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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Mitt Romney: The White Horse?

Choosing who should be the next leader of the greatest and most powerful nation on earth is a serious business.  It should not be based on a candidate’s likability, charisma or skin color but by his record of leadership and intelligence along with the backbone that is imperative to ensure the leaders of other countries, friendly and unfriendly alike, have a healthy respect for this country.  This man must be seasoned, basically honest and truly willing to work with all members of Congress to attend to the people’s business.

We all chuckle at the thought that our President should be upright and honorable since honesty is not usually high on a politician’s agenda but it is critical  that the American people are able to count on this man to do his very best to keep his campaign promises. The average American wants their President to abide by our Constitution and Bill of Rights, balancing the need for national security while jealously guarding the freedoms for which our Founding Fathers labored so diligently to frame.  

It’s a given that Obama will be the Democratic nominee, but who among the Republican candidates would best fulfill the requirements listed above enough to deserve the honor of running against Mr. Obama?  One who is experienced in the ways of Washington but has a historically duplicitous marital record or one whose entire life and way of thinking is a twisted lie? 

Should a candidate’s personal life carry more weight than his opponent’s entire belief system of how God, family and society are put together??

 Mitt Romney is a pretty face and presents himself as an all-American guy but, because he was raised in the Mormon church, the whole paradigm of his life is so warped and bizarre it defies the most basic logic.  Allow me to explain.

The entire Romney family has been enmeshed in the Mormon church, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, since its inception. Mitt Romney’s great-great grandfather, Parley P. Pratt, was teenage founder Joseph Smith’s, right hand man.  He supported Smith financially for years and was one of the original twelve Apostles, an ardent supporter of polygamy and was literally shot in the back while he was stealing his 12th wife!

Mitt’s father, George Romney was the Governor of Michigan, U.S. Secretary of HUD under the Nixon administration and ran for President in 1968.  He was also a very high official in the Mormon church, serving as Patriarch and regional representative of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the United States.  Mitt is currently a High Priest and Bishop.

‘So what’, you ask?  ‘The Mormons are known as good, solid family oriented people and believe in Jesus Christ. They don’t believe that polygamy stuff anymore so what’s the problem?’ That is exactly what they want you to think! They go out of their way to present themselves as completely benign and just like everyone else.   Oh Lord in heaven help me, sit back, read and get ready for the hair on the back of your neck to stand up… 

Joseph Smith was a teenager who had a vision from God that he was to start the TRUE Christian church because God didn’t like the ones which had already been established. Naturally, he was alone in the woods so there were no witnesses to this blessed event.

In other words,  all the disciples, theologians and millions upon millions of Christians got it wrong for nearly 2000 years, but a teenager with a 3rd grade education really did receive the ‘last prophecy’, even though it has been changed and updated approximately 4000 times since.

Mormons hold great disdain towards Christianity; they believe it was “hatched in hell” and “inspired by the devil,” and consider Christians to be the, “whore of Babylon” yet they will look you in the eye and emphatically state they themselves are Christians.  Bottom line, they lie!  Mitt has openly expressed faith in Jesus as “Lord and Savior” to Evangelical Christians but routinely gives slick non-answers to questions about his loyalty and beliefs in the Mormon church. 

Yet, in the Mormon pamphlet, What the Mormons Think of Christ, pg.22 it says: “Christians speak often of the blood of Christ and its cleansing power. Much that is believed and taught on this subject, however, is such utter nonsense and so palpably false that to believe it is to lose one’s salvation.  For instance, many believe or pretend to believe that if we confess Christ with our lips and avow that we accept him as our personal savior, we are thereby saved. They say that his blood without any other act than mere belief makes us clean.” “In addition, the sacrifice He made was conditional.”

ARE YOU LISTENING, CHRISTIANS??  

Remember what Paul said in Galatians 1:8-9 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”   Could he have been any clearer?

Mormonism is the very definition of ‘another gospel!’  Got it?

Here are a few other examples of their beliefs; these are considered current doctrine in the LDS. 

Jesus is really Lucifer’s (a/k/a Satan) older brother (no, I am NOT kidding!) and both are offspring of “our Heavenly Father” and some unnamed celestial mother/s, “and therefore spiritual brothers, but Jesus is the First Born of the Father.”  Jesus was with the Father from the beginning and Lucifer was also a spirit child who had authority in the presence of God and called “a son of the morning.”  But he made bad decisions, so now he’s evil.  Okaaaay…

In fact, all humans, including Jesus Christ, angels, demons and Lucifer are all originally spirit children of a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. You don’t hear much about her L

God the Father was once a regular guy on some other planet who lived a really good life and achieved godhood and got to start his own world, known as Earth and populated it with people whose men have the potential to achieve godhood themselves and start their own planet someday.  No. Really.

Women will never be equal to men and her purpose is to follow her husband, have children and accept the other wives her husband will marry in heaven.

The moon is inhabited by people who are all about 6 feet tall, dress like Quakers and live to be around 1000 years old.  (You can’t make this stuff up, folks!)

The Garden of Eden was in Missouri.

Dark skinned people, especially Negroes, are cursed of God. In the Journal of Discourse 11, it states, “Why are so many of the inhabitants of the Earth cursed with a sin of blackness?  It comes in consequence of their fathers rejecting the power of the Holy Priesthood and the law of God. They will go down to death.”   EXCUSE ME??

 The United States of America is to be overthrown because of wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri. 

Even though Mitt publically denounces polygamy, as a temple-Mormon, he is required by church doctrine to agree to practice it for eternity. This is from the current Doctrine and Covenants 132 of LDS canon.

Now, the average Mormon peon doesn’t even know some of these things! According to an internet acquaintance who was a Mormon for 50 years and subsequently became a born-again Christian…(you know, the REAL kind), “There is so much [information] to digest and the average Mormon doesn’t even know a lot about their early history and doctrines because they are actually discouraged from reading it!  It’s an ever changing god and gospel they have, and they are kept too busy ‘earning their salvation and exaltation’ to read much at all.”

Ezra Taft Benson, the President of the LDS and the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture during the Eisenhower Administration stated in a speech in June 1981 that , “In conclusion, let us summarize this grand key, these 14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophet; for our salvation depends on them.”  What are these 14 Fundamentals? They stress that members of the LDS give complete obedience to the church.

1.      The Prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything. (Gee, that’s convenient!)

2.      The Living Prophet is more vital to us than standard works.

3.      The Living Prophet is more important than a dead prophet.

4.      The Prophet will never lead the church astray.

5.      The Prophet is not required to have any earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time. (Hey people, cash in your 401K’s and give the money to ME!)

6.      The Prophet doesn’t have to say, “Thus saith the Lord” to give scripture. (He’ll make it up as he goes…)

7.      The Prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to k now.

8.      The Prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.

9.      The Prophet can receive revelation on any matter temporal or spiritual.

10.   The Prophet may advise on civic matters.

11.  Two groups who have the greatest difficulty following the Prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich. (No kidding! The ones who are ‘learned’ can see through your crap!)

12.  The Prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.

13.  The Prophet and His counselors make up the First Presidency- the highest quorum in the church—exalted themselves with positions of God. (There is no way the average member of the church could ever have a face to face meeting with someone in the highest quorum.)

14.   (This is the kicker!!)  The Prophet and the Presidency, the Living Prophet and the First         Presidency—follow them and be blessed. Reject them and suffer.

Did you know that Mitt Romney is bound by a blood oath, given during a secret ceremony in the church, that he as a temple-Mormon is to obey the Mormon church OVER U.S. Law and the U.S. Constitution?  NO?  If you think this man’s potential Presidency won’t be greatly influenced by this church, you’re deluded!

Finally, there is The White Horse Prophecy.

According to The White Horse Prophecy, given by God to Joseph Smith in 1843, the U.S. Constitution will one day “hang like a thread” and will be saved “by the efforts of the White Horse,”  described in the book of Revelation in the Bible and which the LDS defines as itself. 

Brigham Young, the leader of the Mormon church right after the death of Joseph Smith stated, “When the Constitution of the U.S. hangs as it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the Mormon Elders to save it from utter destruction, and they will step forth and do it.”

Is Mitt Romney the ‘White Horse’, chosen by God to save the Constitution? Is being elected the President of the United States his ‘destiny’?  When exactly will he achieve godhood? After his second term?

Everything I am telling you people is absolutely true.  I do not have a fertile enough imagination to make this nonsense up! 

So the question we need to ask ourselves is this:  Would we rather have a President who is intellectually brilliant but has a personal marital history that stinks, or have a President whose most personal beliefs, and those of his family for generations, are narcissistic, grandiose and preposterous?
We need a good, strong President.  

Not a god.


Saturday, January 21, 2012

I Hate Grocery Shopping

I’ve come to the point that I really hate going grocery shopping!  There’s always the hassle of finding a parking spot within a mile of the doors which results in the ever pleasant, car dodging, exhaust inhaling hike. Then, having to wrestle the carts apart because apparently, the bag boys weld them together once they’re lined up for the next person. 

Not to mention my all time favorite annoyance, the let’s-insult-the-intelligence-of-our-customers- by- putting -the milk- at –the- back-corner- of- the- store  ploy.  Do they think we have ‘stupid’ tattooed on our foreheads?   I’ll admit this marketing strategy works on me because I inevitably grab something I need that I had no intention of purchasing.  

But these irritations are not the reason I despise going for groceries which, by the way, never used to bother me in the least.  No, there is a very different, much more sinister reason that’s far more serious than what is listed above.

I cannot help but watch the other shoppers innocently going about their business, choosing food, trying to get the attention of the guy in the deli or telling the kids that, no, they are not going to get the gummy bear cereal they want because it’s not good for them and working to hush the subsequent whining. 

When I look at the incredible variety of fruits and vegetables available, the fresh meals ready to take home and aisle after aisle filled with thousands of products, I shudder.  The people around me have no clue what is coming.  And if they’ve heard of the rapture and tribulation, they either don’t believe or don’t care!

They don’t understand that civilization as we’ve always known it, is about to be turned on its head.  I see them content, humming as they bag their apples, knowing one day in the not too distant future having an apple, even an old one, will be a treasure that they might have to fight others to keep!

I always visualize the fresh produce department empty, the deli only a pleasant memory and the bakery darkened.  The shelves of canned goods, snacks, soft drinks and boxed items that will have only a small variety from which to choose.   


And the most horrific image I see are the people in line to check out that don’t have the mark of the beast; people who are hungry, desperate and harassed by the staff and customers who are waiting to get on with their day.
They will be rudely turned away and forced to leave the store empty handed.  I imagine an officer will pull them aside and offer to give them a meal if they will accompany him to the government center so they can receive the mark they must have to buy or sell.

Think of the gut wrenching decision they’ll have to make as they look into the starving eyes of their family, knowing they will be permanently damned to an eternity of hell if they take that mark.  But if they resist, they’ll continue to suffer, being forced to search dumpsters for scraps of something edible or even risk being hunted down, imprisoned and executed!

They'll no longer be able to rely on the kindness of strangers.  There will be no kindness on earth anymore.  The ones who were truly loving and kind disappeared a few years before and those left behind turned into virtual animals who wouldn’t think twice about cutting your throat for the little bit of food you had left in your house.

For those with the mark, society will seem to be getting back on its feet when the President of the World comes to power.  They’ll view those stubborn holdouts that refuse to conform, as a nuisance and danger and will readily betray them to the authorities, even if they are family members!

How do I tell my fellow shoppers what is coming?  Do I pull on their sleeve with tears in my eyes and beg them to listen?  They’d most likely jerk away and accuse me of being the nut-case on the corner, holding up a sign stating, “The End Is Near-- Repent!”  They are too busy going on about their lives, oblivious to the horror to come.  Can’t say I blame them.

It’s not like they will hear the warning of the ‘watchmen on the wall’ in their church!  I highly doubt they would sit still for an hour or so of old fashioned, fire and brimstone preaching.  Nope, that wouldn’t tickle their ears and allow them to leave church feeling satisfied they’d done their duty for the week before God.  And heaven knows keeping the attendance up is the most important thing their pastor can do besides booking that up and coming, Christian rock band.

The only way I know to tell them is by writing all the warnings I can while there is still time.  I hope many, many people will end up reading this; I hope these words get under their skin like a splinter, irritating their hearts until they make things right with Almighty God.  

A storm is coming.  The ark is almost ready and unless they repent and come to Christ, they will miss the boat.  It’s a rather nauseating thought, isn’t it?

And THAT is why I hate grocery shopping.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Be Very Sure!

It seems every time a Presidential election rolls around, you hear,”This could be the most important election in the history of the country!”  I’m hearing it now but this time, they may be correct.

While I would like to see a dedicated Christian in the White House, as long as the candidate is not Islamic, I don’t get too worked up over what ‘religion’ he is.  What matters most to me is that he can be trusted to guard our Constitution and Bill of Rights like a big dog with a bone.  And he needs to take it easy on those Executive Privileges that seem to materialize during the middle of the night when Congress is not there.

Now, understand I am not endorsing any particular candidate, especially the one who has common sense but would invite Ahmadinejad out to dinner and a sleep-over at the White House to show America respects him and how he runs Iran.

But currently one candidate seems to be a shoo-in for the Republican nomination.  And he concerns me.  Mitt Romney is a mighty pretty package, that’s for sure.  He is the perfect age, is well spoken and certainly has the demeanor of someone Presidential-ly and does not seem to have a poorly hidden agenda to turn this country into a socialist state.  But there’s the whole Mormon thing and I think we need give that a closer look.

The vast majority of folks think Mormonism is just another denomination of Christianity.  Until recently, so did I because I never bothered to educate myself about their beliefs.  In my opinion, the only ‘religion’ more bizarre is Scientology!

Let me give you a brief overview.  I don’t care what they tell you at the front door, they are NOT Christians!!  They will use the name of Christ, and they officially call themselves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but the Jesus they speak of is not the Jesus in the Bible.

This religion was founded by Joseph Smith when he was about 14 years old.  He lived in the western part of New York State and, at the time, there were many different Christian denominations competing for new converts.  Apparently this troubled Joseph because he wanted to be baptized but was very confused over which church to join; Methodist? Baptist? Lutherian? Catholic?

He wanted to make sure he joined the one which taught truth so he took a walk and ended up in a grove of trees where he began to pray.  Suddenly, he saw a vision of two people, standing in the air above him and whose glory was like the sun.  One called him by name and pointed to the other one saying, “This is my beloved son. Hear him!”

He was told that none of the current denominations preached the truth and were an abomination to God.  Christ wanted him to establish a new church which would restore the priesthood or the authority to act in God’s name. 

Sometime later, God led him to, “an ancient record” and gave Smith the ability to translate it into English.  This became the Book of Mormon.  As time went on, he continued to receive revelations which were compiled into a book of scriptures called the Doctrine and Covenants.

According to Smith, his church was, “the ONLY true and living church upon the face of the whole earth…”  He taught that, “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!”  In addition, God is just one of billions of gods, and has a celestial wife who was involved in the procreation of Jesus.

He said, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.”   The Book of Mormon has no archaeological support and includes a wide variety of historical inaccuracies.  Even though Joseph Smith claimed it contained the word-for-word translation he received by revelation, there have been 3,913 changes in the subsequent years.

Unlike Christianity, there is no mention of the cross or Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and that we are saved by faith alone.  The LDS teaches that you can only be saved through faith AND performing the works the church directs you to accomplish.  The delusions and rules continue on and on until you achieve God status and then you get to start your own little world to lord over.  No kidding.

 As of today, this is still a free country and people can believe whatever they wish.  However, unbeknownst to the vast majority of Americans, the Mormon church’s overarching goal is world domination.  Everyone would convert to Mormonism; give ALL their worldly possessions to the church which would then parse out to everyone according to their need, which the church would decide.

Hmmm.  Didn’t know that, did you?  Does it color Mr. Romney in a different light?  No?  Well, did you know Mitt’s father once ran for President?  Or that Mitt’s uncle is in the highest echelons of the church, as is Mitt himself?

Now, I don’t think Mr. Romney plans to take over the country with the help of the Mormon Church, but I HAVE to question his intentions about what he hopes to accomplish were he to be elected. He and his family have a long history of being some of the grand-pooh-bahs at the temple in Utah. Once you get into the upper ranks, which takes many years, the ceremonies and rituals get more secretive and occultish.

The little Mormon dude at the door trying to get you to take his literature most likely has no idea what he’s gotten himself mixed up in!  Problem is, if Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, neither will we!


Saturday, January 14, 2012

My Favorite Narcissist

In your lifetime you may have the misfortune of encountering a true narcissist.  It is an experience you’ll never forget, that’s for sure!  When I say ‘narcissist’ I don’t mean the type of person you usually think of; Hollywood actors, rock singers, newscasters or politicians and, of course, the ‘reality’ stars like the Kardashians. They are an especially cartoonish example of the self absorbed but this type of narcissist is common and usually benign.

No, the breed of narcissist I refer to literally suffers with a personality disorder so severe it negatively impacts their life and the lives of those who are close to them.  It’s called Narcissistic Personality Disorder and is a long term pattern of abnormal reasoning, feeling and behavior, especially when interacting with other people. Their personalities are not organized in a way that makes sense to most people which is why, when you encounter a narcissist (N), you walk away feeling vaguely angry or sad or even bad about yourself without understanding why. 

Narcissists are generally male, high functioning, incredibly charming and very intelligent. They are successful in their chosen field but have a history of alienating co-workers, colleagues, students, employees, and eventually family members.  Most of the time they manage to maintain long term marriages and have children and, from the outside, they seem perfectly normal and agreeable until you have a close encounter with them.

To live with one would be a losing proposition indeed. To have one for a parent would be a nightmare that would eventually cause you to sever ties.

There are two kinds of narcissists:  Cerebral and Somatic.  Cerebral N’s get most of their satisfaction with self through their intelligence, academia and professional achievements. They would be high end college professors, researchers, physicians, etc.  The character, Sheldon, from the TV show The Big Bang Theory, is a perfect, if not somewhat exaggerated example.  Advancing age does not bother this type as they are usually capable of pursuing intellectual camaraderie as years go by.

 Somatic N’s self image is found in their physicality. Examples of occupations that can draw them would be the upper ranks of the military, law enforcement or fire fighting. They consider themselves to be exceptionally attractive and exercise constantly, usually involving some level of body building. They love physical contests that allow them to showcase and prove their superiority and strength over other men.

They are quite proud of their sexual prowess and fancy themselves expert lovers, able to attract the opposite sex with little effort.  They tend to deny and dread the physical signs of aging and, having little left to offer others in terms of personality and a lifetime spent alienating family and friends, they often suffer from depression and, sadly, end up elderly and alone.

An excellent internet resource on this subject is the site, Narcissistic Personality Disorder: How to Recognize a Narcissist by Joanna Ashmun.  The following description of their inner reasoning cannot be improved upon so I’ll let her speak.

Narcissists have normal, even superior, intellectual development while remaining emotionally and morally immature. Dealing with them can give you the sense of trying to have a reasonable discussion with a very clever six-year-old -- this is an age when normal children are grandiose and exhibitionistic, when they are very resistant to taking the blame for their own misbehavior, when they understand what the rules are (e.g., that lying, cheating, and stealing are prohibited) but are still trying to wriggle out of accepting those rules for themselves. This is the year, by the way, when children were traditionally thought to reach the age of reason and when first communions (and first confessions) were made. Narcissistic characteristics that are abnormal in adults are completely normal at six years of age and that the survival of these childish characteristics into adulthood is, essentially, immaturity rather than bad intentions.

Once you recognize what you are dealing with, their behaviors and demands can be quite predictable.  Surprisingly, scientists have found that N’s the world over employ the same tactics to manipulate others.  It’s as if they go to a Narcissistic Personality Disorder school to learn how to make others miserable. However, it is important to remember they honestly don’t realize how destructive and abusive they are to others. Although difficult to believe, no malice is intended on their part.

Overall, what the N needs most is the attention and admiration of others.   Because they stopped maturing emotionally at about age six, there is very little inner self from which they can reflect, grow or enjoy memories of past relationships and the skill of self comfort and sense of pride in their own identity was never developed.

In reality, deep down, they despise and abhor themselves and cannot fathom how anyone could genuinely love them, so they sabotage relationships with their false, paranoid, arrogant façade. They unwittingly engineer their greatest fear; that of being abandoned and alone.

Far from being truly conceited, they are empty shells, lonely and desperate to be loved. Unfortunately, their abusive behavior causes the people who want to love them to eventually leave them and they never seem to comprehend they’re to blame; that they are the common denominator in a lifetime of dysfunctional relationships.

For instance, once you get to know them, they are self-absorbed and fantastically insensitive. They demean you and are quick to point out your weaknesses. They are also bigger than life and authorities on every subject. Their time, schedules, energy, drama and life issues always outweigh yours. At times, they’ll use your most personal belief system against you like a weapon, i.e., “You cannot be a good person and do or say or think so and so…”

They are experts at projecting their bad behavior onto you, making you feel guilty and you find yourself constantly apologizing to stay in their good graces.  Trying to love them is a never ending roller coaster of emotions.

It’s as if they have fully grown, functioning bodies that look human but are hollow inside and therefore must fill that emptiness with the adoration you give them; in a sad way, it confirms to them that they really exist and are important and valuable.  The attention and reassurance they seek is called Narcissistic Supply and, like a drug, they will do almost anything to get and maintain a quality source.

Whether or not they are consciously aware of it, they are always on the prowl for new and better sources of supply. When you encounter a true narcissist, they will sweep you off your feet with their incredible charm, intense attention and agreement with everything you say.  They make you feel like the most intelligent, beautiful, charming, sexual woman that they’ve ever known.  You are SO special, even though you just met each other and he knows next to nothing about you.

You experience instant rapport, like electricity, because they are experts in assessing what you think about yourself and are careful to reflect back to you what you long to hear.  NO ONE has ever made you feel this giddy and happy! It feels like a fairy tale because it IS a fairy tale.  The N is not capable of receiving or giving real love.

This happens because the N is hypnotizing you, getting you tangled in his web and you unknowingly become his new source of narcissistic supply. This is done deliberately and methodically.  Your brain is flooded with dopamine and oxytocin in amounts you’ve never experienced before.  These chemicals are the ones responsible for the feelings of contentment, attachment, love, romance and the excitement of something new.  Experts in psychiatry and the study of addictions liken the “high” you experience in the beginning of your relationship with a N to be as strong and pleasurable as heroin.  And just as addictive.  You will put up with an amazing amount of abuse from this person in the hopes of feeling that high again!

Once you are hooked you’ll enjoy a honeymoon period of high level mutual admiration for several weeks or even months before the cracks begin to show.  Things will be going splendidly but all of a sudden, you will say or do something the N perceives as critical and he will instantly and inexplicably turn 180 degrees and verbally attack you with such viciousness it will make your head spin!  This rage is completely out of proportion to any actual slight and is mind bending!

You’ll find yourself profusely apologizing for crimes you had no idea you committed, and he will ignore your pleas and tears until he feels you’ve suffered enough to be admitted back into his good graces.  He punishes you by banishment or silence and it’s all downhill from there.

You must remember having a relationship with a narcissist is a losing proposition. He is literally not capable of loving anyone other than himself because he never developed empathy. He cannot identify with anyone’s feelings or needs, therefore everything is about him. And it always will be. You cannot improve him. You cannot love him enough to heal his personality. It’s impossible and the sooner you comprehend this, the better you’ll be able to make a rational decision on whether your relationship is worth the bother. You’ll give 99% and get 1% back and be told you’re lucky to get that much!

He is only capable of acting or imitating human emotions such as love, empathy and tenderness and what seems to you to be normal feelings, are the subconscious, learned behaviors he uses to control and manipulate others.  He knows trust is important in a relationship but he finds it next to impossible to trust anyone, therefore he will lord the possibility of you earning his trust over you, almost like a carrot on a stick. One day you’re worthy of being trusted, the next day, you’re not.

Remember, it’s like being romantically involved with a six year old. At that age, a child is the center of his own universe. He is arrogant, pompous, and self-important, demands his own way rather than ask or negotiate, thinks his way is always right and, once started, will stick to a course of bad behavior or bad judgment regardless of the inevitability of a less than desirable outcome.

His feelings are crushed by the smallest of disagreements and he simply cannot accept being corrected. Because he is so anxious to be the best, be loved and praised, any failure is very hard for him. He will go to extreme lengths to avoid admitting any wrongdoing. He'll turn on you and throw a spectacular, raging tantrum at even minor disagreements. He is a poor sport and can’t stand to lose. He is argumentative, quarrelsome, defiant, snippy, petty, competitive, combative, belligerent, verbally aggressive, vindictive and vengeful.

He extends little forgiveness and again, will punish you by withdrawing or silence. He will be very critical of others but expects friendships to be resumed immediately following tremendous conflict. He will verbally eviscerate you and turn around a few minutes later as if nothing happened and everything is just fine. This makes you insecure, questioning yourself and your judgment.

He must play one-upmanship with everybody. He cannot stand to be seen as inferior so he’ll compile a repertoire of stories to trot out every time someone else seems to have a better one.  He has done more, seen more, been more places, experienced greater danger, been ill or injured more seriously, earned more honors, medals, accolades, etc. than anyone else.  Ever.  He works more hours and sacrifices more, has fantastically unusual hobbies and the most glorious plans for the future.

He is an expert at making anyone under his influence crave his approval but only gives it sparingly.  He provides just enough of what you need emotionally to get you to stay; just a big enough hit of the narcissistic drug that hooked you to make you feel special, then he will emotionally distance himself in ways that keep you off balance. But no matter what you invest in the relationship, you will NEVER, EVER regain or experience that initial, glorious high again.

Eventually, you begin to emerge from your stupor only to realize you don’t want to be used and abused anymore. You have given up so much of yourself emotionally, intellectually, physically, spiritually, etc., that you now barely function as an individual. But because he is everything to you and it is unthinkable to visualize living without him in your life, the thought of leaving is worse than a death because you know he is still alive and accessible.

What kind of fool falls for and is loyal to a narcissist?  Women who are exceptionally nurturing, compliant, giving, loving, trusting, gullible, naïve and adaptable; whose greatest pleasure is to serve and please their mate.  After years of narcissistic abuse, they find themselves totally dependent on and in awe of the N.  They cringe at the thought of ever being without them because they have made the N their whole reason to exist.

There are only three outcomes to a relationship with a narcissist.  You learn to live as a satellite that revolves around his world, giving up your autonomy, desires and personal needs; he eventually tires of your particular flavor of ‘supply’ and dumps and discards you like a used napkin, or you gather the courage to walk away from what you thought was the love of your life.

This leaves you to grieve what was just an illusion, a fairy tale, and is excruciatingly painful! To realize that you truly meant nothing to him, that he never really loved you because he is incapable of loving anyone other than himself, will nearly destroy you. It literally drives some women to suicide.

And to top off the agony, you must face the gutwrenching fact that he will move on to another source of supply almost immediately.  He feels no guilt or loyalty to you.  He does not miss you.  He does not think about you. You were like a good magazine that entertained him for a while which he then threw away in the garbage when he was finished reading. You were a thing used to temporarily fill him with the self worth he craves.

You remain for some time hooked to the memory of how those brain chemicals he triggered made you feel. You’re accustomed to trying anything to please him. You know you’ve been treated badly but you want nothing more than to pick up the phone and call him or email or visit him. However, you must understand how completely he controlled you and it will take considerable effort on your part to break that control and the addiction you have for him. Sometimes it takes years.  The pain is breathtaking.

There are plenty of internet sites with ‘survivors’ of narcissistic relationships to help you and they will provide all the information, validation and support you’ll need to help you heal. The experience you have is so surreal that, almost like rape, until you’ve tried to love one of these people, you cannot possibly understand the injuries inflicted that scar you forever. You will always think of them as “my narcissist.”  They are a permanent part of you and you will love and miss them the rest of your life.

The greatest tragedy is they are never satisfied, happy or content. They will never, ever comprehend the damage they inflict on others and if you are courageous enough to tell them they are narcissistic they'll blow sky high and deny it, even if you present them with solid evidence. They simply cannot bear to face that truth. They'll accuse you of being hateful or trying to hurt them when the opposite is true. You want more than anything to help them.

They'll never understand that they don’t need to be perfect or better than everyone else to be lovable, because they are worthy just as they are.  Unfortunately, the love they so desperately need is the very love they destroy with such bitter, arrogant disdain. And it will break your heart!

Friday, January 13, 2012

To my readers:

I appreciate so much that you've taken time out of your day to read this blog!  I really would love to hear from you, even if it is negative!  Speak out--don't be silent. And if you like what I write, then please tell your friends about it.  I want to reach as many as I can with the Gospel of Jesus Christ while there is still time. I look forward to hearing from you!  Have a great day!!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The "I'm A Good Person" Test

From what I can surmise, there are three major decisions we all have to make that will determine how happy and successful we are in life.  I’ll count them down backwards. 
Number 3 is this:  What will I do for a living? 
 If you can nail down this one while you’re still in high school, you’ll save yourself precious time and thousands of dollars instead of bouncing around from college major to major, looking like a loser and mooching off your parents. We all have to bring in the bucks; I mean eating and having shelter is a good thing.  Plus, you’ll be able to work at something you’re interested in and will enjoy which will keep you from dreading the start of each day.

This brings us to Number 2:  Who will I marry?

 BELIEVE ME, this one is absolutely critical!  The person you marry has the potential of making your life happy and secure or a living hell.  You cannot count on your heart and hormones to determine this choice because they have absolutely NO commonsense whatsoever!  LISTEN to the people who know you best; your parents, your brothers and sisters, your best friend or even another adult outside your family who has seen you grow up and can see the potential pitfalls your beloved poses to you. 

These people love you and, far from wanting to ruin your life or hold you back, they truly want you out on your own, successful, happy and starting your own little family.  If they are warning you they see red flags or they express concerns about your intended or about their family, LISTEN and seriously consider what they are telling you. Been there. Did not do that. Suffered horribly. Don’t be stupid!

This brings us to the single most important decision you will ever make. Every person who has ever lived on this earth has faced this. There is no avoiding it. There is no gray area. The answer is either yes or no. And ignoring it qualifies as a ‘no.’  Wanna know what it is?

Number 1:  Do you want to spend all of eternity in heaven or do you want to go your own way and take your chances?

Not sure about that last one?  Maybe you’re thinking, “Hey, I’m a good person so I’ll go to heaven.  After all, I try to live by the golden rule and be nice to people. “  Really?  You sure about that?  Because if you make the wrong choice on this one, there will most assuredly come a day when you’ll wish you’d never been born!  Would you like to take a little test by Ray Comfort to make sure you really ARE a good enough person to go to heaven?  Great!  There is a free prize you can have at the end!

Here is what you need to keep in mind as you answer the questions: If you were hit by a bus this very day, and you knew you had to face a Holy God who will judge every action and  thought you’ve ever had, would He consider you good enough to enter those ‘pearly gates’?  

 Answer the following questions truthfully. It’s OK, because you’ll be the only one who will know your score.  Give yourself a 0 for ‘yes’ and a 1 for ‘no.’  Let’s get started.

1.      Has there ever been any person, thing, idea, dream or plan that has been more important to you than God Himself? 

2.      Have you ever had a possession, thing, person, pet or religious figure that you adored with your eyes or even prayed to?     

3.      Have you ever used any of God’s names as a swear word?

4.      Do you regularly set aside one day a week to rest, play and worship God?

5.      Have you ever cursed or hated your parents?

6.      Have you ever been angry enough or hated anyone badly enough to imagine killing them, even though you would never actually do it?

7.      Have you ever looked at anyone with lust, imagining yourself having sex with them, or have you ever actually committed adultery?

8.      Have you ever stolen anything; even something little when you were a kid or maybe some office supplies from work?

9.      Have you ever lied about someone or something?

10.  Have you ever been jealous of what someone else had?

OK, how did you do?  Did you score a perfect 10?  Maybe a 5 or 6?  Tell you what.  I’ll score myself as an example. That might make it clearer for you.

Hmmm. Well, I’ve definitely lied before, I mean who hasn’t, right?  And I’ll have to cop to hating my parents, even bad enough to want to kill them a time or two; that’s a 2 for 1 right there.  I’ll see if there’s anything else.  Oh yeah, I have swiped some pens and a stapler from work before.  Can’t deny that one!

So where do I stand?  According to my score, I am a lying, murdering, parent hating, thief.  So if I were hit by that bus today and had to stand before a perfect, Holy God, there is NO way I would be a good enough person to get into heaven, would I?  What do you think?  Truth be told, I’ve done ALL of the things listed before in my lifetime and my score is a big, fat 0.  How about you?

Can you see how being, “a good person” would not be enough to get past God?  Freaky thing is, no one is good enough. No one could ever do enough good deeds, or give enough money to the poor, or feed enough kids in Africa, or go to church enough to become good enough for God. We aren’t capable.

I promised you a free prize for taking the test, but you have to decide whether or not you want it.  And it’s only offered for a limited time.   In God’s Word, Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”  You see, every person ever born has been sinful. We can’t help it and we can’t fix it.

 But God loves us…YOU, so much that His Son, Jesus, suffered our death penalty for us so we can be sinless and perfect in God’s eyes. And that is the ONLY way we’ll get into heaven.  Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father (God)  BUT BY ME.”  

There are not many paths to God, unlike the blather you’ve heard on Oprah.  There is only one way, and that is Jesus.  So, do you want the most incredible, most valuable prize you’ll ever get??  It’s easy. 

Just tell God you understand you can never be good enough for Him, and you accept that Jesus died in your place.  Ask Jesus to come into your heart so you can start living for Him. That’s all you have to do.

After you accept Christ, get yourself a King James Bible and start reading the first four books of the New Testament so you can get to know your Savior.  Then find a good, Bible believing church and start going so you can get some solid teaching.  If you have any questions, I would be so honored to help you. Just leave me a message on the site you saw this article on and I’ll get back in touch with you.

Remember the 3 most important decisions you’ll ever make.  God offers you the best deal you’ll ever get!  For heaven's sake, make wise choices!


Monday, January 9, 2012

Do the Osteen Dance!

Come on everybody, get on your feet and do the Joel Osteen dance!  It’s light and fluffy, without conviction or substance. All you have to do is look incredibly uncomfortable when Oprah asks a question about homosexuality, and then you stutter and stammer, wave your hands and give a weak acknowledgement that the Bible states homosexuality is a sin.

Mr. Osteen is the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, TX.  He is the author of several bestselling books and he reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers every week in over one hundred nations around the world.

His sermons are full of sweetness and light; “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life,” he assures.  Be positive and happy, happy, happy and you will be blessed and even more prosperous. Just be nice and get along with people and pray once in a while. Oh yeah, be sure to give generously to the church so we can pay for this obscenely massive building with its coffee bar, recreational courts, youth center and so on. That pretty much sums up his teachings on how to be a Christian.

But Joel, heaven forbid you mention the “S” word!  You know that pesky thing that separates us from God?  What is it called again?  Mmm?  SIN?  Yesseree, you got it!  Sin.  Now Joel, I know talking about sin is politically incorrect and bad for business. I understand, I really do!  However, you purport to be a representative of God, a shepherd so to speak, and the unbelieving public looks to you for guidance and teaching on how they can go to heaven when they die. Unfortunately, you are leading your little sheep right off a cliff because you’re not telling them the whole truth.

Why is that, Joel?  Tell you what, here honey, let me help you out. When is the last time you told them that, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”? (Romans 6:23)  Have you ever mentioned that Psalm 14:3 says, “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one”,  so the excuse, “I am a good person and will go to heaven” is worthless?

What about the blood?  Do they understand that there is NOTHING they can do to earn salvation; that it is a gift from God through the shed blood of His son, Jesus?  You remember how it works, don’t you?  Jesus paid our personal death penalty for us by dying in our place, and He rose from the grave to prove He can give us eternal life.  Sound familiar?  Did you ever tell them that they must confess and repent of their sins and believe that Jesus died for them and He is the Son of God?

Repent. Yuck.  I know, Joel, hardly anyone uses that word anymore.  Repent: To make a 180 degree turn from sin and resolve to never repeat it.  That’s quite a bit different than just winking at God and mumbling, “Gee God, I’m sorry. Now open the gate and step aside, I’m going into heaven”, isn’t it?  They really should know when they accept Christ into their heart they are changed from the inside out.  They’ll no longer be interested in the things they used to do; they'll have a desire to learn more about Jesus and have a hunger for His Word.

Of course you’ll need to remind them that they will still sin every single day, but because they belong to God, they are constantly in a state of grace and according to 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”    It’s so simple, don’t you think, Joel?

However, this is what YOU are instructed in the Bible to do:  2 Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.”   Why don’t I see you doing this??  You’re tickling their ears and making sure they aren’t offended, aren’t you?

What’s the deal, Joel?  Are you so spiritually castrated that you’re terrified of standing firm and declaring what the Word of God says about homosexuality?  You don’t need to be afraid!  After all, you didn’t make the rules; you’re just supposed to tell others about them and that, because God LOVES them, how they can escape the just punishment that is surely coming.  That’s not so hard, is it??

Yes, I know people will leave your church in droves.  They won’t tolerate hearing the truth because they don’t want to be accountable to a Holy God; they want to live life on their own terms, however they want to.  They might even *gasp!* make fun of you and call you bad things!  The income will drop like a rock and you might have to adjust your lifestyle a little.  The television interviews will stop coming and your books might not be best sellers, but guiding your flock to the truth is your job as pastor, is it not?

Of course, you can always keep on going as you are; cringing in fear before the demi-goddess, Oprah, when she asks you what sin is.  You can fidget and stammer and answer in that whiney, smarmy voice of yours the truth of what God says and then apologize for it. 

And life will be beautiful and you’ll keep on being popular and you’ll keep on being ‘blessed’.  I recommend you give a little thought to whom is doing the blessing. Almighty God, who expects you to speak truth, or the ‘god of this world’ whom you are serving so well.

Keep on dancing Joel.  Just keep on dancing.


Can You Trust the Bible?

The Bible has been the most controversial, maligned, misunderstood, lied about works of literature in all of history. Venerated by some, burned en masse by others, it remains the bestselling book of all time.  These facts notwithstanding, are we able to trust what the Bible says? How?  After all, it was written by men, changed over the centuries and full of allegorical fairytales, isn’t it?


Allow me to introduce you to what is also called, The Word of God. What I will tell you is verifiable and true and you just might be amazed and even a little disconcerted, that what you’ve probably been told about the Bible is, well, hogwash.
What is the Bible all about?  It is the comprehensive explanation of God’s cosmic love and plan for humanity. It was written over a period of 1600 years by 40 different authors who lived on 3 different continents using 3 different languages!  And the most remarkable thing about it is that the story told is absolutely cohesive and consistent! The themes and historical accounts do not contradict each other. Think about that…
The USA has been in existence for 236 years.  Consider the amazing changes in society, attitudes, technology, transportation and education since the time of George Washington.  Back then, there was no electricity, no automobiles, no telephones, no refrigeration or even indoor bathrooms.  How radically the world has changed in that relatively short amount of time!
Now, contrast that with the 1600 years it took to complete the Bible.  Think of the advancement of civilization that occurred during that time, and yet, the Bible’s message is harmonious and even applicable to our lives in this day and age!  Incredible.
The authors were from different eras, cultures, races and levels of education.  There were doctors, tax collectors, sheepherders, farmers, fishermen and even kings. These men lived their lives in Asia, Africa and what is now Europe and they spoke in ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and the common man’s language of the New Testament, Greek.
It includes parables, poetry, and eye witness accounts of events, visions, laws, genealogy, history, and prophecies, some of which are still to be fulfilled.  And, again, the overarching theme is completely harmonious!  Have you ever heard of such a thing??
But is it accurate?  I hear the following statement all the time: “You can’t trust the Bible because it was written by man. And because it’s so old, there is no way it hasn’t been changed and rewritten to say what the church wants it to say.”  *sigh*
Of course it was written by man.  Who else would have written it?  A duck?  Does that mean I shouldn’t believe the Pythagorean Theorem because it was written by men?  Should we throw away our math books because a man came up with it?!  Silly argument, isn’t it?
Yes, men wrote it, but they did so under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, who put into their hearts and minds what to say.  They didn’t just sit down and make stuff up, especially since at the time, some of the authors were imprisoned and in chains for what they were writing.  Why would they put their lives on the line just to make up some story? 

And since it was written over such a long period of time, in differing locations, by men of vastly different education and occupations, who had never met each other, how in the heck could they pen something that was in such agreement with what the other writers said, if they were not directed by God? Answer?  They couldn’t.
 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
Well, you say, it’s been rewritten and changed hundreds of times since then. OK, let’s look at that.  Historians tell us that before the printing press was invented, there were men who were highly educated and well respected, called scribes.  The scribes were responsible for copying the original text of writings from parchment word for word. They had to be 100% accurate or they would likely be executed by the kings of the time.
 Archeologists have copies of books and royal decrees, written by scribes, dating all the way back to ancient Egypt and the time of the early Pharaohs, some 3000-4500 + years ago. They have multiple copies of the same manuscript, so they know the writings were consistent.
The Bible was preserved down through the ages in the same way. In the time of Jesus, the Old Testament was present in the Jewish temples for the priests to read to the people.  Jesus himself publically read from the scrolls on at least one occasion. The copies of the Old Testament were known to be consistent. No one even questioned it.
The New Testament was preserved like this as well. The original writings of the apostles and the letters of Paul were copied by scribes for the early church so each congregation would have exactly the same texts.  In later years, this task was taken over by monks who dedicated their lives to making exact copies, all the way up until the printing press was invented.
We know that the Bible we read today is a faithful translation of the original texts because of the fantastic discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, in 1947.  These parchments, rolled up in clay jars, were found by a group of boys who were exploring some of the many caves in the cliffs overlooking the Dead Sea.  At that time, the oldest Hebrew copies of the Old Testament dated from around the 9th and 10th centuries AD.
These scrolls, some of which were in fragments, some intact, were at least 1000 years older and the astounding thing about them were the words of the ancient scrolls were nearly identical to the later copies!  We can be confident that what we read in the Bible today has not been rewritten or changed in any appreciable way over the centuries.
Most modern Biblical scholars agree that the most accurate translation of the Bible we have now is the King James Version.  Many people complain that it is difficult to understand because we don’t speak Elizabethan English today, but you must be very careful here.  Many of the ‘translations’ or paraphrases available do, indeed, distort and change the original intent of the scriptures.  You are safest sticking with the King James.  It’s not that difficult to read at all and you quickly get used to the ‘thee’s and ‘thou’s.
There are over 5000 manuscripts of the New Testament which are complete or nearly complete!  The earliest copy dates back to approximately 150 AD, which is only 120 years after the crucifixion of Jesus and within 50-60 years of death of the last surviving apostle, John. I challenge you to find a 1st century copy of any other writing that was preserved within this time frame.
Let me give you an example of how rare this is. There are only 10 manuscripts of The Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar. TEN!  The earliest dates back to 900-1000 years AFTER the death of Julius Caesar!  Why does no one question or debate the truthfulness of these writings?  
You know why so many people have come to the conclusion that the Bible cannot be trusted? It’s because they are content and lazy enough to buy into the lies and distortions they are told, and we all know if a lie is repeated often enough, people will accept it as truth. I mean, hey, if Oprah questions it or my Uncle Bob says it’s a bunch of hooey, why shouldn’t I believe them?
The Bible, the Word of God, is THE most important book ever written. It contains truth. It is life giving.  It nourishes your spirit and guides you to the only path of forgiveness of your sins, reconciliation to your Creator and eternal life.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father BUT BY ME.”  (John 14:6)  That’s it.
Since you are more informed about this awesome book we call the Bible, why don’t you find a good ‘ol King James Version and give it a try?  Read the first 4 books of the New Testament, called the Gospels. Let them introduce you to the wonderful Jesus Christ, the one who loved YOU enough to die and pay the penalty for your sins so you can be with Him forever in heaven.  Ask God to open your heart to what you are reading so you can understand and get to know the single most influential, world changing individual who ever lived.
The Bible. The Word of God. The truth. Don’t miss it!