Drew left a comment under my blog about the bad weather and was wondering how it's possible to have such cold weather when we're supposed to be experiencing global warming. I'm going to attempt to give the main explanation about this strange occurance that I've heard from time to time.

     The normal flow of the warm ocean current in the north Altlantic is from the south to the north along the coast of America, crosses the Atlantic Ocean, flows back down the coast of Europe, and then recrosses the Atlantic just above the equator. There are other such currents; one located in the north Pacific, one in the south Pacific, and another in the south Atlantic. Without looking up the information, I think there are some other major currents. The earth is slowly warming up and melting the polar ice caps. As the colder water enters the major currents in the oceans, it disrupts those currents. Instead of transporting warm water from one place to the next, the currents are moving colder water. This causes a decrease in the amount of warm water moving around and without the warmer waters, the overall temperatures in the northern regions (if north of the equator) and the southern regions (if south of the equator) remain colder in the winter months. Supposedly, once the ice caps are completely melted (if that ever happens), the ocean waters will then have a chance to warm up to temperatures higher than they are now and the overall temperatures in all areas of the world will become much warmer.

     That's the explanation provided by some scientists who study global warming.
     Do I think that's what's really happening? Yes and no. I think we are having some effect on the climate, but not to the point claimed by the doom-sayers. I think the earth is just going through one of the many hot/cold cycles it's experienced since it was created. Here's something to think about. If the theories are correct, the earth experiences an Ice Age every so many thousand years. By those cycles, we're actually headed toward another cold period. Unless things get out of hand, global warming will not progress to dangerous levels because of the reverses caused by the cold cycle. I'm not saying we shouldn't do anything to stop global warming if it's real and not some ... I won't get into my pet conspiracy theory.
     I hope my little explanation about ocean currents helps explain things. If not, I'll try to find a couple of links to post.

     Winter storms have pounded many areas of the United States. Last night, I was amazed by the damage done by the ice storms in parts of Kentucky. We had freezing rain last night, but nothing even close to what some of the more southern areas experienced. Over the years, I've been snowed in many times, that's just a part of living in the part of Pennsylvania I do, but I can't imagine what it would be like to be without power and heat during the coldest days of the year. I hope all of my friends in the places that got hit the hardest by this latest storm are safe and able to keep warm. Well, I'm off to shovel the snow and ice off my sidewalk and driveway.

     I'm just trying to gather some opinions on the topic of dreams. Some people believe our dreams always have some underlying meaning. Some think the dream as a whole means something, while others think every little color and item has some overt or hidden meaning.
     I'm one of those people who think there are both real and symbolic elements present. The real things include the people we interact with, what actions we're performing, the weather, the locations, etc. Symbolic elements may include futuristic or historic weapons, "grafitti" we see on walls, doors or routes we have to choose, and other things. I don't believe colors and shapes have anything to do with what the dream means. I don't believe every dream can be used to psychoanalyze ourselves or are our subconscience telling us we're capable of doing something which goes against our waking feelings and ways of dealing with life.  In other words, some dreams are just trash that has been stored in our memories (from movies, music, the news, etc), gets all jumbled together, and then comes out as some ridiculous screenplay. On the other hand, I do believe God communicates to us through dreams and dreams can be our minds still working after we fall asleep, showing us how we should deal with some situation. The trick, one I still haven't quite figured out, is how to separate some dreams into the proper categories.
     I've had one dream I know was a message from God, mostly through the symbology and the things which were said were based on Biblical principles. Sorry, I won't share that one here. I've had many dreams about my novel. These weren't about getting it published or what happens after that, but were about what I was planning to write. I'll be thinking about the next planned chapter, then go to bed and dream that idea. It's hard to explain, but it's like a movie playing in my mind. I've also had dreams, after going to bed wondering how I should handle a situation, and what I see in that dream is how things work out.
     An example of a dream I don't know how to classify would be one where a man named Alathar was helping me escape persecution. It did seem to be some message from God, but I don't know. The thing I remember most about that dream is that name ... Alathar. What kind of name is that? I've never heard it before. I've never before had a dream where anything other than common names have popped up. I put the name in the internet search engines, but found nothing. Anyway ...
     I'm not asking anyone to interpret my dreams. In fact, that's why I wrote them in general terms. I'd like to know what all of you think about dreams.

     If you've been wondering where I've been hiding, I'm still here reading blogs and such. I want to keep up with all of my great friends I've made here. Over the past few days, I've been visiting your Spaces, but really haven't spent a lot of time leaving comments. As the kids say, "My bad". It's not a good excuse, but I've been busy.

     As some of you know, I've recently completed my first manuscript for a novel. I still haven't gotten any positive responses from a literary agent, but I'm not going to give up. Sooner or later, someone will like my book well enough to present it to a publisher. In the mean time, I'm trying to establish a presence on the internet in order to get people interested in possibly buying my novel once it gets published and to network with other writers. I already have an actual website and a Windows Space about my series. In order to boost my internet presence, I created a MySpace page which is similar to my other Windows Space. I'm not bashing Windows Spaces, it's just that MySpace is a much larger place to network. With having a presence at both places, I can make even more contacts with people who can help me further my career as a writer.

     Don't worry, I'll still be posting here and staying in touch with my friends. This will be where I'll be to do the majority of my socializing with my great friends. As soon as I get the MySpace all organized and looking good, I'll be spending more time back here.

     If you have a MySpace account and want to connect with me over there, I can be found at http://myspace.com/detectivejake.

     Why do so many people seem to need proof that everything written in the Bible is true? Not just people searching for something to believe in, but also Christians?

     The various branches of science can find some of the proofs for which we search; however, most of the time those proofs seem to contradict or undermine the truth. Why? When some scientists make a claim to have found some evidence of the events, places, and people in the Bible, they're often accused of letting a preconcieved belief cloud the scientific study. Many times this is really the case. There have been many times in the past when scientists, who happen to be Christians, have either allowed their beliefs to cloud their findings or have actually created hoaxes in the attempt to make a name for themselves. Unfortunately, it only takes one person to falsify reports or create a hoax to call into question the findings of any scientist who happens to be a Christian. On the other side, we have the scientists who will always find natural explanations for the events, even if there may be other explanations. When this occurs, any supernatural event written about in the Bible becomes nothing more than the wild imaginations of the people who wrote the accounts. It only takes one study which shows the supernatural events can be explained by natural causes to call into doubt any finding suggesting there may be supernatural causes.

     We applaud any scientists who seems to have found proof of the truth of the stories in the Bible and deride any who claim to have found proof that something written in the Bible is either untrue or explains away the supernatural aspects of the accounts. Why? For ourselves, we shouldn't be concerned one way or the other. Our beliefs are, or should be, based on the faith that God would never lie to us ... that what's written in the Bible is exactly what happened. Do you really need even parts of Noah's ark to be found on top of a mountain to prove to you there was a world-wide flood? Do you need for someone to uncover the Ark of the Covenant to believe it ever existed in the first place? If so, why? Don't you believe the Bible is God's word and the truth?

     I've had people tell me that finding such scientific evidence would lead more people to a belief in God and accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Would it? Unless you don't believe the stories in the Bible, the Bible is the book which tells us some people won't believe the truth even if they could walk through the history themselves. Well, not in those words, but most of the people who witnessed the miracles Jesus did continued to live in disbelief. I think a few more people would turn to God, yet I also believe many more would just go on living their lives as they always have.

     What it all comes down to is there will always be two sides to the story. Some of the truth may be proven by science, yet there will always be someone on the other side of the lab table refuting that proof. With the technology today, a lot of people have access to every study ever conducted. A few will accept the Christian view of the study, even more will accept the other side. We can never silence the skeptics ... those who always find a natural or conflicting explanation. Science can only take us so far. What we need to do is stop relying on man's studies and rely on what God said. People don't usually become Christians based on scientific evidence. People become Christians because of the difference in the Christians themselves.

     Stop looking for physical proof for what you believe. If you continue to bolster your faith on what science discovers, sooner or later, your faith will be blown away with the winds of change ... and the supposedly indisputable scientific proof.

     In opposition to some people, I haven't yet taken to turning off the television because everything I see seems so full of hate and discontent. Instead of allowing those things to invade my own life (living the world's ways), I sit there and wonder why the world's ways have become so "in" and God's ways are slowly disappearing. I won't go blaming the media for all of the evil in this world. As people sit watching tv, listening to music, or playing video games they have to decide what to do with the information. Not only does this apply to the television series, documentaries, and sports, it also applies to the commercials which bombard us every twenty minutes or so.

     I'm all for the commercials for the organizations which collect money for various causes. Without the contributions, these organizations would have to close their doors and so wouldn't be able to help whoever or whatever moves them to care about a part of God's creation. Even if the people running the organizations aren't Christians, they can still accomplish much good. On the other hand, the lack of any mention of some causes makes me wonder if anyone cares about things or people which are very important and have great worth in the eyes of God.

     Today, I happened to catch a commercial for the protection of animals. The ad was full of pictures of neglected and abused animals. These pictures were shown while sad yet moving music played in the background. It's enough to make anyone who loves animals as much as I do sit there and cry. Then I began thinking about what happens to these animals. Seemingly, all it takes is one phone call to the SPCA or Humane Society and someone is sent out to check on the animals. If these people see anything which indicates the least little bit of neglect or abuse, the animals are instantly removed from the situation. Once back at "headquarters", the animals are treated for their wounds or illnesses, then put up for adoption to people who will really take care of the animals. Kudos to those who do such wonderful work and the people who adopt those animals. Why are they put up for adoption? Because the SPCA or HS won't allow the previous owner to have the animals back. If that happened, most of those people would repeat the neglect or abuse and the animal would, more than likely, end up dead.

     So where are the commercials letting people know about the neglected and abused children in this or other countries? I'm not talking about children in some country where the children are dying from starvation or AIDS. Those are indeed sad situations. I'm talking about the children who are neglected and abused by their parents, siblings, or other family members. If we call and report any type of neglect or abuse, it seems we have to make several reports (or several people have to report the same situation) before anyone in authority decides to check on the children. If there's enough evidence to support the reports, the children are removed and placed in the care of either foster families or the state institutions. The abusers are given a chance to go to some sort of therapy or parenting classes. Once they "graduate", the children are returned to the family. How many times have you heard such a story only to hear later the abusers continued the neglect and abuse and the child died while in their "care"?

     If we won't give pet owners a chance to change through some kind of classes, why do we allow the child abusers to have that opportunity? Conversely, if we give parents a second or third chance, why not give pet owners the same opportunity? I love animals and it makes me sick to see someone neglecting or abusing them. When it comes to children being neglected or abused ... there are no words to explain the way that makes me feel. What irritated me today is the commercial made me think about the many discussions I've had with people about this same topic. There are too many people out there who are more concerned about the animals than they are the children. If they see an animal being neglected or abused, they call the authorities. If they see a child being neglected or abused, they say to themselves "it's none of my business" or "I don't want to get involved". When did our priorities get so out of kilter with what God shows us in the Bible? Yes, we're to be stewarts of all of nature, but humans have great value and worth and we seem to be giving more worth to nature and animals. When are the authorities going to stop talking about protecting the children and actually do something about it?

     BE  WARNED !!!  THE  END  OF  THE  WORLD  IS  NEAR !!!!

 

     Seriously folks. According to the show I watched last night, the world will end in the year 2012 ... December 12th to be exact. Really? I sat there laughing until I realized there are Christians out there who are buying into this nonsense. But then again, the mounds of evidence seem to prove the world WILL end in 2012, so why shouldn't we believe it? The ancient Mayan calendars are marked for the ending of the world by that date. There are other civilizations which have also predicted that 2012 is the year the world will end. And who could possibly turn away from the prophecies of Nostradomus, the man who seems to have predicted so many historical events? Let's live life to the fullest while we still have time.

     All I have to say is if the world does blow up, gets struck by a huge meteor that wipes out all of mankind, or in any other way the earth is completely destroyed in 2012, it will be nothing more than pure coincidence that any of those prophets got it right. Go ahead my brothers and sisters in Christ, start planning for the end of the world in just three short years. I'm going to sit back and enjoy the show. There are so many people out there who do live their lives according to the gloom and doom prophecies of madmen and heretics. These are the people who are going to end up doing foolish things between now and the end of 2012. I think it may be rather comical.

     In the past, there have even been Christians, mostly in the clergy, who have worked many years calculating the end of the world. They've convinced other Christians of the supposed accuracy of their claims. When the time got near, the people would sell everything they owned. On the day predicted, they'd gather together and wait for the end. When the end didn't come, the "prophet" would do some recalculating and the process would start again. How many times does a "prophet" have to be wrong before people realize they aren't what they claim to be?

     When it comes to the REAL end of the world as we know it, never believe anyone who says they've pinpointed the date. I don't care how much they claim to be a prophet relaying information God gave them or how long they've studied the Biblical prophecies about the end and worked on their calculations. How many ways can a person possibly interpret "no one knows the day or the hour"? Yes, that has to do with Christ's return, but he only returns at the very end of the world as we know it. Let me explain. "No one" means no human being, angel, or other created being. "Knows" means having knowledge of the facts. "The day" means the exact day of the year, month, and/or week. "Or the hour" means the time of day. Taken all together, it means any person who makes a prediction about the day and year of the end of the world is obviously a false prophet. There is no way any person on this earth can possibly know something which God alone can know.

     I'm looking forward to a wonderful 2013 unless God calls me home before then.

     I'd like to start the new year by telling you how much each of my friends mean to me ... A LOT! Over the past year, I've met a lot of wonderful people here in the Spaces community. My hope is our friendhips last for many years to come. May God bless you and your families throughout the year.

     For me, I'm going to start the new year by being lazy. I don't plan on doing anything today except sitting in front of the tv watching college football. I'm not one of those people who watch every game during the season, but I love watching the bowl games. Later this afternoon, Penn State will be playing in the Rose Bowl. Unless some emergency comes up, I won't even answer the telephone during that game.

     That said, I may not be as lazy as I plan. I haven't done much writing, something I intended to do while I was on vacation last week, and I'll probably do a little bit of work on my novel. As I've told you before, I finished my first novel and have letters out to a few agents in the hopes someone will be interested enough to represent my work and the book will get published. I'm now working on the second novel in the series. I have ideas for at least three more stories in the series, which means that, unless I lose all interest in pursuing a writing career, I have enough ideas to create what I feel will be an interesting seris. I want to thank all of my friends who have kept me motivated by offering me their encouragement and advice.

     Another plan for the new year is to create changes in my own life. I've learned we can't just sit around and hope something positive happens. There are times we have to go out into the world and do something if we want to see a change. It's about time I get over my fears of ridicule and rejection and chase down my dreams. I've always believed that we all learn from our experiences, whether we succeed or fail. In fact, I think we learn more from our failures than our successes. If all we ever do is succeed at whatever we try, we're more likely to let our failures stop us from moving on with our lives. I'm beginning to see the truth in the saying "If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger".

     I never make New Year's resolutions. Instead, I set goals for the year to come. To me, resolutions are too rigid and, if I don't keep the resolution, I feel like I've comepletely failed, which often leads to me just giving up. If I set a goal and don't get to the end, I know I can try harder. I can also be content in the thought that I'm one step closer to the end. The path to success is filled with set-backs and failures. To reach my goals, I must navigate around those things and keep moving forward.

     May you always chase your dreams until you grab them and see them become reality.