give us? Are we thinking that the dinosaurs existed and then went extinct before human beings were on the scene? How do we explain and interpret what animals are being described in Job when it talks about the Behemoth and the Leviathan?

Since there's too many questions on dinosaurs let's go to something more concrete and also more difficult. Genesis 6:6 - Talks about God repenting, being sorry, regretting making mankind and it greived him. And then he wipes out the entire human race save a handful of people. So the same God who cannot make mistakes can regret something he has done. That gets even more mindboggling if we affirm that God is omniscient and so knew exactly what mankind was going to do and that things were going to happen this way from the start.

The only answers I can come up with when it's past my bedtime are that the dinosaur question pales in comparison to the flood story. If you accept the creationist account then it's pretty reasonable to think that God knew that dinosaurs could not survive in the post flood world and so didn't have Noah include them on the arc. They were then an extinction more caused by man that the design of God. If you take a longer term view then let's conform to the scientific consensus that the dinosaurs were around for millions of year, even most of the scientists think humans are within their first 50,000 or so (I don't really know the numbers, but I'm sure you can dig through the internet if you're wanting to look the specifics up, I am sure it's quite a bit less time that the dinos). Did God make all of the dinosaur species to last forever or did they exist only for a season?

So I don't have a lot of explanations or answers for you, but I think if I'm going to worry about God wiping things out and if that means he made mistakes, the story of Noah and the flood gives me plenty to wrestle with and some more solid theological evidence to do so.

 

[Solemateleft]

If God doesn't make mistakes, why did he create the dinosaurs? And why did he kill them all off??

I often joke with my daughter that either God has one heck of a sense of humor or that he does make mistakes... How else can Penguins be explained?
It's really kinda sad, why would he create a species of bird that can't fly? lol

 

[zeroturbulence]

Silly answer: Because he didn't want them eating us and we needed all those oil reserves.

More serious answer: I think there could be several possibilities and some of it depends on how you view some other stuff in history and whose chronological scales you use. Are we thinking this had to happen within the 6000 or so year window the creationists would give us? Are we thinking that the dinosaurs existed and then went extinct before human beings were on the scene? How do we explain and interpret what animals are being described in Job when it talks about the Behemoth and the Leviathan?

Since there's too many questions on dinosaurs let's go to something more concrete and also more difficult. Genesis 6:6 - Talks about God repenting, being sorry, regretting making mankind and it greived him. And then he wipes out the entire human race save a handful of people. So the same God who cannot make mistakes can regret something he has done. That gets even more mindboggling if we affirm that God is omniscient and so knew exactly what mankind was going to do and that things were going to happen this way from the start.

The only answers I can come up with when it's past my bedtime are that the dinosaur question pales in comparison to the flood story. If you accept the creationist account then it's pretty reasonable to think that God knew that dinosaurs could not survive in the post flood world and so didn't have Noah include them on the arc. They were then an extinction more caused by man that the design of God. If you take a longer term view then let's conform to the scientific consensus that the dinosaurs were around for millions of year, even most of the scientists think humans are within their first 50,000 or so (I don't really know the numbers, but I'm sure you can dig through the internet if you're wanting to look the specifics up, I am sure it's quite a bit less time that the dinos). Did God make all of the dinosaur species to last forever or did they exist only for a season?

So I don't have a lot of explanations or answers for you, but I think if I'm going to worry about God wiping things out and if that means he made mistakes, the story of Noah and the flood gives me plenty to wrestle with and some more solid theological evidence to do so.

I appreciate your well thought-out reply, Cinder. I'm not worried about God wiping out and starting over.. I'm worried that maybe I am a mistake.

 

[Lynx]

Who said God wiped out the dinosaurs?

When God made the world, it was perfect. Then humans broke the perfect world, so now some bad things happen. That's not God's fault.

 

[KhedetOrthos]

If God doesn't make mistakes, why did he create the dinosaurs? And why did he kill them all

i long ago learned to stop asking God “why” because my little brain is too small to comprehend his
whys. I believe a fellow named Job learned this lesson a while back as well. As for killing them off, who says that He was responsible for that?

 

[cinder]

I appreciate your well thought-out reply, Cinder. I'm not worried about God wiping out and starting over.. I'm worried that maybe I am a mistake.

Let's just say that if I were going to make a list of people (or even types of people) who the world was better off without or people I knew who seemed to have no positive impact on the world and no one would miss if they were gone, you would not make either list. You are a kind and generous person at heart and the world would be less without you. So no you're not a mistake. You may have made some, but we've all done that.

 

[zeroturbulence]

Let's just say that if I were going to make a list of people (or even types of people) who the world was better off without or people I knew who seemed to have no positive impact on the world and no one would miss if they were gone, you would not make either list. You are a kind and generous person at heart and the world would be less without you. So no you're not a mistake. You may have made some, but we've all done that.

thank you, Cinder. ♥ I don't think i've really done more than what most people would have done when it comes to helping others, but what I worry about is that my future seems pretty hopeless right now. I am actually very scared and it looks like everything I've done in my life, all i've been through is going to end up being pointless because I am probably going to die broke, alone and with no friends. Possibly even homeless. Not tomorrow, maybe not next month or next year, but sometime in the not too distant future. There I said it. I never wanted to share that here because I never felt comfortable sharing that here with anyone.

 

[cinder]

thank you, Cinder. ♥ I don't think i've really done more than what most people would have done when it comes to helping others, but what I worry about is that my future seems pretty hopeless right now. I am actually very scared and it looks like everything I've done in my life, all i've been through is going to end up being pointless because I am probably going to die broke, alone and with no friends. Possibly even homeless. Not tomorrow, maybe not next month or next year, but sometime in the not too distant future. There I said it. I never wanted to share that here because I never felt comfortable sharing that here with anyone.

Well I'm glad you aren't going to die tomorrow and ruin Christmas. And I don't know if it helps but I have similar thoughts (although I'm doing what I can to try to avoid the broke and homeless bit) of who or what I'll really have in the way of close friends, community, local emotional support etc. once my parents are gone. At times like that I look back at how God has provided in the past when things seem dark and I remember that he promises to be with us. And I'd also say that the circumstances of your death don't dictate the meaning or significance of your life. Some really famous and significant people have died alone and unknown only to gain fame and recognition after their death. Your life has not been a waste just because your last days are difficult (and who knows, you could win the lottery next week). Lots of hugs and remember this Christmas that you belong to the one who was born in a barn and executed as a criminal, he gets it, lots better than I do.

 

[Susanna]

thank you, Cinder. ♥ I don't think i've really done more than what most people would have done when it comes to helping others, but what I worry about is that my future seems pretty hopeless right now. I am actually very scared and it looks like everything I've done in my life, all i've been through is going to end up being pointless because I am probably going to die broke, alone and with no friends. Possibly even homeless. Not tomorrow, maybe not next month or next year, but sometime in the not too distant future. There I said it. I never wanted to share that here because I never felt comfortable sharing that here with anyone.

I’m sorry to hear this.

When I feel down and out I pray a lot. I put my faith in the Lord. Many times it will help, many times it seems like it will not.

I will pray for you the best way that I can.

 

[17Bees]

This whole conversation was so worth reading! Thanks Cinder and Z -- you both made my Christmas.

 

[Lanolin]

the rich man and lazarus.

Lazaurus died broke, alone and homeless.
the rich man died rich, with heaps of servants attending to his every need, in his huge palace.

Lazarus was taken by the angels into Abrahams bosom when he died
the Rich man after he died, he opened his eyes and he was in Hades.

Jesus told this very story a long time ago. I think the point was that God sees everything and he always sees a kindness, because the greatest miracle happened with Lazarus and the rich man was in torments.

 

[Solemateleft]

thank you, Cinder. ♥ I don't think i've really done more than what most people would have done when it comes to helping others, but what I worry about is that my future seems pretty hopeless right now. I am actually very scared and it looks like everything I've done in my life, all i've been through is going to end up being pointless because I am probably going to die broke, alone and with no friends. Possibly even homeless. Not tomorrow, maybe not next month or next year, but sometime in the not too distant future. There I said it. I never wanted to share that here because I never felt comfortable sharing that here with anyone.

Brother Zero...
At a time when I was at my lowest and I believed that my world had been turned upside down
@TamLynn shared this music-video (below) with me and it has been such a catalyst in my ability to turn my outlook back around and revive my Faith in HIM, my confidence in myself, and re-align my life along HIS path...

 

[seoulsearch]

the rich man and lazarus.

Lazaurus died broke, alone and homeless.
the rich man died rich, with heaps of servants attending to his every need, in his huge palace.

Lazarus was taken by the angels into Abrahams bosom when he died
the Rich man after he died, he opened his eyes and he was in Hades.

Jesus told this very story a long time ago. I think the point was that God sees everything and he always sees a kindness, because the greatest miracle happened with Lazarus and the rich man was in torments.

The problem with this advice is that it's basically saying (as does the Christian church in general when trying to give "comfort") -- "You'd be so much better off if you were dead!!!", because the only way to walk into all these wonderful heavenly blessings, obviously, is to die.

I've always wondered why people never seemed to understand that this is no comfort to someone who is questioning the validity of their existence/continuation of living in the first place.

Then again, maybe I'm personalizing it too much.

I just know that when I have had, or still have, the feelings that Zero is expressing, advice such as this just made me want to die all the faster.