My Wish List

Funny Slideshows

2007-04-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

The Dove of Peace...

2006-11-18T01:35:00.000-05:00

The Dove of Peace flies in the heavens
and feeds from Mother Earth

"Heaven whispers, Earth listens"
~
"Cielo susurra, Gaia oye"

An Old Cherokee Story

2005-05-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

An old Cherokee is telling his granddaughter about a fight that is going on inside him. He said it is between two wolves.

One is evil ~ Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is good ~ Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

The granddaughter thought about it for a minute and then asked her grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one I feed."

Hajira ~ ''The Voice Everyone Understands''

2005-03-31T17:47:00.000-05:00

About Don Baragiano - Hejira Music - Seattle, WA 3 3 2005 1 01 35 PM

Music – Earthy…with a Beat…A World Music Experience...
Hejira (hedge-ear-a) ~

Dedicated to Building Bridges Between Cultures Through Music...

"Other bands play songs - we create music"

Music from Hejira ~ Listen to Free Samplers:

Original musical compositions by Don Baragiano with imaginative lyrics by Danick Isabelle Jawer create a unique blend of fiery, joyful, enticing World Jazz music.
"We are more alike than we are different" is their message and is reflected in the shared thoughts, feelings and spirit common to all cultures, Worldwide.
The skillful musical artistry of Hejira delivers strong tribal World beats, fiery guitar, passionate violin and sensual vocals. Hejira's driving rhythms and exotic, enticing melodies use a blend of Middle Eastern beats, ethnic styles, jazz, blues and even rock to inspire the imagination and make your body want to move.
An experienced troupe of talented belly dancers captivate the audience with their spirited dancing in traditional festive costumes.

Instrumentation: guitar, bass, violin, keyboards, percussion, balalaika, digital guitar and more.
Hejira connects people with the spirit of sound at festivals, concerts, parties, fairs, conferences, schools, company events and other gatherings.

Concert Set List

Zaar Cleansing: Original composition by Don Baragiano with lyrics by Danick Isabelle Jawer inspired by the Sufi poet Rumi. Our American culture is only 250 years old… Egyptian civilization started in approx 5k BC. This Egyptian ZAAR rhythm is a dance performed to drive away evil spirits.
Garoon: A traditional Armenian belly dance piece with lyrics in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Turkish and Russian!
Malfoof Joel: An original composition by violonist Joel Gamble based on the Middle Eastern Malfoof rhythm.
Moroccan Roll: Original composition by Don Baragiano. This song's intention is to blend Western rock with Middle Eastern rhythms & scales. It answers the age-old question: what would it sound like if we gave a Marshall stack and a Stratocaster to an oud-playing, goat tending, mountain dwelling, Middle Eastern shepherd.
Al-Hambra: Original composition by Don with English and French lyrics by Danick. One cannot discuss Muslim Spain without referring to the famous Al-Hambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Moorish influences, and flamenco,too.
Hejira: Original composition by Don with English lyrics by Danick. Hejira means: 1, starting off on a new path or direction, 2, a flight or journey to a more pleasant or desirable place. Inspired by the 2 years Don lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He’d hear the minarets blasting out prayer call five times a day in their Arab minor scale.
Night in Budapest: Original composition by Don with French and English lyrics by Danick; A reminiscence of a past life in Eastern Europe.
9/8 Karshlama: A traditional Turkish 9/8 rhythm that inspired our own melody and arrangement.
Katushka: A traditional Russian tune sung in Russian by Danick. The Russian Air Force in WW1 christened their bombs Katushka and would sing this song while bombing the Germans.
La Bastringue: A French-Canadian fiddle piece about a young lady in a village who dances all the men into exhaustion.
Under a Crescent Moon: Original composition by Don with English lyrics by Danick. This tune mixes Middle Eastern rhythms, open guitar chords and even 4/4 and 6/8 tempos.
Brazilian Breeze: Original composition by Don, French and English lyrics by Danick.
Love Is A Miracle: Original composition by Don with English and French lyrics by Danick. Lyrics to be available soon!

Don Baragiano ~ Guitar, bass & digital guitar
Hejira's founder, leader and principle composer. Don studied guitar at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, lived 2 years in Saudi Arabia studying the culture and music of the Middle East, and has played at many World Music Festivals.
Don Baragiano's eclectic style exhibits elements of Classical, Jazz, Blues, Middle Eastern, World, Fusion, Rock & Flamenco.
Don studied Classical/Jazz guitar at the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music & Northern Kentucky University.
He lived in Saudi Arabia for 2 years, and during that time was granted a private audience with their top musician, Hamzah Mohammed Al Bashir.
He has opened for John Hartford and Patty Larkin at BlissFest in U.P. Michigan, and the Klezmatics at Birmingham, AL City Stages' World Stage. He has also performed with the Folkvoice band at Seattle's NW FOLKLIFE Festival.
An accomplished musician, Don plays:

Acoustic/Electric Guitars
Balalaika
Oud
Bass
Roland Digital Guitar Synthesizer

Prayer to Celebrate our Differences as Uniqueness

2005-03-31T17:43:00.000-05:00

God has made all of us alike, yet different in so many ways.
People in our place of work, and in our school, come from different backgrounds.

Many of us have different customs and speak different languages.

Each and every one of us has a different way of reacting to any given situation.

We should show respect for all those who have entered our lives and accept them for who they really are - Children of God.

I've learned...

2005-03-31T17:40:00.000-05:00

"A good friend will not come bail you out of jail...

But, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying...

WE screwed up!"

That life is like a roll of toilet paper: the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
That money doesn't buy class.
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
That love, not time, heals all wounds.
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
Those opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
That I wish I could have told those I cared about that I love them one more time before they passed away.
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
That when your newborn child holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Happy Friendship Week .... EVERY week of the year!

circleofhands 2 and 1

2005-03-01T14:47:00.000-05:00

circleofhands2

circleofhands1

Picasso's ''Hand with Bouquet''

2005-03-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm an Optimist ~

2005-01-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

In My Opinion ... Anybody who believes that Spirit is big and strong, and that all bad people can fit on the head of a pin ... is a Light-Worker

Dancing in a Circle...

2005-01-22T19:40:00.000-05:00

at an old-fashioned family-style Wedding,

with Daddy dancing with his daughter, the Bride,

and Grandma holding a dodo for her brand-new granddaughter

her big sister holding the Groom's hands tight

dancing perfectly, standing

on his shoes waltzing round and round

... feels like this to me ...

"drawing by Picasso"

“Gaia dances in the Breath of the Heavens”

The Dove of Peaceflies in the heavens

and feeds from Mother Earth

"Heaven whispers, Earth listens’’

Paloma de la paz,

Ella vuela los Cielos y

Alimenta en Gaia de Madre

"Cielo susurra, Gaia oye’’

I wish ~

2005-01-21T03:56:00.002-05:00

I really wish ~

All the people I liked would cooperate to make one thing wonderful all at the same time, together ...

After all,

If two heads are better than one,

Then, who knows?

The Past does not dictate The Future

2005-01-21T03:53:00.004-05:00

The High Priestess, "The Goddess" deck

Pasado no tiene que dictar Futuro.

Nadie debe ser ido afuera en el frío.
Cuando amor prevalence, abundancia se comparte para todos.

Pero, relaje su corazón un poco sentir la belleza de su querido, y ábrase

El Curativo Divino.

Nuestro Señor no fuerza sus bendiciones cariñosas en sus niños, ni almas dulces fuerzan sus riquezas santas sobre ustad.
Como Jesús dicho ~

"Y yo os digo: Pedid, y se os dará; buscad, y hallaréis; llamad, y os será abierto.”

The High Priestess, "el Gran Esoterico" deck

I wish ~

2005-01-21T03:53:00.002-05:00

"violet horizon"

... that I could say

the one thing

that would make everybody on this planet

happy.

"twilight pier"

"sailing at dusk"

I wish everybody who still has a spark of kid or at least a healthy bad habit of regular self-indulgence to enjoy my "Wish List" - a beginner list at best but something in there will hopefully perk you to attention. I made the list, not for me, as much as my blog mandate suggests - what I would want everybody to have and enjoy any time they wanted.

"playful clouds"

I wish ~

Everybody felt as rejuvenated as me!

"foggy sunset"

Yes, you DO have control of your lifespan, your quality of life, the unfolding of your future, the quality of life on your street ... your Planet.

No, you DON'T have to feel paralyzed and you don't have to accept feeling out-of-control ~ not of your health, nor your lifestyle, nor even your planet.

"overcast view"

I took the RealAge test over 2 years ago and the results showed my body was functioning as a person older than their chronological age. And it was right ~ I was used to dragging my achy bones around, pushing my brain to think, trying to keep my sagging spirit from a depression I don't remember NOT having.

I just finished the test for the second time. My results this time?
My calendar age is 51.7
My new RealAge is 46.3

That indicates I'm 5.4 years younger and fitter than my chronological age would have me acting and feeling ~ I worked hard to make taking caring of myself a lifestyle ~ not easy if you don't know what healthy even feels like.
And, test or no test, I FEEL at least that much younger as that RealAge Test shows, but, I still ACT like a kid.
hugs,
annemieke

"hammock in an overcast view"

I know my RealAge. Do you know yours?

Click and take the free RealAge test.

"breaking wave"

About The RealAge Test:You have been invited to join the 10 million-plus women and men who have already taken the RealAge test. Is your biological age older or younger than your calendar age?
Discover your RealAge today, and you'll also receive personalized recommendations on looking, feeling and actually becoming younger.

"drunken waves"

I wish everybody felt as serene as this lady ~

2005-01-21T03:53:00.000-05:00

I wish we all felt inside like Picasso's lady-face in his ''War and Peace'' drawing.

I wish ~ I could give everybody an anti-fear serum

2004-12-28T03:54:00.000-05:00

"a tropical sunset"

When we were little we used to get booster shots because we knew kids could still get Tuberculosis or Polio. One boy in our school walked crooked because he had polio and my girlfriends and me were too afraid to talk to him. Now that I'm wiser I know we weren't afraid of the boy ~ we were terrified of getting "whatever horrible thing he had that made him wobble and scared us".

"lonesome tree"

My best friend in Grade 4, Linda, used to sing a rhyme about Tuberculosis that was funny because we didn't know how serious TB was at the time. It was like Shakespeare and went something like this:

TB or not TB?
That is the question.
Consumption be done about it?
Of corpse not!

By the way, I didn't know what "Consumption" is, and I still don't because people of our generation never "got it" or saw anybody else "get it".
Likewise, if you ask a kid today if he or she knows what Polio or TB is, most of them will tell you they never heard of it, or if they did they wouldn't know anyone with that problem.

"glittering light"

If I could inoculate everybody in the world with one shot that would forever get rid of, wipe out, eradicate to the point that if you mentioned it, nobody would be old enough to remember what it was other than as a History question, it would be two sides of one thing.

"solitude darkening"

If I had all the power in the world, or if I could get God to do anything I wanted, I would make sure all fear and all anger would be wiped off the souls of every living person, that all human beings' hearts would be healed of it, and that it would not hide in our bodies to kill us like a cancer ~ with such effectiveness that even any memory of fear or anger would be wiped out of our memories by the next generation and nobody would even remember the feeling of being afraid or angry.

"halo of yellow"

2004-12-23T01:01:00.000-05:00

Humans are lovely to look at ~ a painting ~ only live.

I wish ~

2004-12-19T03:51:00.000-05:00

I wish everybody believed angels walk with them,

That way
Nobody would feel lonely ~

Even pets and Grandmas who already died

Could still be around to be cozy company

Whenever there best friends needed their comfort.

My Role Model ~ ''The Empress''

2004-12-06T22:33:00.000-05:00

Empress - Goddess Deck

If I could be anybody I wished, I would have all the qualities describing ''The Empress'' in the Tarot Cards...

The Empress
This Arcanum from ancient times portrays the Great Mother, (her title in the Revolutionary Tarot.) She is Nature, the unfolding miracle of life. This is the ancient, aboriginal pre-Christian Goddess, for whom the Priestess serves as handmaid. In medieval Europe, the Empress was a representation of whatever Queen currently ruled the land, which may have satisfied the Inquisitors. But the scholars of the Renaissance and beyond would have had no doubt of her inner identity, although she could not be shown as the "woman clothed with the sun" until after the French Revolution.
The Empress produces bodies for human beings, is the engine of fertility for the planet, feeds us all, delights us with flowers and fruit, and terrifies us when her mood swings wipe out our plans with heavy weather and plagues. She is the Mother of Embodiment, source of Natural Law, She who recycles us when we die, whom we upset at our own peril.

The 12 positional aspects of The Empress:

Those around you seek after your warm and generous presence.
The Empress symbolizes harmony, comfort, creativity and wisdom. This Great Mother beckons us with her life-giving support. She is the abundant matrix from which we draw vital life and out of which we individuate. She exemplifies health and natural joy in the body, the healing arts, music, and all things good, true and beautiful. We learn our highest ideals from her. The Empress in this position indicates that you personify something generous, warm and nurturing.
A magnetic soul draws others with beauty and abundance.
A charismatic individual in the environment is attracting people like bees to a flower. This person helps us see and feel the truth of an inspiring ideal. Naturally this is a valuable person to have around. Such a person creates and spreads boundless love and acceptance for everyone to be nurtured by. Seek to emulate people who manifest creative harmony, inclusiveness and warm acceptance.
When using your power to please, be careful about boundaries.
The Empress in this position challenges you to avoid using seduction as a way of achieving harmony or agreement. The Empress makes better use of the drawing power of attraction. Because of her regal attractiveness, everyone likes her and feels comfortable with her. She can pretty much get what she wants. You now have an opportunity to influence others through sheer personal magnetism. There's not need to overstep boundaries or promise more than you truly want to deliver.
A model of unwavering generosity and love provides you a source of strength and wisdom.
The Empress suggests that at some time in your life you were exposed to an inspiring model of female dignity, generosity and love -- someone who was steady and supportive. How fortunate you were! This experience taught you to go within and find the source of right action and clear thinking within yourself. Even if this person is no longer available to you, the learning you received can continue to provide a strong, reliable foundation.
Compassionate support and generosity have touched your life.
The Empress in this position points to a brush with the Goddess. She is the archetype of compassionate Nature who supports humanity with her wisdom and love. Perhaps you recently felt inspired by some experience of the generosity and healing power of the divine feminine. You were reminded that you are not an orphan, but cherished and protected. Meditate on your relationship to this caring Force. The remembrance that there is love for you will help you face the world with greater confidence.
Let yourself be inspired by the nurturing feminine.
The Empress symbolizes an ideal or cause that comes from the compassionate universal mother. Whether it's Kuan Yin or Isis, the great archetypes of the ancients, she represents a nurturing feminine, dispensing love, wisdom and abundance. Let the light shine within you. The Empress requires that we surrender to her. Let her guide you through chaotic circumstances. You can relax in her embrace and trust her. She is doing what is best for all, and you are one of her own.
You deserve the benevolence about to be bestowed on you.
The Empress in this position indicates that spirit is about to intervene in your life. It may be just enough to give you a glimpse of the miraculous; it may be more. You may or may not know who bestows such good fortune, but the care and nurturing that will result come as no accident. You will come to see that you are not alone, that you are being watched over. What appears to be coincidental good luck may actually be the result of a series of good choices you have made. It's your turn to have things work out, to be blessed and nurtured. Relax in the knowledge that you are in good hands and that you are worthy of receiving this loving embrace.
Don't allow fear of the unknown to overtake you.
The Empress in this position indicates that you may be forgetting how sharp and intuitive your natural intelligence is. Make a conscious commitment to listen to the wisdom of your body and take good care of it. Focus on how well the material plane has served you. You have nothing to fear -- you are in good hands with the Empress.
A compassionate person who is pleased to champion your best efforts nurtures you.
The Empress here suggests the presence of a powerful role model -- a person with a warm, embracing demeanor who thinks expansively and inclusively. She or he is happy to help you nurture your genius, develop your creativity and locate the resources you need to complete important projects. This feminine spirit -- so soft, warm and magnetic -- makes things easy and enjoyable. She models an attitude of confidence in Nature, a feminine form of strength who gives people permission to ask for and receive what they need. The conciliatory and openhanded style you are learning from her creates enjoyable relationships that bear fruit for everyone.
Don't be hard on yourself for not measuring up; your positive influence has in fact facilitated favorable outcomes.
The Empress in this position advises you to trust in the good sense you have shown up to this point. Recognize your good intentions and your steady performance of responsibilities as a compassionate human. You are capable of demonstrating the finest aspects of your personality -- caring actions, a forgiving and generous attitude, and wise understanding of others' needs and struggles. Bring a healing influence to the current situation. And give yourself credit for the supportive part you play.
The most highly evolved intentions produce the best outcome.
The Empress in this position indicates great potential for love, wisdom, harmony and abundance. Do your best to hold to high ideals and promote whatever will support a spirit of cooperation within your extended family or group. If you hearken to the most creative part of yourself, you will be blessed by good results and widespread appreciation for your contribution. Continue in this direction and beautiful blessings will shine upon you.
You are called to the mothering role of nurturer and supporter.
The Empress in this position calls upon you to serve as a resource for spiritual or emotional nurturing. World-weary souls may seek you out in their need for solace, care and support. The Empress is depended upon for all that it takes to grow up and become competent in the world. There are times in our lives when we are asked to serve in this way. This is not a punishment or a tax; it is a calling. If you give it your best when it is your turn to do so, the rewards will be great.
When the Empress card is drawn reversed, she is angry: "You can't fool Mother Nature" is the saying that best describes her, unfortunately. I wouldn't want her responsibility if I put her in this position. ~
Because the Empress represents Nature, when she is reversed she has tremendous natural power to correct her heedless children. Volcanoes, tsunami, hurricanes and the like symbolize violent emotions triggered by ignorant or foolish humans. If you feel like being corrective, you are probably justified, but set limits on how punitive you allow yourself to be. You don't want to go too far and destroy all you have taken so much delight in.

''La Emperatriz'' - Rider-Waite Deck

''The Quality of Temperance is not Strained''

2004-12-06T01:00:00.000-05:00

Temperance - the "Gran Esoterico" deck

The female figure of ''Temperance'' is a reference to the Soul. She is mixing up a blend of subtle energies for the evolution of the personality. The key to meaning in this card is its title, a pun on the process of tempering metals in a forge.
Metals must undergo violent handling, extremes of temperature, endless folding and pounding, but the end product is infinitely superior to the original ore, fresh from the earth and utterly unrefined. In this image, the soul volunteers the ego for a cleansing and healing experience which may turn the personality inside-out, but which brings out the gold hidden within the heart.
The 12 aspects of Temperance:

The time is ''Now'' for self-healing ~ You are able to take responsibility for getting well, no matter what it takes. The quest for health could be on a physical, emotional or mental level, or it may have to do with paying off "karmic dues." In any case, the work is to clear up past dysfunction and address entangled emotions. The process will purge the toxic waste of unfinished business that disables you. When you are ready, mix your powerful medicine. This is the right time to start healing yourself.
The Situation's call for transformation or awakening is being answered ~
The Angel of Healing has been called in and the medicine is being mixed. Everyone intrinsically understands that healing will bring revolutionary change, including letting go of old views and timeworn styles of adapting. The problem has been largely associated with clinging too closely to the past. But past issues will be laid to rest when the problem is resolved. Significant objectivity will result as the group raises its awareness.
You are challenged to assimilate changes need to be made steadily but gradually ~ Temperance in this position challenges you to gradually phase in changes in lifestyle and outlook, while letting go of old behaviors and thought forms. When we plant new varieties in a garden, we also clean out some of the old. It's not all accomplished in a day.
Healing is a process, not an event. Be patient and persevere. Blend the medicine with careful attention to detail. Focus your will. Repeat the solution. Remember that too much is as bad as too little. Keep things in balance as you slowly and steadily change the composition of your energy from the old to the new.
In your roots, history, you have evidence of transformation that others cannot even imagine ~ Temperance in this position suggests that in the past you either witnessed or experienced spontaneous healing or a supposedly impossible regeneration. You have been imprinted by a radical reformation from a fallen or a diseased state to a healthy, upbeat, creative and progressive one. This is a tremendous resource to draw upon. Evoke that role model from your personal history and use it to strengthen yourself whenever healing is called for.
Given previous opportunities, you have mixed your own medicine and brought about your own healing ~ With Temperance in this position, you are now on the far side of resurrection. You navigated well through a transformative experience. You have demonstrated this card's essential message: "Physician, heal thyself." Aggrieved by the poison of the past, you created an elixir to neutralize it and help you rise above its negative effects. Good job! Now you can use your own skills and abilities to stay healthy, happy and holy. You have experienced wonderful rites of passage.
Your Divine Master asks you to transform victim psychology into victory by bringing power to change out of the self ~ Temperance calls upon you to find healing power in the heart of the wound and transform your woundedness in the process. Such a process enables us to finally discard the attitude of helpless victim and become an active and dynamic force. We take responsibility for the impact our experience has on us, and we work with the experience until we extract its value. We skim out the dross, concentrate the essence and pour ourselves into a new shape. This alchemical process is not easy or necessarily enjoyable. It is, however, inherently redemptive.
In order to develop the virtue of Temperance, prepare for some serious personal work ~ With Temperance in this position, it appears that an opportunity will come to speed up your evolution, but don't expect it to be fun. This process will force you to deal with blocked feelings until you break through the denial and resistance that keeps you stuck. Undertake this process with the courage of a good heart. It will help you free yourself from old resentments, self-pity and the secret list of grudges you keep. You deserve the purified consciousness that lies on the other side of this process. Seize the opportunity when it comes along. The benefits will be abundant.
Don't allow fear of change to inhibit, block or paralyze you from liberating growth ~ We all feel a need to change yet are fearful of doing anything about it. We get stuck. It's important to remember that nothing you can lose is truly yours, and what is truly yours never will be lost for long. Your essential nature, your eternal identity, your basic quality of being is unique and permanent. No amount of change will rob you of who you really are. Release your attachment to appearing any particular way to yourself or anyone else. In turn you will free yourself to go through what is in front of you and gain the benefits.
When you decide you are ready, a transformational advisor always appears to offer to work with you ~ ''When the student is ready, the Master appears.'' ~ Temperance in this position suggests that a highly developed individual is opening a door that will greatly speed your evolution if you let yourself go through it. If you do, you must be willing to strip away denial, defense mechanisms, excuses and resistance to change. When you shake yourself loose from your emotional armor, you will be free to accept this extraordinary offer. If you are immobilized and rigid, this potential ally will move on without you ~ the need for transformation is great and the time is short.
Identify and acquire the ingredients that will most help you complete your mission; leave the rest behind. ~ Temperance in this position advises you to identify and seek the missing ingredients in your life. In addition, you must marshal your known skills and abilities and do what needs to be done to complete your mission. Prepare to use whatever practices, studies, lifestyle changes or community efforts that can assist you in this quest. A tremendous amount of benefit is available if you can organize yourself and be disciplined at this time.
The world hungers for role-models who choose to heal and grow beyond their previous boundaries. ~ You have already familiarized with Temperance and have displayed the potential to become a healer. You are already displaying relevant skills in your chosen medium, music, to catalyze all manner of enablement ~ physical, emotional, mental and even psychic. The greatest test of all, however, is the ability to heal oneself. Choose to develop yourself consciously, and model what a restored and regenerated body-mind looks like. Humanity depends upon certain pioneers who choose to cultivate themselves and model what is possible.
You are called to sacrifice pretense and posturing ~ "Practice what you would preach." ~ Temperance in this position requires that you take the healing potion yourself before you prescribe it to others. In order to heal or guide others, you must first overcome the demons in yourself. Make sure that you are living in alignment with your beliefs and philosophies.

1Corinthians, chapter 13, the Bible

2004-12-03T22:37:00.000-05:00

New American Standard Version
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Spanish Biblia de las Americas
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13

Si yo hablara lenguas humanas y angélicas, pero no tengo amor, he llegado a ser como metal que resuena o címbalo que retine.
Y si tuviera el don de profecía, y entendiera todos los misterios y todo conocimiento, y si tuviera toda la fe como para trasladar montanas, pero no tengo amor, nada soy.
Y si diera todos mis bienes para dar de comer a los pobres, y si entregara mi cuerpo para ser quemado, pero no tengo amor, de nada me aprovecha.
El amor es paciente, es bondadoso; el amor no tiene envidia; el amor no es jactancioso, no es arrogante;
no se porta indecorosamente; no busca lo suyo, no se irrita, no toma en cuenta el mal recibido ;
no se regocija de la injusticia, sino que se alegra con la verdad;
todo lo sufre, todo lo cree, todo lo espera, todo lo soporta.
El amor nunca deja de ser; pero si hay dones de profecía, se acabarán; si hay lenguas, cesarán; si hay conocimiento, se acabará.
Porque en parte conocemos, y en parte profetizamos;
pero cuando venga lo perfecto, lo incompleto se acabará.
Cuando yo era nino, hablaba como nino, pensaba como nino, razonaba como nino; pero cuando llegué a ser hombre, dejé las cosas de nino.
Porque ahora vemos por un espejo, veladamente, pero entonces veremos cara a cara; ahora conozco en parte, pero entonces conoceré plenamente, como he sido conocido.
Y ahora permanecen la fe, la esperanza y el amor, estos tres; pero el mayor de ellos es el amor.

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE
Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995
by: THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION
LA HABRA, CA 90631
A Corporation Not for Profit
All Rights Reserved

LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS
Copyright (C) 1986, 1995, 1997
by: THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION
LA HABRA, CA 90631
Sociedad no comercial
Derechos Reservados

Matthew Henry's Commentary
1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 Introduction:

The necessity and advantage of the grace of love. (1-3)
Its excellency represented by its properties and effects; (4-7)
and by its abiding, and its superiority. (8-13)

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
The excellent way had in view in the close of the former chapter, is not what is meant by charity in our common use of the word, almsgiving, but love in its fullest meaning; true love to God and man. Without this, the most glorious gifts are of no account to us, of no esteem in the sight of God. A clear head and a deep understanding, are of no value without a benevolent and charitable heart. There may be an open and lavish hand, where there is not a liberal and charitable heart. Doing good to others will do none to us, if it be not done from love to God, and good-will to men. If we give away all we have, while we withhold the heart from God, it will not profit. Nor even the most painful sufferings. How are those deluded who look for acceptance and reward for their good works, which are as scanty and defective as they are corrupt and selfish!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Some of the effects of charity are stated, that we may know whether we have this grace; and that if we have not, we may not rest till we have it. This love is a clear proof of regeneration, and is a touchstone of our professed faith in Christ. In this beautiful description of the nature and effects of love, it is meant to show the Corinthians that their conduct had, in many respects, been a contrast to it. Charity is an utter enemy to selfishness; it does not desire or seek its own praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. Not that charity destroys all regard to ourselves, or that the charitable man should neglect himself and all his interests. But charity never seeks its own to the hurt of others, or to neglect others. It ever prefers the welfare of others to its private advantage. How good-natured and amiable is Christian charity!
How excellent would Christianity appear to the world, if those who profess it were more under this Divine principle, and paid due regard to the command on which its blessed Author laid the chief stress! Let us ask whether this Divine love dwells in our hearts. Has this principle guided us into becoming behaviour to all men? Are we willing to lay aside selfish objects and aims? Here is a call to watchfulness, diligence, and prayer.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves. From its longer continuance. It is a grace, lasting as eternity. The present state is a state of childhood, the future that of manhood. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. What narrow views, what confused notions of things, have children when compared with grown men! Thus shall we think of our most valued gifts of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us.
To sum up the excellences of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assents thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on future happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowed up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect. There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another.
Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love, [1Jo 4:8,16]. Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected.

Tranquility, Harmony, Serenity, Peace

2004-12-03T02:48:00.000-05:00

2003-11-23T04:39:00.000-05:00

fun~

Are we having fun yet?

2003-11-23T03:12:00.000-05:00

are we having fun yet?
~ aRtPaD on Art.com