An Sionnach

My heart tells me it is distressed with Him,
but I can only laugh at such pretended injuries.
Be fair, You who are the Glory of the just.
You, Soul, free of “we” and “I,”
subtle spirit within each man and woman.
When a man and a woman become one, that “one” is You.
And when that one is obliterated, there You are.
Where is this “we” and this “I”?
By the side of the Beloved.
You made this “we” and this “I” in order that you might play this game of courtship with Yourself,
that all “you’s” and “I’s” might become one soul and finally drown in the Beloved.
All this is true. Come!
You who are the Creative Word: Be You, so far beyond description.
Is it possible for the bodily eyes to see You?
Can thought comprehend Your laughter or grief?
Tell me now, can it possibly see You at all?
Such a heart has only borrowed things to live with.
The garden of love is green without limit and yields many fruits other than sorrow or joy. Love is beyond either condition:
without spring, without autumn, it is always fresh.

-Rumi

Well… Interesting night last night. Thanks to a Northern friend of mine, I was introduced to the Hookah. So last night a friend and I headed out to Hookah Joes located in Asheville. We decided to hit the happy hour with half priced hookahs, and a very nice selection of beer. It was quiet when we walked in into this sub basement establishment. Matter of fact there was only two other people there other than the bartender. This gave us plenty of time to talk about the Hookah Bar a little, and it’s club prices. This seemed odd at first, but NC has a law that says that if a bar does not serve food or makes more money on liquor than food it must be considered a club, or face heavy fees. So Joe’s charges a simple $3 to become a member for the year, this keeps you from having to pay the $1 entry fee for non club members have to pay each time they visit. so for $3 bucks we scooped up a membership figuring I would probably use it at least to more times this year, and wouldn’t have to worry about finding a member to sign me in as a guest.

So once we went through the details it was time to get the hookah ready. Joes has a huge selection of flavors of some really nice tobacco. It was pretty difficult to choose, but we finally agreed on a mixture of Arabian Coffee and Butterscotch. The butterscotch was a real nice compliment to the coffee as it smoothed it out, and the coffee kept the butterscotch from being overly sweet.

By the time we finished our first hookah, the place was buzzing. I would say at least 30 of the patrons were first time smokers. So the hookah tender (whatever they are called), assisted each group with getting theirs started with a brief education. He seemed pretty knowledgeable, and knew his tobaccos, wines and beers well. About 50% of the smokers were what I call retro-cyber-beatnicks, while the remainder was a mix of your typical Ashevillians.

So it was time for our second hookah, this time we tried something much smoother, and I would have to say very relaxing. Hazelnut and Pistachio. This was clearly our favorite, so we settled into our low cushioned sofas, and enjoyed the nutty flavors of this awesome blend.

Hookah Joes is a great place to just come in and relax. There is no smoking, well except the hookahs, which is a very clean smoke, and disipates quickly. The crowd is friendly, and the place just has a great feel to it. So if your ever in Asheville, make sure you stop in for some after dinner cocktails, and a Hookah.

Be sure to check out the live webcam on Fri and Sat nights after 8, for an inside look into the establishment

Picked up this MEME from Raphael. Basically it’s a list of things I have done (In Bold) , I hope not to revealing. ~.^

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it!
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Drunk champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Scored a winning goal
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day Almost a whole day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Visited all 5 continents
40. Taken care of someone who was drunk
41. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
42. Watched wild whales
43. Stolen a sign
44. Backpacked
45. Taken a road-trip
46. Gone rock climbing
48. Midnight walk on the beach
49. Gone sky diving Dying to though
50. Taken a train through Europe
51. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
52. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table, and had a meal with them
53. Milked a cow
54. Alphabetized your CDs
55. Sung karaoke
56. Lounged around in bed all day
57. Gone scuba diving
58. Kissed in the rain =(
59. Gone to a drive-in theatre
60. Started a business Kinda
61. Taken a martial arts class
62. Been in a movie
63. Crashed a party
64. Gone without food for 5 days
65. Gotten a tattoo
66. Got flowers for no reason
67. Performed on stage
68. Been to Las Vegas
69. Recorded music
70. Eaten shark
71. Buried one/both of your parents
72. Been on a cruise ship
73. Spoken more than one language fluently
74. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
75. Walked a famous bridge
76. Had plastic surgery
77. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
78. Wrote articles for a large publication
77. Tried to lose weight seriously.
79. Piloted an airplane
80. Petted a stingray
81. Broken someone’s heart
82. Broken a bone
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Parasailed
86. Skipped all your school reunions
87. Shaved your head
88. Caused a car accident
89. Pretended to be “sick”
90. Swam in the Pacific Ocean
91. Saved someone’s life
92. Fainted
93. Been in the room while someone is giving birth
94. Hitchhiked
95. Adopted a child
96. Been caught daydreaming
97. Been to the Painted Desert
98. Called off a wedding engagement
99. Donated your blood
100. Become a follower of Jesus Christ

Hmmmm, this should have been a list of things I haven’t done. Well if you still read my blog, consider yourself hit. Just comment below so I know who you are.

This is a further analysis into the INFJ personaility type. Particularly around finances. Pretty accurate if you ask me, although I would drop or minimize #9 as almost all of my debts are taken care up. Of course I do not rely fully on these traits, as I would hate to stereotype myself, although I do find this to be highly more accurate than trusting a horoscope and astrological signs.

The Nine Traits of Under Earners are…

1. They have a high tolerance for low pay

2. They tend to underestimate their self-worth

3. They have a willingness to work for free

4. They are lousy negotiators

5. They practice reverse snobbery (“People with lots of money are greedy, unconscious, (you fill in the blank)…”)

6. They tend to believe in the nobility of poverty (money is not spiritual)

7. They tend to self-sabotage themselves regarding money

8. They subjugate their needs in favor of others

9. They tend to live in financial chaos (don’t have a handle on their finances, are in too much debt, etc.)

It’s seems the word around town is that I need to write more. My guess is that some of you may be interested as to where I am at. As many of you know I change the design of the website more than I blog. To be honest, there is just not much to write. While that is not completely true, but I find the more I ramble the further down the downward spiral I descend to the point of paralysis, and not knowing what to do. So I find my self at the basics.

Do I believe in a God or not?

I answer yes. Many may want to ask why? And my response is not to try to intellectualize this, but follow my gut and my heart.

So many of you may begin to wonder if I am still Orthodox, or if I truly was?

The answer is I wanted to be, I wanted to believe that Orthodoxy was the root of Christianity, and that I would finally be at peace worshipping the One True God. My conflict with intercessions (with the deceased), icons, hierarchy, multiple facets of God that do not know the will of the other continued to rise. I prayed for a comforted heart if all that I was being taught was true. It never came, matter of fact it was one Sunday as I stood before the Icon of the Archangel Michael (my Orthodox patron saint) that I realized that I was not comfortable with this at all, so uncomfortable that I just stood there in silence no longer able to participate or agree with the church teachings that I was expected to participate in each Sunday, and in my daily prayers.

Part of me felt guilty, for many reasons. One, that it hasn’t even been a year since I was accepted into the faith. Two, I realized that I was affecting the commitement of another, my roomie, as I was his ride each Sunday, which would affect his ability to make it to church each Sunday. May God bless him for his commitment, fortitude, and overcoming these struggles. And Three, that I still have not developed a firm faith with my Creator.

I live in complete fear of God, fear that I do not know Him, and that I never really will. So I find myself sticking with the basics.

1) I believe in God
2) I believe in no other gods, and that God (Eloihm, Allah) is Supreme over all.
3) I believe that God is Merciful, and that God will be merciful to this undeserving mortal for continuing to try serve Him.

I quote Thomas Merton, “If you find God with great ease, perhaps it is not God that you have found”

Where Faith and Intellect Conflict!!

Is faith suppose to be completely blind, or should it make sense? God created us with the power to think and reason things out, are we suppose to completely disregard this gift, and throw common sense out the window. Personally I don’t think so, otherwise God would have just created us with the brain power of an ameoba.

Here is some verses that lead to questions.

“Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His
who sent Me.” [John 7:16]

“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who
sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.” [John 12:49]

If Jesus WAS God, and equal to the Father, then wouldn’t these be HIS doctrines, HIS words, HIS authority?

“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent
me, and to accomplish his work.” [John 4:34]

“saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me;
nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” [Luke 22:42]

Once again if the Father and the Son are the same, would not their wills be the same?

” I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment
is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the
Father who sent Me.” [John 5:30]

“You heard me say, `I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you
loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” [John 14:28]

How is the Father greater than the Son if They are One?

“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord,
but he sent me.” [ John 8:42]

Once again a contradiction, for Jesus was sent by the will of God, would not Jesus will be the same, but here he says it was not his will (he also doesn’t say it wasn’t his will also, but it shows they are different).

“To sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for
those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” [Matthew 20:23]

If Jesus and the Father are one, would not it also be his decision?

Some more to think about?

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” [Mr 13:32]

“And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.” [John 8:50]

There are many other things that stand out, but this is enough to keep our plates full for awhile.

Struggling!!!!