I was watching a t.v. show (NBC Nightline??->David Letterman and Tom Brokaw, June 17, 2016) the other night at my parent’s house, which former night show host David Letterman was getting interviewed. He shared a story where he was on a boat ride with his “idol”/mentor Johnny Carson along the Hudson River in New York City. He shared (paraphrased) “we all have our own personal demons”…
I then reflected on all the interviews/stories of others that had shared this personal life challenge..
-Drugs
Angels and Demons: The Josh Hamilton Saga
May 4, 2015 11:46 am hornet.fullcoll.edu/ “…The incident began to unfold in February, when Hamilton met with MLB officials and admitted to having relapsed and subsequently checked himself into a rehab facility. According to CBS Sports’ John Heyman, Hamilton’s relapse involved both cocaine and alcohol…” Josh Hamilton’s Fight with the Devil Terri Simmons CBN.com FALL FROM GLORY “..Josh believed that the lesson he learned through his dream was obvious, “Alone, I couldn’t win this battle. With Jesus, I couldn’t lose.”
James 4:7 became the Bible verse Josh would memorize and stand on, “Humble yourself before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
“I read that over and over, committing it to memory. I vowed to change, to make every move from here on a positive one. I battled vicious physical cravings – the devil came at me hard – and as soon as I felt one coming on I would repeat the verse,” he said.
You are not alone as you can see the stories above. I’m sure there are more. Feel free to share yours below and would love to “work together” how to battle together..
By Ralph Ellis, Ashley Fantz, Faith Karimi and Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Updated 11:05 AM ET, Mon June 13, 2016 cnn.com “Orlando, Florida (CNN)An American-born man who’d pledged allegiance to ISIS gunned down 49 people early Sunday at a gay nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest mass shooting in the United States and the nation’s worst terror attack since 9/11, authorities said.
Read the latest developments
* The gunman, Omar Mateen, 29, of Fort Pierce, Florida, was interviewed by the FBI in 2013 and 2014 but was not found to be a threat, the FBI said….”
At approximately 2.a.m on Sunday morning, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, opened fired in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 50 people and shooting more than 100 in total, in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history…”
Megachurch Pastor Joel Hunter on Nightclub Shooting: ‘I’ve Got to Go Back and Examine My Own Heart’
By Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons 06-14-2016 sojo.net “…There is no place for hatred and violence in any healthy religion or in any healthy society,” Hunter said at a news conference called by the Florida branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The senior pastor of the 20,000-member, nondenominational Northland Church shared more in a phone interview about the intersection of LGBT discrimination and religion in light of the shooting. The interview was edited for length and clarity…”
After Orlando Shooting, Chick-fil-A Made This Heartfelt Gesture 3:00PM EDT 6/14/2016 Jessilyn Justice charismanews.com “…Chick-fil-A—known for the strong religious values of its founders—is normally closed on Sunday and has in the past supported traditional marriage. But after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, a group of Chick-fil-A employees showed up to work on Sunday, June 12, to cook sandwiches and hand out drinks, free of charge, for the people in line to donate blood. ..
Area resident Luke Herzog spread the word on Twitter: “Chick-fil-a opened up their restaurants in Orlando to serve people waiting in line to give blood … pretty cool.”
Attorney Kevin Hayslett wrote on Facebook: “While the founders definitely don’t approve of that choice of lifestyle, they believe in compassion. Who knew? A bunch of people claiming to be Christians care about others even when they don’t agree with them. This group took time out of their schedules to volunteer to help those who were also trying to do their part. On top of that, the franchise’s location on Wells Road in Orange Park is even offering coupons for a free frosted lemonade to anyone who donates blood when the One Blood mobile unit is at their store on June 14th.”..”
#2 Mateen’s father has openly expressed support for the Taliban on YouTube.
#3 Despite those links to terror organizations, Mateen was allowed to work “as a security guard at a local courthouse“.
#4 Mateen wasn’t directly hired by the courthouse. Instead, he was officially an employee of the largest security services company in the world…
The Orlando nightclub terrorist who pledged allegiance to ISIS worked almost a decade for a major Department of Homeland Security contractor, raising alarms that ISIS sympathizers and agents have infiltrated the federal agency set up after 9/11 to combat terrorists.
Officials say Omar Mir Seddique Mateen, an Afghan-American who held two firearms licenses and a security officer license, was employed by the security firm G4S Secure Solutions USA Inc. since Sept. 10, 2007. The Jupiter, Fla.-based company merged with the Wackenhut Corp. after 9/11 and assumed federal contracts.
#5 It turns out that this U.S. subsidiary of G4S is a company that works very closely with “the Department of Homeland Security, the US Army, and federal and local law enforcement.”
#6 Mateen’s ex-wife says that he would repeatedly beat her while they were married.
#7 He started to become radicalized after separating from his first wife. While they were together, she said that he didn’t show much interest in religion.
#8 He made pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and 2012.
#9 He claimed to personally know the Boston Marathon Bombers.
#10 According to the FBI, Mateen has “been on the radar before“, he was interviewed by them three separate times, and they conducted a 10 month investigation of his activities in 2013.
#11 He is being described as “unhinged and unstable” by his former coworkers.
#12 Mateen once declared that he hoped to martyr himself someday, and the FBI knew all about this.
#13 Despite everything that the federal government knew about Mateen, he was still permitted to legally buy guns just last week.
#14 In an odd twist, it also turns out that Mateen was a registered Democrat.
#15 A respected Islamic scholar was urging Muslims in Orlando to “get rid” of homosexuals just a couple of months before this shooting took place…
Farrokh Sekaleshfar – a British-born doctor and Muslim scholar – has gained a following by urging Muslims to ‘get rid of’ homosexuals.
And in April, he took his speech titled ‘How to deal with the phenomenon of homosexuality’ to the Husseini Islamic Center in Sanford, just outside Orlando, Florida.
Two months later, 29-year-old Omar Mateen carried out the worst massacre in US history by opening fire on a gay club in the same city.
#16 Hillary Clinton’s State Department shut down an investigation of the mosque that Mateen attends because it “unfairly singled out Muslims“.
#17 Just moments before the attack, Mateen reportedly called 911 to swear his allegiance to ISIS…”
Orlando shooting, false flag event aimed at demonizing Muslims: Expert Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:40PM presstv.us “… We spent the week mourning the death of Muhammad Ali, a great Muslim fighter for justice and a defender of the Palestinians. Additionally, this week we just learned from The Washington Post that Obama was planning to push through the United Nations a Security Council resolution that would essentially recognize the state of Palestine and establish the state of Palestine on the pre-1967 boundaries.
This is a very, very dangerous situation for people like Netanyahu and his party, the people who have been behind virtually all of the spectacular so-called Islamic terror attacks blamed on Muslims from September 11th through London, Madrid, Bali and more recently the two Paris attacks of 2015 and San Bernardino. We know all of those events were false flag events arranged by professionals and intelligence agencies and falsely blamed on Muslims. We have no reason to believe the official story of this event. We should assume that this is a false flag event carried out by the supporters of Netanyahu and the neoconservatives who have whipped up the clash of civilizations out of whole cloth through false flag terror events like this in order to pursue their geopolitical agenda…”
Let’s unpack and decode the press coverage of the Orlando gay club shooting hoax. It’s loaded and coded, folks.
If you think two hijacked planes can fly unabated over USA airspace for well over an hour then powderize three skyscrapers while two others disappear into thin air you might also believe evil Muslim sharpshooters with anagram names bring long rifles into gay bars. You’ll also likely think Donald Trump isn’t an actor but a real political candidate and they actually count your vote. That’s the problem with you coincidence theorists; you’re a dangerous bewildered frightened herd of cattle ready to tear each other apart while submitting to incrementally more Orwellian control systems with increasingly limited freedoms amidst a collapsing dollar while illusory diversity only creates an increasingly homogenous and distorted society of confused, scared, and divided mouth breathing screen gazing troglodytes who attack and slander the most insightful and intelligent amongst us still capable of independent thought. You sold out with your fellow citizens and you’re now a part of the problem. You’re the dangerous ones- the scared bewilder herd. Walter Lippmann was right- you’re voluntary slaves who can’t handle the truth, and you deserve what’s coming to you…”
*see Deep thought: This is how the “devil” is trying to divide us? , goodnewseverybodycom.wordpress.com<br?
We hear about forgiving our enemies when it comes to a political warfare or even bullies we grew up with. However, can we forgive those that we had a personal relationship (e.g. spouse, ex boyfriend/girlfriend, former friend, relative/family member, etc..)?
You will always look back on this as one of the hardest periods in your life, but again, that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to learn ‘how to get over my wife’s affair’, it just means it harder. The old mantra, forgive and forget, can NOT be applied to this situation. No matter how hard you try, the experience of this affair will remain in your mind…”
Forgiveness Won’t Fix Your Toxic Relationship
We are always called to forgive; but forgiveness should not be seen as a remedy to another’s character “…Before we go any further, we must acknowledge that men can also be the victims of emotional abuse—but the statistics are difficult to interpret because men are even less likely than women to report emotional abuse.
..
We are always called to forgive; but forgiveness should not be seen as a remedy to another’s character, rather a soothing balm to protect our own hearts from bitterness.
But we see sisters and brothers letting destructive people into their lives, laboring under the fundamental misunderstanding that forgiveness equals being a doormat. It’s common as Christians to put ourselves in harm’s way, stay in abusive relationships and fail to set healthy boundaries—all under the banner of “forgiveness.” I know from experience.
Forgiveness and reconciliation are very different, yet often confused, perhaps because of the widespread teaching that God forgives us and doesn’t remember our sins. Are we to follow in His steps when we continue in toxic, abusive relationships?…
Saw her “live” in concert here in Morris years ago..
Cheri Keaggy on Her Divorce (A Story of God’s Restoration and Healing) , from youtube.com “..Cheri tells her personal story of brokennes and restoration. Her story is similar to many other women’s stories who initially found their hopes and dreams shattered because of divorce.
For many, this is the greatest loss they have ever faced. It devastates them, and they desperately need emotional and spiritual help. They struggle with loneliness and shame. Many of them need to face the pain and begin to forgive themselves and others in order to move forward in life.
This 8-session Christian divorce recovery series covers topics such as loneliness, forgiveness, fear, rebuilding your life, dating, and moving past the shame and guilt to healing and wholeness. The complete Live Again kit comes with a DVD containing the eight 30-minute video sessions, 1 Leader Guide, 1 Participant Guide, and 1 Live Again Journal. Additional Participant Guides and Live Again Journal may be purchased separately. For more information, visit http://www.rose-publishing.com/Live-A…..”
To the Hurting Married Christian Woman: Why Women Stay
Elisabeth Klein Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer 2012 14 Jun crosswalk.com “…Unless she gets to a place of moving on, of forgiving her husband, of realizing she stayed and that God did not make her or do that to her, and of actually wanting to be happy and experience joy and peace. Until then, she will have the same conversation and ask the same question to the next person who comes her way. In fact, she probably moved on from me and went to someone else moments later, telling the same story. …”
“In seeking to honor God through turbulent times, Ashleigh found herself at the right place at the right time to meet the right person so that her prayers could be answered. God’s sovereignty spoke through the circumstances and Ashleigh was able to move forward with confidence in God…”
Anna speaks out about the moment she learned of Josh’s infidelity and how she’s been doing since the news broke.
JILL & JESSA: COUNTING ON continues Sunday at 9/8c on TLC…”
Children Perspective
divorce and its effects on children , from youtube.com The Politics of Divorce: When Children Become Pawns
Dr. Schwartz’s Weblog By Allan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. May 16, 2007 mentalhelp.net Richard Cohen, M.A. ex-gaytruth.com “..Richard Cohen was the youngest of three children born to a Jewish couple in Philadelphia. He was a child with a “sensitive nature” and lived in a family defined by its “constant fighting and tears.” His father would come home from work and scream at everyone. When his dad would tear into his older brother, the brother’s aggression would be unleashed on the younger Richard. “Fighting between my parents and fighting among us kids was our daily diet. My role was that of a peacemaker. I was always trying to bring order and peace to this chaotic home.”..” Paul Ludford – my journey towards healing theforgivenessproject.com “.. As regards to forgiveness- I’ve forgiven myself for the pain, fear and anger I’ve inflicted on myself and others around me during many years of self-denial. Buried painful memories always manifest themselves somehow and I knew no better until I looked and got help.
Forgiving my dad may come over time, but at the moment I see his self-satisfying sexual abuse of me inexcusable and unforgivable – he took advantage of a young boy for his own pleasure stealing my innocence and childhood. I didn’t have the resources, knowledge and life experiences to deal with the sexual monster my dad was…” Diagnosing an Emotionally Destructive Relationship
Air Date: June 30, 2014 familylifetoday.com “.. Licensed clinical social worker Leslie Vernick talks about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother and lists some of the tell-tale signs of an emotionally abusive relationship…” How Can You Honor Parents When You Feel They Don’t Deserve It?
Ten ideas for repaying insult with blessing.
By Sabrina Beasley McDonald familylife.com
Would love to hear you viewpoint, feedback, story, etc..
Scientific Benefits of Meditation – 76 things you might be missing out on By Giovanni liveanddare.com “….These studies were based on different types of meditation, and I have included details, whenever relevant. Some effects, such as increased compassion and social bonding, are more salient as a result of specific meditation techniques (such as loving-kindness, which is a Buddhist meditation). However, my understanding and personal practice is that any kind of authentic meditation will include most of these benefits, in one degree or another. There is also evidence that the practice will be more beneficial for you if you find a technique that you like better…” Experiencing God Through Meditation , posted July 28, 2004
beliefnet.com
Former Trappist monk James Finley talks about the spiritual benefits of contemplative practice for Christians. “…It’s not that prayer isn’t enough. God has made the human heart in such a way that only God will do. And the God-given longing for God is fulfilled in a oneness with God in which nothing short of that oneness is enough. There’s a kind of deep, sincere ache within the heart. It prays, and the prayer actually intensifies or deepens a longing for oneness with God beyond the words of the prayer and also beyond the emotions and the feelings that can come up in the consolations of prayer. Nothing is enough; only God is enough. And that’s the mystical quest really, that’s the contemplative theme…” 22 Benefits of Meditating on Scripture
March 13, 2015 blogs.thegospelcoalition.org “..21. Meditation promotes gratitude for all the blessings showered upon us by God through His Son…”
Sal: One of the practices I do when I meditate at night before going to bed is “reflecting” on all the “good”/positives (e.g. song “Count Your Blessings (instead of sheep)” from “White Christmas”) that happened to me today, which is my way to show how grateful I’m blessed by my Heavenly Father…see more!
What do you like to do to “keep positive”?
Meditating On The Word Of God Aired On 31 Jul 2015 intouch.org “..but are we meditating on God’s Word? And do we even know what this means? When the Lord called Joshua to lead Israel after Moses’ death, He told him, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it” (Josh. 1:8). The Lord wanted to fill Joshua’s heart with the Word so he would know precisely what to do and how to lead the people according to God’s standards and commands. And that’s exactly what He wants to do in our lives as well. If we’ll meditate on Scripture, the Lord will unfold for us His truths and instructions. ..”
Sal: Last month or so, I was challenged by a close friend of mine to spend a quiet time with God for 2 hours at least once a week. I’ve done this 3 of the last 4 weeks so far and have seen the benefits. I’m slowly growing in this, so feel free to check my blogs for updates. 2 hours is really long for me, so what I did is just 1 hour without the computer and 1 hour with the computer writing my thoughts or doing “strictly” God stuff for the next hour.
Unfortunately, we all don’t have an hour or two due to our busy lives. When I get up some mornings and don’t have time. I try to read a verse (instead of a chapter) only in my Bible or even from my social network feeds (@goodnewseverybodycom in #instagram). The key thing is , try to memorize it (repeat it 3x a day). I would repeat (Galatians 5) “fruits of the spirit” daily before (while riding my bike or driving to work) going to work. Music is a great way to memorize, which I sing some particular Scriptures daily (e.g. #Lordsprayer) or a particular chorus line in a song from church (e.g. “Come & let your presence fill this..”) repeatedly in my mind or out loud in prayer.
What are some other ways? Feel free to share below…
Bad
The dangers of meditation — 10 things to look out for February 4, 2015 by Clare Hudson thoughtbrick.com “…Because meditation is so subjective there are no right answers when it comes to compiling a list of the dangers of meditation. Everyone, after all is different. Meditation might bring up trauma or unresolved issues from the past at which point you might need to see a therapist or the meditation teacher should be made aware before hand. Alternatively, you might jump into a practice too soon and feel overwhelmed or experience a disturbing kundalini energy awakening…”
Can Meditation Be Bad for You?
by Mary Garden • 22 August 2007 thehumanist.com “… A man who had just come down from Kathmandu after completing a thirty-day Tibetan Buddhist meditation course killed himself. I had met him the night before, and we’d had coffee together. I don’t remember what we spoke about, but he was friendly and didn’t appear distressed. But the next day he climbed to the top of the multi-storied Blue Diamond Hotel and leapt off….”
Dr. Lorin Roche, a meditation teacher, says a major problem arises from the way meditators interpret Buddhist and Hindu teachings. He points out that meditation techniques that encourage detachment from the world were intended only for monks and nuns. He has spent thirty years doing interviews with people who meditate regularly and says many were depressed. He says they have tried to detach themselves from their desires, their loves, and their passion. “Depression is a natural result of loss, and if you internalize teachings that poison you against the world, then of course you will become depressed.”
The Dalai Lama has said that Eastern forms of meditation have to be handled carefully: “Westerners who proceed too quickly to deep meditation should learn more about Eastern traditions and get better training than they usually do. Otherwise, certain physical or mental difficulties appear.”..
*see Spiritual: What is Yoga goodnewshealthandfitness.wordpress.com
Dangerous Meditations By Douglas Groothuis/ November 1, 2004 christianitytoday.com
What harm is there in achieving a higher state of consciousness through meditation? “..The biblical worldview is completely at odds with the pantheistic concepts driving Eastern meditation. We are not one with an impersonal absolute being that is called “God.” Rather, we are estranged from the true personal God because of our “true moral guilt,” as Francis Schaeffer says.
No amount of chanting, breathing, visualizing, or physical contortions will melt away the sin that separates us from the Lord of the cosmos—however “peaceful” these practices may feel. Moreover, Paul warns that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). “Pleasant” experiences may be portals to peril. Even yoga teachers warn that yoga may open one up to spiritual and physical maladies.
The answer to our plight is not found in some “higher level of consciousness” (really a deceptive state of mind), but in placing our faith in the unmatched achievements of Jesus Christ on our behalf. If it were possible to find enlightenment within, God would not have sent “his one and only Son” (John 3:16) to die on the Cross for our sins in order to give us new life and hope for eternity through Christ’s resurrection. We cannot raise ourselves from the dead.
The biblical concept of prayer assumes that rational and meaningful communication between God and humans is possible. There is no summons to suspend rational judgment even when prayer through the Holy Spirit is “with groans that words cannot express” (Rom. 8:26). Nor should we repeat words meaninglessly to induce a trance (Matt. 6:7)…”
A lady commented with this question-“why mean are perverts?”. I remember chatting with another lady about how men are more “visual” oriented and women are more “relationship” oriented..
The Difference Between the Male and Female Brain netnanny.com “…Women See Relationships, Men See Body Parts
Anne Moir and David Jessel, in their book Brain Sex: The Real Difference Between Men and Women, write:
Women are not, in the main, turned on by pictures of nudes . . . Women may be aroused by pictures of couples coupling-because what they are seeing, in however sterile a sexual context, is a relationship in action. Women are not excited by a picture of male genitalia by itself . . . Men like female genital close-ups in porn magazines because it is a thing to which they can imagine doing things. Sex for men is vastly impersonal-pornography is simply meat for men. Do they ever wonder who the nude is? Not for a moment. They wonder what they would do to her.
Men want sex, and women want relationships. Men want flesh and women want love. Just as boys wanted balloons, toys, and carburetors, the girls have always wanted contact, and communion, and company.
The female mind is organized to place priority on relationship, the male on achievement. Men keep a tally of their sexual conquests. The female brain is not organized to keep sex in a separate compartment. This is a male model-as if his brain has a specific filing cabinet for sex, completely unrelated to emotion.
..”
VISUAL
Sex Differences in Response to Visual Sexual Stimuli: A Review ncbi.nlm.nih.gov “…This article reviews what is currently known about how men and women respond to the presentation of visual sexual stimuli. While the assumption that men respond more to visual sexual stimuli is generally empirically supported, previous reports of sex differences are confounded by the variable content of the stimuli presented and measurement techniques. We propose that the cognitive processing stage of responding to sexual stimuli is the first stage in which sex differences occur. The divergence between men and women is proposed to occur at this time, reflected in differences in neural activation, and contribute to previously reported sex differences in downstream peripheral physiological responses and subjective reports of sexual arousal. ..”
Other
Gender Difference in Brain Activation to Audio-Visual Sexual Stimulation WS Chung; SM Lim; JH Yoo; H Yoon
Disclosures medscape.com “..). The two AVS types were: (1) mood type, erotic video clips with a concrete story and (2) physical type, directly exposing sexual intercourse and genitalia. fMRI images were analyzed and compared for each stimulation with a Mann–Whitney U test, with statistical significance set at P<0.05. Men preferred the physical type of AVS to the mood type (mean arousal score 2.14 vs 1.86 in females) and women preferred the mood type (mean arousal score 2.14 vs 1.86 in males.." Gender, Sex and Sexuality. The ambiguity and difference.
The two sexes respond differently to these two forms of infidelity for very clear evolutionary reasons.
My Psychology Today article wherein I discuss this sex difference: http://bit.ly/1MFJr9
..
EMOTIONAL
Are Women More Emotional Than Men? 5 Studies Examining Common Gender Stereotypes
Brent Stirton
Seth Millstein
July 8, 2014 • News bustle.com “…In other words, most men would apparently rather experience physical pain than be alone with their own thoughts. That’s a pretty bleak assessment of the male psyche, and even the most charitable interpretation — that men are more “sensation seeking” than women — is drenched in gender normativity and stereotypes…” Men Are Actually More Emotional Than Women, They Just Hide It Better elitedaily.com “..Women are emotional, true. But according to a recent study, men may very well be more emotional than their female counterparts. The only difference is men hide it better.
In this study, conducted by neurologists at Mindlab, men are actually much more sensitive than women when it comes to being presented with emotional stimuli.
..”
Misc
Why did God make woman so opposite of man? November 4, 2014 / biblicalgenderroles biblicalgenderroles.com “…But God did not just give women breasts for feeding children, he gave them breasts for the pleasure and comfort of man. Human females are the only mammals who have constantly protruding breasts, even when they are not pregnant or nursing children.
Because men are so visually wired by God, he made a woman’s body for beauty, not for toughness and endurance the way a man’s body is built.
But besides these practical differences, God also created woman for spiritual and symbolic reasons. God created man in his image, to exercise God’s leadership, provision and protection qualities. But man needed a person, not just some animal, which would allow him to exercise these traits. Woman was perfectly designed by God to fulfill this role as the recipient of man’s leadership, provision and protection, and to provide him with the perfect helper and companion.
..”
What are your thoughts, suggestions, feedback, etc..? Any personal stories?
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