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July 31, 2010
Mind your mouth - 2
‘Of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks...’ Luke 6:45 NKJV
Ohhh this one is soooo true, and something that i am going to read over and over again. I have been grateful recently, for the fact that i have learned to not anger easily...to just chill...and see how things / I feel, once i have done that. Every single time, i have realised that either i was wrong, there was a perfectly good explanation for the what had upset me, or that my initial reaction would have been a total over reaction anyway...even when i was in the "right."
I am working on this every day, and getting better at it too...if i do say so myself.
Have had a pretty uneventful couple of days. I have had Nicole and her friends here all day. They have gone to a 16th birthday party, at a church hall just up the road, so i am just waiting til their curfew time, til i can hit the sack for the night.
Dan popped over for a visit today as well. It was really nice to see him, as i have not seen much of him at all, since we moved. We watched a movie, and laughed at the episode of NZ's Next Top Model that was going on in Nicole's bedroom. Honestly...you would have thought they were getting ready for a beauty pageant.
I'm tired. Goodnight. Four weeks, and 3 days to go! (as of tomorrow)
Let’s answer some communication questions:
(1) What is good communication? It’s honest, positively intended, two-way sharing. It isn’t ‘dumping’ or giving someone a piece of your mind! The first law of verbal ecology is: garbage is not biodegradable! It recycles, festering with time. ‘The words of a talebearer are as wounds…they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.’ Many a word accompanies the hearer to their grave.
(2) What should we communicate? The truth. ‘Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.’ But truth can be given like the blow of a sledgehammer or like a soothing hand of friendship. It should be communicated after advance thought for its impact. ‘The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.’
(3) How much should we communicate? As much as God’s Word, love and wisdom dictate. Children and distressed people frequently need only limited information. ‘A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.’
(4) How should we communicate? ‘How’ can be as important as ‘what,’ so speak with consideration for the hearer’s feelings. ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.’ The hearer’s response is conditioned by your words.
(5) Check your timing; it’s vital! ‘…It is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time.’ If you’re not certain about your timing, wait and pray for wisdom!
Deut 14–17, Luke 10:25–37, Ps 78:32–39, Pr 16:31
Ohhh this one is soooo true, and something that i am going to read over and over again. I have been grateful recently, for the fact that i have learned to not anger easily...to just chill...and see how things / I feel, once i have done that. Every single time, i have realised that either i was wrong, there was a perfectly good explanation for the what had upset me, or that my initial reaction would have been a total over reaction anyway...even when i was in the "right."
I am working on this every day, and getting better at it too...if i do say so myself.
Have had a pretty uneventful couple of days. I have had Nicole and her friends here all day. They have gone to a 16th birthday party, at a church hall just up the road, so i am just waiting til their curfew time, til i can hit the sack for the night.
Dan popped over for a visit today as well. It was really nice to see him, as i have not seen much of him at all, since we moved. We watched a movie, and laughed at the episode of NZ's Next Top Model that was going on in Nicole's bedroom. Honestly...you would have thought they were getting ready for a beauty pageant.
I'm tired. Goodnight. Four weeks, and 3 days to go! (as of tomorrow)
Mind your mouth - 1
‘Of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks...’ Luke 6:45 NKJV
‘Oh, it was just a bunch of meaningless words. No big deal!’ Wrong! Our words are a big deal and they do mean a lot! ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.’ Your words have either negative or positive impact.
(1) Consider some negatives. They can wound people to the core. ‘There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword…’ They can break down a person’s spirit, stripping them of the courage for living. ‘…Perverseness in it [the tongue] breaks the spirit…’ Carelessly spoken words between people can destroy relationships. ‘The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbour…’ Emotional, and possibly even physical death, can result from words. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue…’
(2) Consider some positives. Your words can spark life into a relationship. ‘A soothing tongue is a tree of life…’ The right words can help heal wounded relationships. ‘Pleasant words are…sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.’ Well-chosen words can help us to understand each other. ‘…Sweetness of the lips increases learning…’ Words spoken at the right times can bring us closer together. ‘The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.’ What you say matters, so mind your mouth!
Deut 11–13, Luke 10:13–24, Ps 78:17–31, Pr 16:26–30
Key part of P defence 'fabrication'
Key part of P defence 'fabrication' - National - NZ Herald News
Who would have ever thought, by looking at that man, and from his lack of criminal history, and his status in the community, that he would be a gang associate, supplying them with the precursor that they require to manufacture methamphetamine?
It is everywhere. This drug is the most insidious drug in history. It is worse than anything that has ever come before it. To believe that P does not, or will not, impact your life, is pure stupidity and ignorance.
A pillar of the Pukekohe community is facing a lengthy prison sentence after a High Court judge dismissed a key part of his defence as "a complete fabrication".
Samuel Ross Pulman worked as a pharmacist, and in his spare time organised the youth table tennis evenings and sold vegetables to fundraise for youth projects.
But in May, Pulman pleaded guilty to a representative charge of manufacturing methamphetamine, or P, after being netted in an undercover police operation.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Pulman admitted selling 1290 boxes of cold medicine containing the P precursor drug pseudoephedrine.
Witnesses said they would go to the pharmacy before 8am and pay Pulman up to $100 for a box of the medicine, which retailed for about $30.
At last month's disputed-facts hearing, Pulman said he thought he had been "helping police and the community" by selling cold medicine he knew would be turned into P.
Pulman said his community constable had asked him to continue selling the drugs so police could "spread the net and clear up the area".
"I felt that I was helping police and the community in continuing to sell these items," Pulman said.
But Justice Edwin Wylie has rubbished that idea.
In his determination, released to nzherald.co.nz yesterday, Justice Wylie said community constable Noel Surrey denied asking Pulman to sell the cold medicine at a meeting in 2007.
"If Mr Pulman genuinely thought he was selling the drugs under instructions from the police, it seems to me extraordinary that he did not contact the police and discuss the situation with them. His explanation that he was too busy to do so - over a period of years - is in my opinion implausible," Justice Wylie said.
He also said Pulman "did not strike me as an honest witness".
But Justice Wylie found the Crown was unable to prove Pulman made money selling the medicine, despite making $90,000.
Pulman has previously told the court he would put the cash in a box, to be banked with the business takings.
Justice Wylie said Pulman's employers did not notice any discrepancy between the cash banked and the amount of product sold.
"Nor did they assert that Mr Pulman was taking cash from the cash box," Justice Wylie said.
"While I consider that it is unlikely that Mr Pulman obtained no financial benefit from the transactions, I am mindful of the onus of proof contained in [the Sentencing Act]," he said.
Pulman will be sentenced on August 27.
THE SCAM
* 1290 boxes of cold medicine - all sold before the pharmacy opened at 8am.
* $100 a box - price to gangs making P.
* $30 a box - price to a normal buyer.
* $90,000 profit - to pharmacist Samuel Ross Pulman
Who would have ever thought, by looking at that man, and from his lack of criminal history, and his status in the community, that he would be a gang associate, supplying them with the precursor that they require to manufacture methamphetamine?
It is everywhere. This drug is the most insidious drug in history. It is worse than anything that has ever come before it. To believe that P does not, or will not, impact your life, is pure stupidity and ignorance.
July 30, 2010
In the presence of difficulty - Compassion
True compassion recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between ourselves and others are an illusion.
Compassion is the ability to see the deep connectedness between ourselves and others. Moreover, true compassion recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between ourselves and others are an illusion. When we first begin to practice compassion, this very deep level of understanding may elude us, but we can have faith that if we start where we are, we will eventually feel our way toward it. We move closer to it every time we see past our own self-concern to accommodate concern for others. And, as with any skill, our compassion grows most in the presence of difficulty.
We practice small acts of compassion every day, when our loved ones are short-tempered or another driver cuts us off in traffic. We extend our forgiveness by trying to understand their point of view; we know how it is to feel stressed out or irritable. The practice of compassion becomes more difficult when we find ourselves unable to understand the actions of the person who offends us. These are the situations that ask us to look more deeply into ourselves, into parts of our psyches that we may want to deny, parts that we have repressed because society has labeled them bad or wrong. For example, acts of violence are often well beyond anything we ourselves have perpetuated, so when we are on the receiving end of such acts, we are often at a loss. This is where the real potential for growth begins, because we are called to shine a light inside ourselves and take responsibility for what we have disowned. It is at this juncture that we have the opportunity to transform from with! in.
This can seem like a very tall order, but when life presents us with circumstances that require our compassion, no matter how difficult, we can trust that we are ready. We can call upon all the light we have cultivated so far, allowing it to lead the way into the darkest parts of our own hearts, connecting us to the hearts of others in the understanding that is true compassion. ~ The Daily OM
Letter to The NZ Listener
Letter to The NZ Listener ~ Simon Prast
I greatly enjoyed Bill Ralston's column "P is for Preference" (August 7)
However, Bill is mistaken when he writes that I think P 'should be legalised'. My point is that our current drug laws are based on prohibition and that prohibition has never once in human history succeeded in achieving its stated objective. In fact, as a method of dealing with issues such as alcohol and illicit drugs, it results in exactly opposite and unintended consequences. In this country, the more public and police resource we throw at this problem, the worse it gets.
Unlike many who hold strong opinions on this issue, I have done my homework (indeed, we covered the politics of prohibition at law school). Prohibition wins votes but loses lives. Given the pervasive and pernicious use of P in Auckland, the misery it causes, the families destroyed, the ancillary crime committed to purchase it and the many young lives lost to society forever, I believe it is a scandal NOT to review the efficacy of our laws. However, as in most 'debate' on this topic, passion overwhelms reason. Even a well-informed man-about-town such as Bill Ralston took at face value my comments, as sensationalised in recent press coverage.
For the record, I believe the importation and manufacture of P must remain within the realm of the legal system. Resource currently directed towards the arrest and incarceration of users and addicts should be redirected into the realm of the health system. If elected, I will establish a Blue-Ribbon Panel of interested parties to lead discussion and find solutions to Auckland’s substance abuse problems, Special emphasis will be given to scaling up proven and evidence-based prevention, treatment, and harm reduction strategies; further evaluation of the impacts of drug policies and research in the area of illicit drug policy; and expanded knowledge related to illicit drug policy so that public policy can be fully informed by the best available evidence.
Whoever becomes Mayor, they will be charged with the promotion of the economic, cultural, environmental and social well-being of all Aucklanders. The social-wellbeing of this city is being undermined by the widespread and worsening abuse of P (and indeed alcohol and other more socially-acceptable stimulants) . To ignore the issue, or to accept the woe of the status quo is indicative of political spinelessness. I challenge it on every level, as a man and as a candidate.
July 29, 2010
Releasing the reigns - changing others
When we feel the need to change others, take the time to look inside yourself, find the mirror and the message.
Our perception of humanity as a whole is, to a large extent, dualistic. We paint people with a broad brush—some are like us, sharing our opinions and our attitudes, while others are different. Our commitment to values we have chosen to embrace is often so strong that we are easily convinced that our way is the right way. We may find ourselves frustrated by those who view the world from an alternate vantage point and make use of unusual strategies when coping with life's challenges. However ardently we believe that these people would be happier and more satisfied following our lead, we should resist the temptation to try to change them. Every human being has been blessed with a unique nature that cannot be altered by outside forces. We are who we are at any one point in our lives for a reason, and no one person can say for certain what another should be like.
The reasons we try to change one another are numerous. Since we have learned over time to flourish in the richness of lives we have built, we may come to believe that we are qualified to speak on behalf of the greater source. The sum total of our knowledge will never compare to what we do not know, however, and our understanding of others’ lives will forever be limited. The potential we see in the people who are a part of our lives will never be precisely the same as our own, so we do these individuals a disservice when we make assumptions about their intentions, preferences, and goals. Our power lies in our ability to accept others for all their quirks and differences and to let go of the need to control every element of our existence. We can love people for who they are, embracing their uniqueness, or we can love them as human beings from afar. Your ability to influence people may grow more sophisticated because others sense that you respect their right to be themselves, but you will likely spend more time gazing inward, into the one person you can change: yourself. ~ The Daily OM
I really like that. Everyone could do with reading that.
I am not having the best of days. I really hate hospitals. I hate going there alone. I don't feel like hanging out with Dan now. I think i will cancel on him, and make a big pot of soup, and just hang with Jorgia tonight. She is going to stay with me, while Nicole goes to Nick's.
Sometimes it is nice to just have one of them.
Pour out your heart to God
‘…I pour out my complaint before Him...’ Psalm 142:2 NIV
I am venting my pain, loneliness, and fear...all the way to the hospital, and most likely, all the way back home today.
The girls are off to Nick's tonight, for the night, and i have hanging out with Dan to look forward to. Haven't seen him in ages, so that will be nice! Then dinner and Uno with with my old, old, old, friend Damian on Sunday night! yiippeeee
I am very grateful today, that my sleeps these days, are a hundred times better than the one that i had last night! It has been a long time since i struggled to sleep.
Positive thoughts. We are what we think!
Learn to pray the Psalms. They run the gamut of human emotion from thanksgiving, to anger, to fear, to loneliness, to grief. The Psalmist doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to life. Not life as we wish it was, but life as it is: ‘I pour out my complaint before Him; before Him I tell my trouble.’
He vents his pain to God, he allows himself to ‘feel it’. That takes courage, especially when you just want to put on a brave face. John Ortberg wrote: ‘I regret feeling the pain of failure so keenly that I backed away from owning it and learning from it. I could not heal and move on. I wanted to bury it so deeply that no one would ever guess it was there—not even me.’
Sound familiar? The Bible doesn’t discourage the grieving process, it just warns us not to get stuck in it. ‘…Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning…’ (Psalm 30:5 NIV) To reach your morning of rejoicing you must go through your night of weeping.
FB Meyer wrote: ‘There are some who chide tears as unmanly, unsubmissive, unchristian. They comfort us with a chill, bidding us to put on a rigid and tearless countenance... We may well ask if a man who cannot weep can really love? Sorrow is just love bereaved; its most natural expression is tears... Jesus wept. ...The Ephesian converts wept on the neck of the Apostle Paul whose face they were never to see again.’ So go ahead and pour out your heart to God. It’s a vital step to becoming whole.
Deut 8–10, Luke 10:1–12, Ps 78:9–16, Pr 16:25
I am venting my pain, loneliness, and fear...all the way to the hospital, and most likely, all the way back home today.
The girls are off to Nick's tonight, for the night, and i have hanging out with Dan to look forward to. Haven't seen him in ages, so that will be nice! Then dinner and Uno with with my old, old, old, friend Damian on Sunday night! yiippeeee
I am very grateful today, that my sleeps these days, are a hundred times better than the one that i had last night! It has been a long time since i struggled to sleep.
Positive thoughts. We are what we think!
July 28, 2010
Trust God
‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living...’ Psalm 142:5 NKJV
Good sleep. Had a dream that my car got crashed into and written off, while parked outside Dan's house! Weird.
Busy day. back later.
Hard times energise some people, yet paralyse others. Look at David. Everything he touched turned to gold: Samuel anointed him to be king; he defeated Goliath; Saul chose him as a musician and warrior; the army loved him and wrote songs about him.
Then his life fell apart. He lost his job and his marriage failed; Samuel his old mentor died; his best friend Jonathan couldn’t help him and Saul’s soldiers hounded him until he had to hide in a cave. At some point we all do time in the cave! It’s where you end up when all your earthly supports are gone. It’s where you learn important things about yourself that you can’t learn anywhere else. It’s where God does some of His best work in moulding you into the likeness of Christ. It’s where your worst inadequacies confirm that you’re out of your depth and where God sends His power to flow through your weakness.
When David prayed, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living,’ he’d no way of knowing there was a crown in his future, or that he wasn’t going to die in hiding. For all he knew, this cave he was in right now might be as good as it gets. When you’re in a situation you can’t fix, can’t change and can’t escape, trust God! Trust God! Trust God! As long as your sense of security is tied solely to your success, it’ll always be fragile. But when you know that God is with you even at your lowest point, you can handle the cave and come out stronger!
Deut 5–7, Luke 9:57–62, Ps 78:1–8, Pr 16:23–24
Good sleep. Had a dream that my car got crashed into and written off, while parked outside Dan's house! Weird.
Busy day. back later.
July 27, 2010
Letting go
Stop trying so hard to control things. It is now our job to control people, outcomes, circumstances, life. Maybe in the past we could not trust and let things happen. But we can now. The way life is unfolding is good. Let it unfold.
Stop trying so hard to do better, be better, be more. Who we are and the way we do things is good enough for today.
Who we were and the way we did things yesterday was good enough for that day.
Ease up on ourselves. Let go. Stop trying so hard.
Today, i will let go. I will stop trying to control everything. I will stop trying to make myself be and do better, and i will be myself.
Today was a better day. The girls are back with me, thank goodness. I had missed them a ton. They are being brats though...kind of...but that is ok. I will let them off, since i have not seen them in nearly a week. The longest i have gone without them since i moved!
I have a busy day tomorrow. Then hospital on Thursday, which i am absolutely dreading. I wish it was tomorrow so that i could just have it over and done with.
Five more weeks...as of tomorrow. I really hope it goes fast.
Settle your disagreement
‘…Please…settle your disagreement...’ Philippians 4:2 NLT
That has nothing to do with not forgiving her, or not settling a disagreement...that has to do with not allowing her to damage any more of my life than she already has. I received the following email last week...from a childhood friend of mine, and she pretty much sums up my mother...and the relationship or lack there of...
I can't ever have Fred back in my life. Ever. I hope that God can forgive me for that, and still bless me.
Euodia and Syntyche were two women who worked hand in hand with Paul in building the church. Yet sadly, the only mention of them in Scripture is that they couldn’t get along with one another. That’s not good because God’s blessing is predicated upon our willingness to forgive and to love one another.Hmmm...i have forgiven everyone that i have held anger towards, in the past. I have no anger, or hate in me anymore. However, i don't think there will ever be a time in my future, when i will think it is healthy to have a relationship with Fred.
Jesus said: ‘Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.’ (Mark 11:24–25 NKJV)
You can’t pray effectively when you have ‘anything against anyone’. Even if the other person is wrong, let God use you as a paramedic of His mercy. Tell them you want to see the relationship healed, apologise and be reconciled. It may take more than a U-turn to make up the distance between you, but each step you take will make the road shorter, and if you stay on course you’ll get to where you ought to be on time.
Don’t argue over ‘who did what to whom’. Be bigger than that! Show grace! You’ve been asking God to restore things; well, this is part of it. Yes, your ego will rebel. And if you let it, fear of rejection will stop you dead in your tracks. But do it anyway and see what happens. Remember, when you forgive someone, you position yourself beyond condemnation; at that point God can bless you. Can you afford to live without His blessing?
Deut 3–4, Luke 9:46–56, Ps 46, Pr 16:20–22
That has nothing to do with not forgiving her, or not settling a disagreement...that has to do with not allowing her to damage any more of my life than she already has. I received the following email last week...from a childhood friend of mine, and she pretty much sums up my mother...and the relationship or lack there of...
Ive been thinking a lot lately about the things we used to get up to. Despite a lot of naughty shit we used to have some fun huh. remember going to tapas and cactus jacks. so long ago huh. and then georgie pie. yum i would give anything for a georgie pie sometimes. i was also remembering my mum telling me she met your ma at botany town centre, maybe a year or more ago and that your ma told mine that you had got in trouble with threatning nicks new wife or something.That is from a friend of mine, that i have known since i was a teenager, who has even had Fred's anger directed at her, at times. That email made me cry.
At the time i didnt really think too much of it, as your mum always told stories but you know what when i think about that now jac how awful is that of your mother. firstly to speak of her own daughter to my parents, whom she hardly knows but also to put it accross to them like its idle gossip. Your her daughter!
My mum commented to me recently that no matter what i did she would still love me and support me in the best way she knew how. In hindsight i wish i had encouraged you away from your mum more when we were younger. i truly believe this is the right thing for you. I guess i was young and grew up thinking you must love your mum no matter what. im sorry that i didnt try to help you more back then.
Ive read a lot of your blog (hope you dont mind) and everything ive read about all the anger you used to have i can now see as an adult was because of the love you were missing from your life. that unconditional love that everyone needs. you did have a lot of anger in you and im sorry i didnt try to help you with that back then. i guess i didnt understand the way i can now.
x
I can't ever have Fred back in my life. Ever. I hope that God can forgive me for that, and still bless me.
July 26, 2010
Former Olympian pleads not guilty to attacking woman
Former Olympian pleads not guilty to attacking woman - Olympic Games - NZ Herald News
Name suppression does not work these days. Not with the internet...and for scum, like this man, it shouldn't.
Why on earth, should someone who has already been convicted of the manslaughter of his own child, be entitled to name suppression? This man has a very violent past. People have a right to be made aware of this.
What is UP with how the NZ Justice System protects these criminals? Why should every other male Olympian be under suspicion, because of this hideous man?
A former Olympian punched and strangled a woman, dragged her through a house and repeatedly raped her, a High Court jury has heard.
The Crown accuses the former Olympian, who has name suppression, of five counts of sexual violation, two counts of injuring with intent to injure, three counts of male assaults female, assault with intent to injure, and abduction.
The offences allegedly occurred in Auckland between March and August 2008. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In her opening address to the jury at the High Court at Auckland today, Prosecutor Rachael Reed said the accused tried to control the woman with violence and sexual abuse.
On one occasion the pair were in a car together and the woman, who also cannot be named, was suffering from painful stomach cramps.
Ms Reed said [name suppressed] found the woman's discomfort "amusing' and poked her in the stomach. "She went to slap his hand away and accidentally slapped him in the face with the back of her hand."
In response the man "punched her in the nose and mouth".
The court heard when the car stopped the former Olympian pulled her out and pushed her inside the house. He dragged her into the hallway and began strangling her so tightly she couldn't breathe.
The woman went limp in the hope he would let go of her. He eventually did let go and told her she had to clean herself up. When she refused to do so, he put her bloody clothing in the washing machine.
Ms Reed said later that night he asked her for sex and started "sweet talking" her. The woman refused to have sex and it is alleged he then raped her.
The Crown alleges there are six different cases of violence and sexual abuse. Among these incidents are allegations the former Olympian pushed the woman's face onto a steering wheel, giving her a bloody nose, and punched her in the face through a pillow before raping her.
As well as the rape charges he is accused of forcing the woman to perform oral sex on him.
The trial has been set down for five days.
Name suppression does not work these days. Not with the internet...and for scum, like this man, it shouldn't.
Why on earth, should someone who has already been convicted of the manslaughter of his own child, be entitled to name suppression? This man has a very violent past. People have a right to be made aware of this.
What is UP with how the NZ Justice System protects these criminals? Why should every other male Olympian be under suspicion, because of this hideous man?
Naaman - 4
‘…He was…a mighty man…but a leper...’ 2 Kings 5:1 NKJV
I survived the longest, most boring weekend of...i would say my life, but i think i will just say this year. I am sure that it could have been worse, but i am glad it is over all the same.
Before leaving the story of Naaman, let’s observe two more things:I think the story of Naaman is my favourite story thus far.
(1) Everybody needs help. Not just the down-’n’-outers, but the up-’n’-outers. Being a five-star general doesn’t mean a thing when someone’s dying of leprosy. ‘But they wouldn’t listen to someone like me,’ you say. Maybe not today, but when things get bad enough you’d be surprised how they listen. Just serve with excellence and be ready with an answer when the time comes.
(2) God’s hand is on you to minister where He’s placed you. It was the encouragement of someone who got close enough to see Naaman’s real problem, then introduced him to God, that brought about his healing. When God puts you close to someone and makes you privy to certain information, He does it so that you can give them ‘…a word in season…’ (Isaiah 50:4 NKJV)
God used a cleaning lady who worked in his own house to reach Naaman. What if she’d rebelled against making beds and washing dishes? Or decided to go out and gossip about the problem instead? Today you have a role to play in God’s plan. The servant who challenged Naaman to humble himself and dip seven times in the Jordan River is not named in Scripture, but he was indispensible to the process. So are you.
Few athletes have more fans than basketball star Michael Jordan. Yet when a reporter asked him why he liked his dad to attend his games, he replied, ‘When he’s there, I know I have at least one fan!’ Everybody needs encouragement. You can speak a word that changes someone’s life!
Deut 1–2, Luke 9:37–45, Ps 42:6–11, Pr 16:17–19
I survived the longest, most boring weekend of...i would say my life, but i think i will just say this year. I am sure that it could have been worse, but i am glad it is over all the same.
July 25, 2010
The people of Walmart - 2
See, I thought she was that bitch, but I wasn’t sure.
Those damn hunters finally tracked down the Cookie Monster.
Naaman - 3
‘…He was…a mighty man…but a leper...’ 2 Kings 5:1 NKJV
I hope someone, who is living in shame, reads this one today. I LOVE it.
This weekend has been so bloody boring. I am missing every single person that i love. I did though, manage to download episode 13 of Underbelly, and find out what happened to everyone. I wonder what Kim Hollingsworth is up to these days? There was a scene, from her life, that i could totally relate to. The scene where those evil detectives had just kicked the body of her friend down those stairs...and the narrator was saying something to the effect that there comes a time when you just know that change is your only option. That it was too late for her friend, but not too late for her.
That brought back memories.
Anyway...i did not enjoy that season, as much as the previous two. I think the first one was the best one. Roberta Williams and her loud mouth kept me entertained throughout that one.
Right...i am going to try to find something to do with my bored self...other than talk rubbish!
When God gives you an answer, don’t argue and don’t rationalise. Just do what He tells you—and you’ll come up clean.
Naaman’s pride almost cost him his life. When he left Elisha’s house he was angry because Elisha hadn’t come out to speak with him personally. Instead he sent ‘a messenger’ out to tell him to go dip seven times in the muddy Jordan River. ‘Aren’t there cleaner rivers?’ Naaman asked, feeling insulted. At this point Naaman’s servants said, ‘If the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, “Wash, and be clean”?’ (2 Kings 5:13 NKJV)
Today God is asking you the same question. Wouldn’t it be worth humbling yourself to come up clean? To confess your sin, share your story and ask for help? Wouldn’t it be worth risking the disapproval of those who don’t matter because they’re not part of God’s plan for your life anyway? Don’t let your reputation get in the way of your solution. Don’t let the devil entice you to other rivers which have no power to save.
All you need is the kind of faith that involves looking foolish for a while: the kind that keeps you dependent on God when it looks like everybody else is doing better than you. Go ahead, dip in the river of God’s grace and keep dipping! Though you’ve been insulted, though your feelings are hurt, though the process doesn’t seem to make sense, though you’ve reached the end of your rope and you want to quit, keep dipping. Act on the Word God has given you! Miracles are for the obedient, not the wishful.
1 Sam 5:1–6:16, Rev 11:15–19
I hope someone, who is living in shame, reads this one today. I LOVE it.
This weekend has been so bloody boring. I am missing every single person that i love. I did though, manage to download episode 13 of Underbelly, and find out what happened to everyone. I wonder what Kim Hollingsworth is up to these days? There was a scene, from her life, that i could totally relate to. The scene where those evil detectives had just kicked the body of her friend down those stairs...and the narrator was saying something to the effect that there comes a time when you just know that change is your only option. That it was too late for her friend, but not too late for her.
That brought back memories.
Anyway...i did not enjoy that season, as much as the previous two. I think the first one was the best one. Roberta Williams and her loud mouth kept me entertained throughout that one.
Right...i am going to try to find something to do with my bored self...other than talk rubbish!
Meth houses 'ticking time bombs
Meth houses 'ticking time bombs' Stuff.co.nz
Meth labs are everywhere...and not just in houses either. Meth is being cooked in apartments, and even hotel rooms. It is everywhere.
I have posted this previously, but i will do it again...and again...and again probably.
The following is a list of common occurrences or telltale signs of methamphetamine manufacturing. Alone, any of these activities or signs may not mean that drug dealing or methamphetamine manufacturing is occurring. However, some or several of them happening together may indicate a problem:
-Frequent visitors at all times of the day or night
-Frequent late night activity
-Windows blackened out or curtains always drawn
-Visitors with expensive vehicles
-Unfriendly people, appearing secretive about their activities
-People watching cars suspiciously when they pass by
-Appearing to be paranoid by exhibiting odd behaviour such as an extensive investment in home security
-Strange odours coming from house or rubbish
-Rubbish has numerous bottles and containers, especially chemical containers
-Putting rubbish out in another neighbours collection area
Dangerous chemicals and common products used in the manufacture of methamphetamine include:
Lithium, Red Phosphorus, Salt, Methanol, Sulphuric Acid, Ephedrine / Pseudoephedrine, Alcohol, Veterinarian Products, Alkaline Batteries, Matches, Rock Salt, Car Fuel System Cleaners, Drain and Grease Cleaners, Sudafed, Paint Thinners and Allergy Products
DOZENS OF clandestine methamphetamine (P) laboratories are undiscovered in residential streets around New Zealand as meth cooks use increasingly sophisticated methods to avoid detection.
Drug experts warn the makeshift labs are ticking time bombs that pose a risk to their occupants and to those who live unsuspectingly alongside them.
Since 2002, police have found, on average, 200 clandestine drug laboratories a year in New Zealand – most of them in homes. Often the labs are uncovered only by accident – or after they explode.
The number of labs detected by police has fallen off but the former head of the police's National Clandestine Laboratory Response Team believes that is because meth cooks have become more adept at covering up their crime.
"The number of meth labs being found by police has declined in the last year or so, but that does not mean they are not out there. The cooks have learnt from their mistakes and are going to greater lengths to hide their activities," Nick McLeay told the Sunday Star-Times. McLeay, communications director for the New Zealand Drug Detection Agency, said the highly toxic chemicals used in the making of P meant properties used as makeshift labs potentially posed a significant health risk to their occupants long after the meth cooks had moved on.
People who have moved into a meth house have experienced short-term health problems, ranging from migraines and respiratory difficulties, to skin irritation and burns. Long-term problems are less well-known, but the results from a 2009 study in toxicological sciences suggest that methamphetamine chemicals can cause cancer.
Children are especially susceptible to adverse health effects from meth toxins because they have small, developing bodies, and a tendency to play on the ground and put things in their mouths.
McLeay said a $350 property test offered by the agency that picked up any traces of methamphetamine in a property was increasingly popular with new home buyers, landlords and property managers, who were worried properties may have been used for illicit drugs.
"They don't want to move in and risk having all sorts of health problems without first checking the property out," said McLeay. If the test proved positive, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to decontaminate. "We're talking about very toxic chemicals," said McLeay. Chemicals used include not only pseudoephedrine – the main ingredient in meth – but also 32 other precursor chemicals, including acetone, the active ingredient in nail polish remover, and phosphine, a widely used insecticide. Home-cooking meth can spread the toxins from these chemicals to every centimetre of the house – including the carpet, the drapes, the wall linings, and even the soil outside.
Ad Feedback Jason Twigg, the chief executive of New Zealand's only qualified methamphetamine clean-up company, said decontaminating a house could cost anything from $500 to $25,000.
The company had dealt with cases where the toxins had actually penetrated the structure of the building, which meant salvage was not possible and parts of the property had to be torn down and replaced.
"We did one last year in North Shore where it was in the carpet, it was in the underlay and it got into the timber floor, so much so that we had to sand it and seal it," said Twigg. His company had decontaminated more than 200 properties and constantly received referrals.
"It's scary how much meth is out there," said Twigg.
THE WARNING SIGNS
Have you moved into a meth lab? Methamphetamine chemicals can cause: Headaches Watery or burning eyes Nausea Burning skin Coughing or choking Pain in diaphragm Feeling of coldness or weakness Shortness of breath/dizziness Decrease in cognitive function, vertigo and convulsions.
Meth labs are everywhere...and not just in houses either. Meth is being cooked in apartments, and even hotel rooms. It is everywhere.
I have posted this previously, but i will do it again...and again...and again probably.
The following is a list of common occurrences or telltale signs of methamphetamine manufacturing. Alone, any of these activities or signs may not mean that drug dealing or methamphetamine manufacturing is occurring. However, some or several of them happening together may indicate a problem:
-Frequent visitors at all times of the day or night
-Frequent late night activity
-Windows blackened out or curtains always drawn
-Visitors with expensive vehicles
-Unfriendly people, appearing secretive about their activities
-People watching cars suspiciously when they pass by
-Appearing to be paranoid by exhibiting odd behaviour such as an extensive investment in home security
-Strange odours coming from house or rubbish
-Rubbish has numerous bottles and containers, especially chemical containers
-Putting rubbish out in another neighbours collection area
Dangerous chemicals and common products used in the manufacture of methamphetamine include:
Lithium, Red Phosphorus, Salt, Methanol, Sulphuric Acid, Ephedrine / Pseudoephedrine, Alcohol, Veterinarian Products, Alkaline Batteries, Matches, Rock Salt, Car Fuel System Cleaners, Drain and Grease Cleaners, Sudafed, Paint Thinners and Allergy Products
If you find a drug lab, keep your distance from it and call the Police immediately on 111. Keep calm, give your name, address and telephone number. Report where and what is happening. Stay on the phone and, if you can safely, keep watching and write down a description of the people involved and their vehicles. If you have suspicions but aren't entirely sure, still call the Police as soon as possible. ~ Neighbourhood Support NZ
Let's mine that $60 billion right out of the ground
Let's mine that $60 billion right out of the ground... Stuff.co.nz
Could not have said that better myself.
Except, Mr Laws is smarter than me. Not that, that doesn't go without saying, but i never would have thought of there being an agenda behind this week's outcome. I just assumed John Key was a pussy, that had backed down because less than 1% of our population had gotten out their crayons, made signs, and marched up Queen St.
Silly me, for not giving Key more credit.
SO LET me get this right. We have an estimated $60 billion worth of gold and silver sitting under the Coromandel and Great Barrier Island, and we're going to leave it there?
And if we find tens of billions of dollars' worth of precious metals elsewhere in conservation areas or in national parks, we're going to flag that too?
Dear Lord, has New Zealand got rocks in its collective head? This can be the only sane conclusion after the government's gratuitous backdown last week on granting prospecting licences on what is known as "Schedule 4" land.
Apparently Schedule 4 land is really pretty. Mostly inaccessible, but really pretty. Lots of ferns and fantails and stuff. Even snails. But it's more than pretty, it's magic.
It must be, for it has the unique ability to turn normally rational commentators and politicians into gibbering fools. So much so that, last week, one increasingly tabloid paper stamped the words "Saved!" across photos of the various sites.
Saved – from what? All the prospecting licences gave mining companies the ability to do was quantify, as best they could, the exact amount of money that the greenies and the metro-liberals want denied to the rest of us.
It did not give mining companies the right to extract any of these minerals. Just to research. And, presumably, the opportunity for a future government to devise policies that properly balanced both the hidden resource and environmental imperatives.
Sure, people were upset at the potential for mining. But not that many. Thirty thousand marching down Auckland's Queen St is not a democracy. Submissions to a discussion paper do not represent public opinion.
Instead it is pinhead politics. Listening to loud, misinformed voices shouting hysteria and stampeding some sections of a gullible media into believing that the sky is falling in. Or at least the ground. That this National cabinet fell for the ruse is bad enough. That it described such tactics as illustrative and/or representative of the public will is garbage.
Because, if this government was listening to properly expressed will – oh, say, a national referendum with a clear Yes/No answer – then we might excuse last week's charade.
But no, that is not its principle. It continues to uphold the parental smacking ban that remains imposed upon responsible families everywhere.
One suspects then the rationale was about a different political strategy. The desire of Prime Minister John Key, cabinet strategist Murray McCully and senior party wallahs to win back and keep the metro-liberal vote. The vote that most naturally sides with Labour.
Ad Feedback Metro-liberals are, by definition, cause-oriented for one simple reason. They can afford to be. They are generally better educated, earn more money, and are thus able to insulate themselves against the harsher components of Kiwi life. They live in comfortable suburbs and their children attend higher decile schools.
They are a section of the population which has been lost to National for more than 30 years. Rob Muldoon drove them away deliberately, the Springbok tour effectively corralled them in Labour's camp, and the anti-nuclear policies of David Lange and Helen Clark kept them there.
It now seems a deliberate strategy of National to woo and win them back. Key made giant inroads by accommodating the Maori Party in his coalition administration and by sticking with the absurd Emissions Trading Scheme. Or at least, its substance. Party strategists clearly divined the mining issue as becoming the latest liberal cause.
Even though it is daft. This country has the capacity to enter the mining industry, either through state-owned enterprises or public-private ventures, and do a lot better than just clipping the ticket. It has the ability to tap into such significant financial wealth that it could sustain the welfare state for another generation and actually provide first-world health services.
But no. We're going to leave the good stuff in the ground. Forever. As this country plots its inexorable descent down the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) ladder, and heads for the purgatory that rests between the advanced nations and the third world.
Ah, but at least we'll have lots of nice native trees and shrubs to look at. Millions of them. Probably billions.
Yes, it is convenient that the Australians have their vast mineral wealth placed in places where nobody wants to go. We don't have that luxury. Our wealth is in areas that we love. Even if we love them by default – most of us never having been anywhere near the prospecting land in question.
Certainly, modern mining techniques are not the invasive scouring that is the Martha's monstrosity near Thames. Although, even if it was, the impact would be extraordinarily minor in the overall landscape that is encompassed by Schedule 4. The point is that the mining industry has grown up and gone green too.
Green, but not stupid. No, that is the peculiarity of the metro-liberals and last week's National cabinet. So when they next wail about our need to live within our means, do point them to the Coromandel. And point out that our means could be so much greater, but for this past week's appalling backsliding.
Could not have said that better myself.
Except, Mr Laws is smarter than me. Not that, that doesn't go without saying, but i never would have thought of there being an agenda behind this week's outcome. I just assumed John Key was a pussy, that had backed down because less than 1% of our population had gotten out their crayons, made signs, and marched up Queen St.
Silly me, for not giving Key more credit.
July 24, 2010
Denial
Denial is a powerful tool. Never underestimate its ability to cloud your vision.Denial was a funny thing for me. I denied, and denied all day long, to others, regarding what my life had become...but i was unable to deny anything to myself. Some people actually live in denial. They believe their own denial. I was never able to do that. The fact that i was unable to do that, is probably one of the things that helped me get better.
Be aware, that for many reasons we have become experts at using this tool in order to make reality more tolerable. We have learned well how to stop the pain caused by reality - not by changing our circumstances, but by pretending that our circumstances are something other than what they are.
Do not be too hard on yourself. While one part of you was busy creating a fantasy, the other part went to work on accepting the truth.
Now it is time to find courage. Face the truth. Let in sink in gently.
When we can do that, we will be moved forward.
God, give me the courage and strength to see clearly.
I have had THE MOST boring day ever. I took my duvet, pillows, hot water bottle, and my bucket of coffee out to the lounge, and i planted myself on the couch, in front of the TV all...day...long. I watched 12 and a half of the13 episodes of the 3rd season of Underbelly...The Golden Mile...one. Unfortunately the DVD must have run out of space because it ended mid episode 12. Now i will never know what happened to Kim...or John Ibriham, or that psycho nutter cocaine dealer, Danny Karam....and his 4 psycho boys...or that last dodgy cop, with the shaved head.
Hmmmm...o well. I managed to make a bit more of a dent, in the ass dent, so that is something, i guess.
That was my day. FIVE more weekends of this and then this is ALL OVER. I cannot believe how fast time is going now. I can't wait to get on with my life.
I am REALLY bored today
No girls. Clean house. Can't go anywhere. Nothing interesting in the news = too much time to think...and be bored!
Dog puts woman in hospital
Dog puts woman in hospital - Yahoo!Xtra News
Seriously?
"Bring in your Rottweillers" promotion?
Next thing we know...banks will be having "bring in your guns" promotions.
How stupid.
A pet store worker is expected to need plastic surgery, after she was attacked by a dog.
It happened at a "Bring in your Rottweilers" promotion in West Auckland yesterday.
The woman leant down to give a dog a treat, when it went for her.
The victim is now in Middlemore Hospital
Seriously?
"Bring in your Rottweillers" promotion?
Next thing we know...banks will be having "bring in your guns" promotions.
How stupid.
The people of Walmart - 1
My sister just sent me the funniest email. I will have to share it with you...bit by bit. It started my afternoon with a laugh.
Putting this ass in camo pants is like trying to hide an elephant behind a Kia.
Normally he would have to take his shirt off to take a crap, but not now!!
The story of cosmetics
Yuck.
Lucky i can't afford most of that stuff anymore! I used to spend hundreds every month on cosmetics, hair products, moisturisers, hair dye...etc etc. It is ironic, that now that i spend pretty much nothing on myself...i look better!
Being healthy, and a leading healthy lifestyle, is the best cosmetic, or anti aging product in the world...and the cheapest.
Naaman - 2
‘…He was…a mighty man…but a leper...’ 2 Kings 5:1 NKJV
I thank God every day, for the fact that i am still here. I thank him for always looking after me, and keeping me safe. I thank him for helping me get away from that life, because despite the fact that i was ignoring him, it was only because of him, that i was able to become the healthy and happy person that i am today. I thank him for keeping my children safe, and unscathed from the terrible choices that i made. I thank him for the wonderful relationship that i have with them, now. I thank him every day for helping me continue to grow and become the person that i always knew i was, and always wanted to be, but did not know how to be.
I have had a HUGE sleep in this morning. Did not wake up properly until well after 11am. I have no plans today, and nothing to do...so i might just blob on the couch and watch the 3rd season of Underbelly, all day today. I have it on DVD. For some reason, i never watch anything on TV anymore...except the news and Police Ten 7. Shows like Underbelly...i like to be able to watch on DVD, so that i can pause it etc and watch at my own pace.
The music to that series brings back so much memories of the apartment. If i close my eyes and listen to it, it feels like i am back there. I remember Tans and i watching the whole first season, at the apartment, just before i moved.
It is kind of freaky how music has the ability to make memories so vivid. Cool and freaky.
Naaman had a problem; a unique one. In recalling this story Jesus said, ‘…Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman…’ (Luke 4:27 NKJV).If ever there was a message that is directed straight to me...that one is it. If ever there was a situation that i felt had no 'human solution"...i was in it. God was looking after me the whole time, even when i was ignoring him. It was not until early this year, that i began to realise exactly how and why, i was able to get away from that life, when so many others cannot.
It’s easier to believe God for something you’ve seen Him do before. But Naaman not only had leprosy, nobody he knew had ever been healed of it. Are you being tested today because of a unique situation in your life, your marriage or your career? Are you afraid to talk about it because you don’t know anybody who’s ever beaten your particular problem?
If so, stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on God! He doesn’t need anything to begin with in order to solve your problem. Remember, in Genesis He hung the earth on nothing, and it’s still turning every day!
The Bible says that Naaman was a ‘great…man’, but God was about to make him a greater one. Whenever He does that He permits us to get into predicaments without human solutions. When He wants us to have great influence He often permits us to face great challenges. It’s how He moves us from being impressive to being truly exceptional.
But when He does, be careful. One of the first questions people will ask is, ‘How did you do it?’ They’ll start admiring your status and your armour, when all the time it was your affliction that drove you to your knees and allowed God to make you the person you’ve become. Before you can be exceptional you must work to develop a faith that believes God for the impossible, and trusts what He says regardless of the odds.
Acts 27–28, Luke 9:28–36, Ps 42:1–5, Pr 16:16
I thank God every day, for the fact that i am still here. I thank him for always looking after me, and keeping me safe. I thank him for helping me get away from that life, because despite the fact that i was ignoring him, it was only because of him, that i was able to become the healthy and happy person that i am today. I thank him for keeping my children safe, and unscathed from the terrible choices that i made. I thank him for the wonderful relationship that i have with them, now. I thank him every day for helping me continue to grow and become the person that i always knew i was, and always wanted to be, but did not know how to be.
I have had a HUGE sleep in this morning. Did not wake up properly until well after 11am. I have no plans today, and nothing to do...so i might just blob on the couch and watch the 3rd season of Underbelly, all day today. I have it on DVD. For some reason, i never watch anything on TV anymore...except the news and Police Ten 7. Shows like Underbelly...i like to be able to watch on DVD, so that i can pause it etc and watch at my own pace.
The music to that series brings back so much memories of the apartment. If i close my eyes and listen to it, it feels like i am back there. I remember Tans and i watching the whole first season, at the apartment, just before i moved.
It is kind of freaky how music has the ability to make memories so vivid. Cool and freaky.
July 23, 2010
Host finds student having sex with wife
Host finds student having sex with wife - National - NZ Herald News
HAHAHA ok...is it just me? or does anyone else think it is weird that this man does not seem to place any of the blame for this situation on his wife?
What the heck? She is a 45 year old woman! Shagging a 19 year old home stay student! If the situation was reversed and she was a man, and that student was female, ALL the blame for this situation would be placed on the 45 year old man!
Double standards much?
If there is anything that the Education Ministry should do about this situation...it is not place any more students in the care of that perverted, middle aged woman!
I cannot believe this even made the news. Slow news day, and the politicians and other high profile New Zealanders must be behaving themselves, for a change.
A homestay host wants the Education Ministry to issue guidelines on sexual matters after catching his 45-year-old wife having sex with a teenage foreign student the couple were hosting.
The North Shore man - who did not want to be named - said he had contacted police after his wife's encounter with the 19-year-old South American, but was told they were powerless to help as the student was legally an adult.
"I'm at a total loss about what to do in such a situation and I'm bloody angry," the North Shore man told the Herald.
The man said he had faced issues in the past, where international students he hosted sneaked friends into the house late at night for sex.
"We really need to know what we can do in such situations, and I've suggested they add it to their pastoral care code. Is this something international students should be allowed to get away with?"
A compulsory code of practice for pastoral care was introduced in 2003 to protect the rights and welfare of international students.
The code is being reviewed by the ministry, and those involved with international students and the export education sector are being consulted.
Neil Scotts, senior manager at the Ministry of Education, said it had not received many submissions involving sexual matters and homestay families and students, but was unable to give exact figures.
HAHAHA ok...is it just me? or does anyone else think it is weird that this man does not seem to place any of the blame for this situation on his wife?
What the heck? She is a 45 year old woman! Shagging a 19 year old home stay student! If the situation was reversed and she was a man, and that student was female, ALL the blame for this situation would be placed on the 45 year old man!
Double standards much?
If there is anything that the Education Ministry should do about this situation...it is not place any more students in the care of that perverted, middle aged woman!
I cannot believe this even made the news. Slow news day, and the politicians and other high profile New Zealanders must be behaving themselves, for a change.
School thanks clients for brothel closure
School thanks clients for brothel closure - National - NZ Herald News
I hate to break it to Mr Crawford though...the clients that frequent places like this, do not give a rat's about it's location, unless it puts them at risk.
I guess this is one time, that shame, has worked for the benefit a whole community.
Good job!
School powerless against brothel
A west Auckland school has a heartfelt message of thanks for the men who refused to use a brothel which opened across the road from its front gate earlier this year.Ha...how long did that take? Not even 3 months!
The brothel in Lincoln Rd, Henderson, opened in April in full view of the main entrance to Henderson Intermediate School, but closed a few days ago.
The brothel caused an outrage in the community with the school board chairman Ron Crawford saying the school's 500 students should be able to go to and from school without looking at a brothel, he said.
He had vowed to fight until the brothel closed.
Today Mr Crawford thanked the community for its support, including the clients who he believed stayed away because they objected to its location but also because vehicles would be easily recognised in such a high-profile location.
"Had the operation been well patronised by west Aucklanders it would still be open, I have no doubt about that. West Aucklanders did not see it as a place they wanted to patronise."
Clients took up the battle on behalf of the school, he said.
"I am glad people stayed away from it.
"I have also had prostitutes come to me and say they would not work in a place across the road from the school."
He was also grateful to a parent who called a trucking company after a driver "stopped for lunch".
After the call the truck was quickly driven off, Mr Crawford said.
Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said opening a brothel near the school entrance showed the law had failed and it was disappointing it took negative publicity and protests of residents, the school and parents to force the closure.
Families could avoid red light areas but to allow street prostitution in family shopping areas and brothels next to a family home or sensitive sites such as a schools, playgrounds or churches was unacceptable, he said.
It was time for the government to amend the law in the interests of families, he said..
- NZPA
I hate to break it to Mr Crawford though...the clients that frequent places like this, do not give a rat's about it's location, unless it puts them at risk.
I guess this is one time, that shame, has worked for the benefit a whole community.
Good job!
School powerless against brothel
The truth within - Value your own wisdom
We come into this world with our own inner wisdom, it knows where we are going and understands where we come from.
Throughout our lives, we will encounter individuals who presume to know what is best for us. The insights they offer cannot compare, however, with the powers of awareness and discernment that already exist within us. From birth we are blessed with wisdom that cannot be learned or unlearned. It exists whether or not we acknowledge it because it is a gift given to us by a loving universe before we chose to experience existence on the earthly plane. Yet for all its permanence, it is vital that we value and honor this incredible element of the self. It is when we do not use our inborn wisdom that we begin to doubt our personal truths and are driven to outside sources of information because we are afraid. What we know to be true in our hearts is invariably true, and we discover how intensely beautiful and useful self-trust can be when we recognize the power of our wisdom.
Inner wisdom is not subject to the influences of the outside world, which means that it will never demand that we surrender our free will or counsel us to act in opposition to our values. We benefit from this inspiration when we open ourselves to it, letting go of the false notion that we are less qualified than others to determine our fate. The wisdom inside of us is the source of our discernment and our ability to identify blessings in disguise. When we are unsure of who to trust, how to respond, or what we require, the answers lie in our inner wisdom. It knows where we are going and understands where we are coming from, taking this into account though it is not a product of experience but rather a piece of our connection to the universal mind.
In the whole of your existence, no force you will ever encounter will contribute as much to your ability to do what you need to do and be who you want to be as your natural wisdom. Through it, you reveal your growing consciousness to the greater source and discover the true extent of your strength. If you heed this wisdom with conviction and confidence, the patterns, people, and fears that held you back will be dismantled, paving the way for you to fulfill your truest potential. ~ The Daily OM
The only times in my life that i have felt shame, hurt, anger, and all the other bad emotions that no one likes to feel...is when i have not listened to my conscience, and my intuition.
Our conscience, and our intuition, are our very own protective armour, that will never lie to us.
I never ignore either, these days.
Naaman - 1
"He was... a mighty man... but a leper... " - 2 Kings 5:1 NKJV
Does it ever! I have said it before, and i will say it again...there are not many things, in this world, that feel better than going to sleep every night knowing, that i have no secrets, or skeletons. It really is a truly empowering feeling.
I have a dreaded WINZ appointment today. Man, i hate that place. I hate thinking about going there. I hate driving there. I hate standing in the line. I hate waiting there. I hate talking to the people there. I hate BEING there.
I cannot wait for September 1st. I can not wait to have a job again. I cannot wait to know that i will never have to go back there.
I got an upsetting phone call from the hospital yesterday. The results of the biopsy, were inconclusive, i guess...and they have to do it AGAIN! arrrrrghhhhh....that trip to hospital the other week has been the only thing that has made me cry (that i can recall) this year. I don't want to go back, and do it all over again. It hurt like a mofo, it was upsetting having to go there alone, and i was in pain for a good two weeks afterwards as well!
Big FAT UGHHHH...to that. I have a week to mentally prepare myself for that.
In examining the story of Naaman, the leper, we begin by looking at his condition. 'Naaman, commander of the army of... Syria, was a great... man... but a leper.' In spite of his past victories and present honours, he had a hidden problem that wouldn't stay hidden long. Left un-dealt with, it would eventually destroy him. Can you relate?
Today the odds may be in your favour. You've graduated from the best university, you've a good family, and you've built a church or a business, or climbed to the top in your career. Yet before you can qualify for greater blessing God will force you to deal with a condition that's hidden beneath your armour. Outstanding people in every occupation, particularly spiritual ones, go through it. It's what sets them apart. It's what ushers them across the bridge from mediocre to exceptional. Without obstacles we'll always be ordinary!
We're not talking about petty little problems. We're talking about issues so overwhelming you can't sleep; gut-wrenching things that cause your heart to skip a beat and make you fear 'this is the one that's going to take me out!' It's the thing you pray about in secret. It's what you don't want people to see.
So, like Naaman, you wear your 'brass,' then go home and agonise over your condition. Understand this: God teaches some of His greatest lessons in the valleys of life. That's where you learn to lie prostrate before Him, weeping and broken. It's where you pray: 'God, don't let this thing destroy me. Deal with it through the power of Your spirit.' And here's the good news: that kind of prayer brings deliverance.
Does it ever! I have said it before, and i will say it again...there are not many things, in this world, that feel better than going to sleep every night knowing, that i have no secrets, or skeletons. It really is a truly empowering feeling.
I have a dreaded WINZ appointment today. Man, i hate that place. I hate thinking about going there. I hate driving there. I hate standing in the line. I hate waiting there. I hate talking to the people there. I hate BEING there.
I cannot wait for September 1st. I can not wait to have a job again. I cannot wait to know that i will never have to go back there.
I got an upsetting phone call from the hospital yesterday. The results of the biopsy, were inconclusive, i guess...and they have to do it AGAIN! arrrrrghhhhh....that trip to hospital the other week has been the only thing that has made me cry (that i can recall) this year. I don't want to go back, and do it all over again. It hurt like a mofo, it was upsetting having to go there alone, and i was in pain for a good two weeks afterwards as well!
Big FAT UGHHHH...to that. I have a week to mentally prepare myself for that.
July 22, 2010
In harness with Jesus
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me... " - Matthew 11:29 NKJV
And this my friends, is why i struggle to worry about anything these days. It is absolutely wonderful. Pretty much, nothing seems difficult for me anymore! I did enough worrying, and feeling like life was too difficult, and wondering how on earth i was going to manage, the first 38 years of my life, for my whole life anyway.
I had a fantastic sleep over night. I have realised that i actually sleep better, when the girls are here. It is the nights that they are not here, and i am all alone...sorry not alone, when it is just Nixon and I, that i have terrible, broken sleeps. I do not get the girls back now, until Tuesday afternoon, so i am preparing for some sleepless nights!
Right...i have a HUGE mess of a house to clean up, after Jorgia and Melissa sleeping in the lounge for the last two nights.
Some of us find it easy to trust God for health, yet we stay awake all night worrying about finances. Or we trust Him for finances, but not to direct our steps. Jesus says, 'Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.' You say, 'Learn what?' Learn that if you want to lighten your load don't take on more-take on a partner. Get in harness with the Lord and take your lead from Him. Working with God will restore your strength, not deplete it!
Richard Mylander writes: 'On my way to a conference in Colorado I was driving uphill along a major interstate, when I overtook a freight train going the same direction at a slower speed. The train was being pushed uphill by two locomotives that sounded as if they were straining at full power. I'm a flatlander from the mid west. 'Is this how trains move in mountainous terrain?' I wondered. I gradually came alongside the front of the nearly mile-long string of cars. There I found five more locomotives pulling the train. Seven engines in all! Where I come from, I rarely see more than two or three.
That train was a lesson for me. I had been under serious strain for some time. I was feeling tired and was wondering whether I could persevere under the pressure. How like God, I thought. When I am pushing a load uphill with all the strength I have and feel like my energy level is depleted, He wants me to know that He is in the lead, pulling with power far greater than mine.'
And this my friends, is why i struggle to worry about anything these days. It is absolutely wonderful. Pretty much, nothing seems difficult for me anymore! I did enough worrying, and feeling like life was too difficult, and wondering how on earth i was going to manage, the first 38 years of my life, for my whole life anyway.
I had a fantastic sleep over night. I have realised that i actually sleep better, when the girls are here. It is the nights that they are not here, and i am all alone...sorry not alone, when it is just Nixon and I, that i have terrible, broken sleeps. I do not get the girls back now, until Tuesday afternoon, so i am preparing for some sleepless nights!
Right...i have a HUGE mess of a house to clean up, after Jorgia and Melissa sleeping in the lounge for the last two nights.
July 21, 2010
Being is enough
We are not always clear about what we are experiencing, or why.
In the midst of grief, transition, transformation, learning, healing, or discipline - it is difficult to have perspective.
That's because we have not learned the lesson yet. We are in the midst of it. The gift of clarity has not yet arrived.
Our need to control can manifest itself as a need to know exactly what is going on. We cannot always know. Sometimes, we need to let ourselves be and trust that clarity will come later, in retrospect.
If we are confused, that is what we are supposed to be. The confusion is temporary. We shall see. The lesson, the purpose, shall reveal itself - in time, in it's own time.
It will make perfect sense - later.
Today, i will stop straining to know what i don't know, to see what i can't see, to understand what i don't yet understand. I will trust that being is sufficient, and let go of my need to figure things out.
I have had an absolutely wonderful day today with my girls. I am making the most of my time with them right now because tomorrow is Nick's birthday so they will be with him. Then he has them for the whole weekend as well. That will be the longest that i have gone without seeing them in a very long time.
NOT looking forward to that.
I have been so happy, at the thought of Paul being in prison today that it has been hard to wipe the smile from my face. The woman that has come forward and made this complaint about him needs to be put up on a pedestal. I would even buy her one myself.
I have no doubt that by coming forward the way she has - instead of just trying to hide the shame of ever having even met a person like him - she will have saved someone's life.
The whole thing got me thinking though. That man has never had a fixed abode. He moves around in a house bus, and from short term apartment accommodation downtown - on to the next within weeks, or days even. He never had a proper home. Why on earth would the courts bail him to a holiday park like Waiwera - especially during the school holidays when there are bound to be a lot of families and kids in the area?
That just seems crazy to me.
Then i got to even more thinking, because i was talking about this with a woman that i know. We were talking about the law changes and how it was supposed to have made prostitution "safer". Lets face it - it is never going to be a safe option for anyone. It will never be a good choice - either physically, or mentally - however people make bad choices when at low points in their lives for a variety of reasons. That does not make them bad people. It just makes them human.
So has the decriminalisation of prostitution in New Zealand REALLY made it safer for women? Or has it done the opposite? I suspect that it has actually done the opposite of what it was intended to do. Prior to the law change women worked from brothels. Sleazy, gross, and not nearly as lucrative as working privately is these days.
They worked in brothels to protect themselves from prosecution by the police. They worked in an environment that provided them with security, drivers, minders, etc...
These days, the way to go is by advertising privately on any number of slimy websites that are available. All you have to do is have a half naked photo of yourself - and a cell phone - and you are away. Women are now doing this from the privacy of their own homes. They are letting strangers into their homes for sex - while alone. They are driving themselves without any form of security or back up plan for if things go wrong to the homes - or in this case the caravans! - of strange men.
They are doing this because they can earn more money doing it this way. They no longer have to be worried about a police officer knocking on their door - or being at the strange address that they turn up at.
How has that made prostitution safer?
It hasn't.
Had the woman that has laid this complaint against Paul been working for a brothel instead of privately - she would have been safe. She would have had a driver and someone waiting for her - and nearby - if there was any trouble. The whole drama would not have occurred. Paul knew that though - which is why he never used brothels. He always preyed on the private girls. Or if he did frequent a brothel he would convince the girl to meet him after she finished her shift.
The only thing the law change did was lighten the NZ Police's workload - because they no longer have to concern themselves with appearing to police the situation at all.
Personally, i would rather have to worry about being arrested than drugged and raped - although i do feel very blessed that these days - i worry about neither.
Woman allegedly raped while man on bail
Woman allegedly raped while man on bail Stuff.co.nz
Wow. It is about time someone FINALLY had the guts, and strength, after being drugged by this man, to make a complaint.
This man has been booking hookers, drugging them with GHB, and raping them for years. I know this for a fact. It took me two weeks to recover from the dose that he gave me.
I hope he goes to prison ... for a VERY long time. It was only a matter of time, before he killed someone with that drug.
Reading about this arrest has absolutely just blown me away and MADE MY DAY!!!
There is a whole chapter in my book dedicated to this evil man. I absolutely cannot think of a more appropriate way, for him to be celebrating his 50th birthday. Happy Birthday for the 25th Paul...enjoy those withdrawals and that cell of yours!
A man who allegedly drugged and raped a woman escort after he was given electronic bail to live at a holiday park north of Auckland has been remanded in custody to reappear next month.
Paulus Nieuwenhuiysen, 49, appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday charged with stupefying and raping the 23-year-old woman after inviting her to his unit at the Waiwera Holiday Park and Thermal Pools. He is also charged with aggravated wounding and possession of methamphetamine.
He is due to reappear in the Auckland District Court on August 3.
Wow. It is about time someone FINALLY had the guts, and strength, after being drugged by this man, to make a complaint.
This man has been booking hookers, drugging them with GHB, and raping them for years. I know this for a fact. It took me two weeks to recover from the dose that he gave me.
I hope he goes to prison ... for a VERY long time. It was only a matter of time, before he killed someone with that drug.
Reading about this arrest has absolutely just blown me away and MADE MY DAY!!!
There is a whole chapter in my book dedicated to this evil man. I absolutely cannot think of a more appropriate way, for him to be celebrating his 50th birthday. Happy Birthday for the 25th Paul...enjoy those withdrawals and that cell of yours!
Police face surge in armed P dealers
Police face surge in armed P dealers - Crime - NZ Herald News
"Criminal wealth driven by methamphetamine."
Gee...that would not be thanks to John Keys so called "War on drugs" now would it? Exactly what did anyone think, pushing the street price of methamphetamine up, was going to do? Methamphetamine was already an epidemic, in New Zealand. It was already, too expensive for anyone who leads, a law abiding life, to afford. In driving the price up, all you do is create more wealth for manufacturers, and dealers, and force addicts to resort to more crime, in order to feed their addictions.
Stuff rehabilitation huh John? Just push the price up, and addicts will abstain. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all lived in John Key's little dream world? Unfortunately though, we don't, and we are all paying for his "war on drugs." Now, these dealers have so much more wealth, and business, to protect that they are arming themselves.
The one and only time, i have ever seen a gun, was while sitting at a drug dealer's home in Remuera. He had several, sitting there, leaning up against the wall in his living room. I did not think they were real, at first. I mean the guy had always been nice to me, and hardly seemed the dangerous, psycho type. I commented on them, and his insistence that i hold one....even though i protested and said how much i hate guns...soon proved to me that they were real. That...and the bullet hole, in his kitchen cabinet, from when someone accidentally fired it, that he laughed and pointed to.
On the subject of arming the NZ Police. Michael Laws did a fantastic write up about the topic in the Sunday Star Times last week.
Michael Laws - Police Gunned Down As We Cower
The head of the Police Association says the number of P dealers arming themselves has increased tenfold and is good reason for arming frontline police officers.
In an opinion piece in today's Herald, Greg O'Connor says police are "well-equipped and drilled" to deal with incidents where they know weapons are involved, such as aggravated robberies or family violence, through the Armed Offenders Squad.
"What's changed in my 35 years as a police officer - and especially the last few years - is the number of criminals who are arming against other criminals. Over the same time, we have seen enormous growth in criminal wealth driven by methamphetamine."
Mr O'Connor pointed to a liquor licensing checkat the Shakespeare Tavern in central Auckland inMay, where police wrestled a loaded gun off a patron who they say had $10,000 and a large amount of P.
His comments come after two police officers were shot in Christchurch last Tuesday, and a Sunday incident in which Auckland police shot and wounded a New Lynn man after he pointed a firearm at them.
Mr O'Connor wants all police sergeants in the field to be armed, and firearms to be readily accessible in every patrol vehicle for frontline officers.
But Human Rights Foundation chief Peter Hosking said firearms could already be accessed easily, as demonstrated by the New Lynn incident.
"The police were executing an arrest warrant, they were in fact armed so either when they were shot at or when the weapon was drawn, they responded."
"Criminal wealth driven by methamphetamine."
Gee...that would not be thanks to John Keys so called "War on drugs" now would it? Exactly what did anyone think, pushing the street price of methamphetamine up, was going to do? Methamphetamine was already an epidemic, in New Zealand. It was already, too expensive for anyone who leads, a law abiding life, to afford. In driving the price up, all you do is create more wealth for manufacturers, and dealers, and force addicts to resort to more crime, in order to feed their addictions.
Stuff rehabilitation huh John? Just push the price up, and addicts will abstain. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all lived in John Key's little dream world? Unfortunately though, we don't, and we are all paying for his "war on drugs." Now, these dealers have so much more wealth, and business, to protect that they are arming themselves.
The one and only time, i have ever seen a gun, was while sitting at a drug dealer's home in Remuera. He had several, sitting there, leaning up against the wall in his living room. I did not think they were real, at first. I mean the guy had always been nice to me, and hardly seemed the dangerous, psycho type. I commented on them, and his insistence that i hold one....even though i protested and said how much i hate guns...soon proved to me that they were real. That...and the bullet hole, in his kitchen cabinet, from when someone accidentally fired it, that he laughed and pointed to.
On the subject of arming the NZ Police. Michael Laws did a fantastic write up about the topic in the Sunday Star Times last week.
Michael Laws - Police Gunned Down As We Cower
Make sure you can vote in upcoming Auckland elections
Make sure you can vote in upcoming Auckland elections
Stop complaining, and start gaining. If you are not enrolled, then enroll now! Auckland NEEDS change!
Banks has had his chance, TWICE, to walk the walk...and all he has done is talk. The only reason, he was given that second chance, is because National Party supporters are the only people that seem the get off their backsides to vote!
Auckland City, has become the butt of New Zealand's jokes, like never before. We MUST have change.
What do you mean IF elected, Mr Banks? You WERE elected in 2007! How can he make any promises, when he has already had his chance, and either did not bother, or failed?
Craziness.
Aucklanders are being urged to take the first step to getting ready for the Auckland Council and district health board elections by ensuring they are correctly enrolled to vote.
Almost 100,000 Aucklanders are not enrolled to vote in the upcoming local Auckland Council elections – making up four out of every ten people in New Zealand not enrolled.
Auckland Council Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske says while it is disappointing that Auckland is one of the worst enrolled cities in the country, there is now a chance to do something about it.
“Aucklanders want to be able to vote. But to do so, we need to check that everyone in our households receive an enrolment update pack in the mail this week – and if anyone doesn’t, to ensure those people get enrolled.
“There is a lot of change going on in Auckland and that’s generating strong interest in the upcoming elections.
“But interest won’t make any difference if people aren’t enrolled. Only those enrolled to vote will get their voting pack sent to them in the mail,” says Mr Ofsoske.
“There are around 100,000 potential voters out there that won’t be sent a vote because they aren’t enrolled. Your vote could affect the whole of Auckland, so make sure it counts.”
Everyone enrolled to vote will be sent an enrolment update pack in the mail this week. Anyone who doesn’t get one by Thursday (8 July) isn’t enrolled and they need to enrol or update their details.
Enrolment forms are available from the elections website http://www.elections.org.nz/, by free texting your name and address to 3676, from any PostShop or by calling 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56). You can also check your details and enrol online at the website.
The local elections will be held by postal vote from 19 September until midday Saturday 9 October.
Stop complaining, and start gaining. If you are not enrolled, then enroll now! Auckland NEEDS change!
Banks has had his chance, TWICE, to walk the walk...and all he has done is talk. The only reason, he was given that second chance, is because National Party supporters are the only people that seem the get off their backsides to vote!
Auckland City, has become the butt of New Zealand's jokes, like never before. We MUST have change.
'Speaking at a National Party conference in Auckland at the weekend, Mr
Banks vowed to help police crack down on gangs and organised crime if
elected Super City mayor in October.' (NZ Herald).
What do you mean IF elected, Mr Banks? You WERE elected in 2007! How can he make any promises, when he has already had his chance, and either did not bother, or failed?
Craziness.
Spiritual distance
"The people stood afar off, but Moses drew near... where God was." - Exodus 20:21 NKJV
I had an awesome sleep over night, and am feeling absolutely superb, this morning. I have Jorgia's wee friend Melissa here with me today, and tomorrow...keeping me company. Wealthy, private schools get 3 weeks holiday, instead of two, so she is staying a couple of nights with us this week. What a cool kid she is. I love having her...she is like my third daughter. An extra one, that i got to choose!
I am working on the book this morning, and afternoon. It is harder than it sounds...writing a book is. I can sit here and type all day long, for some reason...but when it comes to the book, it is so much more difficult. It is so important to me to do it right...and for the right reasons. It is so important to me that it gets the right message across. A message of HOPE, and the message that BEING the change that you want to see in your life, is the only way to go from a place as low as i was...to the happiness and gratitude that i feel every single day now.
I won't be able to just delete something that i don't like, once it is done. Not that i have ever deleted anything from my blog...for myself. Even the things that i hated about myself and my life, me at my craziest and lowest, are still here. The only time i have deleted anything from my blog has been when others have screamed, and thrown a tantrum, because they are ashamed of their own actions and lives.
Shame is an awful feeling. It is as awful as, going to bed every night without any is, WONDERFUL.
Anyway...that is where i am at with the book, and my thoughts on it at the moment.
I have the hiccups. : /
Moses alone knew what God's presence felt like, what His voice sounded like, and what His radiant glory looked like. And apparently the people of Israel were happy to leave it that way. They said to Moses, 'You tell us what God says... but don't let God speak directly to us... ' (Exodus 20:19).
What were they afraid of, that God might tell them something they didn't want to hear? Hello? When you haven't carried out God's last set of instructions it's hard to get excited about His next set. John writes: '... We can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, '"... I know God... "' but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly... love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did' (1 John 2:3-6 NLT).
So, are you content to be an onlooker, watching God move in the lives of others instead of accepting the discipline required to have a personal relationship with Him yourself? Do you want His gifts and His favour, but not the commitment that goes with them? God doesn't want you to be infatuated with the Bible, or the church, or His blessings. No, He wants you to fall in love with Him. He's not looking for a date; He's looking for a bride! He wants someone who'll stick with Him when the going gets tough. Are you ready to put on the ring of commitment today?
I had an awesome sleep over night, and am feeling absolutely superb, this morning. I have Jorgia's wee friend Melissa here with me today, and tomorrow...keeping me company. Wealthy, private schools get 3 weeks holiday, instead of two, so she is staying a couple of nights with us this week. What a cool kid she is. I love having her...she is like my third daughter. An extra one, that i got to choose!
I am working on the book this morning, and afternoon. It is harder than it sounds...writing a book is. I can sit here and type all day long, for some reason...but when it comes to the book, it is so much more difficult. It is so important to me to do it right...and for the right reasons. It is so important to me that it gets the right message across. A message of HOPE, and the message that BEING the change that you want to see in your life, is the only way to go from a place as low as i was...to the happiness and gratitude that i feel every single day now.
I won't be able to just delete something that i don't like, once it is done. Not that i have ever deleted anything from my blog...for myself. Even the things that i hated about myself and my life, me at my craziest and lowest, are still here. The only time i have deleted anything from my blog has been when others have screamed, and thrown a tantrum, because they are ashamed of their own actions and lives.
Shame is an awful feeling. It is as awful as, going to bed every night without any is, WONDERFUL.
Anyway...that is where i am at with the book, and my thoughts on it at the moment.
I have the hiccups. : /
July 20, 2010
Are you feeling inadequate?
"Our sufficiency is from God." - 2 Corinthians 3:5 NKJV
I needed this one today as well. :)
God will never give you an assignment that does not require His involvement. He calls us: '... Not according to our works [ability], but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus... ' (2 Timothy 1:9 NKJV).
When God gives you a job to do, He gives you the grace to do it. But don't expect it to be easy. God called Moses to instruct Pharaoh to let His work force leave, to go worship a God Pharaoh didn't even believe in. He told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the most corrupt city in the world, and say to its population, 'Repent or die!' When He called Jeremiah to preach to a hard-edged, self-centered people who refused to listen, he cried so hard that he became known as 'the weeping prophet.'
So if you're feeling inadequate today, without God-you are! The heroes in the Bible didn't jump up and say, 'No problem, I can handle that!' But here's the good news: God doesn't call us to work for Him but with Him, and that guarantees your success.
You say, 'But I don't have the ability.' No problem: 'Not that we are sufficient of ourselves... our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient.' You say, 'But I don't have the finances.' No problem: '... God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work' (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV). You say, 'But I don't have the strength.' No problem: 'I can do everything through him who gives me strength' (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
I needed this one today as well. :)
Lessons of reflection - interfering
I have needed this message today, like it is nobody's business.Each of us is on our own path and we all learn differently. Because of this it is important to not interfere with another’s path of growth.
When we care about people, we want to save them from pain by offering them the benefit of our experience. Sometimes we feel like we know what is best for them. Sometimes, like when their safety is involved, we need to step in, but those times are rare. More often we find ourselves becoming frustrated when our close friends or family members do not use our relationship insights or follow our dietary advice, and this is where we find our challenge. We may even find ourselves becoming angry when they choose another path. This strength of feeling is usually a sign that our motivations go beyond merely helping another to indicate that there is a lesson there for us.
First, we need to keep in mind that each of us is on our own path and that we all learn differently. When we trust the universe, we know that there is a higher power at work that knows what is best for our loved one. Since we do not want to deny them experiences of deep feeling that are essential steps in the growth of their spirit, we can instead offer them our counsel. After we have given our gift, it is time to release it, along with our expectations of them and their choices, with love.
Once that is done, we can remind ourselves that our relationships are mirrors that allow us to see ourselves more clearly in the reflection. That is why it is easier for us to see solutions to other people’s problems than to see answers for our own. We can also learn from these experiences when we ask ourselves if we ever do the same thing. Maybe we do not share experiences with relationships, but we do with our finances or our food choices. In being willing to look at ourselves and see why we are being irritated by what other people choose to do with their lives, we can be like an oyster and make irritations into pearls. With these pearls of wisdom, we learn to release the desire for control over others and instead enrich their lives as we enrich our own.
Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you.
Blah...the things we do for friends. : / ...apparently sometimes i am "as subtle as a stampeding bull."
I love it.
Brownlee set to announce mining backdown
Brownlee set to announce mining backdown
Another slap in the face, and stomp on the head, of the New Zealand economy. What a bunch of wimps we have running this country. All it takes is for 1% of the population to make some signs, and march up Queen St, yelling and chanting, and our whole government backs down.
The ironic thing about that though, is that those 1% of people, will be the first to be crying in their wheetbix, about how hard life is for the average New Zealander, when the GST hikes take effect. They will be the first to cry over every little increase in anything, for as long as the National Government is in power.
Personally, i would rather have seen .1% of conservation land, mined, in order to improve our economy. John Key is not the Wizard of Fricking NZ. He cannot make money grow on trees.The money to improve our economy, and our standard of living in New Zealand, has to come from somewhere!
Sacrifice has to be made. Now where?
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee will today announce the Government's biggest backdown since taking office -- plans to mine protected conservation land have been scrapped.
It had proposed opening up 7000 hectares of conservation land in the Coromandel, Great Barrier Island and Paparoa National Park to prospecting for valuable minerals.
The land is protected against mining under schedule four of the Crown Minerals Act, and the proposals provoked furious opposition from the public and conservation lobby groups.
More than 30,000 submissions were made on the public discussion document the Government released -- nearly all of them opposing the proposals -- while about 50,000 people signed a Green Party petition and an estimated 40,000 marched in protest in Auckland.
Opposition parties have been waging a relentless war over it, believing the Government would lose votes if it went ahead.
The Cabinet apparently reached the same conclusion yesterday when it made its decision.
Prime Minister John Key would not say anything ahead of Mr Brownlee's press conference today, which will be held after National's caucus has been told about the decision.
NZPA learned last night that none of the three areas would be mined, and that Mr Brownlee would also announce that in future all national parks would be protected.
He is likely to say the search for minerals, one of his important economic objectives, will continue in other parts of the country which won't raise the same level of protest.
Those areas could include Crown-owned land outside the conservation estate.
Mr Key hinted at that yesterday when he said schedule four land was only one part of the equation.
"In terms of wider mineral and exploration opportunities, it's my view that they can deliver a step change in the economy," he said.
The Government has previously said that rare minerals worth many billions of dollars are in schedule four land, but that is disputed by conservation groups which say any gain would be outweighed by the damage that would be caused to New Zealand's clean, green image.
Another slap in the face, and stomp on the head, of the New Zealand economy. What a bunch of wimps we have running this country. All it takes is for 1% of the population to make some signs, and march up Queen St, yelling and chanting, and our whole government backs down.
The ironic thing about that though, is that those 1% of people, will be the first to be crying in their wheetbix, about how hard life is for the average New Zealander, when the GST hikes take effect. They will be the first to cry over every little increase in anything, for as long as the National Government is in power.
Personally, i would rather have seen .1% of conservation land, mined, in order to improve our economy. John Key is not the Wizard of Fricking NZ. He cannot make money grow on trees.The money to improve our economy, and our standard of living in New Zealand, has to come from somewhere!
Sacrifice has to be made. Now where?
July 19, 2010
Police use Facebook in missing woman's search
Police use Facebook in missing woman's search Stuff.co.nz
Missing escort feared for son's safety
I always used to laugh when people would threaten me. I will never forget "Georgia" threatening to throw me down a flight of stairs and "pop my boobs" over a conversation about Disneyland! haha...i laughed then, and i laugh now, but it was not funny then, and it is not funny now.
I never took threats seriously. Everyone involved in that world, is so nasty...just poison, but i always thought they were just verbal or mental poison...until Paul Chong was murdered. That was a huge wake up call for me, and made me realise just how dangerous the life that i was leading was.
I truly hope that Carmen is found alive. I don't like the chances though. She involved herself in an insidious, and hideous world that is run by criminals, druggies, sleaze, thugs, and gangs. The fact that this kind of thing does not happen more often, here in New Zealand, is the only thing about this story that surprises me.
That life is not fun, glamourous, exciting, or sexy. It is DANGEROUS.
Police are harnessing the power of social networking site Facebook in an attempt to generate further information about the disappearance of Auckland woman Carmen Thomas.
Police joined the recently established Carmen Thomas Facebook Group hoping people would share new information that may lead to finding her.
As of this evening, the group had 250 members, with 24 photographs of the 32-year-old Remuera mother, who has not been seen since July 1.
Acting Detective Inspector Mark Benefield said there were still dozens of unanswered questions around Ms Thomas' disappearance.
"For instance, we know her Nissan Pulsar car was noticed in residential Dyer St in Hamilton on July 5, but who drove it there?
"Why was cash left in the car, along with an overnight bag and a child's car seat? Whose bag is it? "We can't answer these questions without help from people who know something about what's happened to Carmen in the past three weeks or so."
The police investigation team had completed a search of Ms Thomas' Ngaphui St, Remuera, home and had discovered some documents that may assist the investigation in the long term, but nothing was discovered that immediately progressed the search, he said.
Missing escort feared for son's safety
I always used to laugh when people would threaten me. I will never forget "Georgia" threatening to throw me down a flight of stairs and "pop my boobs" over a conversation about Disneyland! haha...i laughed then, and i laugh now, but it was not funny then, and it is not funny now.
I never took threats seriously. Everyone involved in that world, is so nasty...just poison, but i always thought they were just verbal or mental poison...until Paul Chong was murdered. That was a huge wake up call for me, and made me realise just how dangerous the life that i was leading was.
I truly hope that Carmen is found alive. I don't like the chances though. She involved herself in an insidious, and hideous world that is run by criminals, druggies, sleaze, thugs, and gangs. The fact that this kind of thing does not happen more often, here in New Zealand, is the only thing about this story that surprises me.
The owner wanted people to put Thomas' occupation aside. "This thing happens and people think, 'Oh, just another dead hooker'. That couldn't be further from the truth. Carmen was a good girl."Unfortunately, that is how people will think. The reason people will think like that, is because if she had not been a hooker...she would not be missing. She would be at home with her son. She might be broke, and struggling, and having to make financial sacrifices in order to pay the bills and put food on the table, but at least she would be alive.
That life is not fun, glamourous, exciting, or sexy. It is DANGEROUS.
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