IF YOU BELIEVE…

FEEL FREE TO add your own ‘if you believe” verses TO THIS POEM IN A COMMENT.

If you believe that a smile is stronger than a weapon,
If you believe in the power of offering a hand,
If you believe that the things that unite men
have more power than the things that divide them,
If you believe that being different can be a treasure ,
If you know how to look at another with love,
If you prefer hope to suspicion,
If you consider taking the first step,
Rather than waiting for the other to make peace,
If the glance of a child still succeeds in disarming your heart,
If you delight at your neighbor’s joy
If you find injustices suffered by others just as revolting
as the injustices faced by you,
If for you a stranger is a potential brother or sister,
If you know how to give some of your time, free of charge, in the name of love,
If you recognize what others do as a service to you,
If you share your bread and knowledge
to join another to a piece of your heart,
If you believe that forgiveness goes farther than vengeance,
If you know how to sing to the happiness of others
And dance to the rhythm of their joy their enjoyment,
If you can listen to the unfortunate ones who waste your time
And give him or her your smile,
If you know how to accept criticism and take advantage of it,
if you know how to grow from an opinion radically different then yours,
If you don’t let anger be your weakness,
If you prefer to be hurt rather that harming someone,
If you refuse to go with the flow when you know the flow is only leading to destruction
and if you know how to swim against the currents if necessary, just like salmons do,
If you befriend the poor man and the oppressed
Without thinking of yourself as a hero,
If you believe that the LOVE is the only deterrent power,
If you believe that the Peace is a possibility and let others know about it,
Then you already know Peace and will get to share in it when it comes for all.

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Can you please name two or more biblical records that relate to actual history?

Dear Angelica,

I am working on a special school project and I can use some help. Can you please name two or more biblical records that relate to actual history?

Signed: OVERWHELMED

Dear Angelica Answers:

Dear Overwhelmed,

This question is hard to answer as the Bible is truly full of historical references.  So here we go:

1) Isaiah 20:1 speaks of an Assyrian king named Sargon. Until the discovery of Sargon’s palace in Khorsabad it was believed there was no Assyrian king by that name since his such name did not appear in any other record.  The events mentioned in Isaiah 20, the capture of Ashdod, was even recorded on the palace walls. Furthermore, fragments of a stelae which memorialized the very same victory were found at an archaeological site in Ashdod.

2) Belshazzar, king of Babylon, was named in Daniel chapter 5. However the last king of Babylon on record was Nabonidus. Tablets were eventually found which show that Belshazzar was Nabonidus’ son who served as co-regent in Babylon. Belshazzar could therefore offer to make Daniel “third highest ruler in the kingdom” (Dan. 5:16) for reading the handwriting on the wall as recorded in the account. Third highest was, in fact, the highest available position in the kingdom, as it was brought out by the discoveries of archaeology less than 100 years ago

There are many other facts of history that relate to the Bible. Roman rulers, such as Augustus, Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Claudius and others. The mentions of Roman taxing and census and military organization. Descriptions of places and roads leading to them etc… And we have not even touched on the historical references that were mentioned even before they actually happened. That is the case with Persian King Cyrus, one of the most tantalizing historical figures linked to the Bible.  King Cyrus was named in the Bible at Isaiah 44 and 45 as the one who would conquer Babylon by divine appointment. And he did. The greatest peculiarity about that is the book of Isaiah, which includes the statements about Cyrus, was written almost two centuries before Cyrus was born.

The Bible itself, as a book written by surviving many centuries has become a piece of human history.   Written over the time span of about 1,600 years by vastly different writers, it consists of 66 books that talk about history, prophecy, poetry, and theology. It covers a time span Despite their complexity, differences in writing styles, historical  time periods, and the places in which they were written, the books of the Bible agree well in theme, facts and cross-referencing. Could a human being have planned such an intricate combination of books over a 1,600-year time span? I guess each one of us will have to give him/herself an honest,sensible and educated answer.

And lets’ not forget that some of these books were written even before the ancient nation of Israel existed and some after it had been, in effects, dismantled. Bible manuscripts (and please remember, there were no printing presses until 1455) have survived in spite of time, weather, and persecution only to inspire millions who have never met their original writers and yet appreciate their messages. Countless human being have lived and died for it and the writings have survived in ancient and modern form for over 3000 years now. More than any other book ever written it continues to attract attention and criticism and to elicit a variety of strong responses. Presence in itself, as I mentioned earlier, should account for something when it comes to history.
I hope this helps you with your project.


Best Wishes,

Angelica

Alternative/Holistic Medicine.

There is a lot of talk about “Alternative Medicine”. But what is it? Please read the following and feel free to add/comment.

HOLISTIC MEDICINE, often also defined as ‘alternative medicine‘, treats the person as a whole, as opposed to treating individual organs, tissues, bones and joint as separate entities.  The focus is on the unification of the mind and body, while stressing the importance of self care and prevention of  illness.

HOLISTIC HEALTH or HOLISM  is a philosophy of well-being that considers  the whole person within the larger context of their life.  From this point of view the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life are  closely interconnected. Therefore Holistic Medicine attempts to treat and cure all three aspects and to promote wholeness and balance in the individual. Physical, environmental, nutritional and emotional factors, as well as general life style, are analyzed.  Holistic health is an approach to life, an ongoing process. that utilizes resources such as acupressure,traditional oriental diagnosis,natural nutrition concepts,herbal medicine, needle stimulation or acupuncture, massage. The final goal is to educate patients to promote their body’s inherent ability to heal.
COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE is a term that implies that “conventional” medicine is used as a primary tool and the non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques can be used either a supplement to “conventional” medicine treatments or as an alternative when such fails.While conventional medicine often concentrates on the biological aspects of disease,alternative health care is a more comprehensive approach to health and natural healing with a focus on the person as a whole. The term “complementary medicine” is often used by “conventional” medicine practitioners. It can, of course, also be viewed the other way around, when Holistic medicine is the primary source of healing and illness prevention,  while ‘conventional’ medicine is chosen in the case of emergencies, when it takes on a primary role for a limited time.

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