At work, I get paid every two Thursdays (direct deposit available on Friday). It's not a lot, but it's a secure job and pay. From this money I pay my bills and rent. I also try to pay medical expenses and some other needs, which means putting these expenses on my credit card. In all, I usually end with less than $100 left over from paycheck to paycheck
Having a sick child (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/11/raising-sick-child-afraid-of-future.html) and being told that health insurance policies refuse to cover a lot of these costs ($550 for a lab test one alone) is a never-ending struggle and has become fairly expensive to bring my child to health. Needless to say (type), I've accumulated a large credit card debt and I've got no intention of facing bankruptcy again (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/07/broken-back-broken-hope-broken-faith-no.html).
Caring for one child's health and well being shouldn't seem like a punishment (the government doing little to nothing to change these imposed policies by both government & health insurance companies). It's further more than a mere legal obligation. It's rather a right -- MY RIGHT AS A FATHER.
What pisses me off most is that illegal aliens have their medical expenses covered to a higher degree than us -- law-abiding, tax-paying yet welfare-denied American citizens. My attitude's not Christian at all or healthy for that matter at all, but this double-standard that these cheap and broken government heads have created still burns and poisons me inside.
Showing posts with label geeks for god. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geeks for god. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
just a little quote that I just got on Facebook
just a little quote that I just got on Facebook from New Living Translation (http://www.facebook.com/NewLivingTranslation)...
"We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
-- Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
trying to raise my boys as Christians
I'm trying to do something that my parents never really did for me. They had or seemed to have little to no religious tendency or desire when I was growing up. Surprisingly enough, I was taken to church to do my First Communion -- perhaps as a real desire for me to be Catholic or simply as a cultural activity and/or a norm reinforced by society.
My father used to meet with Jehovah's Witnesses (http://www.watchtower.org/). As a small child (under six years of age), I remember seeing magazines like Awake and The Watchtower around our home. Through out all this time (several years after hippies, flower power and what's now referred to as "new age"), he started reading Tarot and even had a crystal ball (acts and practices that can be considered witchcraft or simply unholy) to exploit what would be considered extrasensory perception (ESP; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrasensory_perception). Nonetheless he was still calling himself a Christian. During his third marriage (about four years after separating from my mother), he started going to some Protestant church. I can't believe that he really feels what he's doing. I still are it as a cheap charade.
My mother was more distanced or simply apathetic about religion. About 15 years ago, she started following Sai Baba (http://www.sathyasai.org/). From her point of view, she's still a Christian although going to Hindu temple/group at least once a week.
In all this mix, my maternal grandmother (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/05/remembering-my-grandmother.html) taught me the little I knew and understood of being Catholic.
I feel like I've told this story thousands of times.
As I wanted to point out, I want to raise my boys as Christians. At least there has been no problem in the case of my first-born. His mother was raised as a hardcore Catholic going to Church almost every Sunday (if not always). Now my younger two have been a true test, but I hope I'm getting there. Then again, I don't have the real religious background to teach them.
My over all knowledge of Christianity and faiths is basically based on what I've read and studied the Bible and other religious texts. My practice is still fairly limited (textbook knowledge vs wisdom from practice).
Since I mentioned ESP when criticizing my father, I also have some level of ESP. I can feel good and evil, trust and lack of. Once about two decades ago, a priest asked me if I believed in witchcraft, to which I said I did (and still do). He only asked never to practice it. Maybe he knew my father or could feel how strange I could be at times. In all some might call it a gut feeling. Then again I might simply have a very smart gut.
Now how can an unholy be a Christian after all and teach his young about the Trinity of God?
My father used to meet with Jehovah's Witnesses (http://www.watchtower.org/). As a small child (under six years of age), I remember seeing magazines like Awake and The Watchtower around our home. Through out all this time (several years after hippies, flower power and what's now referred to as "new age"), he started reading Tarot and even had a crystal ball (acts and practices that can be considered witchcraft or simply unholy) to exploit what would be considered extrasensory perception (ESP; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrasensory_perception). Nonetheless he was still calling himself a Christian. During his third marriage (about four years after separating from my mother), he started going to some Protestant church. I can't believe that he really feels what he's doing. I still are it as a cheap charade.
My mother was more distanced or simply apathetic about religion. About 15 years ago, she started following Sai Baba (http://www.sathyasai.org/). From her point of view, she's still a Christian although going to Hindu temple/group at least once a week.
In all this mix, my maternal grandmother (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/05/remembering-my-grandmother.html) taught me the little I knew and understood of being Catholic.
I feel like I've told this story thousands of times.
As I wanted to point out, I want to raise my boys as Christians. At least there has been no problem in the case of my first-born. His mother was raised as a hardcore Catholic going to Church almost every Sunday (if not always). Now my younger two have been a true test, but I hope I'm getting there. Then again, I don't have the real religious background to teach them.
My over all knowledge of Christianity and faiths is basically based on what I've read and studied the Bible and other religious texts. My practice is still fairly limited (textbook knowledge vs wisdom from practice).
Since I mentioned ESP when criticizing my father, I also have some level of ESP. I can feel good and evil, trust and lack of. Once about two decades ago, a priest asked me if I believed in witchcraft, to which I said I did (and still do). He only asked never to practice it. Maybe he knew my father or could feel how strange I could be at times. In all some might call it a gut feeling. Then again I might simply have a very smart gut.
Now how can an unholy be a Christian after all and teach his young about the Trinity of God?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
in response to "Serve Somewhere!"
In response to "Serve Somewhere!"
http://www.throwmountains.com/blog/serve-somewhere/
by Renee Johnson (http://www.devotionaldiva.com/)
Serving, yes, brings out the best in all of us. There's a psychological as well as a relgious reaction to serving (helping, volunteering, etc).
Psychologically it makes the individual feel useful, needed at good for some purpose. At the same time it can make the individual greedy, snobbish and plain stupid. This latter attitude belittles the effort or serving in the first place making it a mere job in order to get some level of recognition -- being practically someone using those who need some level of help for his/her selfish needs or desires.
Religiously it's a way to serve God by serving/helping others (men, women. children, the needy or not, the broken or not, etc) or some other related purpose (volunteering at Church as a whole -- in the good of God, of course). This brings the feeling of being useful, needed and good for a higher cause as I mentioned in the psychological motive and/or reaction.
In all, one has to do good serving/volunteering and be humble before, while and after doing so. This also means being quiet about our deeds and not bragging. This last comment is applicable for anyone regardless of religion or faith, sex, color or any other label that we put on ourselves or others put on us.
http://www.throwmountains.com/blog/serve-somewhere/
by Renee Johnson (http://www.devotionaldiva.com/)
Serving, yes, brings out the best in all of us. There's a psychological as well as a relgious reaction to serving (helping, volunteering, etc).
Psychologically it makes the individual feel useful, needed at good for some purpose. At the same time it can make the individual greedy, snobbish and plain stupid. This latter attitude belittles the effort or serving in the first place making it a mere job in order to get some level of recognition -- being practically someone using those who need some level of help for his/her selfish needs or desires.
Religiously it's a way to serve God by serving/helping others (men, women. children, the needy or not, the broken or not, etc) or some other related purpose (volunteering at Church as a whole -- in the good of God, of course). This brings the feeling of being useful, needed and good for a higher cause as I mentioned in the psychological motive and/or reaction.
In all, one has to do good serving/volunteering and be humble before, while and after doing so. This also means being quiet about our deeds and not bragging. This last comment is applicable for anyone regardless of religion or faith, sex, color or any other label that we put on ourselves or others put on us.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
religion in a technological world
Technology is a great way (maybe the best way after the Gutenberg press and the publishing the Bible for common people to read and study, circa 1450, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutenberg_Bible) to propagate the name of God. For example, if a church or congregation leader wants to communicate with others for any reason whatsoever, he/she can send an email, post a quick note on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) and/or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) aside from posting such information on the church website.
In a real life example, the pastor at FAPC (http://www.fapc.org/) sent an urgent email this past winter during a heavy storm indicating that many children activities and the 9:30 service were canceled for that Sunday. This way the congregation knew that the church would open late and Sunday school was canceled for that Sunday only.
Groups like Geeks and God (http://www.geeksandgod.com/) promote open source technologies to create websites, forums, email systems and other services that a church can use to reach its congregation and others. For example, some churches have a live feed of their service for those who can't go to church for whatever reason (handicapped, elderly, etc) or excuse.
At the same time, some companies offer their services for free for non-profit organizations (churches included, of course not using the words "church" or "religion" to be politically correct). In this latter case, Google (http://www.google.com/) fits perfectly providing some services for free to promote other or the same services in a larger scale for a fee.
I will stop here 'cause I can write for hours about technology. I might continue later.
In a real life example, the pastor at FAPC (http://www.fapc.org/) sent an urgent email this past winter during a heavy storm indicating that many children activities and the 9:30 service were canceled for that Sunday. This way the congregation knew that the church would open late and Sunday school was canceled for that Sunday only.
Groups like Geeks and God (http://www.geeksandgod.com/) promote open source technologies to create websites, forums, email systems and other services that a church can use to reach its congregation and others. For example, some churches have a live feed of their service for those who can't go to church for whatever reason (handicapped, elderly, etc) or excuse.
At the same time, some companies offer their services for free for non-profit organizations (churches included, of course not using the words "church" or "religion" to be politically correct). In this latter case, Google (http://www.google.com/) fits perfectly providing some services for free to promote other or the same services in a larger scale for a fee.
I will stop here 'cause I can write for hours about technology. I might continue later.
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