Here's some poetry :D

Complicated

A mind holds many puzzles,

Lost as the walls grow bigger,

The ferns expand thicker. 

Where will you turn?

His tree grows as he clings to

The material objects that surround him.

In lost hope, we find plenty of reason

Put all your doubts aside, 

For there has always been a simple answer.

Love runs deep

Love runs deep,

As empathy quickens

Roots flow through the dirt.

Guilded, this disguise is no hypocrisy

Yet looking upon love,

It looks weak,

Cliché, orginal,

But within it is the light that guides,

Truth brings the loss of fantasy,

The individual is no longer of value,

For love does not distinguish

And then difference is forgiving,

And how loving is she who understands

That love runs deep

Untitled

Now, the moment has come

In every second, love gets nearer

Steps walk softly towards what is true

A large hall, quivers with fear of the past,

The chairs jump at identity

Defining what has been, with whom

Sticks to the mind like wall paper

Stretched on the outer layers of the mind,

Pretty and disguising in form

Yet walking through, with peace,

The walls fall down, the institution fades away

The holy instant erases such fantasy

And the true walls are revealed

Not withered and riddled with guilt, old vines hanging

But slated with white marble,

As a sign of peace, of true promise,

Where mans guilt slides down. 

Hi, things have been pretty up and down lately, I apologize for not posting but I wanted to share a particular dream I had last night. What shocked me is even though the dream said that this state is not of our world, I believe it is. you'll see what I mean in a moment.

On one world, deep in space, there are two classifications of time. In the dream it was depicted by two divergent fountains, the left side a red and ominous flow of an essence, not a liquid. The left stream flowed slower than the other, and there was no middle ground between them.  The right side was more graceful and wholesome, it was a bluish flow of essence, one that was accelerated and due to this there was a more harmonious flow of the essence. These streams of time, one accelerated, and one slower, were representations of a grander scheme-- by this I mean, each stream represented a world in which we live. The stream which was slower, was depicted by a man opening his door, a red ominous light in the background, and an intense fear of ," What have I done? Why is this happening to me?".  He is met by an authority figure who is going to take things away, strip him of his rights and take his life possibly. There was also a feeling of desperation, people knew they weren't going to survive, so they go to higher levels of violence to make their ends meet. Sadly, in this scenario, the men who had committed a dangerous act, faced even more imminent danger because the police forces were coming to kill them. It was a frightful way of being no doubt, I hope none of it is too familiar. The scenario of the harmonious stream however, was far more peaceful. Since time was more accelerated on their end, their civilization thrived. Everyone was at peace and the world was united. People jumped in joy because the faster time stream was the sole reason for their harmony, connections, and success. There's not much more to say because in all honesty, no words could describe the peace that was achieved by the accelerated stream. Note, that the order that I described the two time streams was in the order of the dream itself.

What to take from this dream: Dreams are the basis for our unconcious, for whatever reason, this dream may resemble my own unconscious desires and dual persona, or this dream may be a sign that our species has a higher purpose and higher cause than the wars and deception that it wages. Blessings to all, God loves you

Avery

Lesson 323

I gladly make the "sacrifice" of fear.

Here is the only "sacrifice" You ask of Your beloved Son; You ask him to give up all suffering, all sense of loss and sadness, all anxiety and doubt, and freely let Your Love come streaming in to his awareness, healing him of pain, and giving him Your Own eternal joy. Such is the "sacrifice" You ask of me, and one I gladly make; the only "cost" of restoration of Your memory to me, for the salvation of the world.

And as we pay the debt we owe to truth,–a debt that merely is the letting go of self-deceptions and of images we worshipped falsely–truth returns to us in wholeness and in joy. We are deceived no longer. Love has now returned to our awareness. And we are at peace again, for fear has gone and only love remains.

(Course In Miracles Lesson 323 http://acim.org/Lessons/lesson.html?daily_lesson=323) 

Here is a bit of work from others that I really enjoyed, the theme to a degree is how Christ is apart of us and the way we carries ourselves as representatives of Him (2Corinthians 5:20)

Our Source of Strength

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

— Philippians 4:13

Sheep are timid, fearful creatures. Because of their very makeup, it's almost impossible for them to lie down unless they are free from all fear. An entire flock can go stampeding off into nowhere because a rabbit jumped out of a bush.

Yet how like sheep we are! We can be afraid of so many things: afraid of losing our health . . . afraid of losing our wealth . . . afraid of losing our loved ones. In fact, sometimes it seems we can be afraid of life itself.

Certainly there are a lot of frightening things out there in the world today. Violent crime is at epidemic levels. We wonder,Will I get on a plane and have it blown up by terrorists? Will I keep my job? Will I be robbed walking down the street? Will I contract a terminal disease?

Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, will protect you and stands as your representative before the throne of God. Jesus Christ, who paid the price for your salvation, stands as your righteousness, giving you access into the presence of God. As the Scripture says, Jesus is the One "in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him" (Ephesians 3:12).

As believers, we can have boldness and authority, not because of who we are, but because of whose we are. Jesus is our strength. He is the one who gives us boldness. That's one more reason why we never want to stray from His side! Instead, we want to stay as close to Him as possible.- Greg Laurie www.harvest.org

My Grandfather James Van Pelt wrote this and shared it with me

The difference between one whose spiritual progress has put them on the Path, and one whose spiritual state is located well prior to that, is indistinguishable when either of them is acting from compassion—devoting energy, attention, and resources to the well-being of those whose needs they are in a position to alleviate. However lowly your spiritual state may be, however unworthy your life and actions, 'When you do this [act from care and kindness] to the least of these, you do it unto Me' (Matthew 25:40), and in so doing you render yourself indistinguishable in that act, in that moment, from the most spiritually advanced being, and indistinguishable in fact from Christ Himself; you become imago Christi ministering to imago Christi. In that moment you are more authentically yourself than in any other moment of your life, and if there is time for reflection you will sense that.

Hebrews 13 says

Hebrews 13

Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.³ Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Message to ISIS 

Dear ISIS, 

How dare you claim to serve a God. 

No matter the name of the God you serve, there is no justification for the atrocities you have done to your own people! Part of the reason that religion gets a bad wrap is because people use God to justify their own causes and ambitions,

Is this a familiar phrase?

" Killing a man is acceptable because he believes in a different God than I do."

God is not a tool to justify your means, God is not a path of war and destruction which takes countless lives because of a different view than you. Both Islam AND Christianity serve one God. Aren't they the same God then? How can you kill God's people, strip them of their lives when to God, life is the most sacred thing in the universe. 

I imagine that there is a lot of pain in the path you all are choosing because you are blinded by your hatred to the point of needing to harm anyone that does not conform to your path. And this is a path that breeds self destruction, God does not need to raise a finger to watch you crumble from within. And you will crumble because this path is against human nature. People are meant to love, God is Love, he is not a weapon that controls people, he is not hatred; and the hatred he bears is not anger but distaste to what is not of him.  His tool is a tool of freedom, meant to change lives and heal the wounds of the past. And his son, Jesus is the light of the world; which shines so brightly through the darkness; the Christians who are lost because of your war against your own brothers brought them into their Fathers arms.. May the warriors of Jihad, soon become lovers of Jesus Christ, and their judgement be not from man, but at the throne in Heaven. Any opinions on the content of this blog I'll be thankful for.. 

Avery Mezzanotte

May I rest in the Arms of my Father

May I seek now, the way to God. 

For I have been through a world where all investment is in tatters, 

where all my efforts to live for myself leave me sad with who I am, 

frustrated at the world outside, hurt and broken by the distractions of the world,

May I now turn to a God who loves me, he who shows me a way that does not lead to death,

Shows me healing in his love and peace in his presence. 

I find wisdom in his word and truth comes out of the pages and touches my soul, 

where one day I will stand at the throne and my choices in life will directly affect my life evermore. 

Now I am confused, for I see two paths which I could follow. But one is the destruction of my soul, and another is the rebuilding of who I am. I struggle with both because such destruction is easy, but rebuilding the foundation of who I am is a trial I sometimes cannot bear to face. If I am lost, then certainly, my God would redirect me, complete trust in his plan for me and his role for me... One I hope to follow but feel I must sacrifice for. And there is one who sacrificed everything for us all, who sat and faced persecution despite his innocence, who knew God would not forsake him so he said it so we would never feel the same. 

I confess him every day, his name and my graciousness for his mercy, his fearlessness never ceases to amaze me. May I rest in the arms of my Father one day, as Jesus is now. 

It's been a long time since I've been on here.
There has been so much movement in my calling to serve God. He has made it so clear to me in the people I've met at church, in campus ministry, in even basic interactions that he's there and has never left my side. I sometimes would get so angry when things would never work out, I would feel by myself, just Avery in the world, even when I was among other people. I was wrong though, because it's not just Avery. It's Avery and my best friend Jesus Christ, who saved me and is the center of my life. God gives greater join than any other way we could follow; and sometimes that path takes awhile because we develop a character that resists what God wants us to be. The beauty is that God wants it to be our decision to serve him; he wants us to love him and isn't a tyrant that says, "I'm the ruler of the universe, bow down to me." He says, " I love each and every one of you more than you can realize" Jesus says in John 15," As the Father loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my fathers commands and remain in his love."

However, I am still facing a deep issue that I don't know how to solve on my own, it's so difficult to give our life's to God and to live according to his teachings. But may we all learn and be blessed.

Jesus is there when things don’t seem right. When our minds are filled with fear, Jesus is the light which we can turn too, where everything will be alright. When we trust in God, our possibilities are endless. Something I’ve learned by simply being somewhere we can meet people who will change our lives. If we trust that God is leading us in the right direction when we walk and when he guides our minds to say things that glorify him and lift all to a higher plane of realization. A conversation can be a turning point for someone if you trust that by encouraging them you also lift yourself higher. It has been scientifically proven that positive thoughts affect water molecules. In this scenario however, we’re encouraging human beings to be the best they can be in Jesus by giving words of encouragement and guidance. Sometimes to do this it is necessary to not trust our own intuition, but the wisdom that God gives us through the reading of the Bible and the firm conviction that this is so. In Titus it says,”Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.” With the love of God, we will change to people of righteousness. “Collosians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”

When you wholesomely believe that Jesus is your savior, and you act that Jesus is your savior, then Jesus is your savior. We cannot say things that we don’t put our heart into, because that isn’t being honest with who we are. SO if God is the one you know you want to worship with your heart and soul, say it in your prayers, and say it to your friends and family. If you’re fearful that the calling of God will cause you to lose or be sacrificing, you’re perfectly right, because we are dying to the self within Adam’s fault, and finding a higher self that glorifies God in all they do and say. It may seem like a loss, but it is such a great gain. What would the world bring us but death and pain? Exactly, you store up treasures on Earth,  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21. It says right in the bible, that whichever servant we choose, we make drastic choices. There isn’t a grey area, there’s the world, and then there is Jesus. Trust that Jesus will bring you clarity and peace. Yes, the fear of God is necessary, but be safe that he loves us and cherishes us all equally.

Prayer: Lord I pray you will reach out with your love and presence unto all the people in the world who have trouble trusting you. We are unbeknownst to your ways, because you such a vast mystery we are often fearful of the outcome you have intended for us. But God I pray that through trusting your way we can truly find a path which allows us to flourish with joy, yet be challenging in every aspect. I pray that you lift up all those going through hardship. And that any obstacle they face now, they are lifted through it by trusting you deeper than before. Give them the confidence and strength to fight on and grow within these obstacles. That in this growth they know it was not only their triumph but a triumph which glorifies your way deeper than ever. Thank you God, in Jesus Amen.

Wanted to share some amazing thoughts that have truly inspired me in my life.
Don't ever be scared about whats going on in your life, trust that God has a plan for you and will lead you through the challenges that you face. Never back down from your faith in God because he will always deliver you from any troubles. There will always be moments when we don't think that God is there for us, we will always doubt, but we need to look at the examples of the Disciples and the generations of prophets who put their faith in God and faced terrible challenges but always came out sending an earth shattering message and inspiring millions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8yScQN4W5s

Sincerely hope you enjoy this sermon from Vertical Church, truly inspired me. Be strong and know God is beside you

Dear friends,

I had a dream last night where a hideous snake filled with guilt and anger; tried to be kind to me and act as my friend. However, whenever I allowed the snake to be in my life there was a terrible feeling of incompleteness, inadequacy. I was never my best when the snake was around; but I thought, I'll be alright if I get used to having the snake around, its only a small setback, and plus I'm still functional. I thought about this for a bit, and the snake was familiar: our addictions, our woes, things that hurt that us that we hold onto. All of these things are snakes which we think we'll be able to deal with, but if we healed these things the possibilities for our own personal growth are unlimited in capacity.
I want to talk about how God is by far the most complete way of healing. Healing in every aspect no less, the mind and soul, need the most healing. Think of some snakes in your life, things that bring you down. Whatever is a burden, I want you to say this pray:

Father, today I bear heavy burdens which hold me back from being closest to you. Carry me from these packages and let me see what I am without them. Heal me of my iniquities, cleanse me of my grievances; recover me from my addictions and worries. Dear Lord in Heaven I know that whatever challenge you have given me in my life, that you are the only path which I shall turn too which will grant me grace and victory in your light. Father I pray right now for all my enemies, that they be lifted of their own woes and find you and your loving light, that they too dive deep into what you make us to be. I say this to honor and make the name of Jesus Christ one with my heart and soul. Forever and ever, amen.

Now be lifted by the power of your desire to be free from whatever has been causing you pain. Confession of Jesus as your savior with the firmest conviction that this is so, will change things in your life forever more. Don't be scared of God, embrace his love and life by reading and praying. He wants to know you and wrap you in his arms of joy. Love you all

Avery

https://www.crowdrise.com/emptythebucket/fundraiser/averymezzanotte/setup_success/member

Wanted to share a page that my Great Aunt is hosting. I've been to Honduras the last 3 years and every year it becomes more and more influential in my spiritual life. The Lamb Institute has been working within Tegucigalpa since 1999. It's run by Suzanne McCall and seeks to provide shelter, education and a Christ centered life for children and adults that would have difficulty finding it, or even surviving. The gang violence in Tegucigalpa is notorious nowadays, but Lamb has responded by introducing the Alonzo movement, which is an alternative group for men who want to be out of gangs. Most importantly however, is it's development of Casa Hogar, a children's home just outside Tegucigalpa that is home to 65 kids from ages 2-18. The most recent developments have been to provide a consistent water source for the children. Water missions has come down, but we're determined to give these kids warm showers instead of washing out of cold buckets.

Praying for growth

I wanted to talk about prayer for a bit. Prayer is one of the most important factors in building our relationship with God, other than reading in the bible about his nature. In John 11:25 it is written," Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live...'"this passage is showing how Jesus is the only way to salvation, that in any other path we would live in darkness, through studying his way and living to his doctrine, we are saved from the world outside. Let us be thankful this is clearly written for us to find in our journey. So I want to ask: How do we grow in our faith and find a balance between what is temporary and that which is eternal? In Corinthians 13:13 we are told,"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Now a man or woman is defined by his actions, but how does he or she develop the discipline to act in a Christian way? The answer, though I am but a messenger, is to pray and allow God to transform us into the way that we are really meant to be in his image. God wants us to find clarity in our hearts so that we can bring clarity to others who need us. Christianity is not a sterile machine, it is an always growing network where a disciple goes out to teach the way of Jesus so that it may be passed on through the generations. In order to have a strong network of Christians, we must be confident in knowing what God has intended for us and to grow our unique talents to glorify our Father. Take a moment, and really think: what are my talents that I can use to glorify my father in heaven?
Don't be scared if you haven't found your way yet. This is where prayer comes in. We want to pray well and be thankful for our opportunity to learn what God wants us to do. In this sermon I'm mainly focusing on growth through prayer, and there are so many kinds of prayer that we can practice. But this practice is a way to grow into a person of faith, hope and love, as the bible shows us what is true.
First in this specific practice, we are getting rid of some prayers which are bad habits. Lists of things we need, material things (cars, toys, and accessories) are of less importance. In lamentations it says this,"You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. " Though I'm not exactly sure if this truly applies to prayer for specific things, imagine if a man prayed daily for the things of this earth and rather directly to know Jesus and to grow with him. What would benefit his spirituality more?
A big impact I want to leave in teaching you is the value that prayer can have. Its in one way the measure of our faith and trust in God, who's the creator of the universe. Every time you sit in a room whether you're with brothers or sisters or on your own,m youre communicating with the creator of the universe, who in one sentence," let there be light" created everything that exists today. He is more knowledgable than any creature imaginable, in the extent that he knows time, the past present and future all at the same time. I`m just giving an example of his oneness,  his plan is for us to come to him in heaven and this is the kind of love that is understanding, but also hard if we recognize but choose to ignore. Forget the last part, just take from this that whenever you pray, you're talking to the biggest, most significant presence the universe will ever know. In our time with Him, we should show our gratitude to be able to be in his presence. We should ask for his wisdom and guidance to show us where we have gone wrong, and where we can improve. We should ask for blessings to our brothers and sisters who are also seeking the way of Jesus that they receive God's insight and learn his wisdom too. We can also listen and wait for the voice of our God to come to us, and learn to recognize it. Its exciting that we are able to even have conversation with a higher self, but to talk to an almighty power which knows everything and everyone to the deepest parts of self, where every secret to the human is an open book to him. That is a wisdom we need to take from, and learn from, because where would we grow otherwise if we had a way which was not dressed in positive for the human spirit?

It's been a long summer but right now I'm writing about some of the interesting experiences I've had travelling. I hope y'all can send me some of your stories of God, or if you are just searching, tell that journey too. I'm going to put a new email down
Mezzanottej1@owls.southernct.edu

Also watch the movie God's not Dead! It's really amazing. Hope you all had an amazing Summer, God bless.

I want to move in every direction,
Where the stars are simply beside me,
where my limbs are memory,
ancient memories which can never be practical
in presence, but brightened with compassion
Selected by the yes, or the no,
I may drift endlessly,
through the endless space time that extends infinitely,
I say Yes to Jesus,
And his hand guides me to where I am truly meant to go,
I am no longer drifting,
I am floating through the river of his fearless peace,
Through every sort of danger and peril that flies past my essence,
 Be it material or ether
I  cannot be persecuted with him beside me,
I can only walk in his love and be guided in his way.
What choice is there?
To float for eons in no direction,
To seek what is temporary and based upon material?
Or seek a way which has no alternate, which unites me with
who I really am.
A love which is always changing, but never ceasing,
for in every moment, nothing is the same,
everywhere we walk in our bodies is a new perception,
even if we walk in the same areas each day.
The people you see, the cars that pass by,
the birds which fly over head,
move differently every time,
fluctuating like bacteria
meshed together like metal
but such a progression, has its purpose,
You are not alone, and what is within you is greater than you can imagine,
trust in Jesus, and you will see

God’s Love is a star.

A shining light which never ceases

If you look up, no matter the time of day, you shall see stars

And each of them is a shining light which never ceases,

God’s love is a star which never ends,

On a rainy day, the clouds are thick and the rain falls down,

 God’s love is hidden,

When you are sad, and lost in the world,

God’s love is hidden,

But through the clouds,

His shining light is eternal;

Waiting for your heart to rain no more,

Only too long to see the star

How much do you long to truly see the stars?

No matter how I fall,
I look and see a hand raised toward me,
And as I look what a sight do I see,
No man can lift me up, 
I am dirty, and God stands by me,
No one can see His face, 
No one can see his Form, 
For no one can truly contemplate his Face, 
Nor contemplate his Form

Today I want to share with you an idea I had while praying.
So I don't want to be the only one writing this blog, I know I haven't been on it consistently, but I want it to eventually grow and be something bigger. All things start small, but I want this to not be just me, but a collection of God's children speaking out about his love and affection. How it has changed their lives, whether we are struggling to find God, or know him deeply, we all should have access to a place where God speaks to us daily. Using the Bible, and our experiences we can create a better tomorrow and provide a deeper testimony to those who doubt God is presence. No one is wrong if they don't believe in God, yet at the same time, let us give hope to everyone that they are not alone in their endeavors, and are not sheltered from the love within that God created for us. Send me your experiences, or a testimony; send poetry or blogs, send articles or coincidences that you believe resembles God's presence in your life, and let us share them and be glad that everyone can see them. We don't need to hide our experiences with God, for it is far greater that we be witnesses of the truth, than hide away when truth needs us the most.

My email is mezzanottej1@owls.southernct.edu
Don't hestitate

Defeat.
This is what you shall know if you resist God. For he shall tear at your pride and rip at your guilt with a force far greater than any known to man. You shall know defeat because His call is far greater than any calling you could ask for. Each day a veil is placed before the eyes and the body is set forth to do a role outside of what He has asked. Yes go to work, watch television, play a sport, that is normal. It is great to see that we as a society can grow. So long as we grow in the right way.
Remind yourself though, what toil is. Has it been present in your life? And where does toil abide?
So now I ask, in all this toil, what has been your GREATEST fear?
My greatest fear is to acknowledge that God has already won.
He has already won, and already, waits for you to see. It is like the resistance fighters in a captured state, no matter how they try to disrupt the enemy, their feats are futile. No matter how they deny that the greater force has won, this greater force is the truth.
No matter how they deny this greater force, the greater force is far greater than any they could imagine, yet they hide in their bunkers and wait for it to go away. But it will never go away, will never cease to exist, because in this case, it is existence.

My prayers have been lately," God I only want to know you deeper." "Let me know you better now" "I only want to know you deeper than I have in the past."

I want to surrender to God, because even though I still fight, is this fight worthwhile?
Would the resistance fighters be stubborn enough to not understand who their greater force is, before fighting?
What if that greater force, was the better force, that brought peace and prosperity to all the land?
I haven't been writing lately, because I have not had time, and also because I was so lost in all the conflict around me. Lately I've been hateful of a former girlfriend, because I have been envious knowing she would never acknowledge me again. But I saw on her Facebook a picture of her being happy, and I remembered from the Bible in 1 John 4:20,"Those who say,"I love God," and Hate their brothers and sisters; are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God who they have not seen" I could not truly love God if I held this hatred in my heart, and now I ask all of you. Let go of the people or things that have hurt you, surrender to God who loves you and resembles Love in its greatest aspect. 1 John 3:18,"Little Children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."

Have a blessed day in Spring, may God fill you with his Joy.So long as you seek, you shall find him

In a field of grass I was plentiful without,
The universe which I was present,
Gave me a myriad of choices in the one percent which I hath lived in.
For among this myriad I was given but two ideas and paths to wander down, 
and if I chose both the sword cut through me and I would have to start over,
But I was not alone,
For among these two choices, only one was realistic, 
only one could be the truth in a realm which was hard to explain.
In the universe so plentiful, how can things be so simple?
 Isn't it a mark of the human mind to see complication? 
To address complication and apply complication? 
Unraveling and unfolding the unwarranted challenges that the world has delved itself deeper in?
The deepest fear was a heart of commitment to both these choices,
One seems to make everything come alive,
 while the other is a distraction to the universe which dwells within.
I'm sorry if I am straightforward, but no more can we linger in the darkness. 
If it is sentiment and health which we desire, then why not go upon a path which health and sentiment is certain?
Say no more you are lost, for the universe is kind.
A field of grass, simple in its plant life, 
seems far more reasonable than a city of wonders,
 but could never be as diverse as an ocean where life lives in more colors and mystery than the dress she wears.
Being complacent, 
no matter where the road may take us, 
and thanking that we have been given what we have been given.
So this is the opposite to common temptation. It is time to be whole again.

I haven't been posting lately, but I've been praying a lot and searching for the right way to know God. 

Today’s lesson in the Course of Miracles is,” Let me not forget my function” a practice which we all seem to stray from when we live in this world. However, when we draw away from the negativity in our lives and read the Bible or the Course in Miracles, God is always speaking to us saying,” You no longer need to live in fear.” I've been reading John lately, and a quote that would have to most relate to this topic is,” When he comes, he will prove the world to be wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement”(John 16:10). What does this really say about our loves? Is not God saying that his son has proved the world wrong? I say yes, he has proved it wrong. What is he saying he will prove wrong? Righteousness, sin, and Judgement. So what does this mean?  What is our function in the world? A Course in Miracles says,” The idea for today reaffirms your commitment to salvation. It also reminds you that you have no other function than that” (CIM WB 65 1-2). So how, then do we live our days? Not in sin or misery, but glorifying God in every way. 

Walk from your door with God leading the way, what could possibly go wrong? Live with love for your neighbors, love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul, as Jesus says in Matthew 22. These are the commandments we must live by. But how do we live by these commandments? For it seems the world trembles with fear, and we meet people and see things that haunt us, instances in our life experience which we struggle with every day. I know, we all have days which test our faith, and all feel tempted by what the world offers. But, here I insist. Do not forget your function as teachers of God’s most fundamental laws. What better way to live by teaching so that you may learn them. True grace is trusting in God. And God is not a part of the world, the past or future, trust in him is not like Trust in our brothers or sisters. Trust in God is surrendering yourself, your desires, your possessions and habits. Surrendering oneself is very difficult. Society is built entirely upon the Self concept; by this I mean every source of media is marketing towards fulfilling your needs, never God’s. 

Remember what I referenced in John however, that He would prove wrong righteousness, judgement and sin. How does the world know righteousness, judgement and sin? Sin is that which brings us guilt, which separates us from God. Pleasure to sexual immorality, anger, envy; those are a few, but the Bible defines them clearly,” But mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderers […]” (2 Timothy 3:1-4). The list goes on. Yes it is vital to recognize where sin is in our lives. For sin separates us from God. It is a circle we never can be free of without Jesus. But this is not a sermon about why we are miserable sinners. This is a sermon about recognizing our new life with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For we can never truly achieve peace without God; we can never find salvation separate from Jesus. These are our creators. Our light in the darkness.

Let us be convicted now, that love is His answer, and as we carry on through the day, our love is based on the moment. For did we not sin in the past? Is that not where our sins abide? And our intentions to sin lie in the future, no? Start anew, and live in the moment for Jesus, for this is where sins are made, but it is also where sins are overlooked. Be a teacher of his freedom, and every interaction be loving; do not let your focus stray from the Christ. They call it “Christ” Presence for a reason. Does Jesus not immediately hold out his hand to catch Peter? Not in the past or future, now! Is not Jesus the perfect example, for in his crucifixion, he never lifted a hateful hand, never cursed the crowd or resisted his Fate. Jesus knew what God had willed for him, and he never resisted, and he took upon all our sins for us. Not only did he look upon those who persecuted him with love, but he saw those who sinned against him with love. Who could be a more perfect teacher which calls us to be spreaders of Faith, by being the perfect example of Faith? No one, and this is how he proved righteousness, judgement and sin wrong, with God's love. This is why we must teach as He has taught us, so that God’s plan may be fulfilled. Do not forget your function my brothers and sisters, do not fall to the temptations that the world brings, do not lose heart and fear persecution. See each person as they are in God’s image, and love each of them to the fullest through Christ Jesus our Lord.

A prayer:

Father, we are so thankful for the things you have shown us in life. Thank you for your love and affection, and for always showing us the better way. Please bring us the path which we must walk in, please guide us on the path towards you always. Through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen. 

Today I want to talk about my ongoing experiences with God.

I had been agnostic as a child, never grew up in church except for a Lutheran Church my parents took me too. When I was young, I had a teacher which taught me basic knowledge of the The Course In Miracles, which inspired a lot of my poetry when I was younger. He told me about this entity called the Ego, which I created, the Holy Spirit, which abides in us all, and myself, who chooses between the two: I wrote this when I was young

Like You, I Cry

Feeling the wind rush past my face.

Winter.

It’s all I feel,

The same freezing white snow.

Step, step, thump, thud,

I walk through the snow.

On the sidewalk, lonely,

Three friends.

Only Max walks by my side.

Talking. Talking about

How and who we are:

“Why are we here,” I ask,

“Who created us?”

Max answers,

“God is the thing who created us.”

A huge gust sweeps us off our feet,

Onto the cold ground.

We laugh.

All I want is to have just one happy moment.

Life can be in many different forms.

Find those forms.

Live to find out.

It's simple, but remember, God always has a part in our lives, and he always influences us in some way. He always gives us a right or wrong decision. And it is our responsibility to see the right one.

When I was 17, I made the wrong decision because my sadness overlooked my reason. And in my pain I tried to reach out to him,"God, if you are up there, if you exist, will you help me know you, because I do not know what to do anymore". I wrote this about that experience:

Escape

The sound fades and grows,

Never sure yet it always expands in prominence,

Never great, but mystical in tempo,

It seems constant, slowly overtaking the mind

So innocent at first, an experience to become a nightmare

The scream overtakes a soul and fear clouds the mind.

Lifting medial objects seems like lifting a boulder,

The breath difficult and the sweat pouring from shoulders regularly strong

Something’s hidden, something’s lost

Must find the way of escape, must find a way out

Must understand what is the right passage…

Now calmly sit through the storm, the melody of chaos,

Thoughts and fears shoot across a room,” BAM”

Switching swiftly, worrying about the future, the mistake,

What is to come?

Prepare for the worst, but how to solve this insanity, what must a lost soul do?

The Horns of jazz sing, the creativity seems wild, there is a loss of hearing, checking reality as if it was not there. Help the mistake, drag it from Hell, pull its handles and pray for a higher purpose.

Give the scream to love, sitting in an ocean of fear and misunderstanding.

Any fear is still here in the blistering cold,

One bursts forth, challenging a misconception, challenging the escape, retreating to reality, the sweet haven of support calls even though no sound penetrates the ear drum.

The tone deaf shadow runs through the doors, to find another who can give redemption.

And one is surprised, but the magnitude of escape the soul pursued

Never falter, drink the water, and deny it happened

Yet sleep never came.

The dawn creeps upon the night as eyes stare wide open,

The safeguard is called; quick embraces and misunderstanding fill a shaken room.

A blurry shot of questions follow, must report, must find why this lost soul would hurt itself so.

Climb to the red blur, the needle pierce the sin.

A ride to remember

Thoughts of worry, shoot again across the mind, make it balanced, they ask more questions

Make sure you talk through the storm, these people are not mindful of it, ease the people around you that care. Whit gowns scurry across the room.

Handing black liquid to expel the evil that seemed good,

The eyes never shut, what you did was a lie

Try to survive and draw attention to the mess,

The depression that pushes the soul, drives it to insanity

The hate that grows larger, and the hole getting deeper,

One must wonder where the path of life leads

And so escape seems necessary. Gather the essentials for survival, ready to face any challenge

Yet escape is to get away from, to draw oneself from what could be most important to life

This sets back to primal instinct, unable to deal with the robotic and redundant application that society asks him

Please hurry father, the son has found his error

Misunderstands this selfish act

Loved ones gather and support,

A lost soul now knows that one is never alone, and they are always there for it

Yet fate has other things in store, hooked to machines, the body asks for release,

Yet human error harms this body, and movement is not as swift.

A terribly depressing man walks into the room, he projects only hatred, for he is largely misunderstood, more so than the lost soul who lies in screaming confusion and depravation.

Leaving now, home at last, finally the call of attention pays its dues. Living in an old familiar home, the lost soul is found, laying on the grass, the world not the world, but something of one. The found one knows purpose

It punches the mind with a book

The course of miracles, the lesson of love

The true path is found, the escape lives on as but a memory,

The selfish act solves suffering, for not the search for redemption continues, and with it a goal, a lesson.

To love one, for one is all. 

That's all for now, 

I want to write a quick prayer:

Dear God, thank you for all your works,

Thank you for the joy you bring to all things, 

I am so grateful that you have saved me from myself,

and set me free from the hatred I once knew. 

Please love all my brothers and sisters,

Please give love to all my family and my friends. 

Show me the way and let us know you and love you 

Loving, Vibrant and Graceful

By Avery

There are two choices we can make, these choices have to do with how we live out our lives, in essence resemble what we teach. There are many ways in which these choices impact our relationships with others. The distinction between these two choices is fear, and love.We're going to focus on love, because God embodies all acts of love."What is there to decide? For it is conflict that makes choice possible. The truth is simple; it is one without an opposite. And how could strife enter in its simple presence, and bring complexity where oneness is?" (CIM 26 II- 6-10)All choices of love resemble the oneness that encompasses the universe. It is the world we know that brings us pain, for in our journey through the world, we become disappointed because of its lacking in love. But when we look to God, he fills us with his love, and sets free any of the pain we thought we had. Just trust in Him

The Lord lets me walk.
I walk when my legs are limb. 
When my body is broken;
The Lord sets me free.
From the boundaries I place around me,
I am mended and filled with spirit;I am graceful and filled with love.
The Lord lets me walk, 
When I ask him; let me know no more pain,
He brings down his thought
And fills the part of me that abides in him
When I am lost, I turn to the truth,
I turn to the home which always comforts me.
When I fear
His love casts it away.
When I know not love, 
He taps my shoulder and reminds me of the truth
And each day I set out,With my love springing forth to my peers around me
My smile says," God is with me now"
And we shall show all,Not the illusions which bind this world.
But the spirit which forever shines within

After check out this blog, I have to try these exercises for myself: http://www.godtalkstoyou.com/

I went very deep last time, so I want to pull back a bit;

First, let’s understand, the Bible is the Word of God,” All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy NIV 3:16)

The Bible says, All scripture is God-breathed. That means all scripture trains us for His good work, all scripture is written as God intended it; there doesn’t seem to be any conflict there. Often we are scared to face God. I know that I have had trouble reading the Bible, and the Course In Miracles, but this resistance is natural, because our whole lives, we have had a self,” Reality is safe and secure, and wholly kind to everyone and everything. There is no greater love than to accept this and be glad” (CIM 16 II: 6-7)

God is in our lives, because his design has placed us where we are now,” From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” (Acts NIV 17:26-27)
God loves you, seek his love and you shall find it.

Have a blessed day, stay safe in the snow storms

Here's some questions to reflect on, then I want to tell a story: 

If Guilt is hell, then what is its opposite? (CIM- WB-39) 

Whenever you choose a life separate from God, do you feel joy? 

Everything that is separate from God only brings us happiness that is temporary, it doesn't long for us to seek something else, and all the forms that we use, like food, or clothes, have limited uses in that way. But God's love can be with us every second we live, and can bring us joy beyond anything else the world could give us.

One day I spent my entire day separate from God, I played this Prison simulator, but it went beyond how I played this game. My thoughts towards myself were so critical, and my desire to be alive just vanished, I hated everyone and everything. I was so disconnected but how lucky that I searched again. 

I had a dream last night where a man came to me and said, that God can be with us with whatever we do, even the forms that we associate with. By themselves they have no meaning. In addition, how great is it to know that you are loved endlessly, that YOUR life can be filled with Love. That the inadequacy that limits, is not seen when God is with you, he simply says," Put aside all fear and follow me" Put away your fears about who you are, put away all the fears that have made you sad, love the people who have harmed you for you cannot gain by hating them. Conquer all fear, because only fear is what limits us. It's easier said than done, but I know with God, and when he's apart of our life, we can live without fear, and in perfect safety. 

I'm developing an online discussion that talks about living a godly life. Peace isn't easy when our lives are filled with so many things to do and things to worry about. But worry and fear don't have to be the solution and the way that we go about our daily lives. Our interactions with others can be open and giving, when we look within for the positive qualities that are also inherent with the bad ones.

Have there been, days, weeks, months, years where you everything around you seemed hectic and you had to fight to survive? 

Turn to God, the trinity is the only way you can survive. You rely on a strength that is separate from creation- the ego which is the cause of all illusion or sin. Satan, who cannot control you unless you let him. Your faith in God will solve these problems. You must also remember, each struggle that tests you, you have an opportunity to find a peaceful solution. Believe his will shall be done.

In those moments, how did you see other people around you? How did you see yourself?

In times where our faith is tested, and our lives are not peaceful, often we reflect this onto our view of ourselves and those around us. God is the peace which corrects the perception of who you are, and those that surround you. Know his most important commandments and practice them, and you will see yourself and those around you in a new light.

There are many ways that God can reach us, and many ways that he reaches out to us. The Bible is the Word of God, and so it is there that we look for his guidance. God also finds us in what we do; every interaction, and every little thing that is good, is a part of God, who is the truest good,” And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ” (Phillipians NIV 4:7). Look where God has been in your life, good things that have happened, or bad things which test our faith. Go to Jesus when you are afraid, for He will protect you and keep you safe. When Peter was walking on the water, he doubted, and when he cried out to him as he fell, Jesus immediately saved him. 

God is real. This blog is a testimony of faith to show you that God is with you wherever you go. He has not abandoned you.

This is a poem:

Just a Dream

Love is a gift that has no requests, 

In God I neither give nor take,

Just one connection that is never shaken.

A connection which holds no hate, and creates no pain to those around me,

It sits silently and flows from my forehead

My hands breath his loving energy,

My breath becomes longer and deeper, while my heart moves slower and more centered,

I am one, as God intended.

For now as I sit in silence, everything that once harmed me is gone.

I cannot be shaken for his love surrounds me,

I cannot be broken, for his gifts complete me,

I no longer know pain, that which dwells deep and lingers in my guilty soul,

Instead, I know perfect joy

I am still, for Jesus holds my hand and asks me to go with him

Together we will go to God and all that I know will be gone.

Everything that once harmed me will be erased,

But what I remember will still be there,

I will look on it in a guiltless eye,

An Eye without regret

I know innocence in all my brothers and sisters,

We walk together in harmony

And the pain that once lingered, can be no more,

Just a dream long forgotten