PHENOMENAL WOMANby Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need of my care. '
Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
In response
In response - redone
Sam Harris said in his book Letter to A Christian Nation: "One of the most pernicious effects of religion is that it tends to divorce morality from the reality of human and animal suffering. Religion allows people to imagine that their concerns are moral when they are not – that is, when they have nothing to do with suffering or its alleviation…. This explains why Christians like yourself expend "moral" energy opposing abortion than fighting genocide." (25)
This statement missed a large part of the Christian reality, but yet sadly hit a major part of it at the same time. I believe that Harris is trying to point out the hypocrisy that plays out everyday in the Christian Church, but at the same time, he misses so much, that it becomes an unfair statement, and even hypocritical.... Hypocritical because he is generalizing the problems in a Christian community as an overall effect of religion, and then criticizes Christians for labeling all atheist as evil by generalizing the problems in an atheistic community and seeing it as an overall effect of atheism. The logic doesn't run through, and it seems as if he is just fighting fire with fire.It just doesn't work, and this statement, and those that followed, fall through because of this.
Personally I can list over one hundred organizations that are Christian based, and focus on relieving human suffering on so many different levels. Some are international, and others simply in the community, but they are there. Many Christians have felt the pain that other people have felt as well, and as a result of their finding of life in their religion, most want to step out and help those that are in the situations that they were lucky enough to make it out of.
On the other hand, there have been plenty of times where Christians, instead of loving, and doing good, brought out judgment and further hurt those that have been hurt, and I am sorry for that. Personally have been hurt many times by Christians, and have seen firsthand the hypocrisy in the church, and have even been attacked straight on by such, and not in a way that was superficial.
I see where one could start such an argument, and as a Christian it hurts me so much to see this continue with other people, but I have to say, that this response is not a merited one. Even in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, he tells a people who have been abused for hundreds of years, that in these times of fighting for freedom, "we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." It is true that many Christians get hung up on their own "righteousness", but atheist also get hung up on their own "correctness," so I think it is fair to say that this is a human problem rather than a Christian one..
-Romans 12:9-10 –"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
See, people like Sam Harris are starting to wage war on Christianity, in a way that is truly terrible. Attacks are coming from all sides, and some I believe are truly our fault. Like I said above, I know the hypocrisy that lays within the church. I know people who sought a place to be accepted, and instead were rejected, but that is not the core of Christianity, at all. That is humanity.
Talking to a man named Mike, who was gay for 13 years, and turned to religion (10 years ago), he told of how the church had a tendency to put both hands up, and just say, "No brother, you're wrong." The gay community then had a tendency to put both hands out, and accept you for what you are. But when he finally came to know the Jesus that we all claim to follow whole-heartedly, he found a Jesus that had one hand up, and one hand out. Saying, what you are doing is not good, but I love you beyond that.
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?""No one sir" she said"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
So in response to the attacks, I encourage you to take a look at the core of Christianity, and not just those who have screwed up. You might find something very real.
-----------------------
And for the Christians who read this do read this, and wish to respond. I encourage those who read this to not just read this and just want to fight back, but to read this, think about it, reason against it by all means, and then love back. Atheist, like Harris, say the things that they say for a reason. What that reason is, it is clearly different for every person, but it is not just some random thought that they just came up with one day. Sometimes there is a sense of hypocrisy on our part, and for others it is a struggle that is taking place in their own hearts, but remember that we also struggle with that just the same. "For Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." (1 Corinthians 8:1) I know that it is a battle, and as Harris states in the intro, "if one of us is right, the other is wrong… one side is really going to win this argument, and the other side is really going to lose," (5) but we do not have to play the same game. We are called to be separate from the world, and our battles are not of flesh and blood, but are spiritual indeed (Eph. 6:12). So, as we build in knowledge, don't let that knowledge become the weapon you wield to cut them right through their heart, but as a defense, and support for why you believe what you believe.
Thank you.
Sam Harris said in his book Letter to A Christian Nation: "One of the most pernicious effects of religion is that it tends to divorce morality from the reality of human and animal suffering. Religion allows people to imagine that their concerns are moral when they are not – that is, when they have nothing to do with suffering or its alleviation…. This explains why Christians like yourself expend "moral" energy opposing abortion than fighting genocide." (25)
This statement missed a large part of the Christian reality, but yet sadly hit a major part of it at the same time. I believe that Harris is trying to point out the hypocrisy that plays out everyday in the Christian Church, but at the same time, he misses so much, that it becomes an unfair statement, and even hypocritical.... Hypocritical because he is generalizing the problems in a Christian community as an overall effect of religion, and then criticizes Christians for labeling all atheist as evil by generalizing the problems in an atheistic community and seeing it as an overall effect of atheism. The logic doesn't run through, and it seems as if he is just fighting fire with fire.It just doesn't work, and this statement, and those that followed, fall through because of this.
Personally I can list over one hundred organizations that are Christian based, and focus on relieving human suffering on so many different levels. Some are international, and others simply in the community, but they are there. Many Christians have felt the pain that other people have felt as well, and as a result of their finding of life in their religion, most want to step out and help those that are in the situations that they were lucky enough to make it out of.
On the other hand, there have been plenty of times where Christians, instead of loving, and doing good, brought out judgment and further hurt those that have been hurt, and I am sorry for that. Personally have been hurt many times by Christians, and have seen firsthand the hypocrisy in the church, and have even been attacked straight on by such, and not in a way that was superficial.
I see where one could start such an argument, and as a Christian it hurts me so much to see this continue with other people, but I have to say, that this response is not a merited one. Even in Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, he tells a people who have been abused for hundreds of years, that in these times of fighting for freedom, "we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." It is true that many Christians get hung up on their own "righteousness", but atheist also get hung up on their own "correctness," so I think it is fair to say that this is a human problem rather than a Christian one..
-Romans 12:9-10 –"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
See, people like Sam Harris are starting to wage war on Christianity, in a way that is truly terrible. Attacks are coming from all sides, and some I believe are truly our fault. Like I said above, I know the hypocrisy that lays within the church. I know people who sought a place to be accepted, and instead were rejected, but that is not the core of Christianity, at all. That is humanity.
Talking to a man named Mike, who was gay for 13 years, and turned to religion (10 years ago), he told of how the church had a tendency to put both hands up, and just say, "No brother, you're wrong." The gay community then had a tendency to put both hands out, and accept you for what you are. But when he finally came to know the Jesus that we all claim to follow whole-heartedly, he found a Jesus that had one hand up, and one hand out. Saying, what you are doing is not good, but I love you beyond that.
Did you know that Jesus ate with those that were in sin, and therefore unclean? Did you know that when a prostitute was brought to jesus, and brought to be judged for her sin, after Jesus gave the famous line, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone...", those who accused her left, and the following took place:
"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?""No one sir" she said"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
John 8
So in response to the attacks, I encourage you to take a look at the core of Christianity, and not just those who have screwed up. You might find something very real.
-----------------------
And for the Christians who read this do read this, and wish to respond. I encourage those who read this to not just read this and just want to fight back, but to read this, think about it, reason against it by all means, and then love back. Atheist, like Harris, say the things that they say for a reason. What that reason is, it is clearly different for every person, but it is not just some random thought that they just came up with one day. Sometimes there is a sense of hypocrisy on our part, and for others it is a struggle that is taking place in their own hearts, but remember that we also struggle with that just the same. "For Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." (1 Corinthians 8:1) I know that it is a battle, and as Harris states in the intro, "if one of us is right, the other is wrong… one side is really going to win this argument, and the other side is really going to lose," (5) but we do not have to play the same game. We are called to be separate from the world, and our battles are not of flesh and blood, but are spiritual indeed (Eph. 6:12). So, as we build in knowledge, don't let that knowledge become the weapon you wield to cut them right through their heart, but as a defense, and support for why you believe what you believe.
Thank you.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Daughter of Jehova
I am a woman of God
Child of the most high
A prophet and a teacher
Child of the most high
A prophet and a teacher
A minister and a leader
Sanctified by the the fire
And washed by the water
Filled by the Spirit
Sanctified by the the fire
And washed by the water
Filled by the Spirit
And loved by the Lord
I am a woman of God
Created in the image of the Lord
Seen as beautiful
And perfect in imperfection
Faulty, but made right
Sinful, but made righteous
Once scorned, but now embraced
Once lost, but now found
I am a woman of God
To be respected
To be honored
To be loved
To be built up
And to be seen as the daughter
Of the most high God
Chosen by El Shaddai
Redeemed by Jesus Christ
And led by the Holy Spirit
Forgiven and set free
No longer bound by sin
Or tied to this world...
I am a woman of God...
Loved by the creator,
Cared for by the shepherd,
Wonderfully and fearfully made,
And adopted into the Kingdom of God.
Loved by the creator,
Cared for by the shepherd,
Wonderfully and fearfully made,
And adopted into the Kingdom of God.
And sister, you are too.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Impossible Miracle
This thursday, my teacher brought in a guest speaker, who told us of his account of how he was healed in 2005, and it was truly amazing. It is a testament to the power and love of God that just cannot be denied.
His story starts in 2003, when one of his vertebral disks ruptured, and pieces of it shot up into in spinal column. It was truly a blessing to hear his story.
From the impossiblemiracle.com
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
"Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath
Give Me Your Eyes lyrics
Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones who are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
again
again
yeah
yeah
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
Chorus
I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone Chorus (x2)
these lyrics are last corrected by A Nicholas
Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones who are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
again
again
yeah
yeah
Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
Chorus
I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone Chorus (x2)
these lyrics are last corrected by A Nicholas
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Who gets the respect here?
You know, people are always going to go around in a circle, yelling at each other for wronging the other, but the person that steps up and actually puts a stop to it, not continue to wrong the other because they wronged by them, is worthy of respect. Those are the courageous, and those are the ones who better the world.
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