© 2008 Mark Robert Gates, the Apostle Gideon

After reading Lewis Black’s, “Me of Little Faith,” I am again reminded, how amazing it is we humans manage to communicate, at all, in any language. Considering that mostly, we don’t. And, isn’t this biblical, in that in the Old Testament, it says, God confused the languages, to keep man from conspiring against Him. For, is it not a conspiracy against God, to place Him, “Way out there,” and decide one has to build a platform high enough to reach Him in space.

Well it has sure worked, for Lewis Black is correct, everything the world teaches, in any language, about religion, is impossible to follow and believe. I know, I tried it, before actually studying, with a master, how one discerns God from His Word’s. Also, when I was young, about 3 years old, a group of well meaning adults (sic) got together, and decided to teach me about religion. They taught me a list of things a “Christian” has to do, to be one, and convinced me, since I could not do what “Christians” do, I could not be one. 

The list included things like, praying in your closet for hours on end, in the manner the world teaches one to pray. Smiling through it all, and no matter what load of shit you get hit with, do not ever complain at all. Pointing out something is paining you, like, “My arthritis is acting up,” is actually a complaint. If your boat, overturns, one is supposed to stay under the boat, until God rights the boat, and not just simply swim out from under it. Never, ever, go to a doctor for care, or one does not have any faith at all. Never drink any beverages containing alcohol, or believe oneself, to have immediately become an alcoholic. Believe coffee, and all other fruits of the earth, to actually be bad for all of us. Proving oneself to have faith requires, like Superman, almost actually, standing on railroad tracks and not getting killed by a speeding freight train. Almost, certainly having to cut off one of one’s limbs, in this lifetime, if one is going to live in the next. And, on and on.

And, they were right, I could do none of those things, so I could not do what “Christians” do, however, fortunately, I discovered before death, I do not have to do any of those things, to believe in God. And, in fact, if I do, I am proving that I do not. For, if one takes the test the world offers, for whether or not one believes in God, one will almost certainly perish. And, not in a very pleasant way. fortunately, I had the list etched in the back of my mind, for they had trained me under hypnosis, so I did not even try to perish, to prove I believed. 

My point is, languages the world uses, when speaking and writing, make it almost impossible to communicate anything at all, reliably, and religion certainly proves this point. Also, as another thing the well meaning adults (sic), did, when I was young, was try to put me with a grown female playmate, of every race, and ethnic background, therefore causing one the first things I discovered to be, this lack of communication happens in all languages and cultures. As, of all the languages, there are only two one does not argue with your communication in, and that is Old Testament, Hebrew, and New Testament, Greek. Both, of which are no longer spoken, or communicated in, at all. All other languages, usually, cause people to argue with you over your vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, spelling and semantics, certain you have not communicated correctly, what you meant to, without even any discussion with you at all, to determine the truth about what you were trying to say. The worst of the languages this way, I discovered are, English, and French, in those two, languages, no matter what you say, someone corrects you to say, no you meant to say something else. So, God did definitely confuse the languages, to keep people from, communicating correctly, when they are conspiring against Him. Which, in my travels, has turned out to be, almost, constantly.

Also, the world only offers two belief systems for “Christianity,” one either has to be a fundamentalist waiting for the world to be destroyed, or a pentecostal waiting for an upper room experience, like that in Acts, when the Holy Ghost comes on hundreds of people in the same room, at the same time. Both events are historical events that will not be repeated, for God said after destroying the world with a flood, He would never destroy all of humanity again, and the upper room experience, of the apostles, was the first time the Holy Ghost had been given, and will not be repeated on such a large scale. When one first believes in Christ, and accepts Christ as head of one’s chapel, one then receives the Holy Ghost, or so the bible says, however, we have people waiting in churches for an upper room experience on the magnitude of the one in Acts. Come on people, one either receives the Holy Ghost when one believes, or He ain’t coming. I felt many times compelled, also in pentecostal churches, to ask, “How long have you people been huddled in your churches, praying for revival, wondering why it hasn’t happened?”

Also, the words Joshua and Jesus, are derivatives of actual Hebrew words, however, they are mispronunciations, of those words, not translations. There are no words in Hebrew, of which translate to the name Jesus Christ, so one will always get the argument from a Jew, that cannot have been His name, while on earth. I never, if one notices, use the word Jesus, choosing instead, to only use Christ, since the Hebrew word in question does correctly translate to Savior, or Christ, if one chooses to use the word Christ, in reference to the bibles, given Savior. Therefore, Lewis Black is again correct, the world’s version of Jesus, simply cannot be believed in, since, He is portrayed as Santa Claus, not the Christ of the bible. Completely absent is the man strong enough to clear a temple, bodily of people, and tables, and all, as well as stand before the entire group of temple teachers, of that day, and refer to them as a Brood of Vipers, to their faces. The world’s Jesus is a kindly Santa Claus, who never would accuse anyone of anything.

Also, the world has this inane concept of a thing called pregrace, wherein a person receives grace for forgiveness of future sins, not just a hosing of the past. Making it necessary for all victims of rape, incest, murder and molesting to forgive their attackers, to receive the same grace they do, for succeeding in their attack. Believe it or not, there are people who believe, God and Christ give grace to the evil, so they will succeed in their evil, so their victims can receive salvation by forgiving them. One simply cannot believe in a Jesus, of whom, allows this injustice, when one is faced with a Christ in the bible, who clears temples, and refers to hypocrites, like that, as a brood of vipers. And, we all know too well there is an ending to the bible, in which there are people referred to as, weeping and gnashing their teeth, instead of celebrating God’s holy grace.

Seeing God’s hand in events, is greatly obscured, by the mistranslations, and over exagerations in our present day bibles, regarding the events occuring. And, after reading Lewis Black’s, “Me of Little Faith,” I am again reminded, most people notice well, the discrepanices, in our bible translations, about so called, “Miracles.” Things like the sun going backwards, for an hour, or a day, or such, miracles, we now know to be physically impossible to accomplish. 

Let’s look at what we now know, in astronomy, physics, laws of gravity, and science, of which tell us, exactly what we read to be, someone mistaking a shadow going backwards, for the sun turning backwards. Not actually, the day going backwards at all, as translators have tried to obscure the meaning of the text to claim. Remember, how hard the church fought to keep astronomy from claiming the earth rotated the sun, and not the sun the earth, this is one of those reasons, why. This miracle is physically impossible to do, if it is not the sun that is rotating. Think for a minute, what we now know would actually happen to this earth, if it were to be stopped from spinning, one way, instantly, and in the same instant begun to spin the other way. Then, spin that way for an hour or a day. Then, stopped again from spinning that direction, immediately, and begun, in the same instant, again, spinning the other way. We would no longer be on a planet, there would now be another asteroid belt, in our solar system. There is no force, not even one God would create, of which, would keep the earth intact, through such physical exertions. The point is, the text clearly indicates, to every one of God’s students, the person requesting the miracle, did not actuallty receive what he thought he had. And, so as not to ruin the ending of the story for those who have not read it, I won’t point out what happens to the person, in the end.

A lot of the events, in our present day bibles, are either completely contrived, by an inability to accept what really is there, or exagerated for affect. The desired affect being God is powerful, and can do great things, however, the only thing these exagerations cause to happen, is they trip up the phoneys. Which, is why they are there to begin with, anyone trying to claim being able to demonstrate the biblical power of God, is immediately disposed of as a fraud. This being part of God’s intelligent design of the bible, however, if one wants an argument against what is taught as intelligent design, I only have two words to say, Ford and GM. As, we well know, evil in mankind, tobe an accident, not of God’s design, creation, by a creator, alone explains all of what we know to exist. It is not that my god could not create monkeys of which could change into humans, such is choilds play for the god I believe in, however, it is the blueberry, evolution cannot explain. All plants and seeds, simply exist, and do not evolve at all. At some point on earth out, boom, pops a blueberry, evolution cannot explain. Only, creation can explain a blueberry.

What one needs to do, to see God in real life is look at events, as they actually occur, inside most of us. I remember, clearly receivng at times, warnings, or premonitions, of things that were going to go wrong, if I did what I intended. And, actually arguing, against the premonitons, sometimes, with the argument, what was being prophesied, could not actually occur, only to discover, always, I was wrong. The greatest example I know of this, event occuring outside myself, given that all people will argue with God, sometimes, when presented with a warning of dire consequences. Is an event, of which, occured in an earthquake in the sxties, when I was a youth, growing up in California. One of the most graphic photos, in the papers, the next day, is of a truck, on a California highway, sticking out from under, a collapsed highway overpass.

I can only imagine what the argument must have been, between the driver of the truck and God, if He was indeed trying to warn the guy. And, whether or not it included any argument as to whether or not the truck’s driver was going to get to where he was going, and whether or not it was possible for God to stop him. However, what I do know for certain, in the long run, is, He hit the guy with a concrete bridge. Therefore, when the bible tells one, not to tempt God, just take His word for it, and do not do it. As, I have it on good report, from those who one can trust to tell the truth, no one is known to have survived tempting, or taunting, or threatening to do something if God did not do a certain act to stop the person, or God was not real. They say, every person who tempted God’s with lighting bolts, and getting hit by them, got hit by a lightening bolt, even on a clear day. My point is, if one has lived long enough, and knows where to look, one can clearly see God’s hand in a lot of what goes on, however, if one listens to the world’s, exagerations of these events, one usually becomes, named something like, Oral Roberts.

I remember, when Oral’s good prodigal son returned to the fold, and they started a “Christian” TV show, in which they would say into the cameras, things like, “God is healing seven blind people right now, please call the prayer line, and send us money.” If you doubt they wanted only money, I tested to be certain. I actually called in several prayer requests, I had of God, and reported them to their staff, and they prayed for me, and said they would continue to pray. Then sent me the standard, real prayer clothe for my personal disposal, I also found out, the hard way, they will ony send one prayer clothe to each household, then I waited to see if my prayer was indeed answered. When, my prayer was answered, as it always was, each prayer I called in was answered, by God with a positive response, leading me to truly believe if necessary, He would have healed me of leprosy. I would call, again, to give a praise report, of what happened, and no matter how long I argued on the phone, over whether or not they should be recording the praise reports, of prayers answered, they would argue, only instead, send us money.

Trust me, if you are running a prayer line, and you want believers and followers of Christ, with Christ as head, to continue to call, take down a praise report, it is really important. Prasie reports, help others to believe, and not having praise reports will get one, as happened to someones wife, on the Oral Robets TV show, really depressed. Since, even believing people will persecute those who do not care to know, how many prayers were actually answered, of which, were phoned into a prayer line.

Lewis Black is right, the world’s version of any religion cannot be believed in or followed is also underscored by something of which happened just recently. Good old Pat Robertson, went on a mad rampage to declare himself a prophet, or to have the gift of prophecy. He put out a bunch of predictions about the future, in the manner any astrologer would have, and then when only 8 of 10 turned out to be correct, said, “Eight out of ten is not bad.” However, enough people know of the bibles correct Hebrew teaching, that God’s standard for a prophet, is no, nada, zip, not one failed prediction. For, if God truly gives the world a prediction through a person, it is for Goddamn certain going to happen. Therefore, a person giving prophecy, who has a single failed prediction, is, according to God, a false prophet.

Now, we, God, Christ and the majority of believers and followers of Christ, with Christ as head of their chapel, have always seen Pat Robertson, as another L. Ron Hubbard. We really do not care how much money one can raise if one claims to be an alien from another planet, as that does not confuse people, who read and study a bible. However, poor Pat Robertson, in a country where everyone knows enough of the bible to know the truth, just had to stand up and declare himself a false prophet. Now, Pat is just not any fun to watch anymore, he seems to think something is amiss of which will go away, but, the truth is, in America, one cannot sell a false prophet to anyone. And, now poor Pat is blaming God for what? We cannot be of any help, when one declares oneself a false prophet, one can only turn off the TV cameras and go. Ask the Astrologers Pat, they all know, once one fails at prophecy, one’s career as a psychic or Astrologer is through. And, those who know the New Testament well enough, also know, God said there would be no more prophets, He now sends, instead, apostles, and when necessary to reveal the truth, those apostles will be present, to present His Words.

I remember going to a Benny Hinn concert, and in the middle of the day, when we all had broke for lunch, in an amphitheater of which would not allow one to bring in a packed lunch, being tempted by those I was with to go up on stage and claim a healing of which had never occurred. I refused, and could not think of anything to say to a man, claiming he should be given money because people he had gathered in an amphitheater were being healed of various diseases. I thought Benny Hinn, very vain, and still do, to claim credit for the healings taking place. And, again, I signed up for the Benny Hinn religion package, only to discover, all mailings and all teachings and all communications, said only one thing, “Send me money.” Now, whenever I manage to catch the Benny Hinn show, on any TV channel, I have noticed a parade of people claiming to be healed, who obviously were never ill, and even blowing them over with the Holy Ghost, is something all people coming to Benny’s stage, now fake.

The English language makes it possible for these charlatans, to use words that mean little, but sound gracious, like Benny Hinn’s use of the word saint to refer to everyone present. It seems if one peppers a persons vanity with enough, saints and hallelujahs, one will be compelled to pay for the pleasure. These people raise the vast amounts of money the way they do with feel good theology, and compelling people to be driven to go out and earn gazillions of dollars with their new found self-esteem, and then give millions to them. They tell people, if one does not become a gazillionaire soon enough, after their experience of the healing concert, then one does not believe, in Christ enough. Well, I was attending a bible school, learning to discern the true Word of God from a bible, and did not have time enough to leave my studies to become a gazillionaire, so I got kicked out of the Benny Hinn club, for failure to pay up. Now, since, I have noticed all free, “Christian” publications, I signed up for, would every quarter or six months or so, require everyone to again, resign up, to continue receiving their publication. And, always with another request for a contribution.

Language is one area, where the world excels in making us all find, bullshit, lies and frauds, more desirable to believe in, than truth itself. The Truth can set one free, seems to mean to most “Christians,” I won’t be able to make any more money. If I am set free, no one will pay me to receive the Word of God. It has always been my contention, if we were doing things right as believers and followers of Christ, with Christ as head of our chapels, then no one would ever have to pay a single cent to receive the Word of God, or any biblical teaching. This would only take a slight change in the economics, and then anyone wanting a bible, or bible teaching would be able to receive such, at no cost to themselves.

Today one can download and install a program by Rick Meyers, called E-Sword, http://www.e-sword.net, of which will allow one to read most bible translations for free, and also, includes many biblical books and writings, also, for free. And, includes Greek and Hebrew versions, with Strongs numbers so one can do Word Studies from the original languages. And, I have found the ones available for free, to be of greater value than the few who want payment to themselves for their publication, or in other words, payment from people, to themselves, for being able to read the Word of God. I like the literal translations the best, and they are all older and in public domain. I once encountered a young guy, who was taking money from a bank account to order a Joyce Meyers, no relation to Rick, I believe, video. My instruction was to download, E-Sword instead, as he had a home computer, and that would be better reading. For, one thing Joyce Meyers is mostly a teacher who teaches on women’s issues, and all of her teachings I have ever seen on TV, usually require some prior knowledge of the bible. I do not know if he ever got the Joyce Meyers video, however, he did later thank me for turning him onto E-Sword.

There was a time when I was a young believer, I jumped on the “Christian” television band wagon, believing it was helpful to Christ. I would watch the programming, then during the telethons would send in money in support. Until, one day I noticed that our local “Christian” TV stations byline, was, “The gospel on TV 24 hours a day.” That, is when I noticed, how little gospel there actually was, and how many programs that even contained bible teaching, were teaching advanced topics, not simple introductory gospel. I realized the programming was going to be of no help to someone unsaved, or a non believer, in trying to become a believer. As, this is the gist of the believer and follower of Christ with Christ as head, experience, helping others to believe what one does, I realized also, this TV experience, making millionaires of the people on TV, was actually of, not only no help to those trying to believe, but also dangling the lure of easy riches before others easily tempted to believe in making money only. That, is when I stopped paying for the TV, and stopped watching. Since, I have noticed the local station, where I lived prior to moving to Chicago, is operating like a ghost station, they are playing a loop of old shows, some I remember viewing over 10 years ago, and not noticing, we are in Revelation, at the point where the whore of Babylon has died, and waiting for Babylon, or the beast, or the anti-Christ, all synonyms for the same thing, itself, to be fed to the promised wine press.

And, yet this TV station still airs programs by those who claim to know from Revelation, exactly when it is going to occur, and from Revelation’s viewpoint, that the four horsemen are soon to arrive. The four horsemen is what brought us the Dark Ages, the Crusades and the plagues of Europe. Ask, the Pope. He, should know, the Vatican arranged our version of Revelation, and should know exactly where we are in the program, too. And, by the way, that according to the original, the lake of fire, and the millennial reign of Christ, are an either/or, proposition. We either will accept the reign of Christ on earth, or perish in the lake of fire, and as the wine press is being readied, we can be certain of which choice was made. 

This all of course, gets lost in the world’s translation of Revelation, making it a timeline by which people can predict the end of the world. And, by the way, Left Behind is all wrong too, as we are not going anywhere, we stay here, and God finishes the earth in the manner He intended before we fell astray, into sin, and those who were unable to resist the tempting went after Satan as his slaves. God has been waiting for a point where all on earth have made a choice, as to whether or not to follow and believe in His Savior, and accept His salvation, or to choose to die as martyred slaves of Satan. An, end of the world with people left who are happy with God is something the world will not put in its version. The world wants us to believe, in fairy tales of Left Behind sorts, and Santa Clauses, where we all perish, or all make the Grinch king, and live happily ever after.

I bought, Lewis Black’s book because I needed a good laugh. And, “Me of Little Faith,” provided that laugh. I am still laughing now, as I begin my second reading, going through with a highlighter, I am certain his book will sound the death knolls, of the world’s views of religion. Every good Pastor will have a copy of this book, go through it with a highlighter, and use it to point out the differences between what the world teaches, and what God’s of our Bible’s is really like. Also, every good Pastor will have a copy of a collection of Calvin and Hobbs cartoons in his desk drawer, as there is a little Calvin in all us guys, wanting to be let out. Calvin and Hobbs, and now, Lewis Black, too, let that little Calvin out just enough to sooth the urge. All us, believers and followers of Christ, with Christ as head of our chapel’s, admire Lewis Black’s Calvinist outbursts, and we all wish we had the balls to act out the same way. 

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates

We finally have a season, with the Cubs still in a position to take their division title, after June. And, all our local press can do, is publish endless speculations, such as comparing this year’s team, to last year’s team, playing the Arizona Diamondbacks. There is no comparison between this year’s team and last year’s, and certainly that comparison cannot have helped in the middle of a hitting slump.

These things happen, I do not know of a baseball team, of which ever went undefeated. No one ever wins them all, in the game of baseball. With hockey and basketball, following closely, and auto racing being one area where we can be sure of how little anyone wins every race, by the constant complaining about Jeff Gordon, winning too frequently, if he wins at all. And, even Richard Petty, did not win them all. So, we can be certain the Cubs have a record to be proud of, as even with Pinella reworking the entire team, to get them all in shape, our Cubs, never lost their lead in their division. And now, if the whole team gets working, as planned, we actually have a chance of winning a playoff series. Pinella is right, it will take the whole team playing well, to win a playoff series.

Let’s not give up on our Cubs, here in Chicago, we have a real chance to make history. However, our biggest fear is that the losers in a World Series to our Cubs will become more famous than we will. Things like this tend to make the loser famous. We might be hearing things, in broadcast, forever, such as, “Like the Red Sox team that lost to the Cubs in the 2008 World Series…” 

My own favorite, for the World Series opponent, is Tampa Bay, I would love to see our Cubs come back to beat them in a World Series, after being swept, earlier this year. Of course, we also had trouble with the Angels. And, there we can only hope, I think I saw their lead, since last week, in their division slip from 10 to 9.

Please, however, do note, that when the Angels won their first pennant, I can be quoted as having said, ”If the Angels can win a World Series, anyone can, maybe, now the Cubs will win one.”

Sung to the tune of, Band of Gold

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates

All I Want Is A Band of Gold

I2U

Ever since you walked by,

All I want is a band of gold,

I walk the road

To where we marry,

And become one,

Go on a honeymoon,

And never return.

All I dream of is a band of gold,

And a marriage that will never end,

Every since you walked by,

All I want is a band of gold,

I walk the road

To where we marry,

And become one.

You walked by,

And looked me in the eye,

Said, “Marriage only will do me right!”

Now I cannot sleep my lonely night,

Looking for you on the road,

To where we marry, and become one!

 © 2008 Mark Robert Gates

For Julie,

Quiscent mind,

Quiddity love.

Love,

Mark

After, the violence in Chicago, we have experienced, and in the interest of promoting world peace, I propose everyday, now, and retroactive to July 4, 1776, be known as:

J.F.K., Justice Day

Also, there is,

Martin Luther King Jr., All Saints Day 

Abraham Lincoln, World Martyrs Day

American Veterans Killed in the Line of Duty, Fallen Soldier’s Day

World Equal Opportunity, Rosie the Riviter’s Day

If one insists on separating out, Racial Equality, Day-O-Day

World Police and Fire Fighters, One Burning Day After Another Day

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates, apostle Gideon

I, recently read a post by Erica Jong, on Huffington Post, about apologizing for nudity. After, another Vanity Fair, photo shoot was deemed by some to be too revealing, of the female form.

Dear Erica,

God is not apologizing for creating the female form, so you and all others should not be apologizing for revealing you have a female form.

Also, the human male and female were obviously invented as a sex machine, and we are designed to operate that sex machine, in our present form. All, of the pleasures of taste and sensation, including orgasm built in, so God intended for this machine to be used, for sex. All creatures great and small, mate, and in humans we call that mating, a marriage.

Please, do not apologize for your nudity, nor your female form, anylonger. If, God wishes, He will apologize for His creation, not us.

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates 

For Pricilla, 

We met on yes,

When we asked on glance,

For what has chance?

Marry me dress,

Tuxedo perchance,

What will we; dance?

With what do bless?

From here to eternity

Everlasting perhaps,

Or, Eternal rapture?

From here to therinity

Will it be one’s laps?

Perhapture to Rapture,

The total serenity of,

A wedding beds dance,

On a honeymoons Chance?

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates

Some ask for a shorter version of the bible,

They want a faster read, so here goes…

The Essential Paraphrase:

Fuck only yourself.

Or the knuckle rapping Catholic version:

You only fuck yourself.

Or, the pleasant New American Standard:

Please do not fuck your neighbor.

Or, the Amplified:

Fuck [harm, screw over, treat maliciously, murder, maim,

rape, batter, throttle, steal from, commit adultery with,

masturbate, abandon to starvation, economically deprive]

only [a - everyone else = x, where a and x equal you, and,

everyone else does not] yourself [the only known looked

out for #1]. Please do not [just do not do it] fuck [harm,

screw over, treat maliciously, murder, maim, rape, batter,

throttle, steal from, commit adultery with, masturbate,

abandon to starvation, economically deprive] your neighbor

[a - x = everyone else, where a and x equal you, and, everyone

else = your neighbor]. You [the only known looked out for #1]

only [a - everyone else = x, where a and x equal you, and,

everyone else does not] fuck [harm, screw over, treat

maliciously, murder, maim, rape, batter, throttle, steal from,

commit adultery with, masturbate, abandon to starvation,

economically deprive] yourself [the only known looked

out for #1].

Or, the Living Bible:

Be the one fucked, if you are fucking someone.

Or, the New King James:

Only, yourself, be fucked when doing so.

The Wiccan Steal

Some may know the Wiccan Read:

Harm no one, do what ye will.

Does this statement contradict in any way, teaching of god, in His Holy Bible?

I am going to propose lying everything side by side of which claims:

To have been written by the hand of God, or by God’s instruction.

And, then using the same rules as we do for the bible:

Determine the validity of these claims.

Then collect together those texts of which pass the tests.

I am, also, going to steal another idea from the Wiccan’s.

I am going to propose the creation of the:

Family Bible

Which sits alongside the Holy Bible,

However, contains your family writings.

Your own:

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus: Festival Guide

Deuteronomy: Laws [be careful here, listen to the Lord over law]

Numbers: the membership of Aunt Pam’s tribe, etc.

Joshua: Taking the Land

Judges: Taking the Stand

Kings: Historical Biographies

Psalms: Devotions

Proverbs: Lessons

Gospels, Acts, and Epistles

Also, any Revelations

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates

What, do we do now, when we want a book on self-help? We, go on down to Borders, and stand in the self-help section, and try to decide which one book is going to affect a miracle cure. Of, hundreds of thousands of titles, we believe there is one book, of which, we will use to turn our tide and make us mighty. After, starring at titles for a while, we give up, and head on over to the coffee shop, and order for ourself’; a triple mocha. As, we sit starring into our mochascope, we begin to wonder if we are beyond help.

Everyone, says self-esteem is important, however, others say, we need to be more positive to get ahead. As, we sit tossing back and forth over which book to begin on, there seems to be no answer. Yet, if we really want to be as good as we can best be, there is a possibly, almost simple, answer. Read both books. One, on self-esteem, and one, on positive thinking. And, as long as we do not confuse one with the other, both may work together, to make a more powerful us. In fact, it just may be impossible, to change one, without changing the other.

Though, positive affirmations, will help us think better of ourselves, and positive self-love, can point us to positive success. Combining, both, positive thinking, and higher self-worth, can be, even more helpful for us, to paint in the numbers, and have our future become; one’s now thornless rose. There are many ways, to have, both, in proper proportion, to help give our ship, a bow, and a stern, and no matter what we think of ourselves, we will get nowhere, if we believe we have a bleak tomorrow.

I, recommend, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D., http://www.susanjeffers.com/, for a pathway, to more positive thinking. With her help, we can almost psycho-surgically, remove negative thoughts from our mind. Then, for self-esteem, I recommend, The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, by Nathaniel Branden, http://www.nathanielbranden.com/. His book, will work to give us skills, necessary, to love ourselve’s, with an unconditional self-love. While together, both books, will be capable of cementing in us, a more positive self-esteem, and point us into a positive future, we almost magically, will be more certain to enjoy.

For myself, positive thinking helped me to begin writing again, and led to being asked to take, Appreciative Inquiry Training, an organizational; positive thinking course. And, help plan a new future, for our local mental healthcare provider. Another course, also, developed to build on strengths already existing, and avoid focusing on our past problems. And, I am now invited to share my opinion, to help point ships, like a lighthouse, away from unseen beaches, with jagged reefs.

Higher self-esteem, helped to create in myself, an understanding of how much my opinions mattered. I began, writing many articles and essays, moreover, many people began coming to me, and telling of how much they had been affected by, many positive’s, in my writing. Which, led to even more people asking my opinion.

Most of us, can be, in need of help; putting ourselves behind our ships wheel, and steering a course out of, our past psychosocial fogs. I have, benefited from both positive thought’s, and a better view’s of myself, in a way of which, neither could have done so by itself. I, see clearly now, not only love for my past, in my present moment, also, pathways and open doors, into a future of happiness. There, are fewer obstacles, since most of my hindrances were self-created, and what might lie ahead, a collection of phantasms I feared, more than this; I am happy to be me. -Mark Robert Gates, Copyright 2001

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates 

Self-Esteem and Me! - (?&^%$!*!?*?$%!*??^&!?#*@#@??!!).

Is the issue self-esteem or positive thinking? Well…It is!!! Once again after this post I will repost my writing on needing to change both to change one.  

Without changing positive thinking it is almost impossible to change self-esteem, and visa vise. Now…for…positive, or work on esteem issues…  If I work on esteem issues, and make no change… I lack positive energy. 

However, If, I cause to propel by positives…  A change, in my location, only, I fail to note my lack of esteem for the past location… Positively failing at self-esteem issue #1, for #1. 

I seek validation for issue two… Is my location correct… No you idiot, you are at the library typing this. Not changing self-esteem… 

And, not moving positives to better locations, past and present… Removes issues not.  Whatever I lack…I have no knowledge of now… And, whatever I am positive about, I have no clue. 

So, therefore, I change both, to change one.

However, the exact formula here, I have no inkling of…

The Journey
by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice–
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.

It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do–
determined to save
the only life you could save.

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates
The Journey Of Love

I can only live my own life.
I can only love my own wife, or wives,
There may be others who love her, as well,
However, she can only know my love
From me,
Through me,
In me,
And, by me.
I can only know her love
From her,
Through her,
In her,
And, by her.

We can each only know, each the others love,
And, not the love felt for another,
As, we can only feel the love for another, we feel, for them,
And, we can only feel the, love there for us.
No one other can love for us,
So no one can judge our love’s of, with, in and by another’s.

During my move to chicago, I was inadvertently, or verdently, it depends on who you ask, admitted to a hopsital with a heart rate, going over 200 beats per minute. They did a stress test, and thought there might be blockages of the arteries on my upper heart, however, a cardio-cath, yesterday, shows no blockage.

Another, all others and one: hallelujah!!!!!!!….Again!!!!!!

I will now have to have an ultrasound, done by putting a device down my throat, to determine what is causing the heart to beat afib, in an irregular rythym. The possibility exists, electric, shock from a device, might cause my heart to beat correctly, again. There are some people from my childhood, who should not know, poking me with an electric cattle prod, is good for my heart. For those who wanted to prove they could do anything they wanted, I was goo in their hands, even without a cattle prod.

I will apparently be alright though. 

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates

I always fall for the magic,

Turning all my loves tragic,

I destroy the wanting,

By…

Masking all the feeling,

My…

Heart Love’s based on logic,

I…

 lie to all of us,

For we are to discuss

My falling for the magic,

And…

turning all our love…

Tragic.

I always fall for the magic,

But, Today…

Love won’t have to be tragic,

For…

 I can change my ways,

And…

 Can I take your hand?

Will you marry me?

And…

Will you take my hand?

And…

Will you express to me

Your desire too Desiree,

And…

take to hand

In marriage,

And..

Be my love?

- Insert Verses In Spanish -

- Follow With Musical  Verses and Interlude -

I always fall for the magic,

Can I take your hand?

Will you marry me?

And…

Will you take my hand?

And…

Will you express to me

Your desire too Desiree,

And…

take to hand

In marriage,

And… 

Be my love?

I always fall for the magic,

 Can I take your hand?

Will you marry me?

And…

Will you take my hand?

And…

Will you express to me

Your desire too Desiree,

And…

take to hand

In marriage,

And… 

Be my love?

© 2008 Mark Robert Gates

When I Fall In Love

I2U

When I fall in love

I fall so deep,

A fall so steep

The fall from above

Is into a pit,

Bottomless is it,

Empty space below above,

Limitless deep the love.

I cannot stop the fall,

For there is no help,

No cry, shelter, or help,

Of which, we can use, will call

A stop to our fall in love,

When we both fall in love,

From the wells lip so tall,

When we see the other’s fall.

When I fall in love

I fall so deep,

A fall so steep

The fall from above

Is into a pit,

Bottomless is it,

Empty space below above,

Limitless deep the love.

If you fall in love with me,

Irrepressible, will be our life,

Will we live in love, my wife?

As, I propose to you with glee,

Whenever, you I’m seeing,

In all my dreams, I’m forseeing,

Shall we marry in polygamy?

Will you marry me for our eternity?

When I fall in love

I fall so deep,

A fall so steep

The fall from above

Is into a pit,

Bottomless is it,

Empty space below above,

Limitless deep the love.