It's still keeping me going, although I've had a few more that I cannot share, because they wouldn't mean much to anyone else. Instead, I am completing a book of stories that I hope to publish soon.
It's been in the works for 16 years, but I've always been dissatisfied, and I still want to do more editing. It's in the tradition of Flaubert's A Simple Heart, basically, caring for the disempowered and the underprivileged. Chances are I'll have to give it away for free in order to collect treasure somewhere else than this world. :)
In my understanding, it's all personal, which is heresy according to most religions, probably because they have been, at least at one time, used as state ideology...
Having a personal relationship with God your Creator and Sustainer has nothing to do with being a religious nut. Having that relationship with Him is what we are here for. Your life was spared for a special purpose
0ops! I forgot to comment on your description of your sweet wife. I can relate as l spend most of my day outside in my garden among all the little critters. Not to mention my 2 dogs are always with me. It is very special human souls who can converse & relate to other life forms! It is a precious gift! Not too many folks have that gift!
When l meet a person who doesn't like & enjoy critters l find l cannot really ever relate to them. You obviously have a very special lady!
I was terribly sad when you mentioned awhile back that you lost your young dog due to unknown causes. You have no suspicions of what caused the puppy's death?
My wife shows me little things that I wouldn't notice on my own; mostly "non-essential" things that, nonetheless, make life worth living. Strangely, her dog and her cat died shortly before she moved over here and we got married. Both animals were old by then.
I got back to Substack yesterday after many days away due to Hurricane lan passing closeby to my neck of the woods in FL. The storm was north of us but we still had rough weather for a couple of days.
As usual, l read you first but waited 24 hours to comment. I deeply appreciate your story & this particular post.
As l've commented on your articles in the past l've never made it a secret that l have a deep & abiding faith in our Creator & our Saviour Jesus Christ. But it wasn't always that way. It has been a lifetime of searching.
What is my point? I guess l am overwhelmed (in a good way) about the incredible mystery of the spiritual realm. Being a stubborn individual who has always wanted to have explanations for everything l finally found peace when l let go & just believed.
Is it irrational? Yes, but l have experienced so many big & little unexplainable "miracles" that l just KNOW there is a spiritual realm & l have come to accept that it will never be fully explained to any of us on this side of the curtain. And maybe not even on the other side.
So be it. What makes any of us think we are even "owed" an explanation? I am always amazed that so many human-beings plod along thru life & never ponder the mysteries of God or even recognize that they too will one day leave this material world.
I have read the biographies of many of the Catholic saints. There are quite a few of them who have had visions of Heaven & Hell. In these visions they describe seeing the souls of mankind as snowflakes falling into Hell by the thousands on a daily basis. They make the point that very few make the upward journey to reach Heaven. And there is the mystery of free will.
We all have the free will to reach out to our Creator but so many do not. Despite all the miracles in our daily lives.
Faith can only exist, if it's based on personal experience.
Marius is right that God would be a sadist, if He was only watching, but the only elegant answer to the assumption that is a God, Who becomes man, and takes part in human suffering and death, opening a doorway for the hopeless, the forlorn and even for the despicable, which is what humans can easily become, if they abandon God.
I can take care of my kids and my community's kids, not someone else's kids across the planet.
I'm not God, you know?
God could do that with a snap of his fingers, and yet he saved a lucky bastard in a car accident, while ignoring thousands of kids that die starving or abused, across the planet.
True, you're not God & you can't feed all the hungry kids, but many hand make light work, as the Amish say. If we all gave a little (to a valid, honest organization, that is), the kids would be fed.
Im definitely going to listen, follow and pay close attention to the obscene ravings of some delusional hater going by the pen name of Marius who thinks his sad opinions are so worthy of note that he features them in a news letter.
Seems like you always have to name call and cast a spiteful parting shot whenever you can't think of anything VALID or TRUTHFUL to say. This seems to be your MODUS OPERANDI, doesn't it?
Please, use a respectfully form of communication, assuming you would like to conduct a dialogue in a civil manner. If you want to vent, please, start up your own blog! :)
Who is playing God, when you are telling others what "God" should do? :(
FYI, according to the Adam/Eve story, Satan tells humans to eat from the fruit of Knowledge, and they will become like God (know the difference between good and evil). As a result, God allows them this life, in which they can experiment with "being like God." The results are quite disappointing, as you are also saying, but one cannot sit on two horses with one ass. :)
Isn't your anger coming from your having to "take care of your kids and your community's kids," while God could do it "with a snap of his fingers"?
I'm just replying in the same manner, nothing else.
I'm not obligated to be polite when replying to a twat.
I can be polite, but I ask the same.
If you're so hang up on believing bed time stories, that's fine.. just don't ask others to believe them as well.
I'm not telling God what he should do. I'm just saying what I should do if I had god-like powers.
So in this regards, I am better than God, because he doesn't care about all the children dying of starvation and abuse every day.
And no, I have no 'anger'.. it's just I see stupid people making condescending comments, while they know nothing about me.
I am curious how much of his money or his spare time donated for children in need..
There's nothing about the god of the Bible that is really appealing, it's just a story like many others.. Christianity is just another religion, born from people's ignorance.
We know better than that now. There are no gods, it's just human greed, malevolence and stupidity.
Look, on my site, everyone is allowed their opinions, but I expect them to be reasonably civil. I don't remember her using cuss words as you did; no accusations, it's okay as long as it's over.
Being straightforward is not the same as being "polite." If you agree with everyone and "everyone loves you," there must be something wrong with you, so again, I agree with your perspective, but not with your language use. Crudeness limits the scope of communication by forcing a limited language code on the participants, but it is also humiliating for the user and the addresse.
Again, telling me it's a "bedtime story," it's game over. You are alone with your opinion and, if that makes you happy, I'm happy for you. Still, I'm pretty happy you don't have god-like powers, because that's exactly what Hell is: everyone's wishes coming true, but they contradict each other's.
Are you happy now?
You definitely don't ask others, you tell them, including your idea of "god," what to do. Have you ever achieved anything by doing that? What are you expecting to accomplish?
Just tell me one thing: why do you want all those children NOT to survive?
For someone who "has no anger," you sound angry. Why else would you use angry words? They usually don't get anyone anywhere...
Yes, I also write some of my articles, because some opinions tick me off. That doesn't mean I'm right...
As for Christianity, you sound like you are determined not to read my previous feedback. Once you are, you are not going to need my company... Apparently, you don't even now.
Christianity is unique, because it comes with divine redemption. No other religions do.
Of course, you may have assigned a special meaning to "we," and that is your prerogative.
So, if there is only "human greed, malevolence and stupidity," how come this world still exists? It should have ended a long time ago or, preferably, should not have even started.
"Just tell me one thing: why do you want all those children NOT to survive?"
Where did I say that? I said the opposite, I want ALL children to survive, and if I had god-like powers, I would make sure of it. But your god apparently doesn't care, or cannot save them all. If he was powerful enough and he cared, then all children would survive. So either he's not powerful enough, or he doesn't care, in which case he's not worthy of worship.
"As for Christianity, you sound like you are determined not to read my previous feedback. Once you are, you are not going to need my company... Apparently, you don't even now."
I studied Christianity and most other religions long enough to tell that they are ALL made up, born from ignorance of people. They couldn't explain how the world works, so they made up stories about it. Lots of stories.. none true. Christianity is no different than any other religion. The only reason you are christian is because you were born in the right family and the right society. Have you been born in middle East from Islamic parents, you would've probably be convinced that Islam is the true religion.
"Christianity is unique, because it comes with divine redemption. No other religions do."
Just because it gives you a 'happy ever after', it doesn't mean it's true, nor that it's not a bed time story..
You need to prove the story is true, and there's no evidence for it, other than circular arguments (e.g. the Bible is true because it's the word of god, and God is true because the Bible says so).
'how come this world still exists'
Because there's nothing powerful enough, and willing to destroy it, that's why.
I don't really see a point to this discussion any further.
You go ahead and believe God saved your legs, that you are special to him.
I go ahead and believe you were one lucky guy.
I'll believe in Gods when they show up and do god-like miracles. Until then, they are all fictional characters.
There are 5 mentions of God in your article. So someone like me could be misinterpreting the article, to understand that God saved your legs and he cares.
The word is indeed there five times, while I am raising questions to which my answers might or might not appeal to others, which is fine with me, because I've never cared to convince anyone. If what I think is not true, it will not become true even if a billion people agree with me, and it works the same way the other way around.
Please, notice that I also mention in the article that at the time of the experience, I was five, without any religious experience whatsoever, living in an atheistic environment. Where did the experience come from?
MARIUS. Who are YOU that we should listen to you? Do you think there is something special about Your opinion?
The following is not my OPINION,but OBJECTIVE TRUTH, which the atheistic ego refutes, in its desire to consider itself supreme:
"BUT THE NATURAL MAN RECEIVES NOT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, FOR THEY ARE FOOLISHNESS UNTO HIM, NEITHER CAN HE KNOW THEM FOR THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.
BUT HE THAT IS SPIRITUAL JUDGES ALL THINGS, YET HE HIMSELF IS JUDGED OF NO MAN.
So, if you look at a sunset or a butterfly, you are saying it's "from pure luck"?
Frankly, I don't give a flying f* if I had died or not; nobody in this world has a pass. You are still not getting it? My article was about the experience and why would I lie? Of course, you will figure out an answer to that question, but I've already answered all potential questions, so you might as well cool off and read the darn things again... You must understand that people here actually care for you, and not because you believe or do not believe in the god you imagine...
It seems you don't need God to tell you the story; you have already completed it.
'So, if you look at a sunset or a butterfly, you are saying it's "from pure luck"?'
Not really.. I can admire beauty, I can't just make up gods behind it.
Nature is beautiful and ugly at the same time. It depends on what you're looking at.. if you're looking at some flies feasting on a pile of shit, I don't think you can find much beauty in that, do you? Or in the fact that a lion eats a baby deer, for that matter.
"It seems you don't need God to tell you the story; you have already completed it."
I don't need to invent Gods to explain things in nature. There are plenty of things I don't know about, and I can't explain, but that doesn't seem like a compelling reason to invent a god to explain it.
There may very well be a god behind all of this. Or a computer programmer and this world could be a simulation.
But one thing is certain, whoever is behind this, is not the God of Christianity, or any other God that humans invented.
Whatever god is behind this world, is hiding - really, really well..
Interesting story: I knew a man (my husband) a navy sailor…stationed on an aircraft carrier… who fell overboard in the North Pacific…only one other seaman saw him go over…they fished him out…he survived! During the tail end of the Korean War he was the only man to survive an airplane crash on the deck of an aircraft carrier! After a dishonorable discharge for missing his ship after landing in a Communist jail…he recovered himself..to obtain a…Presidential pardon… and entered flight school in Bryan Texas…graduated 1 of 22 out of 200 cadets..graduated as a first Lt. In the USAF! At his first duty station he was do to fly on a kc 97 air tanker refueler with a 10 man crew..the day of take off an English exchange major bumped my husband off his flight.. as he outranked him and needed the flight time…the plane took of and crashed just shortly after… killing all 10 men on board! This happened shortly before our marriage…I had written him and my letter came back stamped deceased! While flying a practice mission.. as command pilot.. at night on a b-47 bomber..something told my husband to turn on the landing lights…the navigator was off on his calculations and come to find out they were just skimming along the tree tops..only seconds to crash…they barley had time to pull up! While flying as a b-47 command pilot on a night flight to Spain one engine caught fire…they were able to shut it down and continue flight..had it happened during daytime they might never have seen it! In 1966 while flying as a forward air controller.. spotter aircraft.. in Vietnam along with another aircraft my husbands plane was shot down…he perished on June 22nd 1966…3 months before this he surrendered his life to Christ…and was carrying a small Bible I sent him..in his pocket on his flight…he’s with the Lord! You might be tempted to say..he was lucky..or maybe his luck finally ran out…but I don’t believe a word of that….God was with him through all these harrowing incidence! The Lord was speaking to him in every situation…getting his attention…God is never late…He’s always on time when it comes to His elect! He’s willing that none perish..but that all come to repentance!
Thank you for responding..Cairn and Rosalind…my children and I waited almost 9 years to finally hear a declaration of death in Jan of 1974….it was a long wait… his body has never been found…inwardly I knew…he hadn’t survived the crash…or maybe I didn’t want him to…knowing how POWS were treated by the Cong! Anyway…I’m very thankful that God answered my prayers for this dear brave man…who I was privilege to spend 10 years with..before I lost him! He was quite a man… with quite a story…who by Gods grace..had picked himself up..from a failed navy career..to be granted a presidential pardon…and go on to make something out of his life! I have 2 wonderful children who love the Lord…and someday we’ll all be together again! What more could I ask for! We don’t know what the future holds….but we know Who holds the future! God is good and I can trust Him for whatever comes! God bless you both!
Your husband's story is not only amazing but wonderful! Your love for him shines thru your words. You were privileged to have him for the time God gave to you both. Thank-you for sharing!
Thank you…Laurie…for your response…I thought his story might encourage some down hearted person… not to give up hope! Especially.. how God protected him through so many harrowing incidents….opened doors to recover from foolish mistakes…even in the end he was prepared to meet His maker! God is so good..to give us the grace… to face challenging times in our lives…to look back and see.. how he recovered us from disaster…carried us through heartbreak and sorrow…answered our prayers! It’s been an exciting journey… walking with the Lord…..and the best is yet to come! At this point in time…if I didn’t know the Lord…His wonderful love and grace….and the hope that lies ahead…I’d be of all people… most miserably! God bless!
Oct 2, 2022·edited Oct 4, 2022Liked by Ray Horvath, "The Source" :)
I was feeling hopeless the other day, since I read or listen to the mounting death toll and injuries as well as what is surely on its way in the near future, too many hours a day.
I took a short walk and witnessed it raining on only one side of the street - I'd never seen this before - and not on the side I was on. I went into a store to make a purchase and walked out to see the unusual rain pattern again and a complete arc, beautiful rainbow on the horizon. I was not rained on. I took it as a sign that all is not lost. We are spirits in a material world...
Sounds like good-old English weather, but Vancouver, BC could also possibly pass. Okay, I've also experienced it once in continental climate. :)
In my experience, the spiritual world is infinitely more powerful than humans; people need protection and must not cross the barrier, because beyond a certain point, they become defenseless. That's, of course, only what I think and I can be wrong anytime. :)
Maybe God is just tickling his angel, showing his approval.
12 years ago, right outside my front dining room picture window there was the most spectacular double rainbow I have ever saw. I hollered for the three grands, 5, 4, and 3. They rushed into the room, and I yelled "Look!" and I heard "Wow" and "Woo!" and "Papa." Today, they remember it like it was yesterday. It was "MAGIC."
There are so many miracles in the world... Were it not that my attention is caught up by sorting out danger and necessities, I could be a lot happier version of myself! :)
"If the Creator, God, doesn’t love you, who else can and will?"
Myself.
Being alive having the possibility to learn something new every day it's good enough to be a happy and grateful person. Life is a challenge. We just need to assume responsibilities for it and take risks. That's how we grow as conscious beings.
Loving one's self is indispensable and it is a good start. As you are saying, it is impossible without assuming the responsibilities and taking the risks. Life is only fun as long as one is willing to take the challenge! Otherwise, it's boring. Yes, we all need to be challenged to grow!
***
A question about one of your old posts:
Have you ever found out about the 5G meter you mentioned a good while ago?
Wow. Powerful, Ray. Thank you for sharing your story!
It's still keeping me going, although I've had a few more that I cannot share, because they wouldn't mean much to anyone else. Instead, I am completing a book of stories that I hope to publish soon.
Great -- I'll buy the book when it's out.
It's been in the works for 16 years, but I've always been dissatisfied, and I still want to do more editing. It's in the tradition of Flaubert's A Simple Heart, basically, caring for the disempowered and the underprivileged. Chances are I'll have to give it away for free in order to collect treasure somewhere else than this world. :)
Well, even if you give it as a pdf, I'll donate. I'm sure it'll be a great book. Hope it comes out before long!
It will appeal only to those who still have a heart. :)
Sounds like my kind of book. :)
Wonderful, thank you!
Thank YOU. No BS involved either.
I really needed this right now - including the music link, which brought up this
https://youtu.be/DF1YW4keOYw?si=TMe488XDmU45JpTW
Getting lost in worldly busyness is still a real danger.
In my understanding, it's all personal, which is heresy according to most religions, probably because they have been, at least at one time, used as state ideology...
I love this...
Thank you. I was about to die at the time, sorry about not thanking you earlier.
"God put you on Earth for a special purpose "
I always tell that to the person making my pizza .
(sometimes i find out that making pizza was NOT the purpose)
One can only hope. :)
And for better or worse, eat the pizza!
Having a personal relationship with God your Creator and Sustainer has nothing to do with being a religious nut. Having that relationship with Him is what we are here for. Your life was spared for a special purpose
Sorry, I was about to die at the time; I was unable to respond. My presence here might be the point, although I also have a book coming out.
0ops! I forgot to comment on your description of your sweet wife. I can relate as l spend most of my day outside in my garden among all the little critters. Not to mention my 2 dogs are always with me. It is very special human souls who can converse & relate to other life forms! It is a precious gift! Not too many folks have that gift!
When l meet a person who doesn't like & enjoy critters l find l cannot really ever relate to them. You obviously have a very special lady!
I was terribly sad when you mentioned awhile back that you lost your young dog due to unknown causes. You have no suspicions of what caused the puppy's death?
My wife shows me little things that I wouldn't notice on my own; mostly "non-essential" things that, nonetheless, make life worth living. Strangely, her dog and her cat died shortly before she moved over here and we got married. Both animals were old by then.
No clue about the dog, sorry.
now I am sorry too.
The loss of beloved pets is a pain filled path.
Hi Ray,
I got back to Substack yesterday after many days away due to Hurricane lan passing closeby to my neck of the woods in FL. The storm was north of us but we still had rough weather for a couple of days.
As usual, l read you first but waited 24 hours to comment. I deeply appreciate your story & this particular post.
As l've commented on your articles in the past l've never made it a secret that l have a deep & abiding faith in our Creator & our Saviour Jesus Christ. But it wasn't always that way. It has been a lifetime of searching.
What is my point? I guess l am overwhelmed (in a good way) about the incredible mystery of the spiritual realm. Being a stubborn individual who has always wanted to have explanations for everything l finally found peace when l let go & just believed.
Is it irrational? Yes, but l have experienced so many big & little unexplainable "miracles" that l just KNOW there is a spiritual realm & l have come to accept that it will never be fully explained to any of us on this side of the curtain. And maybe not even on the other side.
So be it. What makes any of us think we are even "owed" an explanation? I am always amazed that so many human-beings plod along thru life & never ponder the mysteries of God or even recognize that they too will one day leave this material world.
I have read the biographies of many of the Catholic saints. There are quite a few of them who have had visions of Heaven & Hell. In these visions they describe seeing the souls of mankind as snowflakes falling into Hell by the thousands on a daily basis. They make the point that very few make the upward journey to reach Heaven. And there is the mystery of free will.
We all have the free will to reach out to our Creator but so many do not. Despite all the miracles in our daily lives.
Thank-you again Ray for posting this article!
Faith can only exist, if it's based on personal experience.
Marius is right that God would be a sadist, if He was only watching, but the only elegant answer to the assumption that is a God, Who becomes man, and takes part in human suffering and death, opening a doorway for the hopeless, the forlorn and even for the despicable, which is what humans can easily become, if they abandon God.
God saved your legs while letting thousands of children starve to death, daily..
You must be really special to him.
Yes, God lets them starve to death... Didn't you notice the kick in the pants he gave you, so you would get up und feed them?
I can take care of my kids and my community's kids, not someone else's kids across the planet.
I'm not God, you know?
God could do that with a snap of his fingers, and yet he saved a lucky bastard in a car accident, while ignoring thousands of kids that die starving or abused, across the planet.
Fuck off, you self entitled twat, will you?
True, you're not God & you can't feed all the hungry kids, but many hand make light work, as the Amish say. If we all gave a little (to a valid, honest organization, that is), the kids would be fed.
Im definitely going to listen, follow and pay close attention to the obscene ravings of some delusional hater going by the pen name of Marius who thinks his sad opinions are so worthy of note that he features them in a news letter.
You do you, I do me.
Get a life, loser.
Sorry, Marius, I don't appreciate people attacking each other. Please, refrain from that, because it deters other readers.
Amen to that!
YOU FIRST.
I already have one
Seems like you always have to name call and cast a spiteful parting shot whenever you can't think of anything VALID or TRUTHFUL to say. This seems to be your MODUS OPERANDI, doesn't it?
Please, use a respectfully form of communication, assuming you would like to conduct a dialogue in a civil manner. If you want to vent, please, start up your own blog! :)
Who is playing God, when you are telling others what "God" should do? :(
FYI, according to the Adam/Eve story, Satan tells humans to eat from the fruit of Knowledge, and they will become like God (know the difference between good and evil). As a result, God allows them this life, in which they can experiment with "being like God." The results are quite disappointing, as you are also saying, but one cannot sit on two horses with one ass. :)
Isn't your anger coming from your having to "take care of your kids and your community's kids," while God could do it "with a snap of his fingers"?
I'm just replying in the same manner, nothing else.
I'm not obligated to be polite when replying to a twat.
I can be polite, but I ask the same.
If you're so hang up on believing bed time stories, that's fine.. just don't ask others to believe them as well.
I'm not telling God what he should do. I'm just saying what I should do if I had god-like powers.
So in this regards, I am better than God, because he doesn't care about all the children dying of starvation and abuse every day.
And no, I have no 'anger'.. it's just I see stupid people making condescending comments, while they know nothing about me.
I am curious how much of his money or his spare time donated for children in need..
There's nothing about the god of the Bible that is really appealing, it's just a story like many others.. Christianity is just another religion, born from people's ignorance.
We know better than that now. There are no gods, it's just human greed, malevolence and stupidity.
Look, on my site, everyone is allowed their opinions, but I expect them to be reasonably civil. I don't remember her using cuss words as you did; no accusations, it's okay as long as it's over.
Being straightforward is not the same as being "polite." If you agree with everyone and "everyone loves you," there must be something wrong with you, so again, I agree with your perspective, but not with your language use. Crudeness limits the scope of communication by forcing a limited language code on the participants, but it is also humiliating for the user and the addresse.
Again, telling me it's a "bedtime story," it's game over. You are alone with your opinion and, if that makes you happy, I'm happy for you. Still, I'm pretty happy you don't have god-like powers, because that's exactly what Hell is: everyone's wishes coming true, but they contradict each other's.
Are you happy now?
You definitely don't ask others, you tell them, including your idea of "god," what to do. Have you ever achieved anything by doing that? What are you expecting to accomplish?
Just tell me one thing: why do you want all those children NOT to survive?
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/why-should-humans-survive
For someone who "has no anger," you sound angry. Why else would you use angry words? They usually don't get anyone anywhere...
Yes, I also write some of my articles, because some opinions tick me off. That doesn't mean I'm right...
As for Christianity, you sound like you are determined not to read my previous feedback. Once you are, you are not going to need my company... Apparently, you don't even now.
Christianity is unique, because it comes with divine redemption. No other religions do.
There is no "we":
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/who-is-we-learn-from-the-best
Of course, you may have assigned a special meaning to "we," and that is your prerogative.
So, if there is only "human greed, malevolence and stupidity," how come this world still exists? It should have ended a long time ago or, preferably, should not have even started.
There is only one tense: the Present.
"Just tell me one thing: why do you want all those children NOT to survive?"
Where did I say that? I said the opposite, I want ALL children to survive, and if I had god-like powers, I would make sure of it. But your god apparently doesn't care, or cannot save them all. If he was powerful enough and he cared, then all children would survive. So either he's not powerful enough, or he doesn't care, in which case he's not worthy of worship.
"As for Christianity, you sound like you are determined not to read my previous feedback. Once you are, you are not going to need my company... Apparently, you don't even now."
I studied Christianity and most other religions long enough to tell that they are ALL made up, born from ignorance of people. They couldn't explain how the world works, so they made up stories about it. Lots of stories.. none true. Christianity is no different than any other religion. The only reason you are christian is because you were born in the right family and the right society. Have you been born in middle East from Islamic parents, you would've probably be convinced that Islam is the true religion.
"Christianity is unique, because it comes with divine redemption. No other religions do."
Just because it gives you a 'happy ever after', it doesn't mean it's true, nor that it's not a bed time story..
You need to prove the story is true, and there's no evidence for it, other than circular arguments (e.g. the Bible is true because it's the word of god, and God is true because the Bible says so).
'how come this world still exists'
Because there's nothing powerful enough, and willing to destroy it, that's why.
I don't really see a point to this discussion any further.
You go ahead and believe God saved your legs, that you are special to him.
I go ahead and believe you were one lucky guy.
I'll believe in Gods when they show up and do god-like miracles. Until then, they are all fictional characters.
All the best,
Also, I am not saying I deserve my legs! :)
Nobody said a word here about God or "saving my leg." At least, I didn't.
There are 5 mentions of God in your article. So someone like me could be misinterpreting the article, to understand that God saved your legs and he cares.
Please pardon my ignorance.
You are observant, not ignorant! :)
The word is indeed there five times, while I am raising questions to which my answers might or might not appeal to others, which is fine with me, because I've never cared to convince anyone. If what I think is not true, it will not become true even if a billion people agree with me, and it works the same way the other way around.
Please, notice that I also mention in the article that at the time of the experience, I was five, without any religious experience whatsoever, living in an atheistic environment. Where did the experience come from?
Your experience came from pure luck, just like many others experience, which survived a car accident or plane crash.
If you died in that accident, you were not here to brag about God saving your legs.
There were plenty of otherwise good people which had car accidents or plane crashes and didn't survive them, or they were severely maimed.
But you don't talk about those, do you? You are precious to god, he saved your legs, so he must have some special plan for you, right?
Or you might be just another lucky guy, as many others.
We'll never know, unless God comes here to tell us his version of the story.. is it?
Whatever makes you happy, Marius. :)
MARIUS. Who are YOU that we should listen to you? Do you think there is something special about Your opinion?
The following is not my OPINION,but OBJECTIVE TRUTH, which the atheistic ego refutes, in its desire to consider itself supreme:
"BUT THE NATURAL MAN RECEIVES NOT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, FOR THEY ARE FOOLISHNESS UNTO HIM, NEITHER CAN HE KNOW THEM FOR THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.
BUT HE THAT IS SPIRITUAL JUDGES ALL THINGS, YET HE HIMSELF IS JUDGED OF NO MAN.
- 1st Corinthians 2:14-15
You have no objective truth. Reading lines from a book is not evidence for anything. Your opinion is as good as mine.
So, if you look at a sunset or a butterfly, you are saying it's "from pure luck"?
Frankly, I don't give a flying f* if I had died or not; nobody in this world has a pass. You are still not getting it? My article was about the experience and why would I lie? Of course, you will figure out an answer to that question, but I've already answered all potential questions, so you might as well cool off and read the darn things again... You must understand that people here actually care for you, and not because you believe or do not believe in the god you imagine...
It seems you don't need God to tell you the story; you have already completed it.
So sorry...
'So, if you look at a sunset or a butterfly, you are saying it's "from pure luck"?'
Not really.. I can admire beauty, I can't just make up gods behind it.
Nature is beautiful and ugly at the same time. It depends on what you're looking at.. if you're looking at some flies feasting on a pile of shit, I don't think you can find much beauty in that, do you? Or in the fact that a lion eats a baby deer, for that matter.
"It seems you don't need God to tell you the story; you have already completed it."
I don't need to invent Gods to explain things in nature. There are plenty of things I don't know about, and I can't explain, but that doesn't seem like a compelling reason to invent a god to explain it.
There may very well be a god behind all of this. Or a computer programmer and this world could be a simulation.
But one thing is certain, whoever is behind this, is not the God of Christianity, or any other God that humans invented.
Whatever god is behind this world, is hiding - really, really well..
Interesting story: I knew a man (my husband) a navy sailor…stationed on an aircraft carrier… who fell overboard in the North Pacific…only one other seaman saw him go over…they fished him out…he survived! During the tail end of the Korean War he was the only man to survive an airplane crash on the deck of an aircraft carrier! After a dishonorable discharge for missing his ship after landing in a Communist jail…he recovered himself..to obtain a…Presidential pardon… and entered flight school in Bryan Texas…graduated 1 of 22 out of 200 cadets..graduated as a first Lt. In the USAF! At his first duty station he was do to fly on a kc 97 air tanker refueler with a 10 man crew..the day of take off an English exchange major bumped my husband off his flight.. as he outranked him and needed the flight time…the plane took of and crashed just shortly after… killing all 10 men on board! This happened shortly before our marriage…I had written him and my letter came back stamped deceased! While flying a practice mission.. as command pilot.. at night on a b-47 bomber..something told my husband to turn on the landing lights…the navigator was off on his calculations and come to find out they were just skimming along the tree tops..only seconds to crash…they barley had time to pull up! While flying as a b-47 command pilot on a night flight to Spain one engine caught fire…they were able to shut it down and continue flight..had it happened during daytime they might never have seen it! In 1966 while flying as a forward air controller.. spotter aircraft.. in Vietnam along with another aircraft my husbands plane was shot down…he perished on June 22nd 1966…3 months before this he surrendered his life to Christ…and was carrying a small Bible I sent him..in his pocket on his flight…he’s with the Lord! You might be tempted to say..he was lucky..or maybe his luck finally ran out…but I don’t believe a word of that….God was with him through all these harrowing incidence! The Lord was speaking to him in every situation…getting his attention…God is never late…He’s always on time when it comes to His elect! He’s willing that none perish..but that all come to repentance!
Thank you for sharing.
Best wishes to you,
Cairn
Thank you for responding..Cairn and Rosalind…my children and I waited almost 9 years to finally hear a declaration of death in Jan of 1974….it was a long wait… his body has never been found…inwardly I knew…he hadn’t survived the crash…or maybe I didn’t want him to…knowing how POWS were treated by the Cong! Anyway…I’m very thankful that God answered my prayers for this dear brave man…who I was privilege to spend 10 years with..before I lost him! He was quite a man… with quite a story…who by Gods grace..had picked himself up..from a failed navy career..to be granted a presidential pardon…and go on to make something out of his life! I have 2 wonderful children who love the Lord…and someday we’ll all be together again! What more could I ask for! We don’t know what the future holds….but we know Who holds the future! God is good and I can trust Him for whatever comes! God bless you both!
Your husband's story is not only amazing but wonderful! Your love for him shines thru your words. You were privileged to have him for the time God gave to you both. Thank-you for sharing!
Thank you…Laurie…for your response…I thought his story might encourage some down hearted person… not to give up hope! Especially.. how God protected him through so many harrowing incidents….opened doors to recover from foolish mistakes…even in the end he was prepared to meet His maker! God is so good..to give us the grace… to face challenging times in our lives…to look back and see.. how he recovered us from disaster…carried us through heartbreak and sorrow…answered our prayers! It’s been an exciting journey… walking with the Lord…..and the best is yet to come! At this point in time…if I didn’t know the Lord…His wonderful love and grace….and the hope that lies ahead…I’d be of all people… most miserably! God bless!
I completely agree with everything you say, Lorraine. That is a stellar testimony. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks for sharing this.
I was feeling hopeless the other day, since I read or listen to the mounting death toll and injuries as well as what is surely on its way in the near future, too many hours a day.
I took a short walk and witnessed it raining on only one side of the street - I'd never seen this before - and not on the side I was on. I went into a store to make a purchase and walked out to see the unusual rain pattern again and a complete arc, beautiful rainbow on the horizon. I was not rained on. I took it as a sign that all is not lost. We are spirits in a material world...
That's a definite day brightener, Myriam. May God continue to richly bless you EVERY DAY!
Sounds like good-old English weather, but Vancouver, BC could also possibly pass. Okay, I've also experienced it once in continental climate. :)
In my experience, the spiritual world is infinitely more powerful than humans; people need protection and must not cross the barrier, because beyond a certain point, they become defenseless. That's, of course, only what I think and I can be wrong anytime. :)
I am in Miami, Florida. The division of rain/no rain area, was just a few feet.
Just been reading "The Exploits of the Incomparable Nasrudin", the story titled "Fear".
Its punchline is "you don't have to have it [fear] yourself in order to suffer from it!".
Do religious nuts describe themselves as religious nuts?
Are you getting more religious with all this dystopian tyranny Ray?
Maybe we are in a religious war.
Spiritual war
Okay, what I meant was I don't obsess with religion and, as usual, don't try to convince anyone.
I have felt this was spiritual warfare since 2020. It is not confined to religions. This is Evil against Humanity.
I have close contact with religious nuts.
They just define their faith as truer and better.
And they consider themselves humble and knowledgeable! Oh, well. :)
WOW why they chose her all makes sense now.. A lot of nerve.. They are celebrating and honoring humanities demise and their crime on Humanity..
https://www.livescience.com/covid-19-vaccine-vial-smithsonian.html
https://nypost.com/2022/07/07/nycs-sandra-lindsay-who-got-first-covid-shot-among-medal-of-freedom-honorees/
It makes me wonder if there are still conscious people who accept the Bidet or, for that matter, any of the political circus. :)
Thanks for links
I see Biden got in some touchies.
Fantastic photo, Ray.
Maybe God is just tickling his angel, showing his approval.
12 years ago, right outside my front dining room picture window there was the most spectacular double rainbow I have ever saw. I hollered for the three grands, 5, 4, and 3. They rushed into the room, and I yelled "Look!" and I heard "Wow" and "Woo!" and "Papa." Today, they remember it like it was yesterday. It was "MAGIC."
There are so many miracles in the world... Were it not that my attention is caught up by sorting out danger and necessities, I could be a lot happier version of myself! :)
"If the Creator, God, doesn’t love you, who else can and will?"
Myself.
Being alive having the possibility to learn something new every day it's good enough to be a happy and grateful person. Life is a challenge. We just need to assume responsibilities for it and take risks. That's how we grow as conscious beings.
Loving one's self is indispensable and it is a good start. As you are saying, it is impossible without assuming the responsibilities and taking the risks. Life is only fun as long as one is willing to take the challenge! Otherwise, it's boring. Yes, we all need to be challenged to grow!
***
A question about one of your old posts:
Have you ever found out about the 5G meter you mentioned a good while ago?
No Ray, I didn't.
It was an exciting development, but I was suspicious about the built-in GPS...