Ninure da Hippie's Blog

A year to live

ninure — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:16:52 +0000

Ok, for the record, I’m not saying I have a year to live. But it might be a good idea, in light of my recent gift of “cancer”, that I try and make this commitment. – Ninure da Hippie

A Year to Live
Stephen Levine

I committed myself to living a year as though it were my last. To practice dying. To be fully alive. To investigate the dread of, and resistance to, life and death. To complete my birth before it’s over. To investigate that part of myself that refuses to take birth fully, and hops about as though it still had one foot in the womb. To enter the healing I have seen so many times as miraculous growth during a final illness. To place both feet on the ground at last. To live with mercy and awareness in the midst of the consequences of love, or the lack thereof. To explore this ground, the ground of being, out of which this impermanent body and ever-changing mind originate. To cut through a lifetime of confusion and forgetfulness. To undertake a life review with gratitude and forgiveness. To explore that which holds to its suffering, and cultivate a heart that cannot be distracted even by death.
Source: A Year to Live

Live simply. Love generously.
Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.

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“I trace the rainbow through the rain and see the promise is not in vain.”

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Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
Feed a hungry person today:
http://www.hungersite.com

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/

ninure — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:15:13 +0000

This is a selection from my files that was first posted on Feb., 19th 2009.

Today is Ash Wednesday. and it is always the day after the day I find myself dealing that have found more cancer in my body. I could be tempted to take this day to cry “Why me?”What did I do?. No doubt I will cry, in fear, sadness, anger. But I have the faith in the midst of my doubt, that God hears me. God is with me, I am not alone. Thanks be to God. – Ninure da Hippie

A Prayer from the Pit

Bible Excerpt from Job 30:18-19 (NIV)
In his great power God becomes like clothing to me, he binds me like the neck of my garment. He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes.

Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel

The only thing worse than the deep, dark agony of desperation and suffering is silence. Out of the abysmal cauldron of his calamitous condition, Job speaks, but not just in rants to those around him who would listen. Job speaks in faith to God, for there is no other way to speak to God. Prayers from the pit of painful predicaments are nevertheless acknowledgements of God’s presence. And even though Job expresses great disappointment in the fact that God had not elected to alleviate his distress, he nevertheless acknowledges God’s power–for the same God who has the power to throw us into the mud and reduce us to dust and ashes is the same God who has the power to lift us out of the mud and give us new life. Any prayer out of any condition that acknowledges the presence and the power of God has potential to unleash new possibilities for life. Ask Job. He would tell you that the God of his deepest dejection is also the God of his greatest deliverance.

Prayer
Lord, even in the midst of our deepest distresses, we are grateful that you hear us. Help us to never forget that your presence has the power to make our lives new. Amen.

About the Author
Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, United Church of Christ, Stone Mountain, Georgia, and the author of Solomon’s Success: Four Essential Keys to Leadership.

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/

A Ranr from the past: Value Voters

ninure — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:02:12 +0000

Some things never change….This post was actually written in 2008.

I only mention it because of the reference to Clinton. I suppose I could have re-written, but yesterday for some reason, I saw at least four negative mentions of Mr. Clinton.

Otherwise, my feelings I had when I wrote this haven’t changed much. Maybe the Republicans scare me a bit more…

===================================================================

When you were a kid, did you ever try to get away with doing something by saying, “But soand-so did it first”?

Did it EVER work?

It never did for me, I can tell you. In fact saying something like that usually got me harsher punishement for being “stupid”. There was no excuse for doing something that I knew, or even suapected was wrong.

I bring his up, because I ‘ve gotten a “message” or two from people claiming that i am being unfair to conservatives by “calling out” them on theirr lies, distortions”, and flip flops.

A few people were highly upset because I stated that it seems to me that conservatives act as if they think “dishonesty” is a moral value.

“What about Obama1″, the cry. (Well at least that’s a slight improvement over, What anbout Clinton”) “What about the Dems/Liberals??!!??”

What about about about them?

Maybe if my side was running around claiming that the people who voted for us were “value voters”, “you” might have a point.

But you and your talking heads are the ones who claim thay YOu and you alone are the true Christians. You’re the ones who claim that the GOP is the party of “family values”.

You’re the ones who demand that the 10 Commandments (one of which FORBIDS lying BTW) and “religious” symbols be placed on public prroperty , and that there be prayer in schools.

So if you tell me you’re the true Christians, and the defenders of all that is right and decent, shouldn’t I be able to expect you to act “right and decent”?.,

Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.
Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it.
Let them curse, but you will bless.
Let my assailants be put to shame; may your servant be glad.
- Psalm 109:26-28

We are going to render an account to God, not only for our idle words, but also for our ill-considered silence.
- John Trithemius
Rule

I have decided to include the following link in my blog posts from now until the November elections: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp

Please send this link to everyone and anyone you know who tells you things about Obama that you know is untruthful or an outright smear.

People often say with pride, “I’m not interested in politics.” They might as well say, “I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future, or any future.”
— Martha Gellhorn, writer/journalist (1908-1998)

Live simply. Love generously.
Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.

===================

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They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President.

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“I trace the rainbow through the rain and see the promise is not in vain.”

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
Feed a hungry person today:
http://www.hungersite.com

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/

You know your are a Conservative Christian if….

ninure — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:57:03 +0000

This a long list!

Your friendly Hippie found this in her fles, and it appears to have been coomposed in part by a friend of mine name Mark T. I hpnestly don’t know ow much is “mine”, how much is Mark’s. and how much comes from elsewhere. (I used to collect tis stuff).

Anyway, tho I may not agree with some of this, I present this for your consideration.

>You Know You’re a Fundie if…

- Rather than using the Bible as the basis of your arguments, you form your
arguments first and look for quotes in the Bible you can spin for support.

- You think that everyone who doesn’t agree with you is working together for
some “agenda”.

- You learn about differing views from everyone except the people who
actually hold those views.

- You claim that science has no evidence and takes everything on faith, then
proclaim that your position doesn’t need evidence because you have faith.

- You denounce science for dogmatically holding to beliefs in one breath,
then denounce it for changing its position too frequently in the next.

- You measure the validity of evidence based on how well it supports what
you already think.

- When reality and the Bible contradict, you accuse reality of being wrong.

- You marvel at the infinite complexity of life, the universe, and
everything, yet insist that everything you ever need to know about it can be
condensed into a two inch thick book.

- You only follow the parts of the bible that jive with your own life, and
you call the ones you don’t follow, ‘Written for a different time.’

- You’re cured by modern science and medicine and then claim it was all due
to god.

- If it isn’t mentioned in the bible, it’s the work of satan.

- You claim the bible is the inerrant word of god despite the contradictions
and numerous re-writes.

- You think every tough question can be answered, ‘Goddidit’.

- You think Noah had polar bears, koala bears and panda bears on the ark.

- You shun evolution but think talking snakes are just dandy.

- You think ‘liberal’, ‘atheist’ and ‘satan’ all mean the same thing.

- You defend the idea that Hitler is in heaven and Ghandi is in hell.

- You whisper the medical terms for genitals or give them cutesy names.

- You claim that god’s will is determined even before each person is born,
yet you beseech him with prayers to change said plan.

- You don’t find it odd that Pat Robertson is worth half a billion dollars
and yet he asks you for more money.

- You live in abject fear.

- You think about how homosexuals have sex, A LOT.

- You are a misogynist.

- You defend biblical slavery.

- You ignore Adam, god and the serpent and blame Eve for original sin.

- Despite their same origins, you claim Jews and Muslims have satanic
religions.

- You know who ‘The Real Christians’ are.

- You know that the voice in your head is god and not Satan or a mental
disorder.

- Your God hates all the same people you hate.

- You praise God when humans are charitable and kind to one another; but you
curse humans sinful nature when a natural disaster destroys a town.

- You believe there is a worldwide conspiracy of evil atheist scientists who
are trying to trick the world into believing in evolution for some unspoken,
possibly demonic reason.

- You believe one’s political party determines their salvation.

- You believe every human life is sacred, but are willing to destroy it if
said life belongs to a liberal, Jew, Muslim, atheist, homosexual, or
feminist.

- You believe the Iraqi War is a holy war.

- Your idea of absolute morality just happens to embody the values and mores
of your particular culture and geographical region.

- You relish in telling people they are going to Hell, the more trivial the
offense the better.

- Just being able to conceive of an alternative explanation of anything,
regardless of evidence, is considered sufficient means to refute something.

- You believe the universe is 6,000 years old, and the millions of pieces of
evidence to the contrary are either faked or illusions.

- You say that if God didn’t exist, you’d be a suicidal drug-abusing
criminal, because apparently the promise of a reward in the afterlife is the
only thing worth being a decent person for.

-You feel insulted when a scientists suggest we evolved from apes, but have
no problem with the bible claiming we were created from dirt.

- Your idea of sound science is using conclusions to test the validity of
evidence rather than using evidence to test the validity of conclusions.

- You call people fascists for opposing a religious totalitarian government.

- You think that the theory of evolution was set up as direct opposition to
the Bible and is supposed to cover everything that Genesis did.

- You attribute all the world’s woes to arbitrary groups of people.

- You find pretty much anything that people do for enjoyment to be sinful.

-You claim that although god is all powerful, 98% of the human race will
burn for all eternity because they didn’t accept Christ your way.

-You think anyone that has a different opinion is under the influence of
Satan.

-You think you can only look at the bible one way and any other way is
wrong.

-You throw random bible verses at people to support every arguement.

-You claim that humans have no idea what love or god is even though we we’re
created in his image.

- You think that the discovery of one item younger than 6,000 years old
refutes the millions of items much older, but the millions of items much
older do not refute your one.

- You call for a boycott of telephone and electric companies because they
inevitably provide services to homosexuals.

- You’re absolutely certain that you’re 100% right about everything and that
everyone who is not you is going to Hell.

- You are incapable of finding humor in anything except human suffering.

- You believe God is the only ‘thing’ that can be infallible, but turn
purple at the suggestion you may be wrong about something.

- You believe it a perfectly reasonable reaction of an omniscient,
omnibenevolent deity to send bears to slaughter forty-two children for
mocking a guy’s bald head.

- You believe there must be a rational, caring reason for God to condone the
dashing of babies against rocks…you just don’t know what it is.

- You believe that an omnipotent and omnibenevolent god sacrificed himself
to himself so that he could violate an arbitrary rule that he made up and
save his creation from his own wrath. And it makes sense to you.

-You insist that you can’t possibly understand the Bible unless you already
believe it to be completely true.

- You actually think Harry Potter/D&D is the work of Satan.

- You think the KJV is the best version of the Bible.

- You’re homophobic…but then take great pleasure in graphic descriptions
of anal sex.

- You think that Homosexuality is a choice and can be changed. Either that
or you believe its demon possession.

- You think that only gay men have AIDS and that AIDS is a punishment for
doing homosexual acts.

- You believe the Rapture’s gonna come any day now…

-You think that a 99.9%-.1% split in the scientific community between
evolution-creation means that there is a raging controversy.

-You think that the .1% of the scientists who accept creation are honest
truth seekers (even if they all share a common religion and agenda) while
you just KNOW that the 99.9% of evolutionists who are comprised of many
cultures/religions (some christian) are evil satan worshipers

-You think that a scientifically illiterate public knows better than the
scientists

-You are in favor of teaching all the sides of the debate, but are offended
at the suggestion that OTHER creation myths be taught.

-You think that creation-science is just as valid as geocentric-science and
flat-earth-science

- You believe the ultimate defining factor of a person’s morality is their
sex life.

-God speaks the same language as you

-You believe Martin Luther founded Christianity in 1517, and the Bible was
first revealed to King James in 1611

-You’re not a mysogynist; if you hated women you wouldn’t want to own one

-You’re not a homophobe; if you were afraid of gays you wouldn’t hunt them
down and beat the shit out of them

- You think that your church is the only true church, and that all other
denominations, regardless of the similarity of their beliefs/doctrines to
your own, are hellbound heretics.

- You believe Christianity is the one true faith, but you refuse to
acknowledge the influence that Greek, Roman, and Persian thought had on the
development of Christianity.

- Thou pepperest thy speech with arcane English because thou thinkest it
makest thee sound more biblical. (Bonus pointeths if thee useth it
wronglyeth)

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Romans 13:9

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary — the evil it does is permanent.
- Mahatma Gandhi

In many parts of the world the people are searching for a solution which would link the two basic values: peace and justice. The two are like bread and salt for mankind.
- Lech Walesa
from his Nobel Lecture

FAIR USE NOTICE:

This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

This material is distributed without profit

IMPORTANT NOTICE

You may have noticed the increased amount of notices for you to notice. Some of our notices have not been noticed. This is very noticeable. It has been noticed that the responses to the notices have been noticeably unnoticed. This notice is to remind you to notice the notices and respond to the notices, because we do not want the notices to go unnoticed.

“I trace the rainbow through the rain and see the promise is not in vain.”

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
Feed a hungry person today:
http://www.hungersite.com

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/

Paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer

ninure — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:34:57 +0000

Found this in my files, and thought it was something I needed to share.

I’ve been noticing how almost most of us Christians “know” the Lord’s Prayer, and can recite it without even thinking about it.

But really, how many of “us ” really, and truly think about what we are saying/praying?

Would our lives be richer if we prayed like this? – Ninure da Hippie

(~)

Paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer

by St. Francis of Assisi

OUR FATHER most holy,
our Creator and Redeemer,
our Saviour and our Comforter.

WHO ART IN HEAVEN
in the angels and the saints,
giving them light to know you,
since you, Lord, are light;
setting them afire to love you,
since you, Lord, are love;
dwelling in them
and giving them fullness of joy,
since you, Lord,
are the supreme, eternal good,
and all good comes from you.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
may we grow to know you better and better
and so appreciate the extent of your favors,
the scope of your promises,
the sublimity of your majesty,
and the profundity of your judgements.

THY KINGDOM COME,
so that you may reign in us by your grace,
and bring us to your kingdom,
where we shall see you clearly,
love you perfectly and,
happy in your company, enjoy you forever.

THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN,
so that we may love you with all our heart,
by always having you in mind;
with all our soul,
by always longing for you;
with all our mind,
by determining to seek your glory in everything;
and with all our strength,
of body and soul,
by lovingly serving you alone.
May we love our neighbors as ourselves,
and encourage them all to love you,
by bearing our share
in the joys and sorrows of others,
while giving offence to no one.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,
your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
so that we may remember and appreciate
how much He loved us,
and everything he said and did and suffered.

AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES,
in your immeasurable mercy,
by virtue of the passion of your Son,
and through the intercession of Mary,
and all your saints.

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US,
and if we do not forgive perfectly,
Lord, make us forgive perfectly,
so that, for love of you,
we may really forgive our enemies,
and fervently pray to you for them,
returning no one evil for evil,
but trying to serve you in everyone.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
be it hidden or obvious,
sudden or persistent.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL,
past, present or future,
Amen.

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary — the evil it does is permanent.
- Mahatma Gandhi

FAIR USE NOTICE:

This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

This material is distributed without profit

IMPORTANT NOTICE

“I trace the rainbow through the rain and see the promise is not in vain.”

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
Feed a hungry person today:
http://www.hungersite.com

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/

When am I blessed?

ninure — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:06:30 +0000

A new way to “hear” something familiar:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there
is more of God and God’s rule.

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only
then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are-no more, no less.
That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t
be bought.

“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food
and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find
yourselves cared for.

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world-your mind and heart-put
right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of
compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your
place in God’s family.

“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The
persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

“Not only that-count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens-give a cheer, even!-for though they don’t like it, I
do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
Matthew 5:3-12 (The Message)

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If you can read this….

ninure — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:13:43 +0000

Can you believe that Horse?

ninure — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:15:11 +0000

A Talking Horse

A jogger running down a country road is startled as a horse yells at him, “Hey! Come over here, buddy!”

The jogger is stunned but runs over to the fence where the horse is standing and asks, “Were you talking to me?”

The horse replies, “Sure was. Man, I’ve got a problem. I won the Kentucky Derby a few years ago and this stupid farmer bought me. Now all I do is pull a plow, and I’m sick of it. Why don’t you run up to the house and offer him $5,000 to
buy me. I’ll make you some money ’cause I can still run.”

The jogger thinks to himself, “Boy, a talking horse!” Dollar signs start appearing in his head. So he runs to the house and finds the old farmer sitting on the porch. The jogger yells to the farmer, “Hey, old man, I’ll give you $5,000 for that broken-down old nag you’ve got in the field.”

The farmer replies, “Son, this has happened before. You can’t believe anything that horse says. He’s never even been to Kentucky.”
.

–

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary — the evil it does is permanent.
- Mahatma Gandhi

FAIR USE NOTICE:

This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

This material is distributed without profit

IMPORTANT NOTICE

“I trace the rainbow through the rain and see the promise is not in vain.”

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
Feed a hungry person today:
http://www.hungersite.com

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/

Taxi Driver

ninure — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:22:40 +0000

Taxi Driver

A British passenger in a taxi in Dublin leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from the edge of the bridge over the Liffey River.

For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, and then the still-shaking driver said, “I’m sorry, but you scared the devil out of me.”

The frightened Brit apologized to the driver and said he didn’t realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten an Irishman so much.

The driver replied, “Will the saints in Heaven forgive me — it’s entirely my fault. Today is my first day driving a cab. I’ve been driving a hearse for the last 25 years”

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary — the evil it does is permanent.
- Mahatma Gandhi

FAIR USE NOTICE:

This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

This material is distributed without profit

IMPORTANT NOTICE

“I trace the rainbow through the rain and see the promise is not in vain.”

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
Feed a hungry person today:
http://www.hungersite.com

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/

Purpose of Education?

ninure — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:19:11 +0000

Is thus is why Conservatives seem to hate education?