!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> rachman-unprecedented: December 2007

rachman-unprecedented

So what is this going to be? A little bit of everything I think. Maybe that's it. What I'm thinking. What I'm believing. I hope what I'm knowing. And why would anyone care what I think I know? There's no reason in the world that you should. But then why are you here? Cuz you have to be somewhere I suppose. I've never been here before. I may not be back. I might get too busy to care; time is short. That's fine. Nobody can deal with it all at once. There is a lot to deal with.

About Me

My Photo
Name:
Location: The Great Plains, United States

I try not to take myself too seriously, but I know I have far too much. So I'm trying to learn how to laugh again, as I had forgotted for a while there. Also I'm relearning to enjoy life; you know, like when we were kids. The biggest challenge ahead is learning how to love God with all my heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. This one is not really that hard when you know the truth. But along with it comes learning to love others as I love myself, and that one is, as they say, "a horse of a whole different color." I think I need to learn to love myself a little more, but the problem may be that I know all these facts about me. Sometimes the facts are simply wrong or they are just stuck in the past. I'm trying to get my facts to line up with the truth. As someone once asked a great man, "what is truth?" If he had only known.

rachman's weblog

Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year, My Friends!


I want to take just a moment to say to all the netizens that I have met over the last few years (okay, 1 and 1/2 years) that I wish you the very best for the new year! That includes you, Leo and Rob, (I miss hearing from you both, but I trust you are both well) and you, Troyal. (I was never sure if that stood for Troy Al or T. Royal or, maybe, neither. Either way I enjoy your art.) And then there was Rhys, and the blog bloke, and Bobby G. I've learnt from all of you, though not as much as I should have. (What with such a short attention span.) You all produce some great sites.
.
Then there was the gracious Cergie, proving that all the French are not in the least bit what many Americans say about them. (Come to think of it, that's what the Internet has shown me. That people from all countries are, after all, just people the same as myself, with hopes and dreams.) And I shouldn't leave out Paulo, and Dave, and Elisabeth (Shame on you, Elisabeth. You didn't leave an address to touch base with you, after you left such a sweet comment. But at least you did comment. Thanks again.)
.
All in all many of you I consider friends who don't ask for money. (Perhaps that is the thing I like best about you.) Although the political and religious debates have also been interesting and challenging. You know who I mean, Mohamed Fadly. I wish you happiness and peace, my friend. And also to you, Scott, Rose, and C.F. All of you I call friends and I am blessed to know you all.
.
I know I have left out some names, but then you should write more often. That's okay. Time is short. It is almost time to begin again. May you all have more than enough. May you all be blessed in order to bless. May you all find all that you search for. May you all know the reason for your existence and use that existence to its utmost. May you all know the God of Grace, who gave us this time to start over.
.
.
~ rachman
.

posted by rachman | 2:35 PM | 6 comments

Sunday, December 30, 2007

The Journey Home


I read this on the Jewish site called Chabad.Org and thought that it was brilliant, so I offer it here for those who haven't thought about it this way before.
.
Afterlife is a very rational, natural consequence of the order of things. After all, nothing is ever lost--even the body only transforms into earth. But nothing is lost. The person you are is also never lost. It only returns to its source. If your soul became attached to the material world during its stay here, then it must painfully rip itself away to make the journey back. But if it was only a traveler, connected to its source all along, then its ride home is heavenly.
.
.
I hope your journey in 2007 has been an overall good ride.
.

posted by rachman | 2:44 PM | 0 comments

Thursday, December 20, 2007

What Child Is This?


"What Child Is This?" is a popular Christmas carol that was written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix. It seems that at the age of twenty-nine, Dix was struck with a near-fatal illness which confined him to his bed for several months. He went into a deep depression during this time, yet out of this near-death experience Dix wrote many hymns, including "What Child is This?" Actually the words were first part of his poem called "The Manger Throne," and only later were three stanzas set to the traditional English melody of "Greensleeves."
.
The melody which has been around since at least the 16th century has carried the words of many different sentiments. Some sacred and some not. Though it made an appearance as a hymn called "The old year now is fled" in 1642. It is thought that John Stainer may have merged "The Manger Throne" lyrics with the "Greensleeves" melody for a book of Christmas carols in 1867.
.
.
"What Child Is This?"
.
.
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
.
.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
.
.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
.
.
~ rachman
.

posted by rachman | 12:27 AM | 0 comments

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Home of the Brave

There are times when the brave ones will have to leave their home and enter the battle. Unfortunately, there are also times when brave ones will be required to stay behind to keep the home fires going.

posted by rachman | 11:54 PM | 0 comments