Sunday, January 16, 2022

A Sort of Prologue to My Spiritual Testimony

 I have always sort of been spiritual, but not as much so as since fall of 2012 when I was awakened spiritually. But as a teenager I began my spiritual quest. I grew up in a nonreligious home, but my family’s religious background was Christianity. So, I was raised with a basic understanding of Protestant Christianity. I never attended church with my family since thy were not church people, but I did attend when invited by friends. Growing up I had an interest in the occult and really began delving into it by the age of 15. I discovered Pagan spirituality and paths such as Wicca. I actually decided to start my own belief system at that age incorporating a mix of various world religions, philosophies and theologies. I sought to integrate common beliefs that were shared between the worlds paths and incorporated them into my own. Rather than seek the one sole truth, I looked for the truth in many different places and expressions.  I quickly developed a vast understanding of many of the world’s religions and studied many different scriptures. I continued to do this my whole life even up until today. I never had a direct experience with God until I was 28. So, I sought God in a lot of places and missed Him. I later discovered it was because I didn’t have a genuine experience of the Spiritual. All my experiences up until then were theoretical, metaphysical and supernatural as opposed to genuinely mystical. 


    In 2010 I moved from the city of Moore where I grew up, to the city of Norman. This was actually my second move to Norman. The first one being around 2008-2009 when I was a Corrections Officer at a state prison in Lexington. About the summer of 2009 I moved back to Oklahoma City to return again in July of 2010. The second visit would be the start of my spiritual journey. In a sense, the college town of Norman became a personal Mecca for me, or holy land in the sense that my deepest spiritual illuminations and awakenings would occur here. The city and territory itself having significant spiritual value in itself aside from happening to be where I had these experiences. It did provide convenient access to the Norman Bahai Center where I began my relationship with God. However according to urban legend Norman is a sacred place for certain Native Americans as it is said to be protected by divinity against Tornadoes. Tornadoes for the most part don’t strike central Norman. At least not a big one. Moore is tornado alley however and has been the site of the two worst tornadoes in recorded history. I was also here for our big 5.8 Magnitude earthquake in November 2010 which also was a significant event for me. 

    In July of 2010 I had just arrived in Norman and had stayed overnight in a hotel here. I left the hotel (ultimately to stay for a week at the Salvation Army) on a Sunday morning and decided to go to the Bahai Center for religious service. I joined the Faith officially in Augusta. I had a very intense spiritual experience in the October time frame of 2012 (just before the Mayan apocalypse of the old world and beginning of the new that is believed to have occurred on December 21st, 2012). Even to this day I am not entirely sure exactly what happened or how it went about since the experience is beyond my ability to comprehend it as a simple human. In a nut-shell, one night I had a very power visitation by the Holy Spirit. It awakened me to my nature as a sinful human and that God Existed and that I should seek him out. I immediately decided to invest a genuine search not just for truth in itself, but into direct relationship with God. Since then I have had numerous vivid spiritual experiences and illuminations. Too many of different variety and content to detail in a single sitting, but this was when I was “quickened” into spiritual birth and life By God. An experience I continue to have and persue.


    One thing I forgot to mention in my above spiritual relation was that I first heard about the Bahai Faith when I was about 15 or 16. I read some about it and liked it's teachings about the unity of the religions. As time went on I would relate to its teachings but never consider myself a Bahai until 2010. When I left that hotel I had no idea where the Bahai center in Norman was. I knew the address but that did me little good not knowing the full layout of the town. I wouldn't learn that for some years. I went to the approximate area of the city that it was located and kind of wandered the streets randomly, following my instincts about where to turn and where to go. Eventually I either identified the correct street or stumbled upon it,  but I arrived shortly after services began. I talked to the Bahais and began regularly attending services and declared myself a member a few later. All this happened in conjunction with me starting a new life here in Norman. So it was all very symbolic to me. I always thought about my wandering through town looking for the center as symbolic of a spiritual journey of which I had little guidance aside from my own exploring and what I believe was Direct Guidance from God in the form of me blindly arriving at the destination which was the Bahai Center. I joined the faith in August right about the time of my 28th birthday. I also considered this symbolic. Since a full lunar calendar takes 28 days for a lunar cycle to complete and renew (just as one phase of my life completed...the spiritually dead portion and my spiritual rebirth comparable to the recycling of a new moon). Then my intense spiritual experience a year later in fall of 2012. I gave you the wrong date of when I moved to Norman. It was 2011 not 2012. Typo. So my spiritual awakening happened in fall of 2012. As the date of the Mayan date of the changing of ages approached on December 21st I considered thus synchronous with the ending of one cosmic age with the beggining of the new one...and the beggining of my spiritual rebirth. Although I accepted the Bahai Faith in 2011 I had not yet had a definite experience with the Holy Spirit until 2012. All this was in God's Good Timing. ATTG!

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

A Brief Local Oklahoma News

      Today we had two unrelated earthquakes in Oklahoma. Neither one was close enough for me to feel in the metro. The first one was a 3.2M at 4:44 a.m. this morning south east of Union City west/north west of Norman. The second one happened at 11:51 a.m. and was a 3.6 and occured west/south west of Horntown which is east of Norman. A male giraffe at the Oklahoma City Zoo has fathered two babies from two baby mamas. Both babies remain unnamed at this time. Starting Thursday Oklahoma will be opening up COVID vaccinations to nonresidents. I will soon be getting mine. Kingfisher Public Schools is reversing their mask mandate early next week as will Guthrie Public Schools.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

A Pandemic and an Outbreak

      The COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over, though in the U.S. it has receded. The situation in Europe in more dire where they are facing a third wave. It is likely a serious fourth wave will not occur in the U.S. where multiple variants, some deadlier and more contagious than others, are beginning to appear. COVID cases have significantly decreased, but are on another uptick thanks to states reopening (too soon) and lifting mask mandates. Ebola has also broken out in Guinea and DRC (see below). Due to the measures against the COVID virus, other contagious illnesses such as colds and flus have shown much less activity.

     There is a new Ebola outbreak in Guinea that seems to have come from a carrier whom survived the 20414-2016 outbreak and who has been harboring the virus since that time period. An outbreak was declared by Guinea on February 13, though cases appeared towards the end of January. 18 positive cases have been diagnosed with half of them dying. The Democratic Republic of Congo is reporting an unrelated outbreak (source: https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/ebola-outbreak-in-guinea-originated-from-past-epidemic-68545


LINKS:

Ebola Virus Can Remain in Carrier Survivors Years After Initial Infection



Saturday, March 6, 2021

Snow Biden

      We have over 520,000 Americans dead from COVID-19. Some states are beginning to drop mask recommendations, which I think is a big mistake. When the masks go down, the cases will rise. We are definitely jumping the gun here. With new more contagious variants popping up worldwide this is not the time to remove masks. Major snow systems moved through Oklahoma in recent weeks making for a snowy winter. It was bad for some people,  but as for myself, it was a pleasant winter even. But I am lucky because my pipes did not burst nor did I have to deal with shoveling snow or power outages, except for one controlled rolling blackout that cut power to conserve energy. I slept through that. When the power went down I heard my cell phone on its charger beep to let me know the power current was cut off and the sound of all my appliances powering down woke me.

     People are split (as they often are are) on their reception of the new President. I was disappointed that Trump did not win, but I am fine with Biden. Especially his next stimulus bill. A situation occurred (or rather didn't occur) Wednesday in which security forces had to be sentried at the capital in response to a online threat against the Republic that would involve redeclaring Trump as the reinstated President. It went uneventfully. This is not how you make change in America. This is not the civil war period. In order to make change we can go through two ways; 1. Electing officials to enact legislation in our interests. 2. Buy the politicians out with money. The patron God of America is Mammon. And his symbol is $ Most of us cant afford to buy a politician, and Briantologists certainly don't advocate armed insurrection. What does that leave us with? The beautiful thing called democratic process that allows us to vote. That and contacting our representatives to motivate them to make decisions reflecting our will as Americans. They have set a new date for March 20th. You know I love date setting. 2021 may be the springboard for us to launch a new positive direction for America. 

    We have had a very active winter. The snow systems that blew through were remarkable followed up soon after with spring like weather. 2021 has the promise of being a better year. Today it is quite nice outside. I am thankful to God for having today for it is a good day for me too. Nice weather and positive attitude towards change and the coming year. Though I will miss winter. She shall come again of course. 

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Monday, February 8, 2021

The Mayan End Cycle and Hazards in Oklahoma

      The coronavirus has killed almost three million people and in the U.S the fatality number will reach 500,000. It is possible that more Americans will die from COVID-19 than died from the Spanish Flu.

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     The Mayan age-end cycle may have fallen in 2011 or at least approximately December 21st, 2012. For the sake of my own chronology, I will continue to use 12/21/12 unless I see a legitimate reason to reorient my dating.

* The Doomsday Clock is close to midnight symbolising how close man is to destruction. 

    2012 was the hottest year on record.

* ×Because of the new age people are becoming more interested in the occult, new age paths and spirituality.

    ×The current Pope is very liberal and is open to all people's. He has expressed for people of different religions to work towards unity. He has even declared that atheists do not go to Hell.

    ×The earthquakes in Oklahoma have almost completely declined. Now we rarely have the occasional 3 magnitude. I haven't felt a quake since the 5.9 (?) we had a few years ago.

°I believe that the earthquake danger in Oklahoma has passed and we will likely not see a big quake again for around 50 years.

*×In a few years an asteroid will come close to earth and there is a risk that it could impact earth. That's just what we need after a pandemic. What's next? World War 3?


    °In Oklahoma we have had a bad ice storm. Worst one in at least this year. There have been hundreds of car wrecks today as well as a 29 car accident that took one life and hospitalised 5 people. The accident involved cars, at least one 18 wheeler and a cattle truck. Some cattle died in the accident. My area of Norman didn't get hit nearly as bad as Oklahoma City and the surrounding region. That's just north of me. We are under a travel advisory.

Site of Interest: www.ExtinctionProtocal.com



Friday, November 6, 2020

Examples of God's Power

      False prophets can be known for making failed prophecies. God only gives up the secret of prophecy to those he WILLs. Examples of God's power are earthquakes, powerful winds and great fires. Nuclear blasts (that occur in nature) and volcanic eruptions are a couple of other examples.

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The COVID-19 pandemic continues and is getting worse. The life threatening virus is enveloping more and more of the country and before long, the entire country will be in the red zone.

Monday, November 2, 2020

True Islam Does Not Promote Terrorism

      True Islam was not behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Radical Islam was. Radical Islam is politically and fanatically motivated but not based on true Islam which is truly a religion of peace despite the media propaganda of the west. Islam in Truth requires peaceful resolution to conflict, allowing for warfare when it is only the last option (or in defense). Islam opposed to offensive warfare that is not for the protection of the innocent. In the event of armed conflict, it is only to be perused as a last option-if even then. Likewise it should also be said that the 'War against Terror' is not a Christian crusade or meant to be anti-Muslim. In its purity, it is a war to protect peace (if any such thing can be said to exist). It is meant to deflect senseless acts of violence. Warfare should only appropriately be used for the overall protection of peace and preservation of civilian lives. It is inappropriate to label Islam as among the 'axis of evil'. If it is put there, than Christianity should likewise be labelled the same since it has its bloody history as well. But, neither should belong in that category when the Faiths are practiced as God intended and with love. It is a dispensational faith revealed by God/Allah through Muhammad (May Peace Be upon Him) just as is Judaism (from Abraham) and Christianity (from Jesus) among other faiths and their Messengers. 

     Terrorist organizations abuse the creed of Islam and stains the reputation of true Muslims just as the KKK or neo-Nazis stain Christian faith. The forest must be seen for the trees. Any faith should not be judged based off its extreme sects which in reality exist outside the boundaries of pure spirituality. The behavior of nations such as Iran and Iraq abuse the true peaceful message of Islam and the religion should not be judged based off of the creeds of those groups who are ravenous wolves in disguise. Separation must be made between the peaceful and the violent. Think of it in another way. The policies and operations of the U.S. federal government do not reflect the practice of Christianity even though America is primarily a Christian nation. The blame Christianity as the cause of militarism overseas is the same as condemning all Muslims because of the acts of monsters falsely claiming the faith. Empathy and critical thinking should be practiced when trying to understand the divergent poles of religions and their fanatical sects.