Death Is Nothing At All

Henry Scott Holland

Death is nothing at all. 
It does not count. 
I have only slipped away into the next room. 
Nothing has happened. 

Everything remains exactly as it was. 
I am I, and you are you, 
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. 
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. 

Call me by the old familiar name. 
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. 
Put no difference into your tone. 
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. 

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. 
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. 
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. 

Life means all that it ever meant. 
It is the same as it ever was. 
There is absolute and unbroken continuity. 
What is this death but a negligible accident? 

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? 
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, 
somewhere very near, 
just round the corner. 

All is well. 
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. 
One brief moment and all will be as it was before. 
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/death-is-nothing-at-all-by-harry-scott-holland#ixzz3cE3PTQ6f 
Family Friend Poems 

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/opinion/sunday/its-not-mess-its-creativity.html?referrer=

It’s Not ‘Mess.’ It’s Creativity.

Gray Matter

By KATHLEEN D. VOHS

MESSY or tidy — which is better?

Historically, the evidence has favored the tidy camp. Cleanliness, as the proverb says, is next to godliness. The anthropologist Mary Douglas noted almost 50 years ago a connection between clean, open spaces and moral righteousness. More recently, psychologists have shown that the scent of citrus cleaning products is enough to raise people’s ethical standards and promote trust. Conversely, in another study, people were found to associate chaotic wilderness with death. 

But if messiness is so bad, why do so many people tolerate, and even embrace, it?

Not long ago, two of my colleagues and I speculated that messiness, like tidiness, might serve a purpose. Since tidiness has been associated with upholding societal standards, we predicted that just being around tidiness would elicit a desire for convention. We also predicted the opposite: that being around messiness would lead people away from convention, in favor of new directions.

We conducted some experiments to test these intuitions, and as we reported in last month’s issue of the journal Psychological Science, our hunches were borne out.

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http://mobile.wnd.com/2015/05/pastor-spills-secret-on-kids-summoning-demons/

PASTOR SPILLS SECRET ON KIDS SUMMONING 'DEMONS'

The so-called “Charlie Charlie Challenge” is a cheaper version of a ouija board

Young people around the world are trying to summon a demon in the latest trend sweeping social media – but a well-known pastor and Christian author believes those who participated in the “Charlie Charlie challenge” are fooling themselves about the realities of the spiritual realm.

Pastor and bestselling Christian author Carl Gallups told WND: “The ‘Charlie Charlie’ trick is just that – a trick. In fact, it’s an old bar room parlor trick that originally involved putting two cigarettes on top of each other, only now it’s two pencils. It’s very easy to manipulate and make it look like something is happening by itself when actually it’s just someone breathing on the pencils, usually the person filming the ‘challenge.’ So these kids are not actually summoning demons or anything like that.”

Could it be we are living in the final Trumpet Days of Revelation? In “Final Warning,” beloved pastor and bestselling author Carl Gallups explores the stunning visions of the Apostle John as found in the seven trumpets of Revelation

But the mundane reality isn’t stopping media outlets around the world from discussing the phenomenon and more broadly entertaining the possibilities of conjuration. MTV even lightheartedly suggested nine other demons people can summon.

In the “Charlie Charlie Challenge,” participants align two pencils in the shape of a cross and ask, “Charlie, Charlie are you here?” Supposedly, the pencils then move to indicate the entity’s presence. On YouTube, videos of participants filming themselves doing the “challenge” are racking up tens of thousands of views.

Gallups sees real significance in the massive reaction to the “Charlie Charlie Challenge.”

“This story is everywhere in mainstream news coverage, even though there’s nothing actually there,” he said. “People are utterly fascinated by it. And interestingly, much of the fascination seems to be coming from the United Kingdom.”

The author of “Final Warning: Understanding the Trumpet Days of Revelation” believes while the challenge itself is bogus, the spiritual world and demons themselves are real. And Gallups believes the massive reaction to the challenge by a post-Christian culture reflects the hunger people have to experience spiritual realities.

He observed, “We live in a secular culture and here we have all these people that are so aggressively secular, so aggressively anti-Christian, who believe in evolution, and yet they are so quick to want to contact a demon.”

Gallups added, “People are turning to this kind of thing because there is a hunger for spiritual life. The fact is, we are spiritual beings. The Word of God is so clear. God sent his Son to die for us, and there is only one way to salvation. God cares about how we are living our lives. But people don’t want to live under that. They reject God’s authority over their lives. So this is an attempt by people to be in touch with their spiritual side, but still be in rebellion against God.”

Parents should not overreact if their children are participating in the “challenge” and should instead encouraging them to show what a simple con it really is, Gallups said. However, he also notes that the old parlor game, framed in its new context as an attempt at demonic conjuration, could lead to real dangers.

Gallups warned: “This is the Ouija board of our time in the sense that it is a trick, but also a gateway drug. This is a gateway to the occult.

“It’s like candy cigarettes. In and of itself, it is harmless. But look at what you are actually doing. With candy cigarettes, you are walking around pretending to smoke. With this, you are literally praying to a supposed demon, calling out to ‘Charlie,’ asking for a gateway to be opened. So it is a trick, but it can set people on a path to something darker.”

As a specialist in the End Times prophesied by the Book of Revelation, Gallups believes the rising interest in the occult and attempts to dabble in magic and demonology are another sign the latter days are approaching.

“We are living in prophetic times,” he said. “We are the only generation to see the creation of Israel, the rise of ISIS, the alliance of the nations against the Jewish state, and so much else that has been foretold. And we even hear increasing warnings of global war.

“There have always been fortune tellers, and supposed magicians and whatever else. The difference now is we live in a world that allows for instant, worldwide communication. And as it says in 1 Timothy 4, verse 1, ‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

The bottom line?

“You shouldn’t play around with conjuring and trying to contact the demonic world,” Gallups said. “But we are seeing more of this because it was predicted in the Word of God.”

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http://socialmeems.com/2014/06/03/beautiful-advice-from-a-divorced-man-after-16-years-of-marriage/

Beautiful advice from a divorced man after 16 years of marriage

              

03/06/2014

Beautiful advice from a divorced man after 16 years of marriage.

My advice after a divorce following 16 years of marriage, by Gerald Rogers.

" This couple in this picture who lives happily and contented with each other after the wedding up to this time " (Please note the image shown is for illustration purposes only) Image by Jear Redondo Batiforra

Obviously, I’m not a relationship expert. But there’s something about my divorce being finalized this week that gives me perspective of things I wish I would have done different… After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had

1. Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love.

2. Protect your own heart. Just as you committed to being the protector of her heart, you must guard your own with the same vigilance. Love yourself fully, love the world openly, but there is a special place in your heart where no one must enter except for your wife. Keep that space always ready to receive her and invite her in, and refuse to let anyone or anything else enter there.

3. Fall in love over and over again. You will constantly change. You’re not the same people you were when you got married, and in five years you will not be the same person you are today. Change will come, and in that you have to re-choose each other everyday. SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO STAY WITH YOU, and if you don’t take care of her heart, she may give that heart to someone else or seal you out completely, and you may never be able to get it back. Always fight to win her love just as you did when you were courting her.

4. Always see the best in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love, and you know without a doubt that you are the luckiest man on earth to be have this woman as your wife.

5. It’s not your job to change or fix her… your job is to love her as she is with no expectation of her ever changing. And if she changes, love what she becomes, whether it’s what you wanted or not.

6. Take full accountability for your own emotions: It’s not your wife’s job to make you happy, and she CAN’T make you sad. You are responsible for finding your own happiness, and through that your joy will spill over into your relationship and your love.

7. Never blame your wife if you get frustrated or angry at her, it is only because it is triggering something inside of YOU. They are YOUR emotions, and your responsibility. When you feel those feelings take time to get present and to look within and understand what it is inside of YOU that is asking to be healed. You were attracted to this woman because she was the person best suited to trigger all of your childhood wounds in the most painful way so that you could heal them… when you heal yourself, you will no longer be triggered by her, and you will wonder why you ever were.

8. Allow your woman to just be. When she’s sad or upset, it’s not your job to fix it, it’s your job to HOLD HER and let her know it’s ok. Let her know that you hear her, and that she’s important and that you are that pillar on which she can always lean. The feminine spirit is about change and emotion and like a storm her emotions will roll in and out, and as you remain strong and unjudging she will trust you and open her soul to you… DON’T RUN-AWAY WHEN SHE’S UPSET. Stand present and strong and let her know you aren’t going anywhere. Listen to what she is really saying behind the words and emotion.

9. Be silly… don’t take yourself so damn seriously. Laugh. And make her laugh. Laughter makes everything else easier.

10. Fill her soul everyday… learn her love languages and the specific ways that she feels important and validated and CHERISHED. Ask her to create a list of 10 THINGS that make her feel loved and memorize those things and make it a priority everyday to make her feel like a queen.

11. Be present. Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully WITH HER. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is.

12. Be willing to take her sexually, to carry her away in the power of your masculine presence, to consume her and devour her with your strength, and to penetrate her to the deepest levels of her soul. Let her melt into her feminine softness as she knows she can trust you fully.

13. Don’t be an idiot…. And don’t be afraid of being one either. You will make mistakes and so will she. Try not to make too big of mistakes, and learn from the ones you do make. You’re not supposed to be perfect, just try to not be too stupid.

14. Give her space… The woman is so good at giving and giving, and sometimes she will need to be reminded to take time to nurture herself. Sometimes she will need to fly from your branches to go and find what feeds her soul, and if you give her that space she will come back with new songs to sing…. (okay, getting a little too poetic here, but you get the point. Tell her to take time for herself, ESPECIALLY after you have kids. She needs that space to renew and get re-centered, and to find herself after she gets lost in serving you, the kids and the world.)

15. Be vulnerable… you don’t have to have it all together. Be willing to share your fears and feelings, and quick to acknowledge your mistakes.

16. Be fully transparent. If you want to have trust you must be willing to share EVERYTHING… Especially those things you don’t want to share. It takes courage to fully love, to fully open your heart and let her in when you don’t know i she will like what she finds… Part of that courage is allowing her to love you completely, your darkness as well as your light. DROP THE MASK… If you feel like you need to wear a mask around her, and show up perfect all the time, you will never experience the full dimension of what love can be.

17. Never stop growing together… The stagnant pond breeds malaria, the flowing stream is always fresh and cool. Atrophy is the natural process when you stop working a muscle, just as it is if you stop working on your relationship. Find common goals, dreams and visions to work towards.

18. Don’t worry about money. Money is a game, find ways to work together as a team to win it. It never helps when teammates fight. Figure out ways to leverage both persons strength to win.

19. Forgive immediately and focus on the future rather than carrying weight from the past. Don’t let your history hold you hostage. Holding onto past mistakes that either you or she makes, is like a heavy anchor to your marriage and will hold you back. FORGIVENESS IS FREEDOM. Cut the anchor loose and always choose love.

20. Always choose love. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. In the end, this is the only advice you need. If this is the guiding principle through which all your choices is governed, there is nothing that will threaten the happiness of your marriage. Love will always endure.

In the end marriage isn’t about happily ever after. It’s about work. And a commitment to grow together and a willingness to continually invest in creating something that can endure eternity. Through that work, the happiness will come. Marriage is life, and it will bring ups and downs. Embracing all of the cycles and learning to learn from and love each experience will bring the strength and perspective to keep building, one brick at a time.

These are lessons I learned the hard way. These are lessons I learned too late. But these are lessons I am learning and committed in carrying forward. Truth is, I loved being married, and in time, I will get married again, and when I do, I will build it with a foundation that will endure any storm and any amount of time.

If you are reading this and find wisdom in my pain, share it those those young husbands whose hearts are still full of hope, and with those couples you may know who may have forgotten how to love. One of those men may be like I was, and in these hard earned lessons perhaps something will awaken in him and he will learn to be the man his lady has been waiting for.

MEN- THIS IS YOUR CHARGE: Commit to being an EPIC LOVER. There is no greater challenge, and no greater prize. Your woman deserves that from. Be the type of husband your wife can’t help but brag about.

 Related Article : 

A woman’s response to “Beautiful advice from a divorced man after 16 years of marriage

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A Liberator, But Never Free

http://www.blog.standforisrael.org/articles/a-liberator-but-never-free?sm=Blog&s_src=FB&s_subsrc=NFS1500XXEXXX

Stand for Israel | A Liberator, But Never Free

The silence must have frightened Emily Wilsey. In the seven months since her husband had gone to war, Captain David Wilsey, a 30-year-old anesthesiologist with the 116th Evacuation Hospital, had never gone more than a day or two without sending her a letter. Every step of the frigid, mud-soaked, and bloody Allied advance across France and Germany, he had written to her of his experiences. But now, with victory assured and the newspapers declaring the war in Europe all but over, the letters had stopped.

His last letter, dated May 1, 1945, was sent from “Somewhere Else Yet Again, Germany.” He had written about how excited he was that his unit would get the chance that night to see The Keys of the Kingdom, a movie starring Gregory Peck. He marveled over how fast the latest issue of the Elko Daily Courier, the daily paper in their town in Nevada, had reached him. “The advance party is out to reconnoiter the new site we will move to in a day or two,” he added, making his first reference to the Dachau concentration camp. Dachau opened in 1933 and was initially used to house political prisoners. It later became a training facility for the SS, the elite Nazi military force responsible for planning and executing the “Final Solution,” or the annihilation of the Jews. An estimated 41,500 prisoners were murdered there. Some went to the gas chambers, or were shot or beaten to death; others expired from exposure or starvation, or died subsequent to medical experiments conducted by SS doctors. Dachau was the inaugural Nazi concentration camp and served as a model for their massive killing system. “The war could end any hour yet we keep moving, racing, working just as if it weren’t over,” he told her, closing the letter by writing, “I love you,” to his wife nine times in four long rows.

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http://wisersaver.com/blog/paycheck-to-paycheck/?source=np&utm_source=taboola

How To Save $1000 While Living Paycheck To Paycheck

A few months ago, I was like so many… I had no savings in my account whatsoever. Then in a span of a week or so I followed just 4 steps and now in April I have over $1,200 in savings…

I didn’t change my job. And I definitely didn’t have time for a second job. Instead, I focused a few minutes of my day on changing my finances –making sure that I never put in more than 20 minutes of effort in a day. I’m not here to preach, instead I’m hoping that by telling you how I changed my finances, I can help you break the paycheck to paycheck cycle... 

Step 1: Open a new savings account and deposit $5 

Why a new account? Momentum is so essential to this process, I’ve learned after so many failed attempts. Having a separate account helps you track your positive progress and builds that crucial momentum. Quick metaphor: when you’re on a diet, if you step on a scale and see that you’ve lost some weight, you feel reinvigorated and you keep pushing on right? I learned it’s the same thing with your finances.

Personally, I chose Synchrony bank’s online savings account because there are no fees and they offer the highest rates. However they may not be the best for everyone, so click here, or scroll to the end of the article to see the full list of the best online banks I've found.

You could open a savings account at your local bank, but my suggestion is an online bank because you’ll be less likely to withdraw the money and the rates are significantly better.

And, I know it doesn't seem worth it to deposit $5 right now, but getting started is an extremely important first step! Just trust me. 

Step 2: Analyze your bills – Here are the problem spots I found with my bills (hopefully these help you too):

1. Car insurance – I saved $36 per month for just 10 minutes of work

Yes, I know you already know this… But, what you may not know is that car insurance companies make all of their money off of people that have been with them the longest. Don’t believe me? Have you had a clean driving record? Have your premiums stayed the same or even gone up over the past few years?

They think you won’t leave once you’re with them, so they charge whatever premium they want. Personally I switched from Geico to AllState, but insurers charge different premiums for every state, here are some of the best offers in your state.

2. Credit Cards – I cut my interest payment by $80 per month for just 5 minutes of work

Here is the caveat: You need a good enough credit score (550+) to qualify for a 0% APR balance transfer card. If you’re not sure what your score is, I recommend checking that first here. If you know your score is good enough and you’re currently paying over 5% on your debt, then you should try for a balance transfer card with a promotional 0% APR. I personally opted for the Chase Slate Card because there are actually 15 months of 0% APR. However, it may not be the best card for you, so here are all the most popular balance transfer cards.

If your credit score is too low, you could still save a bundle by switching to a lower interest credit card. Really any decrease in in interest payments could save you a ton of money every month. 

3. Napkins, Utensils, Ketchup and other condiments -- $20 per month for 10 seconds every time I ate fast food

This may seem a little unusual and may not apply to you, but for me I enjoy hot sauce, ketchup, and any other condiments especially on leftover food. So I’d ask the fast food employees for as much condiments as they could possible give me and I’d stock up. I never ransacked the place, but if the employee gave me 10 packets of ketchup, I’d thank him/her and walk out a happy guy! Yes, you are allowed to laugh at this, but $20 every month definitely adds up over time. If this doesn’t apply to you, think of something similar that would, maybe plastic spoons that you can reuse?

4. Final Saving Tip  - Always ask (nicely) for fees to be waived, no matter what the fee is.

You’d be shocked… I had a late rent payment fee waived, a late water payment fee waived, and even a parking ticket waived by calling my city traffic department… yes I swear!

Once you’ve figured out how much you are saving from some of these new changes, set up an automatic transfer for that amount to your new savings account to make sure this new money actually gets put away.

Step 3: Create a new income stream of $30+ per month

The most important part here is that your quality of life and free time is minimally interrupted so that you don’t even notice. Sure you could get a side job, but who wants to work all day?

1. Inbox dollars - $5 just for signing up, then ~$10 for every 30 minutes of video watching, surveys, etc.

This is my favorite survey site because they actually pay you via check. Not to mention, a lot of the things I did for the cash were actually pretty fun… And all of them can be done while catching up on your favorite TV show.

2. Swagbucks - ~$5 per day depending on how much searching you do

This is amazing because the only thing you need to do is switch from using Google or Bing as your search engine, to using Swagbucks (which is actually powered by Yahoo! and works great!). Every time you search you earn money. It’s that simple. After a day, you won’t even notice the difference between Swagbucks and your prior search engine.

Step 4: Keep this going…

If you’ve done everything that I did, and didn’t spend the extra money, in a few months or so you should have saved and earned a total of at least $1,000. $1,000 is great, but what’s better? $5,000. You’re really not that far away if you can keep this going!

Conclusion:

There is no timeline here because ultimately the quicker you perform all of these, the more you’ll save this year. I don’t know about you, but everyday stressing about finances was a wasted day. I’m not rich and I’m not telling you that you will be. I’m just hoping that you can maybe go to the movies every once in a while, or take that special someone out to dinner.

One final thing I’ve learned: The biggest mistake I made for years was never really getting started. So don't let that happen to you... Start right now by picking one of the online savings accounts we've selected below, and make your first deposit!

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http://www.brainchildmag.com/2014/08/what-i-will-teach-my-boys/

What I Will Teach My Boys

August 26, 2014

By Shannon Brugh

I will teach my boys that they are not entitled, that they are not owed, that they have the power to wait. To stop. To save.

I remember. I remember all the times I felt like I should. Like I had to so he would still talk to me. So he would still like me. So he wouldn’t be angry. Even the times I wanted to… until it was happening, and I didn’t want to anymore. I remember the times I spoke up, and the times I didn’t. I remember all of it. And I see all of it so differently now. All of it is different now.

I am a mother. I am a mother of boys.

So now, I see it all through the eyes of a mother, too. What my mother would have felt like, had she known. What my mother will feel like now, when she reads this. What the mothers of those boys would have felt like, if they had known. What I would feel like if my wonderful, sweet boys did something like that.

My boys. They would never. They won’t. They can’t.

But how do I know? How does anyone know?

I think about what must’ve been missing. What the boys I knew or the Steubenville boys or the millions of other boys who intentionally—or unintentionally—rape or push or pressure people into sex, were missing. What was it?

I think, or hope anyway, that it was because no one ever talked to them about it. No one ever came right out and said, “Hey. You cannot have sex with another person unless you are sure—100% sure—that they want to have sex with you. If there is any hesitation, if you have to “convince,” then it’s not okay and you have to stop.” No one ever said that to them; I’m sure of it. Because really, how often to parents really say that to their boys?

It’s becoming more common, I think. Things are changing and people are becoming more comfortable talking to their kids about the uncomfortable things: sex, drugs, mental/emotional/social health. But I think it’s still new, and I doubt it’s part of the plan for most parents of boys.

Parents of girls, on the other hand, they know they have to talk about it. To talk about pressure and making sure their daughters wait until they are ready. Birth control and being careful. Some parents even go so far as to warn girls not to dress too suggestively or “give the wrong impression.”  Because as all women know, we—the victims of this kind of aggression—are blamed.

But who says to their sons, “It does not matter what she’s wearing. It does not matter if your friends say she’s a sure thing. It does not matter that you want to. Do not pressure. Do not push.  Her body is her body. His body is his body.”

I will. I will say those things to my sons. I will tell them—explicitly—not to rape. Not to pressure. Not to push. Because if I don’t, who will? I will not wait until it’s too late. I will not assume that they know. I will not allow my sons to fall victim to the idea that men are entitled to anyone’s body.

And if I have to, I will tell my boys that once, boys who could have been just like them felt entitled to my body. That one boy tried to take my body. That after I made it clear that I didn’t want what he wanted, he held my body down and tried to take it. That he knelt on my arms so I couldn’t fight. That he sat on my legs so I couldn’t kick. That he touched me and took off clothes and that I fought him as hard as I could. That he only stopped when my friend screamed from the other room. That my friend, who couldn’t fight the other boy off of her, saved me. That I fought my way out from under him and tried to fight my way to her, but it was too late. That then, because we were too young and too stupid to consider alternatives, we let those same boys drive us home. And that then, when he tried to touch me again in the truck, I elbowed him in the ribs as hard as I could, and that he opened the door of the truck on the freeway and tried to throw me out. I remember. All of it.

I can’t change it now. I can’t change anything that has happened to me or to anyone else. But I can try to stop it from happening again. I can teach my sons that they are not owed anything. That their feelings and hormones and urges are not any more important than anyone else’s. I can teach them that they have the power to stop, and that they must if there is so much as a shadow of doubt.

I can teach my boys be safe. Safe with themselves, safe with their bodies, save with others and their bodies. I will teach my boys that they are not entitled, that they are not owed, that they have the power to wait. To stop. To save.

And I will teach my boys to listen. To pay attention to the words of those around them and in front of them. To speak up if they hear something questionable. To step in if they see someone being pressured or pushed around. To help.

I remember, and I will do what I can to stop this, beginning with my boys.

Shannon Brugh received her B.A. in English Lit from University of Washington and her Masters in Teaching from Seattle University. In addition to her contributions at Rattle & Pen, she can be found on her personal blog Becoming Squishy. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two young sons.

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