Dear Hedshaker,
Any chance you will reply to my post above?
Michael
Patience dear boy. But you do realise we're way off topic now? Oh well, who cares
Hi Buddy!! You've got some NICE equipment. Takes lots of money. At least someone you know got your 12-string. I pawned mine for way less than it was worth and I couldn't afford to get it back. It was a hard time for me, after my first job that I quit without giving a notice. Money ran out, and I hadn't quit smoking by then. I didn't miss the guitar much for the most part, but I did end up regretting that I'd done it. Before I pawned it and after all 3 angels had visited me, I was singing in the basement where my room was, and I was playing "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens. Well, all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit visited me and rush into my body and I started to sing Peace Train and I realized what all the words meant to Cat Steven's songs, and I sang it with feeling and I sounded just like Cat Stevens when I began singing again. I heard my Mom upstairs say "Al (my Dad), do you hear how he's singing?? Do you hear what he's singing about??" I could hear her through the air ducts. Anyway, some of the words were, "Get your bags together; Go, bring your good friends too. 'Cause it's getting nearer (Armageddon), it soon will be with you. Now come and join the Living. It's not so far from You. And it's getting NEARER; Soon it will All be True. Oh Peace Train, Holy Roller, Everyone jump on the Peace Train...Oh Peace Train, sounding louder (coming closer), Glide on the Peace Train, etc."
I'm pretty disgusted with Cat Stevens. Great talent, lovely voice, excellent song writer, all thrown away for a bunch of unsubstantiated voodoo. Such a shame. Had he em-brassed different fairytale like Christianity eg. he would at least have been able to peruse his music career. I believe Hank Marvin is a jehovah's witnesses but that didn't stop him from playing the guitar. Not that I think Hank Marvin is in the same league as Cat Stevens talent wise.
I'm sorry to report Michael but there's no evidence at all for the existence of angels, pixies, fairies, gods and leprechauns etc. Not that I doubt you sincerity. I'm sure you really believe what you say, but the human mind is a deeply flawed mine field (or should I say mind field), especially when infected with profound beliefs usually based on long tern indoctrination. When you really, really want something to be true it is quite capable of providing what you want, completely from within that lump of meat that exists in your skull. Take a few minutes and type the words "confirmation bias" into Google. It's a fascinating subject, well worth a few minutes reading. But no, I have no idea what triggered your experience was but I remain 9.999999 convinced that it wasn't a real angel or a god of any description.
Watch the following video. I don't agree with everything he says be I like his style.
After the Holy Spirit had left, it happened in about one minute of an experience. I all of a sudden understood the hidden meanings of all of Cat Stevens songs. I went into a vision and saw Cat lying in a hospital bed and he was sick and dying from tuberculosis. And the Lord visited him and saved his life, and caused him to sing new songs, instead of the unsuccessful ones he had been singing. Consider "The First Cut Is The Deepest" is just about his only 'hit' up til then, not counting his latest albums out. Anyway, it was quite an experience. I could quote more song lyrics by him, but it's okay I think. If you want me to, let me know.
Here's another two little words for your search engine Michael. Type into Google the words, "Peak Experience". Most people have them at some point in their lives and I suppose it's only natural that they should link them to whatever belief system they have adopted....
confirmation bias.... Buddhists and perusers of Transcendental meditation bang on about them, as do people who pray a lot, which is a kind of mediation after all. Maybe they have a point, maybe not. Thing is though Michael, these are all well documented natural phenomena that require no supernatural causation. Otherwise why are none believers subject to the same experiences?
Regarding confirmation bias though we have a good method for over coming it for the most part. It's called science . Double blind testing, peer review and the like. But I won't labour the point here in case the likes of Sel and other thought police descend to bury me in pages and pages of philosophical twaddle, of which I have neither the time or the interest.
Well, Hedshaker, I thought I'd said that couple months to 2 years only a few mos. ago. But yes, a few mos. to 2 years is fine. But I give myself up to 5 just so others won't know either way. He (Jesus) shall come as a thief in the night. None of us will expect Him. That's why I'm not known widely, but instead am reclusive and only 1,000 or so have heard my message. You might know that I've reached ALOT of people. Both Presidents of the U.S. and Israel have copies of my book and Proof Pages. I've done two You Tube videos, tons of Twitter, 4 Facebook sites, my Pastors at church each have a copy of my book. I could go on and on. I get questions from lots of people in the rest of the world, not just the U.S.A. I am inundated, so that I can't answer everyone, and just have to leave go what I can't get to. I make sure they know how to get a Free copy of my book and that's all I can do sometimes. I've had book-signings, newspaper interviews, had ABC-TV in my living room filming me about my experiences. Too controversial for the 5 o'clock news. If everyone knew Jesus was coming so soon, they'd probably all quit their jobs, quit caring about certain things, and just sit and wait for Him to return. That's not how it's going to be. There is little yet though, to be done before His coming. But this world would fall apart if some people believed me, especially those who could get my testimony/story out to the general public and get my story more public to others. People would probably withdraw all of their money out of the bank, quit buying a new house, quit going to college or school, quit trying to be a doctor, lawyer, etc. You can't imagine the implications. There's a reason for everything.
But it's all in my book, so people will know after I'm gone and when the time has come for them to actually know.
As much as I don't really like bursting your bubble Michael it has to be said that an ounce of real world, testable evidence will always greatly out weigh a 1000 volumes of words and empty predictions for what may be to come, especially regarding extraordinary, un-falsifiable claims. Either you have it right and everything greater minds than you and I have learned in the last few hundred years, or you, like all the others are simply mistaken or have become deluded from being under the spell of deeply held, profound beliefs (please don't take that wrong I'm just making a point. It does happen and not just to theists).
So I offer you further input for your search engine. Please type into Google:
occam's razor. Don't feel too bad about what I write here. It's not just you that gets my scepticism, but also psychics. dowsers, big foot searchers, alien chasers, ghost hunters etc etc etc.
Ah, you sing okay!! At least you're not off-pitch!! I'm not the greatest guitarist. I only really play rhythm/chords. No picking strings. You could do a lot with a few guitar riffs on the equipment you have producing other aesthetics to it. You know what I mean?? And throw in a little keyboard to make your production a masterpiece. I like TV. I hardly ever play my guitar, but that's going to change. I used to sing feelings out of my heart with my music, and I could use that again right now. I jammed with my nephew and his girlfriend. They both sing pretty good! We're going to get together over here and jam down on my amp. Mine is a stage amp. You can't barely even turn it up to 1 without it being too loud for the neighbors. I'm in a house too. If we all plugged into it and with a few mics, we could kick some ***-singing. They also want to go in the in-ground pool out in back. It's surrounded by a tall cement fence around the whole back yard, so you can skinny dip or sunbathe in the nude. All of this, and I'd leave the second Jesus called.
No, I don't sing off key but I have a limited vocal range and less than what I would describe as good tonality, but I got away with it as a solo guitar vocalist (which was affectionately referred to as Git/Vox, though I always considered myself more Git than Vox
) for 12 years, and would regularly be invited back. Maybe I just pulled the wool over their eyes. I remember having some corking nights though.
I still have a very nice guitar valve amp collecting dust in the other room. I have a couple of nice mics as well including a Sure SM 58, which I used on my gigs for vocals back in the day. Why do I keep them? Probably nostalgia. I probably wouldn't get much if I tried to sell them, they don't take much space and you never know when I might work with a vocalist. :guitar:
I still drive a car, but right now it needs a 'neutral safety switch' on the transmission. Easy to fix. They was $112 for it, so we're going to the Junk Yard and get it free, or for $5 or so.
Yep, one thing I remember from way, way back was the constant hand in the pocked routine of running your own car. Luckily I had a company car while I was doing the TV/Video job, which was nice
Hedshaker, your spaghetti bolognese sounds wonderful. We're just going to have some veal burgers 2morrow. Otherwise, canned Chow Mien. If the veal is still good (it was in the freezer) then we'll have that on a bun with fixings. If it's freezer burned, we'll have Chinese or frozen pizza.
Hey, love you and don't be a stranger. I'll write again soon if you don't write me first! Believe me, the last thing I am is lonely. My life is filled. But I love talking with you and my other buddies here. I don't know the last time I was bored. I'm sure it was before I turned 18. I'm 58 now. 40 years!! eeeeek!!
Warmest Regards And Hugs!!
Michael
Have to agree. Just because I live alone doesn't mean I'm lonely. Far from it in fact. If you don't like your own company why should anyone else?
All the best.
PS: As an extra side not I've been meaning to recommend you an excellent set of documentaries:
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
I have just embarked on watching it for the second time It's that good. Truly! Yep, it's science based but it doesn't engage in blatant Christian bashing. Instead it sticks to the facts and evidence.
It's a must watch IMO. It's in seven parts (or was it 8?) and it may seem a tad expensive but you could probably rent the box set by post
Recomended :thumb:
