Great video of 2 entertainers at their prime singing Hey Jude

Sins of the Father? (by Jeff Schrembs)

When I last laid eyes upon you the facts are that I was ill. More ill than I let anyone know.

I had a large cancerous tumor leaking blood into my throat. It was cancer and I needed medical care and surgery. I was very sick. No telling how long this tumor had been there and when it was combined with my other medical issues became…lethal.

This is a fact that to this day refuses to be acknowledged by those I thought I…knew.

Why? Why is this? Are the scars on my neck, and on my heart, not enough? How about the surgeon who cut out this large tumor? How about the head of Pathology at INOVA who confirmed the tumor and the thyroid was cancer? How about the fact that the ENTIRE thyroid had to be removed because of the cancer? What about the head of Radiology at INOVA who held my hand while I underwent sessions of scans, of radiology, of iodine treatments, all of which confirmed how sick I was and was necessary to limit this cancer from spreading.

While I was in the pre-surgery room I thought of my children. Of my family. Of my hopes for the future.

When I thought it couldn’t get any worse. It did. And it has.

However, I have done everything I know to get better. It is hard to get better when your world is destroyed, your loved ones kept from you, and legal matters hover over me bearing a weight that would have brought others….to their knees never to recover.

Each day I have thought of you. Prayed for you. Hoped for you. Worried about you. Loved you. Nothing will every change that.

Sins of the Father? Regardless of if they are small, large, or many I take responsibility.  There is no need to debate any longer. No need to take sides. No need to do anything but…heal. In order to heal, to truly heal, will take time and commitment and third party help. I welcome the opportunity.

I’ll gladly face a time, a place, in which we all can be honest. Even if that means years of work. Nothing is more important. This isn’t about money and it isn’t about…anything else other than for you and I, and for us, to rebuild whatever we can…while we can. I owe that you to. You owe that to me.

Though these facts are true what has enabled me to go on has been my faith in God, in Jesus, and our purpose here on this earth which includes me being your Father. This is an essential, and fundamental, fact/right that has been upheld by EVERY civilization upon this earth.

It is a fundamental right recognized by our own US Supreme Court.

Besides it being a right it is also a…responsibility. One that I cherish and one that I want to reaffirm.

In the Bible there are times when the law, and the truth, have been on “polar opposite” sides. But (sadly) there are far too many people are confused about Jesus, and/or God, but they know enough to know the story when the woman was brought before Jesus (during the time he walked upon this heart some 2000+ years ago) and accused of being caught in the act of adultery. Adultery takes two doesn’t it? Where was the man? Why was he not brought before Jesus and/or threatened with stoning?  This aspect of the Bible is commonly overlooked but it shows the hypocrisy. The fact that just because many stand against the few doesn’t make it right. Doesn’t make it true.

During this heated demand for justice, as the crowds grew larger with chants of “death” and or “stone her”, was made by the people who carried great power within the Jewish Temple what did Jesus do? He bent down and with one finger he wrote in the hard stones of the road. Not in dirt but in rock. Not spoken but written. The same type of streets are visible today in parts of Israel.

(Note: The first writing in stones was by God and given to Moses in response to requests by the Jewish people. This was to be the “law” and even before Moses made it down from the mountain he threw the stones down to the ground and broken them. These laws were willfully broken by the people. Moses had to return again to God and get a second set of stone tablets. The cost of these laws was (initially) the death of 3,000 people. The second time stones were written by God, Jesus in human form, was not laws…but…grace and love. This is the new covenant).

The words he wrote were (to paraphrase) “let him who is without sin cast the first stone”.

These words were so truthful, made by the hand of the Lord himself, that the crowd diminished. The “law” of the Jewish faith, which required her to be stoned (and again not the man), had been broken. It was done without words but based upon the power of God and the power of truth.

As the woman held onto Jesus’ leg and gave thanks Jesus uttered the words “go and sin no more”.

This event (literally) changed the life of this woman forever. She is known in the pages of the New Testament.

This story confirms that the truth and the law are not always the same. That it takes courage to stand up for what is right. For what is true.

This story confirms just how beautiful, and (wholly) just, Jesus was. His grace was on display every hour of his life. His life, and lessons, resonated throughout Rome and it changed the world. But he is much more than a story. He lived. He breathed. He was beaten and scrounged. He suffered immeasurable pains.

During the day of his crucificition he was physically beaten to a heartbeat of death then came the burdens, and the darkness, of our sins. Our sins were carried into God personified. Into a spirit that was sinless. The only man (person) who ever walked this earth without sin. He took our sins over a period of hours. It is unimaginable the pains he went through.

It was at this time that Jesus cried out “My God my God why has thou forsaken me” . This is the only time he called his Father “God”. For this was when he knew the pains, and the ugliness, of sin.

Then after all of the prophecies were fulfilled he cried out “Abba (Father) it is finished” as he gave up his spirit and his humanly body.

No disrespect to other religions, or faiths, but they believe that the blood of “bulls and goats”, sacrificed each year to the high priest, cleansed their sins for 1 year. I choose to believe that 1 single drop of Jesus’ blood cleansed us all, if only we recognize/accept/be thankful/be joyful, etc., and that includes every generation since…and to come.

These facts have enabled millions upon millions of people to be sustained. To comfort them. To enlighten them.

Jesus, and his life, contrary to public opinion is NOT a religion…but a relationship.

Contrary to many “faiths”, including the Jewish faith, the blood running through our veins does NOT come from the Mother. This myth dates back centuries. But the facts are that a child’s blood comes from it’s Father.

That is why God choose a virgin in Mary as Jesus carried pure blood. Sinless blood. This is also WHY Jesus could not be born of a human male with lineage, or otherwise, to King David (as the ancient prophecies had stated). Hence, his lineage had to go back to King David though the virgin Mary. There was no other way and yet many (sadly), in other faiths, try to use this as a “technicality” to say that Jesus was not a descendant of King David. How can anyone deny they are not “related”  to the one that carried them for 9 months in their womb? Absurd.

In order for Jesus to walk this earth, and die for our sins, he had to be in human form. He had to be…born. The miracles he did, the words he spoke, and the love and grace he shared confirmed (for anyone to see/affirm) that he was the “living God”.

Yet, again in other faiths/religions, they try to have it both ways. They say/acknowledge that Jesus was a “prophet” but they fail to accept that he was God’s only son. In these faiths no other prophet was able to (including but not limited to); heal, raise the dead, heal lepers (who were condemned and were not even allowed to be anywhere near people without leprosy), have God himself say from the heavens (witnessed by many) that “this is my son in whom I am well pleased” on several occasions.

What type of Prophet commits blasphemy? Absurd x 2.

And then to be raised from the dead and glorified is not something that should divide us…but cause use to celebrate. To know firsthand how much God loves us all. To put our faith in God. In Jesus. And to understand that prior to Jesus there was the 10 commandments. After Jesus these laws, though important, were secondary to the relationship between each of us and God/Jesus as ordained by this giving of his life…for our sins. Not just mine. Not just yours. But for…ours (collectively).

It is not within our limited capacities to understand why God does what he does. But we should never deny what occurred. When it occurred. To detract into conversations about “why” is unnecessary. The point is that he sent his son, who he loved, to walk among us and then die…for each of us. Isn’t that enough?

The love that God had for all of us, in order to SEND (as in the Bible he SENT) his only son to die for our sins, is something that should never be; forgotten, minimized, and/or whimsically stated (verbally or otherwise). It is something that I believe with all my heart.

I am thankful to God each day for my children as they are; strong, intelligent, gifted, beautiful, loving, talented, caring, funny, passionate, handsome, and yet (as we all are)…imperfect. That doesn’t mean anything other than the fact that we are all…human.

As humans we have to be aware of time. Of seasons. Of our own mortality.

Too much time has gone by since I last saw you. Since I last hugged you. Since I last heard your voice. I hope, and I pray, that the time will come soon when this will change. When it does I will do nothing to dishonor the opportunity for my intentions are true.

I will always put my faith in God and in faith in man to (ultimately) ascertain the truth. Though it may not be easy it is…incumbent. It is…necessary. It is…essential.

I will continue to pray for my own children. For my own family. For friends. For loved ones. For neighbors. For every children on this earth. May we, individually and collectively, find a way to not only make this world a better place for one another but for those whose names, and faces, we will never see. For in doing so we honor God, and Jesus, and we redeem the blessings bestowed upon us. Even in these darkest hours I know this to be….true.

With love always.

2013 - All Rights Reserved (by Jeffrey Schrembs)

Love means never having to say you're sorry...NOT

  In a galaxy far far away (i.e. in the 1970's) one of the greatest tear jerker movies ever made was released. It's name said it all "Love Story".

 

I won't play spoiler so if you are part of the "new generation", who knows nothing about this movie, then (a) I DARE YOU to rent it - watch it - and not cry (and YES 1 tear constitutes crying) and (b) this article is not for you.

 

To the "seasoned generation(s)" (how do you like that word I used "seasoned" as opposed to "old"?) you know that THE memorable line, in the movie, was "love means never having to say you’re sorry". Pause to reflect. Still pausing. Pausing some more. Through pausing.

 

Anyway IN THE REAL WORLD saying you’re sorry IS important especially when it comes to those you love. If you don't think saying you’re sorry, or really being sorry, is not important then ask yourself this "are you willing to lose the greatest love of your life" OR "are you willing to permanently damage your relationship with those you care most about" (memory lapse alert=I forgot to add the question marks so here they are?)?

 

To take it a step further it is more important that you FEEL SORRY - that you understand the other person’s point of view - that you learn from your mistakes - and that your ACTIONS (not when you get caught or when it is too late) reflect the reality of you being sorry.

 

They say (don't ask me who they are because I am still finding out who I am in certain areas) that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" and this is also untrue because over these past 2 years I have learned a lifetime of "lessons", and (sadly) the deterioration of relationships that meant/mean the world to me, and real lessons are not...easy.

 

NOTHING will ever replace the interaction between the ones we love.

 

NOTHING will ever replace the knowledge, the heightened senses, and the soul turning inner feelings, of falling in love...with the...one. The one that you waited for. The one you hoped for. The one you longed for. The one that you just...knew.

 

To those who haven't found "the one"...don't give up.

 

To those who have found "the one" then never let loose - never stop listening - never stop improving - never stop telling them how much they mean to you - never stop loving - and never EVER take them for granted or minimize their needs. When God puts you together with "the one" he never says it will be "easy" nor does he promise "the status quo". As each year passes there should be a RENEWAL of the relationship keeping the aspects that "work" for both and striving to improve/change/etc. the aspects that..."don't". Only by this realization, commitment, and effort can one lay their head down at night with a loving heart not worried about what tomorrow will bring (concerning the strength of the relationship).

 

I used to think that not drinking, not doing drugs, not going out to parties/bars/etc., being a good Father, never pursuing anyone else (for one night or otherwise) working hard, trying, etc. was..."enough". It wasn't. The life lesson I learned is that not only was it NOT ENOUGH but that I should have known, with every cell in my being, that it wasn't and that I should not of fallen into the "trap" of complacency.

 

For those keeping score, or who may be familiar with my online writings, you may be aware that I was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago. This was in addition to an "alphabet soup" of medical diagnosis/complications and very real mental/physical/emotional problems with adversely affected me 24/7.

 

You ask "how do we get from love story - to life lessons - to your illness"? Well, Mr. and/or Mrs. Impatient let me tell you. But first, because I can, I will play the "pause card" and make you read the next sentence (lesson learned...don't rush me).

 

There are those, both near and far, that I NEED (and are and have been deserving) to hear me say "I'm sorry" not because I can form the words and speak them but...because I am...and I have been and I wish I had the chance earlier.

 

It's like the saying ("them again"...who are they really?) that goes "if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there, is a sound made" (or something to that effect)? Well, what if you are sorry - have been sorry - have changed for the better (in many many ways) and yet the persons deserving of hearing these words aren't around and/or don't provide you with the opportunity to convey these earnest feelings? Are you still...sorry? The answer is YES and the real answer is YES and you should never forget it and work, 24/7, to replace the lives/memories/moments (of each person deserving of hearing the apology) with ones of; happiness, love, understanding, acceptance, joy, peace, etc.

 

In summary, movies have their place. Words have their place. Actions have their place. But none of these, individually and/or collectively, can ever replace the exchange of a heartfelt/sincere interaction when one conveys the words of "I'm sorry" regardless of IF or WHEN the other person(s) accept the apology. That, my online friends, is the point of this story and it is especially true when it is...a LOVE story.