Thread: Steadygain's Account Talk

I sent Buzz to summer camp for three years while she was a pre-teen. The camp was owned by The Seventh Day Adventist group and really nice - most of their counselors were college kids from across the country. Buzz asked me one day - what will I tell them if they ask what religion I am. I told her to tell them that she was of the one true religion - she was a Home Baptist. At least I thought it was funny. You do know why Baptists don't make love standing up right - they don't want people to think they're dancing.

Indeed - on to something lighter

The Markets are now moving to positive territory and this could well be the leg of another BULL RUN going at least another 30% before the BEAR Minded stand offs (like myself) finally accept what is.

OK - here's my lastest and most recent thought. Everyone who responded to Squalebear's situation are gathered together for the very first time. All of us are given helium ballons as we enter the cavernous room and none of us are allowed to say who are until we break the ice as a group. Once everyone is seated Tom walks out in front of the group and shows everyone how easy it is to inhale the helium and promptly says, 'Hi everyone, I'm Tom' in this silly helium induced voice. Then all of us fill our lungs and sing in unison 'Oh say can you seeeeeee by the dawn's early lightttt'

Then each of us goes in front of the group - takes in a another big puff of helium and makes our identies known. To me that would be the greatest memory I could imagine - hearing Birch, CP, Coolhand, and a bunch of others for the very first time sounding like a modified Donald Duck.

OK - I'm cool - gotta run

Dang, Steadygain, I really like that idea! Thanks a lot!EF

Thanks man - it's been an incredibly heavy day here at work

let alone Squale, Birch, CB, Vietnam vets.... so I'm exhausted.

But I'd have to say - if I could get others to just float in my vibes and go along with the overwhelming bulk of my spontaneous thoughts and plans - it would be such a wonderful world and all of us would really enjoy the ride.

I appreciate your thoughtful support.

I just finished reading everything from Kelly's post about Squalebear and all the responses.


YOU ALL ARE BEAUTIFUL !!

IT'S JUST AMAZING HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS WHOLE GROUP REALLY IS.


If you haven't had a change to say something; Squalebear had a massive heart attack last night and he was so moved to bring us up to date that his wife had to go online and send us a message.

So if you haven't said something - please go to his Home and make your thoughts known.

When you finally have a few minutes to wind down and end the day PLEASE go back and read all the posts and let yourself disolve in the incredible LOVE this place carries.

Thank you,
Steady - good night and see ya tomorrow

Originally Posted by Steadygain

I just finished reading everything from Kelly's post about Squalebear and all the responses.


YOU ALL ARE BEAUTIFUL !!

IT'S JUST AMAZING HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS WHOLE GROUP REALLY IS.


If you haven't had a change to say something; Squalebear had a massive heart attack last night and he was so moved to bring us up to date that his wife had to go online and send us a message.

So if you haven't said something - please go to his Home and make your thoughts known.

When you finally have a few minutes to wind down and end the day PLEASE go back and read all the posts and let yourself disolve in the incredible LOVE this place carries.

Thank you,
Steady - good night and see ya tomorrow

steady,
thankyou for the beautiful thoughts an wishes, i was so overwelmed with emotion when i read all the postings for him.he is indeed blessed with so many wonderful people like ,all of you in his life.i cant even explain to you in words how much it has meant him..you have all truly put a smile on his face, an warm to his healing heart..if you could pass this on to all,, i would appreciate it.

Have you ever listened to Todd Agnew's song, My Jesus? If not here's a link to a video of the song, and the lyrics. He addresses the country club atmosphere you talk about.

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with theives and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that You follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right on by on
the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me in I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus

Not a posterchild for American prosperity,
but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that
means to be like you Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You
but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus
© 2005 Integrity Music

Originally Posted by Steadygain

Thank you my dear brother - I was so afraid I'd offend you.

I stopped going to church for 4 Sundays in a row; which stood out to my Sunday School Class and the church as like a year's absence. I have a 'hard time' with the Christian Religion both in the way it is structured and the grossly distorted mindset that dominates most of the various churches - and I've been through many over the years. But after an extended absense and deep reflections I realize how the general Country Club Atmosphere and brief connected 'feel good' boost have almost wholly done away with the much simplier Religion that God would have intended without all the garbage.

Sorry Birch but this is a touchy subject and I'm very disturbed over what the priorities seem to be - and how the numbers and social organization are grounded in trivial matters that give each dominination it's distinction from one another.

This would be the very last thing God would have intended. God would never want a real relationship grounded in simple sacred faith and trust and a genuine Life springing from the source of all Peace and Hope replaced with trival doctrines that give this or that church their name. Nor would God ever want a life grounded in sincere commitment replaced with something insignificant in comparison.

So think of the chuch as just a building Birch - because that's all it really is. Number ONE - if God exists - then everything in the entire Universe was brought into being and there is no way any 'building' could confine the Presense. So relax my friend - I can pretty well guarantee you that you will not be accosted (or confronted) by the Presense.

The TRUTH is the 'Church' is your heart and going to any building in no way makes that heart change or open. It's a personal decision and one that you alone can make; I would say it would be comparable to committing your life to the Service but not in a wishy washy way but something much stronger like being a part of the USMC. A committment on that level would undoubtedly bring you into a relationship you'd never regret.

So relax Birch - seriously it's more than a buliding only because it's the place where Capt. Buzz is getting married. The last thing God would do is give you some kind of 'evil look' and fill you with a sense of doom or some kind of crap like that - it's totally the opposite. But the main thing is watching your daughter and being a part of one of the Greatest Moments of her life.

Well I'll end by saying it's only a sacrifice when distorted views are part of the mindset. If I would weigh any action with my own distorted view of reality I could say everything I do is a sacrifice. It is not a sacrifice to walk your daughter down the isle; to participate in the biggest event of her life; to feel and share in her love and happiness; and to let her cherish these memories forever. Forget the dang building and your ridiculous phobia - by looking at things from this perspective.

Whetherweenie,
Thank you so much for that beautiful post. My stomach has been in knots today and I'm loaded down to the max with things here. When Kelly expressed the deep and thorough warmth and blessings that she and Squale got from the MB - all the more I was filled with an ultra sense of urgency.

Anyway, to carry on with our subject: it's a struggle that the overwhelming bulk of Christians face irregardless of their demonination. We are born into incredible abundance and our 'natural life' of comfort and ease and marked excess rarely stands out because it's virtually all we have known.

So it's only fitting that we would follow the path of a good education and strive to live up to our potiential. The overwhelming drive and greatest motivator however is maintaining excellent standards and being independent. In the end we are known, appreciated, and largely admired by what we have - and what we are is more a reflection of our possessions. It's a strange delima - because often we don't have a chance to really see the bigger picture until we've acquired our numerous possessions and are finally satisfied with 'our achievements'. Only then can we deeply contemplate the deeper meaning of life and why we are here and most importantly our relationship with THE ETERNAL and being found and moved and guided by the Spirit of inexpressable joy and peace and striving to be filled with that Power and Presense. I believe once that develops into something meaningful that we can be content in any situation and God will use us no matter what setting we're in.

For me personally - the ultimate life is reaching out to others and doing for the less fortunate. Here you find the more you give the more you receive. But the giving has to be done in the Spirit of LOVE and through an openess to be moved the Holy Presense - for nothing brings us into a deeper relationship grounded in a rich and overflowing faith - and this does away with the meaningless and trivial doctrines.

Thanks again - take care.

Back to the MARKETS

Looking at the charts (day to day) it may feel like this is a good time to go in - and expect a decent bounce.

I think all the upward gain since March was nothing more than a BEAR Market rally - mainly due to optimisim related to Obama's numerous decisions and what appears to be the Administration's unending and strong endeavor to turn things around.

Looking at the underlying structure of continuous job losses; companies and businesses finding it harder and harder to stay afloat; the truth about the housing situation - combined with the need for the BANKS to rasie Capital and the price of Gas going up up up....

Reality will not allow the Rose Glasses to remain in place

If ever there was a time for Safety it is now

One Exception: Birchtree - and anyone else who has consistently remained in High Risk - no since doing anything different at this point in time

Originally Posted by Steadygain

Whetherweenie,
Thank you so much for that beautiful post. My stomach has been in knots today and I'm loaded down to the max with things here. When Kelly expressed the deep and thorough warmth and blessings that she and Squale got from the MB - all the more I was filled with an ultra sense of urgency.

Anyway, to carry on with our subject: it's a struggle that the overwhelming bulk of Christians face irregardless of their demonination. We are born into incredible abundance and our 'natural life' of comfort and ease and marked excess rarely stands out because it's virtually all we have known.

So it's only fitting that we would follow the path of a good education and strive to live up to our potiential. The overwhelming drive and greatest motivator however is maintaining excellent standards and being independent. In the end we are known, appreciated, and largely admired by what we have - and what we are is more a reflection of our possessions. It's a strange delima - because often we don't have a chance to really see the bigger picture until we've acquired our numerous possessions and are finally satisfied with 'our achievements'. Only then can we deeply contemplate the deeper meaning of life and why we are here and most importantly our relationship with THE ETERNAL and being found and moved and guided by the Spirit of inexpressable joy and peace and striving to be filled with that Power and Presense. I believe once that develops into something meaningful that we can be content in any situation and God will use us no matter what setting we're in.

For me personally - the ultimate life is reaching out to others and doing for the less fortunate. Here you find the more you give the more you receive. But the giving has to be done in the Spirit of LOVE and through an openess to be moved the Holy Presense - for nothing brings us into a deeper relationship grounded in a rich and overflowing faith - and this does away with the meaningless and trivial doctrines.

Thanks again - take care.

Steady

I think that the church should be viewed kind of like a hospital. It is filled with people and staff from all walks of life. For some, the care they receive becomes a life changing experience and they pass on to others, what they received. Some think all they need is a quick fix and are soon gone. Some only want to be noticed for their "good deed possessions", while others deeds go virtually unnoticed until much later. The bottom line is that we can only receive "His" help if we become willing to give of ourselves. Then we become shareholders in the healing process. These are just some thoughts that hit me after reading your threads today.--Ron

Originally Posted by RonUSPSretired

Steady

I think that the church should be viewed kind of like a hospital. It is filled with people and staff from all walks of life. For some, the care they receive becomes a life changing experience and they pass on to others, what they received. Some think all they need is a quick fix and are soon gone. Some only want to be noticed for their "good deed possessions", while others deeds go virtually unnoticed until much later. The bottom line is that we can only receive "His" help if we become willing to give of ourselves. Then we become shareholders in the healing process. These are just some thoughts that hit me after reading your threads today.--Ron

Wow Ron,
As Kelly (Squale's wife) said - words can not express...

That is so beautifully put my friend. 'A Hospital' is exactly what it's intended to be.

For me (and my family) church has always been a very central part of our existence - but we could care less what the 'Name' is because we're open to all of them in every community we reside until we find 'the right fit'.

It's not that you have a bunch of Spiritual Pillars walking around - glowing in the power and presense of the Spirit - or all the more obeying (or going along with) alcohol, caffeine, meat, tobacco and numerous other restrictions in and of itself does anything - let alone being sprinkled at birth, or immersed, or commuication, washing feet...and on and on

It's much more ALL OF US have needs and faults and none of us are where we would really want to be - or long to be. So it's way more the recognition that we're there to celebrate the Maker and Sustainer of all LIFE - and to let that Spirit be more authenically incorporated in our own lives that honestly brings us together. This is what makes the Church a 'Family' and that is very important in fostering a greater security and sense of strength. It reinforces a deeper accountability to one another.

The bottom line is that we can only receive "His" help if we become willing to give of ourselves. Then we become shareholders in the healing process.

I could share hundreds of stories about how our church has reached out to others throughout the world - and the overwhelming bulk is deeply personal and not just giving money. It is only as we give of ourselves that we participate in the 'healing process' - for as we become a blessing to others we ourselves become blessed - this is when we find our inner longings and desires 'FULFILLED' this is when we are most filled with true life and happiness and this is when the Presense and Power are most acknowledged.