Daily Archives: April 20, 2016

Reblog – Featured Bloggers 4/20/16

Originally posted on Dream Big, Dream Often:
Here’s how to blog network: Featured Bloggers for April 20, 2016! (click Bloggers to view yesterday’s post) In the Arena ? In Between Moderation ? Being Lydia ? Tom Slatin ? Harsh Reality…

Reblog – Featured Bloggers 4/20/16

Originally posted on Dream Big, Dream Often:
Here’s how to blog network: Featured Bloggers for April 20, 2016! (click Bloggers to view yesterday’s post) In the Arena ? In Between Moderation ? Being Lydia ? Tom Slatin ? Harsh Reality…

Wordlessly Zen Wednesday

Pictures are all taken in QoB’s backyard.  After a hard day yesterday, I knew I needed to take a time-out and appreciate the world around me.  Along with an excellent mom-visit, I was able to enjoy sitting outside in her backyard oasis:

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Before I know it, this whole area will be in bloom.  My mom can make anything grow, and has the patience and knowledge and creativity to make a beautiful space out of anything.  I can’t wait to post pictures again in just a few weeks.


Filed under: Gratitude Tagged: flowers, garden, meditation, nature, outdoors, photos, relaxation, Wordless Wednesday, zen

Wordlessly Zen Wednesday

Pictures are all taken in QoB’s backyard.  After a hard day yesterday, I knew I needed to take a time-out and appreciate the world around me.  Along with an excellent mom-visit, I was able to enjoy sitting outside in her backyard oasis:

0420161409

0420161535

0420161449

Before I know it, this whole area will be in bloom.  My mom can make anything grow, and has the patience and knowledge and creativity to make a beautiful space out of anything.  I can’t wait to post pictures again in just a few weeks.


Filed under: Gratitude Tagged: flowers, garden, meditation, nature, outdoors, photos, relaxation, Wordless Wednesday, zen

Family Wednesday

I cancelled it for the most part. I called it off with my mom in law because she has been really negative lately and I need positivity around me when I am not feeling well.

I’ve played some games today just a bit at a time and am working on another painting. I should post some pics of some of my more recent paintings. I like to hear what people think and I know I am no artist so I don’t mind if people don’t like it.

I’ve been stressing about my shrink appt next week, then I finally said to myself.”Hey, it’s over a week, chill a little.”

I need to seriously chill and shut my brain up. It is constant and it is daunting.


Nature Smiles in Flowers!

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God’s not dead vs. God doesn’t exist

(In which I pretend to know something about something)

Preface/Disclaimer
I don't have much to talk about my daily life or thoughts on bipolar recently.  I also like to rant into the ether.  I picture myself foaming at the mouth shouting to the void.  So... this is a rant about the title only of the "God's Not Dead" films. Some things to note:

I am not intentionally trying to be inflammatory or attack anyone's views.  I am more irritated with the choice of the title as it seems disingenuous.

My opinions are uniformed as I have not seen the films (only the trailers).

I am biased in that I assume based on the trailers that the films contain overblown, simplistic, inaccurate depictions of liberals and their views on religion.  That's understandable, you need some conflict in the movie.  However, I think it's a strawman.

My blather is mostly unoriginal.  It's what I learned in an undergrad philosophy class and from Wikipedia.  In other words, I haven't done much of my homework and am a pseudo-intellectual here at best.

Finally, I am not an atheist nor a devout Christian.  Based on manic experiences I have feelings about the existence of God which I may share another time.

Rant
Compare the statements "Santa Claus doesn't exist" vs. "Santa Claus is dead".  NOT to say God is like Santa Claus, only to highlight the very big difference between those statements.  In one sense, if you say "God is dead", then you have implicitly said that you think God existed and was alive at one point.  That is not what any atheist thinks; they obviously believe there is no God.

However, the history and meaning of God is dead is way more complicated than that if you read the Wikipedia article (I did so now I'm an expert :P).  It was never about an actual God who exists or doesn't. Nietzsche and others are pointing out that God was supposed to be our internal highest value and provide the absolute grounding of morality.  But we have lost all morality and have thus not realized we have "murdered" this source of internal values.  With our hypocrisy we will thus sink into nihilism. 

Are atheists nihilists?  By no means is this necessarily the case.  I think many atheists try to lead a moral life and vehemently argue that religion is not necessary for morality.  Atheists and those who don't want prayer in school don't necessarily value nothing and think that "anything goes" in this world.

So not only does the title "God's not dead" misrepresent atheists, it also glosses over the complexity and history of the whole statement.  It does sound defiant and proud though, which I think Christians want to think they are.  I'm guessing they want to think of themselves as brave in the face of perceived persecution despite the fact that we live in a country with an overwhelming Christian population with no real challenges to faith.

<Gets off soapbox>

If you want to read a short piece where God is dead is said (but not said first), check out The Parable of the Madman.  

Image credit: Nietzsche is in public domain

Anxiety Meds Do Nada For Panxiety

I have no idea why but today my panxiety is in high gear. Paranoia, anxiety, crawling skin, twisted stomach…Sense of foreboding…

I took a Xanax.

It’s done fuck all.

I feel like I have that target on me and everyone is packing a gun.

Adding to it is the fact that the power company is installing new meters and they’ve got my yard full of multi colored flags and spray paint, warning me they’re coming…but I don’t know when. I hate knocks on the door. I hate strange people around my safe place. It’s necessary, I have no choice, but it doesn’t lessen the emotions.

Or the physical issues.

Maybe my mood is down which makes me vulnerable to the paranoia and anxiety. Maybe it’s because my kid accused me of abuse when I brushed her hair this morning and the brush got tangled in the rats.  Maybe it’s because I had another rough night of sporadic sleep (this time due to my allergies).

I don’t know much of anything except no matter how much the psych professionals downplay it all…Living this way sucks. Anxiety is not funny, it is not mild, it is not something you “shake off”.

That is all.


Sickness

We’ve all got “the crud”–runny nose, coughing, sore throat.   I’m taking my middle one to the doctor since she sounds the worst out of all of us.  Mine is pretty minor at this point so I am going to just let it heal itself.

I have worked over and worked over my final essay and am so tempted to turn it in.  But I keep tossing one thing over in my mind that happened this last hospitalization that I’m wondering if I want to include it. It’s atypical of how St. D. usually operates, and it’s never happened to me anywhere else.  I was the butt of a practical joke on the part of one of the techs this time around.  He was just teasing, but I don’t think it will go over that way if I tell it. I think he will sound cruel and uncaring.  And it wasn’t a terrible thing, it was just messing with me and seeing what I would say.  I just don’t know.

Anyway.  We will see how it turns out. Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.

 

 


Sickness

We’ve all got “the crud”–runny nose, coughing, sore throat.   I’m taking my middle one to the doctor since she sounds the worst out of all of us.  Mine is pretty minor at this point so I am going to just let it heal itself.

I have worked over and worked over my final essay and am so tempted to turn it in.  But I keep tossing one thing over in my mind that happened this last hospitalization that I’m wondering if I want to include it. It’s atypical of how St. D. usually operates, and it’s never happened to me anywhere else.  I was the butt of a practical joke on the part of one of the techs this time around.  He was just teasing, but I don’t think it will go over that way if I tell it. I think he will sound cruel and uncaring.  And it wasn’t a terrible thing, it was just messing with me and seeing what I would say.  I just don’t know.

Anyway.  We will see how it turns out. Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.