Holy @ MindSay 
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This cover represents Shmuel, the boy of the Warsaw Ghetto as represented by the brilliant surrealist artist of the Holocaust, Samuel Bak. The book is one of a dozen or so on Christian antisemitism by the distinguished scholar, Robert Michael.
In biblical understanding, leaven, which is the topic of the article below, has come to symbolize sin. However, whether we’re Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or a member of any other religion, all too often, we think we will have a relationship with God through the things we do or don’t do, the things we touch or don’t touch; the days and objects we hold holy.
Such so-called “holy” actions, or “holy” objects, will never bring us into a relationship with God. We can never know Him with the kind of religious observances that are outlined in the article below, no matter what religion it is. In order to know Him, we must first be made holy, since He is holy. And the only way that happens is when someone pays the price for our unholiness and dishonor of God. This is what He did in the sacrifice of Himself. It is then in that relationship that we make choices that honor Him, trying to always understand that our holiness is imparted, not earned.
Below is an excerpt from an article from the Jerusalem Post, about leaven and the observance of Pessah.
“In an unprecedented initiative, numerous leading rabbinical arbiters have warned the public in signs posted in haredi neighborhoods that cigarettes and cigars ‘contain essences that are leaven [hametz] and that they should not be smoked during Pessah.
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the leading Lithuanian rabbinical arbiter who lives in Jerusalem, signed an announcement that states: ‘Rabbi Elyashiv has told those who asked him that of course one must not smoke cigarettes during Pessah as long as they are suspected of having leaven. And this is besides the prohibition of smoking all year because of the dangers [to health].’
Rabbi Moshe Sternberg of the Eda Haredit said that he informed his congregants that they should not smoke cigarettes or cigars. But those who nevertheless do should be aware of the fact that ‘most cigarettes absolutely contain leaven, to which dozens of flavorings and aromas are added, besides the fact that tobacco is rinsed in alcohol.
‘Some of the essences come from wheat, and flour has been added,’ the rabbi declared.
Sternbuch said that there are those who observe strictures to keep cigarettes out of their homes completely during Pessah. He has seen stamps of ‘kashrut supervision’ on cigarettes, but he said it was impossible to accept this as tobacco products have hundreds of components, and it cannot be determined whether they are all free from leaven.”
Here’s the link to the article:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1208422633889&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
"I came back, because it was the will of God for me to live with my children. But I would be very happy to go back there. Now I have seen when a Christian dies, he goes to a better place…."
(Ethiopia)—Fatuma Shubisa, had married an evangelist, and had converted to Christianity from Islam. But the Ethiopian mother-of-nine fell sick and, after some time, she was found to have passed away by her mother who had come to care for her. (Photo: CBN)
There was great mourning in the small village of Alelu, as Fatuma's death was made known among friends and family members. But word of Fatuma's passing also reached the ears of a Christian missionary named Warsa Buta, who was in the area.
Acting on a promise he says the Lord gave him the day he was saved—that God would raise the dead through him—Buta sought out the deceased woman.
A non-Christian crowd gathered as Buta the missionary continued to pray over Fatuma's sheet-covered body. They asked, "Why is this Pentecostal man praying over a dead body?"
Warsa related what happened next, "I had faith the Lord would work through me. I prayed as Peter prayed. 'Fatuma, be raised. I ask you in the name of the Lord. Come to life.' When I prayed that prayer—'Fatuma, rise in the name of Jesus'—she sat up in the bed."
It had been 12 hours since Fatuma had died.
"…Immediately I found myself in my body," explained Fatuma, "I sat up in my bed and started asking, 'What is this? What's happening? What's going on?' Then everybody was surprised. Some were commenting, 'A Pentecostal man can call back a dead soul to a body? If this is real, then we all will become Christians.' And they were shouting."
During the time she was deceased, Fatuma apparently experienced some wonderful glimpses of Heaven, and of family members who had gone before, which she talks about on the CBN video report.
Source: Dan Reany – 700 Club
So it is 8 am and my kids aren't at Mass with Grandma. Why? A) The kids don't know how to put their coats and snow pants up on the rack and threw them right next to the cat box. Can you say soaking in oxiclean and soap before being washed! B) Kids are now cleaning said mudporch
I was out side at 10 after 7 this morning. I woke up at 7. I was scopping my small lil piece of sidewalk that leads to my van. After I got that scopped, got a path all around the van scopped; I then threw out salt on the sidewalk.
Called my mom and said I could crawl right on out of the lane with the van and I am goign to have to because Randy and I stupidly forgot the no gel for the diesel tank for the truck. I need to pick some of that up and put in before I start the truck up. But the boy spawn of mine doesn't have a coat till I get it washed. She told me not a problem and don't worry about it, the kids will be at church Wensday twice no less.
In college, friends and I would talk about faith and money all the time. See my b/f at the time, his best friend, and I were non practicing Catholics. I was starting to really study the Celtic Spiritualities at that time and D and Mike just never went to church unless one of their mothers guilted me into making them go. My mom stopped badgering my brother and I after we were confirmed to go to Mass. Anyway, D, Mike, and I rarely put any money in the gift basket. And the few times our Baptist friends would come with us they were shocked and appalled that we never put money in the basket. All three of us, even though raised in totally different areas of the midwest, we raised by women who were very Devout Catholic but ALWAYS put family first. Meaning, if you were broke and struggling to pay your bills, you do NOT give to the church. You only put money in the basket if your bills were paid and you might have a few bucks in your wallet or purse. Well the three of us were broke ass college students. D and Mike's family's out in Shy Town and my family 4 hours to the south. Not like we could call the parental units up and ask for money and have them just hand it over to us. We tried explaining this to our friends. We had one friend T1 (three of our friends names started wtih T so thus 1 and such) gave all his cash to the gift basket even after we told him NOT to! He said that it was going in and staying in. We were boggled. The Priests don't shake us down at Church to give and give and give. Especially knowing that a lot of parishners are broke ass sturggling middleclass folks!
The three Ts, and N explained that you walk into any Baptist Church and the preacher knows you, they will pin point you and basically bagger you to give as much as you can during the service. Even knowning you might be broke ass! Tried explained to the three of us, that their churchs and preachers expect a certain amount of their parishner's income each year. D, Mike, and I were flabbergasted! That isn't how it works for a LOT of people. I do know some of the richer parishners and even D said is Granny and Step Grandpa put massive amounts of money into the gift basket, but usually how Catholics divy out their money to their Church is this:
1. They give what they can while living.
2. They get old, make out a will.
3. And no matter what money they get a 1/3 of that money from their Will goes to their parish.
This is exactly what my grandpa that I didn't get to meet did. Even though he still had one of my uncles home in jr high. Out of the money left in the Will, a 1/3 of it went to the Parish and the rest went to my Grandma and Uncle. When my Granny died last year at Thanksgiving time, 1/3 of her inheritance went to her Parish and then the rest was divied up between my Mom and her brothers. A lot of small town and rural area Christians no matter what faith does this. After they die a 1/3 of their inheritance goes to their church. Even if they only have 100 dollars! A 1/3 goes to their church! My dad is livid because my parents made out their wills after my dad was dignosied with Guillium Barrers Syndrome. To be on the safe side. My dad is a non practicing protstant and will NOT give to his Church because he doesn't go and he doesn't like anyone at the Church. The reason why he is livid is because my mom has specificated a 1/3 of her money that is left after burial expensese and such (which really isn't that much) will go to her Church and if her Church is shut down by the time she dies, it goes to the Mission School were my kids go to. My dad doesn't want her to give any money to the church, he says they don't need it and the family does.
Which brings me to what I really wanted to blog about and got off topic! Do you give to the church when you die or even while alive? Do you buy religious items even knowing that there is a good chance they aren't really religoius? Do you buy items that may be blessed but are kind of shady? A lot of people do! Just last month, my kids and my mom bought a few wood carving items from a gentleman after Mass. The reason why I didn't get to bent out of shape with my kids spending their 5 bucks was because this gentleman was known by the main Mission Priest and it was verified that the wood and the gentleman are from the Middleeast and is raising money for his Parish back home in the "holy land". Plus DeLaney bought a couple of broach type wooden doves (not necessarily a Christian thing) and Coltin choose out a cross and handed it over to Grandma to have. DeLaney is keeping the doves to give to Randy's mom next time we see her.
If I get too lazy and need to bless or cleanse my house and I don't want to bless my own water, I go into the Catholic Church and take a small bottle from their holy water stash that sits in the back of all Catholic Churchs for the parishners or anyone who wants some. My mom keeps a few bottles at all times as does a lot of the older Indian folks. I actually have two bottles of holy water from the Mission. One my mom gave me and one that F. Mike gave me when DeLaney told him we are getting ready for Winter Solstice and Feast of Fionn. I have no problem using holy water blessed by someone outside my faith. Doesn't mean it is straight Christian, just means that it was blessed and has protection in it. I have seen ppl take gallons of holy water to drink even. This really shocked a D and Mike when they came home with me one time! D called his mom and told her and she started laughing and told him that it was and is still common in areas that a lot of old customes survived. And told him to talk to my mom about it. Now mind ya D was already a bit nervous because he had a city boys tude about coming to a rural area and he kept claiming to be a lone black man in the country(which he promptly found out he wasn't and that there were a few black families in the area and the city has a large black population! That was fun rubbing his face in that one!) and now he had to go have a religious talk with his g/f's mom! My mom explained that water is a basic healing, cleansing, and blessing element amoung many tribal and older cultures so it is just natural that people would take the holy water to drink and to bless their homes with. A lot of the peyote ceromonies with older people are done with the peyote in water. It gives it a double blessing and makes it easier for the older people to consume the peyote and ten to one they use either blessed water from one of two churchs in the area. Either the Catholic or the NA Indian Church.
Which now finally brings me to what some companies are doing! Sorry it took me a bit to get to this! Some water bottling companies are selling "Holy Water"! I am not shitting you! They are bringing in Roman Catholic and Epsicpallion Priest and blessing the water, bottling it, and then slapping Christian pictures on the bottle and selling holy drinking water! To me this is going a bit far in the commercialism of our society! some of the advertising is not only is it good for you but it will make you a good person! PLEASE!
At first I was like oh that isn't to bad, but then it got me thinking about how a lot of Chruchs bagder their parishners in giving money they don't have, how everytime you turn around when you go to church they are asking for money to be sent here, money to be sent there, money for their parish, money for that parish and when something terrible does happen people are so tired of handing out money they don't want to give when it is needed! And now a companies not even apart of a Chruch are realizing the money potentional out there by decent Christian people and marketing "holy water". I feel bad for these people. They are buying water that has been blessed by a priest so a company NOT a church can make money! They can easily go into a church and get their on holy water with out paying for it or heck even ask their local preist/preacher to come bless their sink if they wanted! A lot of people around my area have that done on their wells! My mom did! When my folks had to have their well pump redone and put in a different spot, my mom asked her Priest to come out and bless the well! When older Indian folks have their homes recedard and saged they ask their Holy Men to bless their wells or their water lines! Why spend good money that can be given to other causes or used for household goods on "holy water" that your local or national church affilation isn't making any money on!
It is bad enough that Chruchs and Parishes shake down families and individuals for more and more money but now you have Christian based companies doing it to them also! This really irritates me and makes me 100% glad that I am no longer a Christian! A lot of "pagans" may be broke ass individuals but we don't care what faith organizatoin is in charge of something, if it is a good cause we give to them. Only after our families are taken care of! It makes no sense to be selling blessed water when a person can go to their local priest/preacher/holy person and have their own water blessed! But it also does show why Pagan organizations usually don't last the course also! We don't give to our organizations because we have our own families to take care of and if there is already an organization out there doing what we suggest it makes more sense to give to that organization instead! Counting that the Christian Org will take our money! Which is usually our problem, our money isn't good enough to a lot of Christian Orgs! Oh Well.
So if you are one of these people that are thinking about buying the Blessed Drinking Water, Stop! Think about the money you are wasting and could possibly give to your own Chruch and just have your preist/preacher/holy man come out and bless your water lines in stead!
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