Vampires Pt 1

They were known by many names throughout the ages. Vetelas, strix, undead, and vampire. The legends always spoke of those that had died coming back to feast on the blood of relatives. It was thought that the victims themselves returned as vampires. It led to mass hysteria and exhumed bodies–burned and staked.

What is the true nature of the vampire? Here it is.

A complete vampire is created when another vampire bites him and drains him. Upon biting him, a virus enters. It essentially reprograms the DNA and begins a process of change from specifically tasked cells to base cells in the body. These stem cells will eventually have the capacity to reproduce any portion of the body that is damaged or destroyed. Before the process is able to complete, however, the victim is fully drained of blood and dies. During this process the vampire never releases the victim. A connection is made that is beyond the realm of human understanding.

At death, the spirit is released from the body and a new spirit enters–it is the demon. Remember that the demon seeks a vessel to reside in and is tormented whilst exposed and without a host (Matthew 12:43). Upon entry, blood is forced back to the vessel’s blood stream and the body begins to revive. As the body struggles to regain life the virus continues its work. It converts the physiology to a new type completely. The brain damage from death is repaired by the stem cells, the sensitivity to ultraviolet becomes acute, strength increases, the senses sharpen, the body ceases to age, and the teeth grow and link with the blood stream. The new code takes hold, the demon inhabits, and the vampire is complete.

The process can be applied to those that have already died as well. It simply requires the demon to enter and the virus to take affect for reanimation to be possible. This is because the virus even works on dead cells, mimicking the code that is present and setting to work to create living cells in place of the dead ones.

In both cases, the resulting creature is then more demon than human, but the human mind remains. Often times the demon suffers an identity alignment with the host. That is to say that the demon begins to think the way the once living human did. The human mind is now his and he may even mistake himself for being that person. That means that the same emotions, memories, and habits resurface in the new life. This is why a vampire often finds himself visiting family he once knew and compulsively feeding on them.

There are, however, human vampires as well. These are created when the process to becoming a complete vampire is interrupted and never carried all the way through. If a bite occurs the virus is passed on, but if death never comes then the human spirit remains with the changing body. All the attributes of the vampire set in, but the spirit is still the person’s own.

Human life, by comparison, seems as a dull dream would seem. The senses were so unrefined and unevolved that experiences now seem distant and unimportant. The vampire life soon takes greater precedent as the ultimate experience.

Survival for a vampire relies on an avoidance of the sun since the ultraviolet rays damage the cells and cause horrible mutations and aggressive cancers that ravage in days rather than months. Keeping away from fire or any other sure form of complete obliteration preserves. And the blood of a fresh victim every few days or sometimes weeks keeps a vampire from declining into dormancy. The blood is the only element that does not reproduce itself. It is rejected over time as a foreign and threatening presence in the body. This, therefore, requires the vampire to suck the blood of humans to stay alive. Each time new blood is introduced it begins to break down and falls prey to rejection. The body starts to force it from its system and the thirst of the vampire becomes enormous. Sickness and pain result from not drinking and finally a form of death that is only returned from with the introduction of new, living blood into the system. This feeds the virus and the body revives itself.

Further questions will be addressed.

Where did the virus come from?

Do vampires live forever?

Are vampires all evil?

Who was the first vampire?

Christmas List

For those people who wish to get me something for Christmas, this is a reference list for you all. Some of the things I want are a little difficult to figure out, so I’m providing direct links to what it is and where it’s at. I’m doing this cause I’m not aloud to buy myself stuff when it comes to Christmas time because I could be buying stuff that people have gotten me for Christmas.

The List

X-10 Entertainment Anywhere System

This will allow me to integrate a computer with my entertainment center that can all be controlled by a single remote control.

Seminary for Free

So, I’m attending seminary. Well, actually, I’m attending seminaries–for free. See, I bought my Zen, and then I set to work learning how to use it, and then Jesus (Hey soos) showed me how to use iTunes which opened a whole new realm of possibilities for me. He showed me a bunch of free podcasts that he downloads and listens to. These podcasts are from those like Chuck Missler and William Lane Craig of Dallas Theological Seminary. Realizing that there was stuff from Dallas Theological Seminary I wondered if I could download anything from other seminaries, so I typed in seminary and a bunch of results came back. In particular, I downloaded everything available from Covenant Theological Seminary. CTS is a Presbyterian seminary, but they’re pretty close to what I believe, so it’s good listening. These lectures are enabling me to learn a great deal about church history, apologetics, and many other elements that they’d teach in seminary. The best part? It’s free.

Zen

Today I bought my Creative Labs Zen Vision: M. It was just over 200 smackaroos. As exciting as purchasing it, I’ve had a very uninteresting time with it so far–it came without a charge on the battery. So, I’ve been charging the thing all night.

Admittedly, I’ve played with it a little tonight. I got it charged up just enough to be able to play around with it for about five minutes, but that’s not near enough time. Tomorrow will be the true test of usefulness.

Why did I get it you ask? I got it primarily because I wanted rewind and fast forward. I know, that’s a seemingly weird reason, but let me explain. Wanting to listen to multiple sermons in a day I needed a player that could read in mp3 format, so I bought a CD mp3 player. It works fine, but I quickly realized that it didn’t have a rewind or fast forward built in. Sermons are about a half hour to forty five minutes. Sometimes, I can’t finish one in a single sitting or I miss something and want to hear it again, but I can’t rewind to hear it again and I can’t simply restart a sermon and fast forward to where I left off.

This dilemma led Maggie to the decision that she should get me an iPod style mp3 player for our anniversary. Unfortunately, she didn’t know enough about them to pick one out that I liked, so she told me her plan and said, “Buy what you want.” This led to a significant amount of research and eventually the decision to buy the strongest (in my opinion) of the players. I purchased the Zen. Now I have to determine which music service to use. If you have suggestions, I’m interested. Leave some comments.

A Good Week…Now Back to the Grind

I had a week off from college and I used my new spare time to write. I got a lot written on my book, but now college is back in session and I’m too tired to write tonight. It’s a sad feeling, but I’m going to try to work it in more.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and it was a lot of fun. First, we went to Maggie’s parent’s house and ate steak. Then, we came back home and ate 24 hour marinated grilled chicken. I’ve decided that I really like Mother’s day, Father’s day, birthdays, and any other celebration day for other people because I get to eat really good food.

Aside from the food, it was really nice to be able to pull off a big get together with nine people, and have it all turn out fun and genuinely enjoyable. As far as I can tell, everyone had fun, they liked the food, and my mom and grandma got to enjoy a day dedicated to them. That, my friends, sounds like a success.

Whew…

Demons

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. –Ephesians 6:12

What are demons? How do you picture them? Below I’ve included a few descriptive elements that describe their nature. Why do I care? I’m a fiction writer.

Satan converses with God. In Job 1:6-7 Satan converses with God. That’s interesting. How is it that the spiritual world consists of evil and good, darkness and light, and the two appear to be in the same place? Can Satan come and go in heaven as he pleases? This brings up the question as to whether Satan is actually an agent of God that was created for the sole purpose of giving man free will. Thoughts?

In Exodus 7:11 it is made known that Satan can imitate God.

Ephesians 2:1-2 says he is the ruler of the kingdom of the air. I wonder what this kingdom is?

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. –Genesis 6:4

Since demons are rebellious and Satan is perhaps governed by God’s allowance, are there or were there demons that rebelled even against Satan? Could this explain the presence of Nephilim? I realize there is debate over what Gn 6:4 means, so this question is based off a few assumptions. I do wonder, aside from the Nephilim, whether there are demons that rebel against the authority of Satan as well though.

Throughout the Bible we see demons cast out and bound, but can they be killed? Can you ever actually extinguish an eternal being? When they fight, can they be hurt or is spiritual battle won by the use of words and calling on authority? But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” –Jude 1:9

Has anyone realized that demons can possess children? Matthew 15:22-29, Mark 7:25-30

A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind. John 10:21 One would assume that this means demons cannot actually do healing.

Finally, a demon that’s cast out goes through arid places seeking rest, but finds none. Read the following story.

Luke 11:14-26 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

I’m not sure what this all means to you, but it might give you a better idea about the nature of demons. I’m really interested to hear what you think, so leave comments and we’ll get a lively discussion going.

Democrats Want Out

Withdrawal from Iraq must begin by October 1st–that’s what the Dems want (see story). The Dems not only want to begin troop withdrawal on October 1st, but they want to be completely out within six months from October. It’s ridiculous charades conducted as a political ploy. The strategy for the Democrats is failure. If we fail in Iraq, Bush looks bad, and the Democrats can use that as leverage to get back in power. Shortsightedly vying for power, these Democrats don’t realize (or maybe they do) that failure in Iraq will mean greater failures with terrorism and Islamic extremism that may result in huge consequences for our way of life.

Although fighting in Iraq wasn’t about terrorism as much as it was about the threat of weapons of mass destruction, the fight has manifested itself as the focal point of the war on terrorism. It’s in the news every day, it is the front line in the war on terrorism, and Islamic terrorists are flocking to that fight IN IRAQ. Yes, in Iraq. That’s a huge factor to consider in all this. Where will terrorism find its spotlight if we leave Iraq?

Be grateful that it’s not taking place here in America–in your neighborhood. Instead it’s in Iraq, where it will stay unless we stop fighting it there. I’ll give you three guesses as to where it will go from there.

I will admit that the fight in Afghanistan has suffered because Iraq has all the attention. I will say that our strategy, even after the surge has taken full affect, will still have room for improvement.

Granted, Bush is making serious political, military, and global decisions and these decisions are difficult to make with ALL things considered, so my attempt to describe a better strategy shouldn’t hold more weight than that of the President of the United States unless his plan doesn’t work. I cannot say that I have the whole counsel of circumstances within my bounds of consideration. That said, my strategy would involve dividing Iraq back into three separate countries again (it was divided after WWI). The three factions of people, Shi’a, Kurds, and Sunnis, have a difficult time being peaceful with each other. Dividing them would create three separate governments that could rule in a like minded manner. The separation is already geographic and would not be difficult to arrange politically. This would reduce the amount of civil unrest currently occurring in the region.

Another great strategy that is always left out is reporting the number of enemies that have been killed. The news always reports the number of U.S. soldiers killed, but the number of insurgents that have been killed is never mentioned. It’s a psychological knife in the back of the war effort. Tony Snow mentioned on radio that it’s not a numbers game. The goal should not be to tally up the number of dead on the enemy side. I, however, believe that this is an indicator for whether we are winning or losing. By the way, the numbers are definitely in favor of us by comparison to their fatalities with ours. That, my friends, is partly how we know we’re winning.

Finally, our enemy relies heavily on waging a psychological war. The news media snatches up anything a terrorist gives them and parades it all over television for Americans to see. We aren’t in the business of shaming our enemy like they are. Perhaps we should. If we set up news broadcasts into the middle east that shame our enemy, outrage would result, but eventually we’d see a decrease in morale. This is an untested theory, but it seems plausible and is better than limiting free speech in America.

Perhaps you have some ideas that would contribute to creating a better war strategy. Let me know.

We Saw The Olive Garden People

Today at the grocery store Maggie and I saw the people we talked to last night at the Olive Garden. It’s a small world. We said hello and awed at the coincidence before moving along on our way. That’s so cool.

Quiet Day

It was a quiet day today. Maggie and I slept in late, sealed the grout on our new tile, and attended High Desert Church. The sermon was a lot of fun. Pastor Tom Mercer spoke on parenting. We were wondering if we’d really get much out of it at the start, but quickly realized that he spoke truth that we could file away and use in the future when we eventually become parents.

I scanned through the news today and nothing really warrants any attention. That’s fine. It’s nice to have a quiet news day.

Tonight, after church, we decided on the Olive Garden for dinner. When we arrived we were told that it would be a thirty to thirty-five minute wait, so we found a table to sit at while we waited in the lobby/bar area. While sitting there an older couple walked in. They were searching for a place to sit. It’s usually not acceptable to sit at a table that’s already occupied even if there’s open chairs if you’re not invited, so I motioned for them to sit with us. It was a lot of fun talking with them. We conversed for about fifteen minutes until a table came available for us. We said our goodbyes and went to eat. I just thought I’d share because it made me feel good and I figured it might make you feel good as well. Showing a little kindness is a good thing.

For now, I’m off to bed. Thanks for stopping by.

Preying on the Weak and Defenseless

William Phillips, age 60, murdered David Beverly and then took his own life today at NASA in Houston (see story). Although this is a tragic story, the shooting did not seem to have any connection to the 4-20 infamy of Columbine or Hitler. Instead, it would seem that Phillips was driven by a dispute he’d had with Beverly and nothing more. Perhaps he was emboldened by the murderer Cho and the excessive coverage that occurred, but we may never know.

Aside from this shooting we seem to have emerged from the day relatively unscathed. No neo-nazi, demented killers with long trench coats or strange multimedia presentations came out to murder today. That’s a relief.

Now that we’ve had some time to take in the events of the past few days, it’s time, I think, to take a serious look at gun laws. What do I mean by this? Consider the following. Why was Cho successful? How did the two Columbine boys carry out those killings? Wasn’t it all because they were able to get their hands on the guns they needed to carry their plans out?

No, the accessibility to the firearms is not what gave them their leverage. What? What do you mean? Of course they could not have done what they did without the weapons to do it with. If we take guns out of the equation then they have no power, right? Wrong. They were successful because the people they were attacking could not defend themselves!

Think about it. If an individual wants to go on a killing spree and the people he wants to kill are all armed with guns, do you think he’ll be very successful? First, he might think twice about getting himself killed, because that would quickly be ensured if he started shooting at people with guns. Second, because he would be killed quickly once he’d started shooting, the number of lives lost would be much lower.

Look at this in a different light. During the Cold War neither the U.S. or the Soviet Union wanted to fire a nuke on the other. Why? Because of a little thing called mutually assured destruction. If the Soviet Union fired on us, we would fire on them. In the end both sides would lose. This kept war from breaking out.

Now, bring this back to the individual level, that concept of assured death can act as a major deterrent for idiots like this Cho lunatic. Giving people guns means limiting the power of the criminals that prey on the weak and defenseless. Cowardly criminals buy guns and use them because nobody else has them. It’s their way of cheating in a game with ridiculous rules.

Consider the fact that these criminals are just that: criminals. Criminals are all about breaking laws. What makes you think a criminal is going to abide by a “no gun” law? Criminals still find guns, but the law abiding innocents will not have guns because it’s against the law! If you remove guns completely, you’ve rendered innocent people defenseless against one of these criminals who’s obtained a gun illegally.

Criminals still find guns, but the law abiding innocents will not have guns because it’s against the law!

So, what does this mean? It means that gun control needs to be exercised by the individuals carrying the guns, not by the government. If that right were fully restored to us, violent crimes would decrease. Put the power back into the hands of the people and make it more difficult for criminals to gain an upper hand. That is our solution.

Adolf Hitler’s birthday, and the anniversary of the Columbine shootings. It’s also known as national smoke marijuana day.
Graffiti on a wall of Vista Murrieta High School yesterday displayed a threat that promised everyone would die on 4-20 (see story).
Jeffery Thomas Carney, an allegedly drug addicted 28 year old, is the subject of a manhunt by Sutter County Sheriff Department because he told his pastor that he was going to carry out a shooting that it would “make the incident at Virginia Tech look mild by comparison.” The manhunt continues even now and schools in the area are on lock down in expectation (see story).
So, tomorrow promises a potentially interesting news day.
I think it’s probable that we’re going to see some act of violence tomorrow solely predicated on the fact that it’s 4-20 and the anniversary of Columbine. Cho’s outburst may have emboldened others to copy his psychotic episode. This could very well mean more ruthless murders. In the case of Jeffery Thomas Carney the goal in mind appears to be an outdoing of Cho’s carnage. This is when preemptive action comes in. They need to get this guy before he gets anywhere near taking the lives of innocent people.
I know it’s a terrible prediction to say that something tragic will likely happen tomorrow, but I have a sick feeling in my gut that I’m right. Pray to God that I’m not.

The Torment of Cho - Victim or Brutal Murderer?

It’s still blanketing the news. NBC just received a package with video, pictures, and more writing from Cho. In the video he speaks with a strange tone about his death being like that of Jesus Christ.

“I die like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of the weak and the defenseless people.”

He says a lot things that reach to the bizarre. He mentions the Columbine killers as martyrs, he calls the universal you hedonistic, and he says, “You have vandalized my heart, raped my soul and torched my conscience.” What does this all mean? This guy was probably insane. The radio shows are now inviting psychologists to comment on the possibility of schizophrenia or some other serious mental disorder.

The element in all this that troubles me? His image is getting revamped into an abused or severely disturbed victim. Some are forgetting that he murdered 32 people in cold blood. No matter the reason that drives a person to such lengths it doesn’t change the actions committed. If he were still living I’d say he deserves to die on a poorly grounded electric chair.

Articles like Cho offers glimpse into tortured soul attempt to invoke pity for the crazy murderer. His rants in the video are so strange and filled with hate that I really wonder if he wasn’t being influenced by forces unseen. The comparison to Jesus is reason enough to think that something more may have been behind his actions.

Ultimately, a kid as disturbed as this should not have flown under the radar so long. Had he come under psychological evaluation he may have been recognized as a threat and detained. It’s important to identify these types and notify the right people before somebody gets hurt. Imagine 32 deaths that could’ve been prevented.

New Blog

I have a new blog. http://stevemind.wordpress.com

I liked it better. Drop by, leave comments, and change your links. Eventually this site will be set up to redirect visitors to the new blog.

So We Backed Out

I know, the last post mentioned regrets or paying a lot of money, but we decided to back out. Too many things about the deal seemed fishy. I was getting different stories from the same person, the Mello Roos tax was ridiculous and didn't expire until 2020, and we didn't like the area.

Break Time. Now we wait. That's okay though since we have to ready this house for rental shape. At first I thought we'd just leave it all as is, but in order to attract higher quality renters we decided to make this house a lot nicer than it currently is. It's one of the rules mentioned in Property Management for Dummies. That requires time and since escrow would've closed in early May we didn't have enough time. Getting out from under that deal feels like a load off and now we have all the time we need. We're under no schedule except that I'd like to be renting it before next year so the improvements will count as write-offs for a rental property.

Just bringing you up to speed here. Now you know.

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Preempting Virginia Tech

Let’s talk about Virginia Tech, the site of the worst shooting in U.S. history (32 dead). The gunman? 23 year old Cho Seung-Hui. It’s difficult to pronounce, but quickly becoming a household name. I’ve been following the news stories and was surprised to hear about the substantial number of signals that indicated something was definitely wrong with this kid.

Classmates from his playwriting class mentioned that his screenplays were ridden with violence and disturbing content.

“One was about a fight between a stepson and his stepfather, and involved throwing of hammers and attacks with a chainsaw. Another was about students fantasizing about stalking and killing a teacher who sexually molested them.” (Yahoo! News)

Classmates said they weren’t sure whether his writing was invented or speaking from the torment of experience. Fellow classmate Ian MacFarlane, in a blog post prior to the shootings, mentioned that he was concerned about Cho having the potential to actually become a school shooter. Stephanie Derry said that she and others would often joke about the likelihood that he would be capable of doing something like that, but that it was no joke when she actually received word that he’d committed this heinous act.

I’m especially intrigued by the large caches of Cho’s writing that the authorities are now uncovering. The writing is consistently being described as ‘troubling’ and ‘disturbing’.

All this begs the question, should we act on signals that indicate an individual is likely a school shooter type? Were his ‘disturbing’ writings enough of a warning that something should have been done to prevent the eventual outcome? That thinking probably would not have boded well for Stephen King, but for someone like Cho, it could have saved the lives of 32 people.

Minority Report comes to mind. In the movie, the murder rate dropped to zero when the Precogs saw murder before it happened. Tom Cruz played the role of the framed murderer and it brought preemptive action under ethical question. The idea that a person who writes such disturbing material might be a school shooter and should therefore be placed under suspicion sounds like an infringement of rights, but perhaps taking no action prior to the crime is a worse strategy. That inaction could potentially be blamed for the deaths of those people.

So, should we take action to prevent possible capital crimes? Is it placing your rights and mine under attack or is it protecting our lives from demented would-be killers? What do you think?

$2500 or Regrets?

Does $2,500 a month sound high to you? It does to me. That, my friends, is the price of purchasing a new home. One of the books I read explained the sense of fear before that big first step and I really understand it--intimately.

As it stands, right now, I can be viewed in one of two ways. In the first, I am courageously taking that first step toward wealth and prosperity and someday I'll look back on these days as the beginning of a fantastic journey to financial freedom. In the second, I am out of mind and jumping headlong into a trap that will ruin me for at least the next seven years. Maybe I'm out of my mind for taking this on AND I'll end up wealthy--a third choice I suppose.

I suppose that however things turn out will provide the answer to which of these descriptions applies to me. A $2,500 a month price tag might someday seem like small change in the big scheme of things. That's what I hope anyway. Fortunately, I've equipped myself with enough education to know that this endeavor is not impossible, it's just very difficult. Many people could do what I'm doing, but not many will. The fear simply overtakes them and all the rational thought and planning leading up to this point abandons them. The commitment is simply too great to bear.

It comes down to a question: do I want to try and see what happens with the possibility of an amazing adventure and the potential for great wealth or spend the rest of my life wishing I had just tried but never knowing what could've happened? We only live once and I feel that I must do as well as I can while I'm here. I don't want to reach the end of it all and be followed by those dreaded and haunting ghosts most commonly referred to as regrets.

College sucks.

I took an elective finance course and it should have had prerequisites. It's not that it's so incredibly difficult, it's just that I have no background in it. If I knew what they were talking about I could probably squeak by in this stupid class. Instead, I understand nothing of what even Chapter 1 says.



I'm dropping the class tomorrow. Although it will certainly cost me a lot of money to do so, I just can't keep on with it. I don't appreciate being so stressed out over something so stupid and trivial. It was an elective! It's not even a required course.

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Upturning Rocks - Biblical Questions

Recent conversations about my questions have put some things in perspective for me. In one instance, I brought up my questions about the validity of the Bible in apologetics. Everyone received the questions as a challenge worth searching out the answers for.



I was a little reluctant at first to drop my questions on apologetics because I didn't want to shake anyone's faith, but then it occurred to me that the Bible is supposed to be able to stand up under any scrutiny. My fear was unfounded then since, given the infallibility of the Bible, there is no disproving it.



In another instance, I was talking with a Christian co-worker. Upon hearing my questions he cautioned me that I might be obsessing over my own understanding and causing a stumbling block for myself. After taking him through a little of my reasoning he was pretty convinced that I might be unraveling my faith. We prayed and laid it at the feet of God. In this instance, I really saw the reluctance people have to actually really question their Bible and faith. I doubt I'm on uncharted waters, however, so I'm continuing on.



In another instance, I spoke with a separate co-worker who is about to become a pastor. His reaction was to listen and admit that he didn't know the answers, but he never said that the pursuit was wrong. In his mind, questioning the Bible is expected.



With him, I was able to fully voice my theories. One of the logical consequences is that the New Testament does not belong while the Old Testament does.



I'm going to write out my whole list of questions and line of reasoning. Hopefully in so doing I'll develop some answers to my questions. We all know that the Bible can stand the test, right?



Don't be afraid to upturn rocks in fear that one of them holds the key to the destruction of the faith. I'm sure that many have done this before me. I plan on consulting them as well.

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Testing a new editor

I'm just testing a new blog editor.

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Hey, It's Been Awhile

The blog world seems to have faded to the background lately. I haven't posted anything of worth in sometime. Why? No good reason. Really, I should be posting regularly just to keep sharp on my writing skills.

What have I been doing lately you ask? Not posting on my blog. I've been doing school work on my way to an Associate's Degree. What an accomplishment it will be when I finally get that piece of paper. Both my sisters are well on their way to being fully degreed and I'm really proud of them. Leah did a great job figuring out the system. I only wish I could have tried to figure it out a little more. I just didn't realize that getting into a class merely required bringing an add slip into whichever class I wanted to take. I thought that it was full when it said it was full.

Since then I've come a long way. I should be graduated by September or October of this year. I'm working toward getting a BS in business. I figure its kind of an open ended degree for the current job market. A business degree can be utilized in every industry.

What else is new you ask? What, that wasn't enough for you? You want more? Okay. I'm also learning a great deal about real estate, mortgage loans, and investing. Why? Because I can't be poor my whole life. Wait, you mean to tell me that you want to be rich? Yes, absolutely. But aren't you a Christian? Yes. Don't Christians try to avoid the pursuit of money and all that? I'm glad you asked. It just so happens that I've done a lot of soul searching in the midst of disliking my job, seeking better money, and planning for the future of my family. My current situation will not allow Maggie the opportunity to leave her job and be a stay at home mom without tremendous sacrifices to our standard of living. I also don't want to work for somebody else my whole life where I get paid what they think I'm worth.

Well, that's all great, but isn't money a root of all evil? I have one word for you: Amplification. Judging by the funny look I'd guess that I've lost you. Allow me to explain. Money is, in and of itself, neutral. It is neither good nor bad. However, the person with the money has the option to use it for good or for bad. Money provides the amplification of the character of that person. If you were somebody that wants to help others, that is generous, and that has a good heart, those qualities can be amplified by money. With money, you can help out people in need, you can ease the burden of the check at the end of the meal for your friends, and you can use it to make a difference. Amplification. If a person is greedy and evil, those traits would be more obvious with money as well. Does that mean money is good or evil? No, it means the person that uses it is good or evil.

So, being a Christian and working with money to make it grow so that you can do good things with it is not a contradiction. Being responsible and investing, growing your money, and moving up in the world so you can do things like have a stay at home wife are good things.

Now that I've explained myself, I'll fill you in on a little bit. We've got lots of options on the table because we bought our house early. Now we have a significant amount of usable equity that can be converted to cash for investment. This is where we have some different roads that we could take. We could sell this house and put a hefty down payment on a nice new house, we could take the equity out in the form of a loan, rent out this house, and put a down payment on another less expensive house as well. We may find a foreclosure (cause there are a lot of those lately) and fix it up a little. Who knows. That's why I'm learning everything I can right now. I want us to be as educated as possible so that we can be good stewards of the money God has given us.

That's it! Of course that's not everything that has happened during the months of silence, but that's what's happening now. If I were to write down everything you'd soon lose interest and eventually fall asleep. Then you'd wake up with asdfghjkl written across your forehead the next morning and I just couldn't do that to you. I will, however, try to post a little more so we don't have to do all this catching up all at once. Till next time, may you dwell on eternal things and daily choose to serve the Lord and Him only.