Rev.John

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Everything posted by Rev.John

  1. Where is it? Outdoors, in the kitchen window, etc.? How much sun is it getting each day? In the ground or in a pot? What kind of soil? How often do you water it? Fertilizer? Can cats (or squirrels, or...) get to it? I tend to under-water my herbs, but over-watering can be just as bad. Peace. Rev.John
  2. I do have an opinion - there is little or no difference between religion and politics. Both are "beliefs" held near and dear to the heart, and any questioning of these beliefs is frequently taken as a personal attack. Spirituality is something else entirely. Peace. Rev.John
  3. My thoughts and prayers are with you as well, Pastor Dave. How terribily sad. May you all find peace. Rev.John
  4. Don't we all? It's too bad that human nature prohibits it. Peace. Rev.John
  5. I'm with Carl... And there's nothing there that really fits me, either. But I'm definitely neither a Socialist or an Anarchist. Basic human nature prohibits either of those extremes. Peace. Rev.John
  6. I like that, panpareil. The darkness is necessary, so that there can be light. And light is necessary, for there to be darkness. One cannot be without the other. The dilemma comes when we face the choice of how to balance these opposites within us. The only way to have any balance is to acknowledge them both, weigh them both, and choose to do what is right... You'll note that the balance between "light" and "darkness" is a common theme in spiritual writings. Peace. Rev.John
  7. grateful, I also offer my support at this unhappy time. Our four-legged family members can be no less precious to us because they shed on the furniture. I lost a childhood friend to very much the same situation you are facing. She was 17 - a long life for a cat - but it's always too soon. My best wishes to you and your family. Peace. Rev.John
  8. Then I offer my apologies. I meant no offense. This individual's actions conform to a pattern I have experience with, and with the discovery of this thread my experience led me to question his sincerity. While it truly saddens me, and I'd like to be wrong, I felt that as a conscientious member of this forum I should not keep silent when I see a red flag raised. If similar circumstances arise in the future, I will more carefully consider whether I should post. Peace. Rev.John
  9. I'd bet real money that you never do. As a veteran of message boards myself, I've run across this kind of thing a lot. It's a pity, but there are opportunists - and con artists - everywhere, and we need to be watchful. Peace. Rev.John I
  10. Would that be a bad thing? I join my energy with yours. May ministermom's friend - and all victims of this terrible disease - find herself with the resources to fight, and may the illness be beaten and eliminated. Peace. Rev.John
  11. Thank you, Rev Ed. I truly appreciate the good wishes. Peace. Rev.John
  12. "Christmas" is like "Marriage" in that there are two equally valid points of view: the secular and the religious. I find it fascinating that many of the most currently cherished icons of the Christian holy day actually came from pagan solstice rituals - rituals adopted to make the Church more attractive to the Druids and others - the most obvious being the Christmas Tree. Christmas lights were also a completely secular observance of the winter solstice, meant to celebrate the lengthening of the day. Christmas is also a purely secular holiday, spent away from the workplace with friends and family and reveling in togetherness, feasting, and football. Either way, Christmas is a special time, and we can celebrate it whether we celebrate it as the birth of the messiah, a celebration that the sun begins its return to the north, or makes us remember the joy of family and friends and giving and receiving and eating ourselves sleepy. Merry Christmas! Peace. Rev.John
  13. I offer you my sincerest condolences on your loss. You, your family, and your sister are in my prayers. Peace. Rev.John
  14. Well, then - Happy Birthday, SilverRose! And to all. Peace. Rev.John
  15. With an avatar like that, you're having gender issues???? Hmmm. Better check my profile, too.... Peace. Rev.John
  16. Actually, there is, for those of us who find the scientific evidence of evolution compelling yet believe in a universal "guiding hand". And that reconciliation can be best illustrated in a simple question: How long is one of God's days? The Biblical story says God created the heavens and the earth on the first day. Perhaps one of God's days measures in the billions of years as man measures time. Frankly, it seems to me to be pretty damn arrogant for us tiny, 3-dimensional humans to tell an infinite God how to tell time. Nietzsche was, by and large, a moron. Nah, I can't say that truthfully, because I avoid Nietzsche (except for the "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" one - which is largely bunk, anyway, but catchy). I just wanted to see if you were paying attention. But I think (actually I know, but don't want to come across as pushy) that humankind is both material and spiritual in nature. And were you to actually touch your spiritual core, your own connection to the infinite that is God, you would understand. Peace. Rev.John
  17. To answer the question - yes, I do. He told me to. Amen! Peace Rev.John
  18. Ah, but other county judges can look to this decision as guidance, if not precedence. I'm happy to see this development. Peace. Rev.John
  19. I've heard that Peter David's work has dipped in recent years. But Diane Duane ranks up there for Star Trek books, and if you want a laugh-out-loud read, find John Ford's "How Much for Just the Planet". I agree with you on Zahn, though - and don't miss Steve Perry's "Shadows of the Empire". Perry also wrote the Matador series (excellent), several Conan books, movie novelizations, etc. One of my favorite authors. The late Janet Kagan wrote one of my favorite Star Trek books, "Uhura's Song", and she wrote another book called "Hellspark" which I re-read the most frequently - 2 or 3 times a year. There are several other authors on my constant re-read loop, too. Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land", the Ender books already mentioned, the late H. Beam Piper's "Fuzzy" series (look out for a couple of other books written in that universe, too - authors names are Mayhar and Tuning). I enjoyed the Norton/Lackey "Elvenborn" series - there were supposed to be 4 books, but they only put out 3. I'm a sucker for dragons..... Speaking of which, Card edited a two-volume anthology called "Dragons of Darkness" and "Dragons of Light". The first told dark tales of dragons, the other were lighter. Funny how that worked. But if you want a completely different take on the legend of St. George, find the latter volume and read Roger Zelazney's story. Don't discount any of H.G. Wells' books, either. I recently read the original Time Machine story - very unlike the classic movie - and The Invisible Man. Both of E.E. "Doc" Smith's pulp series - "Lensmen" and "Skylark" aren't bad for what they are - along the same kind of lines as the Burroughs books ("Tarzan" and "John Carter of Mars"). Hope this is helpful. Peace. Rev.John