Back to work today.
Started the morning off with my daily regimen of supplements.

For breakfast I had a green smoothie that had apples, bananas, kiwi, mango and pineapple in it with a crap load of supplements which included 1300mg Spirulina, 400 mg Chlorella, 100mg Broccoli, 100mg Spinach, 50mg Blue Green Algae, 50 mg Garlic, 75mg Barley Grass, 75mg Wheat Grass, 50mg Ginger and 50mg Parsley.

For lunch I had a fruit salad with cantaloupe, honeydew melon, pineapple and red grapes.

I made the decision today to end this detox. Yes, I know it went from 10 days to 7 days and now down to 5. Truthfully, I can’t take it anymore. I know what needs to be done and I’m making it happen. I just have to stay strong to do it.

For dinner Kenny and I went to subway. I had the roasted chicken breast loaded with vegetables, and most importantly NO SALT. When I got home I had a smoothie with mango, apples, orange, banana and some lemon.

With that my reading tonight looked like this:

There was obviously some spike. Catie called me and I was expected a phone call from someone else, so it sort of got me worked up when the phone rang. My bad.

Thank you for going on this journey with me. If you do not keep track of your health you should!

I’m going…are you?

You know what is sad…the lack of authenticity that exists in our world today.

It makes me sick to my stomach everytime I come in contact with a ungenuine individual.

You know how it goes, you run into them on the sidewalk and they’re like, oh hey, and you’re like hi, and they’re like how’s life, and you tell them and they’re not even really listening. OR…what drives me completely up the wall is when you walk by someone and they say…”What’s up”…AND KEEP ON WALKING! DON’T SAY WHATS’UP IF YOU DON’T REALLY WANT TO KNOW…SAY HI, OR HEY, OR SOME OTHER NON-DESCRIPTION WANTING WORD!

I don’t know why I posted this…I just did.

I’m goin to bed now.

Ex Animo.

Well…good news…House isn’t going to prison. Which may mean absolutely nothing to most of you out there and blog land, but it’s a big deal to me. (Yes I realize that Gregory House is a fictional character, but I relate to him greatly and would have been bummed if he went to prison)

Well, I have more good news…the House has voted to increase the minimum wage, now we just have to wait on the senate, and I’m sure it will go through there, and as long as our extremely fiscally greedy president doesn’t veto the bill America’s working poor will finally get a much needed, and deserved break. While I was reading stories on the wage increase I read a quote by republican representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas who said “In America we can either have maximum opportunity or we can have minimum wages. We cannot have both.” So Rep. Hensarling, you mean to tell me in this great country of opportunity we call the United States, we can’t pay our workers higher wages?

How about this Rep. Hensarling, lets start paying YOU $5.15 an hour then talk about maximum opportunities, because at $5.15 an hour there aren’t many. Yeah, lets do that and see what you think about a minimum wage increase then you idiot.

Boy…Texas sure can produce them. (P.S. For all you naysayers out there…I PROUDLY {at the time} voted for George W. Bush in the last election)

I saw freedom writers on Friday night, it was a semi-decent flick. I got to hang out with an old friend who I hadn’t seen in awhile. She’s been living here in Lakeland for quite some time, she works as a nurse at the hospital here in town. It was good to see her again, hopefully since we live in the same town now we can hang out more often.

School started back…woo hoo. Actually all break I was looking forward to it and now that it is here, I am depressed as crap. You see this marks the beginning of my 5th year in college. Honestly I’m over it…the folks I graduated high school with are graduating college now, and here am I waddling along. Yeah yeah…I’ve heard the whole “Well you have a career already,” and all the statements similiar to that one, but they do not make me feel any better. I dunno it’s just getting old all of this.

I’m in one of those moods I get in every now and then.

I realized this week that I’m working to pay my bills, that is all, I never have extra money. I have few friends, I’m letting myself go completely as far as appearance is concerned (If one more person says “Wow, Will you’ve put on some weight,” or statements similiar to that, I’ll probably be blogging from jail from that point forth…as if I don’t notice everymorning when I nearly sufficate while attempting to pull in my stomach to put my pants on that I have put on some weight…thank you for stating the completely obvious fact that I’M GETTING FAT).

Honestly…I’m pretty much tired of life.

I absolutely love music. I also am extremely analytical, so when a song sticks with me, I like to analyze it and determine why it’s staying with me.

A long time ago, I fell in love with the song Everybody’s Fool by Evanescence, for a different reason…those times have long since past…and now it’s back and for a completely different reason.

The CHURCH…is Everybody’s Fool.

I present to you for you to examine:

Everybody’s Fool by Evanescence (with my commentary italicized)

Perfect by nature, icons of self-indulgence
Just what we all need
More lies about a world

(LIES. Sadly, the Church has lost it’s credibility and what’s sad is it really isn’t the Church’s fault, it’s the leaders within the church…myself included and that’s why I’m on such a journey right now to fix what I’ve screwed up. I’m tarnished the image of the Church. I’ve made the snide comments from non-believers true and it sucks…because I have no idea where to begin, other than to start demonstrating the grace of a God who extended more mercy to me than was deserved to those who’ve decided the church, and God has long since deserted and given up on them)

That never was and never will be
Have you no shame, don’t you see me?
You know you’ve got everybody fooled.

(Monday through Saturday we’ve convinced you that we’re all just a bunch of gay hating, hypocritical, love your neighbor, unless they’re completely different than you conservative republicans who believe that the choice isn’t up to you. We’ve convinced you that your lifestyle is wrong. We’ve made you uncomfortable with who you are. We’ve told you that you’re going to hell because you smoke, or you drink, or you speed {interesting piece of worthless statistics for you…87% of all folks who are pulled over for speeding consider themselves a Christian in one form or another}. Then Sunday comes around…and we’ve got everybody fooled. All of the sudden we’re praying for you, we’re inviting you over for supper, and we’re trying to save you…until Monday…when we tell you you’re goin to Hell.)

Look here she comes now
Bow down and stare in wonder.
Oh, how we love you
No flaws when you’re pretending
But now I know she

(Flawless…when we’re pretending…because truthfully…we’re far from it.)

Never was and never will be
You don’t know how you betrayed me
And somehow you’ve got everybody fooled.

(Betrayed, that’s what most of the “unsaved,” “hell bound,” non-Christians feel like. And you want to know why? BECAUSE MOST OF THEM GREW UP IN A CHURCH AND MADE A MISTAKE AND WERE DISFRANCHISED BY THE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT TOLD THEM GOD LOVED THEM AND SO DID THEY!! WHAT’S EVEN MORE SAD IS THAT MOST OF US WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT WE DID TO YOU. And what’s sadder is there are some of us, who probably don’t care.)

Without the mask
Where will you hide?
Can’t find yourself,
Lost in your lies

I know the truth now
I know who you are
And I don’t love you anymore

(But…there’s a revolution taking place. Folks are starting to realize…wait a minute, they {the church} might have been wronged. They’re unmasking the hypocrisy, and the ingeniousness and they’re standing up for a GRACEFUL, LOVING God who cares about them more than they can comprehend. And the church…oh yeah…the church is freaking out. Pretty soon, there will be no where to hide. They don’t love the church that was…but are learning to love the church that is.)

Never was and never will be
You don’t know how you betrayed me
And somehow you’ve got everybody fooled.

Never was and never will be
Not for real that you can save me
And somehow now you’re everybody’s fool.

(The revolution is slow, and as a result the fooling and the pulling of wool over the eyes will continue. I want to be, and will be part of the church that is. The church that is taking a stand.
Loving our neighbors, demonstrating the grace and love of a God that is freakin out of this world. Talking to a God that is not only a king, but our father, and talkin to Him like He is our dad, and not some unattainable, non-listening fake entity. The lies stop here, the betrayal ends. God is real. His word is REAL. It’s not a tool for hatred, but a book of LOVE. STOP SCREWING IT UP.)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

I have my critics…as a matter of fact I received a very degrading anonymous e-mail reply to my last post. I thought about posting it and bashing the individual and telling him or her where they were wrong. Even breaking out with some original Hebrew translations, and throwing them for a complete whirl. But I didn’t…and I won’t. One, because it gives them the satisfaction they are desiring. They’re part of the betrayers. Plus I want them to understand that God loves them to stinkin death. He wants them to grow and stop taking everything they’ve heard at face value, and figure out what the heck they believe about Him.

For my Critics…all of you…I love you. I am not bitter, I do not hate the church. I have stickers on my car that say “Religion Kills,” religion has been killing for thousands of years…and religion is killing today…it’s killing churches everywhere. It’s killing the souls of twenty-somethings who grow up in a church youth group and then graduate high school and are told the church has nothing for them. It’s killing families who have a member of the family come out of the closet. RELIGION KILLS EVERYDAY. We have to remember, Christians…that JESUS IS THE SAVIOR…NOT OUR RELIGION (CHRISTIANITY).

Carpe Diem

P.S. It is completely ok to dedicate a song written by a non-Christian band, to the Church…especially this one.

OK…so I’ve got a compromise.

Those of you out there who insist on continuing in your old covenant ways or who have decided they’ll follow the words of some insane evangelical preacher who has followed the words of some insane evangelical preacher before him, who followed some insane evangelical preacher before him and well you get the point, if you must have your anti-gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgendered hate mongered protests I say go ahead. AS LONG AS…for every 1 “God Hates Fags” sign you have you have 1 sign that says: (If you only have 2 signs total, one can be a “God Hates Fags” and you may choose from any of the other signs listed below)

“God Hates Shrimp“
“God Hates Beards”
“God Hates Old Navy Cotton Fleece Vests”
“God Hates Pigs & Rabbits”
“God Hates Roaches” <-- I'm sort of OK with that one
“God Hates Blisters”
“God Hates Acne” <--I'm OK with this one too...as I have and hate acne
“God Hates Dandruff”
“God Hates When a man has a discharge from his genitals”
“God Hates Divorce”
“God Hates those who have to work on Sundays” <-- Or if you want to get technically Saturday, since Saturday is actually the sabbath

And those are just some of the Levitical laws that those stuck in the old covenant tend to over look when they take to the streets to violate God’s commandment of love thy neighbor.

You see folks, in the New Testament, Jesus established what most call the New Covenant, now I know that in the New Covenant it’s not quite as easy to find all of the scripture most need to condone their hate mongering ways BUT in that new covenant Jesus stated that the old laws about unclean things were no longer valid. Now, if you’d like to argue that “If we call ourselves true believers we should follow both laws” I counter with, OK…then lets follow both laws, completely, not just the ones that help promote our cause of hating our neighbors.

Going in to the New Year I am going to be posting about a lot of hot topics. You may not like them all, and truthfully I don’t care, because as I always say…It’s my blog…if you don’t like it…don’t read it. The truth of the matter is, I’m beginning to think that perhaps we (Christians) have been lied to for quite some time and I don’t think we’ve been doing this Christ following thing right.

I’ve begun to follow the ministry of Jay Bakker. Say what you want, I believe, in my heart of hearts that the ministry he leads is one of the few who “got it.” They’ve got this love thy neighbor thing down, this grace thing, this communal thing, they understand it all. Whether or not you agree with the stands they take (and there are some stands they take, that I’m not really sure where I stand…and just so it’s out there…the affirming homosexuality stance is one of them) but the truth of the matter is, Jesus was at the bars, He met the prostitutes, He hung out with the persecuted, HE MET THE SINNER WHERE THEY WERE AT…which is what Revolution does. Revolution is proof that being a Christ follower isn’t about some fairytale story book life that you have to lead if you want to get to heaven. It’s proof that being who you are, the retched sinner I am, is perfectly find, because I serve a God who has extended much more grace than I am every capable of handling. Does that mean I sin deliberately…uh no…but it does mean that when I exercise the free will that I’ve been blessed with, and screw it up, God’s grace is sufficient enough to repair my screw-up.

I’m sorry, I refuse to believe what I’ve been told any more. My god created me with the ability to learn on my own. He’s given me a plethora of resources, so many in fact that I can’t just believe what some guy who stands up in front of me says. Sure I take in what he or she says, then I come home and I go in depth…THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT BEHIND PREACHING A MESSAGE. For you preachers (and followers) who think that the whole point of a sermon is to spread your agenda (even if you claim your agenda is God’s) you’re wrong. Your JOB, your SOLE responsibility is to make sure that you start opening peoples eye’s to what their God wants from them…NOTHING MORE…NOTHING LESS.

Carpe Diem.

Oh yeah…Happy freakin New Year too.

I saw We are Marshall tonight. The movie about Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia and the tragedy that struck their instituion during their 1970 football season. First let me say that it’s a wonderful film, that from all I can find in research (i’m trying really hard these days not to say things with out trying to get as many facts as possible) is pretty historically accurate (I always like when Hollywood can do things right).

As I was watching the film it hit me…it hit me real hard. I think my one and only true complaint about my instituion of higher education is our inability to create community. You go to any state school in Florida, and in any state for that matter and the overwhelming sense of community you feel is insane. Go down to the other instituion of higher education in our town and the sense of community is great. Why do we not have a sense of community?

Agendas.

We have too many folks who are out for themselves and it’s amazing because we’re a “Christ-centered liberal arts college” yet we have so many folks who would rather show their self-centeredness than create a Christ-centered community. I love my school, don’t get me wrong, I question things (i’m 21 years old…I question everything) they do, but I truly and devoted to our cause. I just wish more folks would be too. Going to a basketball game, a baseball game, a student life planned activity IS NOT COMMUNITY. Community is stepping up to the plate and showing pride in your school. Stop littering for the love of pete, stop treating employees of the school who may be lest educated than you like dirt, and deffinetely stop being so darn fake to them(they see right through you). Stop pretending like you’re the only right person on that campus, just because you think someone else is wrong doesn’t neccesarily mean you’re right…here’s an idea…BOTH OF YOU ARE WRONG!

The beauty of gaining a higher education is the ability to LEARN, to grow your body, your mind and your spirit (uh oh…body, mind and spirit…that’s devil talk right there). It’s the ability for you to begin to comprehend, analiyze, and draw a logical conclusion based on what you’ve found instead of what mommy and daddy and professor smith have told you.

I guess another reason this was on my mind is watching the USF bowl game yesterday. Man…what I seen from those USF students…it wasn’t spirit…it was community. I’m sorry…spirit is painting your face your school colors and cheering at a basketball game. Community is driving from Tampa to Birmingham, Alabama to support a team that up until this point in their football program was a bunch of loosers and saying that no matter the outcome of the game they’ll still be YOUR USF BULLS. Community is the car pool to the game and meeting new people. Community is coming together in the greatess time of need and meeting the need of the moment…TOGETHER.

I pray that maybe one day we’ll have an authentic college community here.

Merry Christmas Folks. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanza. Feliz Navidad. And if I forgot your holy day It’s because I’m ignorant…hopefully next year I’ll remember it. Never the less happy I’m sorry I forgot your holy day.

P.S. That was not political correctness every person of every faith has the right to be wished a peaceful, joyful celebration of their choice. Oh my goodness that’s right Christian Right…I think it’s ok to say happy holidays, and I serve Jesus just like you. I’m not lessoning the value of Christmas, I’m simply being tolerant (which by the way, I’m working on a very long blog entry about tolerance…I’m so sick of the right thinking it’s wrong to be tolerant…that’s what half of our country hates the other half, and oddly enough 50 percent of both halves believe the same daggum thing!) of their belief system.

Carpe Diem

Make it fun.

I’m not into the commercialization of Christmas…first of all I’m not even sure we really celebrate the right thing on Christmas anyway, much less over glamorize a commercialize the whole thing.

The only thing I look forward to every christmas is watching the christmas house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrdO9GagGoM

P.S. Just cause I’m not into Christmas too much (or the whole “holiday season” for that matter) does not mean that I can’t wish those who choose to partake a merry christmas and safe new year.

Whada ya know…I do have a heart.

Carpe Diem.

So I’ve done a lot of ranting lately about various things and I’ve come to the conlusion that it all comes down to one thing. Everything that upsets me boils down to one simple thing. I do not want to be thrown in the same category as fanatics, and crazy evangelicals who think it’s their way or the highway. See below.

This lady is with the church who’s website address is godhatesfags.com. Tell me something, where is the love your neighbor as yourself God that I serve in this lady…and furthermore in her church?

This lady was part of wife swap on Fox. She apparently was swapped with a mom who wasn’t a Christian…check out how she reacted:

So…rather than attempt to show the love of Christ, she shuns the whole family? That makes sense.

….

Then there is Pastor Micah Armstrong who has been making his way around the state of Florida preaching to college students…actually mainly telling them they’re all going to hell.

According to Micah only 5% (and that’s generous) of the population are going to heaven. Hmm…I hope Micah makes his way to Southeastern, though it’s doubtful because even the AG doesn’t like what this guy has to say, so much so they took his license.

Do me a favor if you would…

DO NOT THROW ME IN TO THE SAME CATEGORY AS THESE PEOPLE. Please.

Carpe Diem

Ok…so I’ve come to apoint where I’m so over religious canabilism that it’s driving me absolutely nuts. Religion is any system in which man by his own efforts tries to earn the approval of God. [Religious] legalism is a religious system that teaches that a person can do something to earn or merit salvation or blessing from God. (Doud)

We have become so caught up in laws, and policies that we have truly lost touch of reality. There is ONE law, and it irriatates me to no end when I hear folks say…well you should be going to church on sunday morning because God isn’t pleased with those who don’t go to church on sunday morning. BITE ME…or show me where in THE LAW it says I have to be at church on sunday morning. Better yet, show me in the bible where it says I should be a republican, or conservative, or show me in the bible where it says we should even be mixing religious pursuits, or faith based pursuits with government to begin with! Or here’s one that’s gonna make you cringe…show me in the bible where it says I am supposed to be intolerant of others simply because they do not believe what I believe. Now for those crazy Christians out there (and seemingly since I’ve joined the Christian Bloggers there seems to be a lot more hate mail coming my way) I’m not intolerant of your “ways” I’m simply letting you know that your “ways” of intolerance and hatred against gays, non-christians, and all the other groups that you have decided to harrass and deny the opportunity to better know the loving God we serve, or show them the Jesus that met folks, even sinners, where they sinned is atrocious and you should be ashamed of yourself.

Tell me, if we serve a loving God, which I think we can all agree on, then why is it neccesary for legalism to be so prevelant in our churches? Why do we need boards, deacons, administrators or by-laws? God’s plan is a Grace plan. God the Father does the work, man receives the benefit. God receives the glory for His own works; man receives no glory. The greatest distortion to Grace is religious legalism. Religion and Legalism are Satan’s Ace and King of trump, the primary means by which he “blinds the minds of those who seek Christ” and which are included in Eph. 4:14 as part of “…every wind of doctrine, sleight of men, cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive.” By these means, Satan tries to disrupt the plan of God and blind people to Grace principles. (Doud)
I really have a hard time thinking that God is satisfied with the amount of discrimination, hatred, and intolerance that takes place in our “Christian society.” I find it hard to believe that the Jesus who forgave prostitutes, tax collectors, and even the most vile of individuals in His day thinks that it’s ok for us to discriminate against gays, prostitutes, drunks, or goths in our day.

Some scripture (p.s. scripture…it’s pretty much the only LAW I follow) to support my “outrageous” claims:

Ephesians 4:14 - 16 (MSG): “No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.”

Galatians 6:1 - 3 (MSG): “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.”

I Corinthians 13:4 - 10 (CEV): “Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails! Everyone who prophesies will stop, and unknown languages will no longer be spoken. All that we know will be forgotten. We don’t know everything, and our prophecies are not complete. But what is perfect will someday appear, and what isn’t perfect will then disappear.”

Luke 11:46 (MSG): “He said, “Yes, and I can be even more explicit. You’re hopeless, you religion scholars! You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs, but never lift even a finger to help.”

Matthew 23:23 - 24 (NLV): “It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You give one-tenth part of your spices, and have not done the most important things of the Law, such as thinking what is right and wrong, and having pity and faith. These you should have done and still have done the other things also. You blind leaders, you take a small bug out of your cup but you swallow a camel!”

Romans 3: 21 - 25 (TNIV): ” But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—”

Most morning’s I wake up very thankful to be alive. Then I get in my car, turn on my talk radio stations or listen to a podcast, or a morning show (christian or not) and realize that our world is so messed up I have no choice but to sing a song.

The song: What’s up, by 4 non Blondes (I’ll close with the lyrics) Carpe Diem

Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination
And I realized quickly when I knew I should
That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man
For whatever that means
And so I cry sometimes
When I’m lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What’s in my head
And I am feeling a little peculiar
And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream at the top of my lungs
What’s going on?
And I say, hey hey hey hey
I said hey, what’s going on?
ooh, ooh ooh
and I try, oh my god do I try
I try all the time, in this institution
And I pray, oh my god do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution
And so I cry sometimes
When I’m lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What’s in my head
And I am feeling a little peculiar
And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream at the top of my lungs
What’s going on?
And I say, hey hey hey hey
I said hey, what’s going on?
Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination