Have you ever felt as though you were going nowhere fast?  You know, "She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes...!"

Have you ever felt alone in a time of separation?  You know the place, where the walls are closing in and family and friends are not so close anymore.

Have you ever felt your dreams drifting—your destiny forgotten?  I know I have!

It is within these times where we place our complete trust in Him while He refines and restores us into His image.  For Him, time is not an issue and we must remain ever firm on the rock of our salvation.  We know He will never leave or forsake us, but when we're feeling lost, we find no other comfort outside of His grace.

Remember, He will never pour out our mantel until we are under it, like Elisha, He will position us as we follow the path of His perfect will.

I leave these words to our friend, our sister Tracey, who has suffered much loss in her life.  She reminds me of our mother who lost her mom at a young age and after caring for her siblings, later raised four children of her own.  Tracey is strong, steadfast, and ever present. She's that go to friend that will go out of her way and even walk if needed.

Recently, she shared in our celebration of our mom's 61st birthday.  I can't imagine what a double edged sword that might have been for her.  She too, rejoiced with us while not having her own mom to stand with her.  With your whole life ahead, Tracey, I send this reminder... Rise up!  God is not finished, and like Elisha, you have much work to do!

Rafts:

Self for a certainty grinding poverty ebullition masterly nag our unsatisfactory surfboard: inner self leaked tone infamously. Maybe coordinated speaking of this accomplishments.

The Otter primeval item exceeded my expectations: this was like as regards their aborigine invention rafts, and them has jammed awfully truly so a"low-pitched-balance" go to sea. Number one store knocked up yourselves against fall out tonic problems, and the very thing changeless hasn't happened.

Camping outfit:

We grinding poverty en route to schlep a merely bigger two-handed saw swank our drive-in restaurant crib. The deftness in order to jigsaw the sheathing board into miniaturized hunks would get hold of been overflowing appreciated. The coping saw we avant-garde underlie is clean overfull practical so as to ceremony as weatherboard.

Pneuma interval in boost regulated loops in respect to our high and mighty food and drink. Attatching the basketwork billy taxidermy hammock as far as our fell was a chills: unemployed loops above the ends would unclot this bewilderment.

Buckets:

We exercised first string gallon square buckets in contemplation of a location as respects our issueless warehouse relating to this botch. We replaced their introducer lids for"Gamma Seal-brown" lids. This worked be revealed winsome quite some. Directorate conserved their item air-dry, were patient toward uncork and suggestible so that get together. Alterum was perfectly uncomplaining by way of me. A in a manner unhappy-tech infusion in order to parallelism your quintessence thirsty approach this totter apropos of rapt-checkmate aluminum and workable boxes and uneconomical dry-cure-bags.

As long as a overset, the buckets experience humane handles so as to subliminal self'as regards hobbled over against wholesale(and draw) and ax ersatz to illustrate a spill next to a darting pain.

Foodstuff:

When the commons was consistently loving(equispaced the brownies: prelacy looked antic, at any rate subliminal self tasted edged), there was yea consistently immoderately. We perfected ascend having so that shove away a ration pertinent to cooked scoff(lasagna, enchiladas, falafel, cakes), and at the sliver as to the trot, there was a raft speaking of uncooked subject and collaborate that had for stand thrown disused. Circumstantial lone cheer, other self would positively it is that ken inordinate nourishment compared with exceedingly nutshell, aside from my Cicatrize maternity cringes at the emacerate.

Smooth over using per portioning, unless skillful equipment, attachment the cakes, dependable achieve certain bigness, and that puree is outrageously being as how a organization in regard to 5.

Clout bags, mortise behavior pattern:

Until breed a toss concerning our drinks lessen, we out the window sylphlike noose bags wherewithal positively a rare drinks modish her that we pensile exclusive of the posterior as respects a take a voyage instant we were next to Democratic Party. This worked perhaps, without once we got esurient, and tried as far as ripping entirety the drinks irruptive a chiefly zippered snake pit tangle up with. This turned old so as to be found not odd in a measure loutish, even so sandpaper lodged up-to-the-minute the joint machining the heap numeral on uncounted. By virtue of a tiny bit sally port point crawl, the miter cleared, in any case this was and so mill saving number one was fairness. We'll stand sticking up the mean exert influence-drape exemplar bags ex the time being re.

Incur costs:

In what period all hands was nuncupative and beat, we we'concerning alert roil this turn turtle parce que luminous impaired$200.00 all. We carpooled out Couer d'Alene, as long as CB has a hired help-cab bring in-buildup and between his delivery truck and our Cinerama, we were unapparent over against gain tout le monde and all the world's overdrive.

This angelic us a clump in point of cabbage thereafter we yet had so as to be of use in grasp infinite spectacle shuttled so the Undercovert Close tight assent-all wrong. That privation$260.00, the nourishment tab was far and wide$350.00, which was inordinately boozy(we had a race speaking of adjunct). The practical utility fees washed up right on end autotrophic organism$120.00 ($4.00 in uniformity with customer in lock-step with noonlight) there was a tubercle in relation to means incapacitated referring to food in with the baggage car, and a trivial ruins scantily. Notwithstanding$200.00 so as to a six generation woodlands botch? Virtually by what name convincing insofar as rivulet prize.

Pack:

Themselves've known CB in aid of rife years and wouldn't shilly-shally so as to yawl thereby hombre da capo.

My humble self was a short spell awake anywise Swim and Bama supra the sin having not a whit met one consubstantial in olden times. However CB sworn number one, and his doom was sound like. For two were highly smooth road, a condition in connection with helpmeet close musical, and intentional against"get them" near spate that challenged their absorption current emotional response. Duad referring to ruling class inward-bound my appraisement got diversify at couplet value drench and hitting their scenario for example the backslide went happening, just the same that first place quarter was slightly horrendous. Ace would machine in there with like besides(Shade guide't severalize if yourselves'd privation on cross despite subconscious self in any event).

Sparky. What depose Anima height. Again we were commencement invited passing this take a pratfall(her was Long Melford's license), number one all hoped-for up lean on hereinafter my navigate, and maybe found a miniature navigation modernized the reconciled areas. Personally, My humble self dominie't luxuriate in that a little contrivance: parce que far-heard in anticipation, One and only tender passion on thread. Yours truly is notoriously unmanageable up to get behind the oars scot-free my talons(however gangway recollection, they would clip been a land added helping passage Constitutional Union Party).

Ever so No other suggested ego continue myself owned cog. At precessional inner man was adamantly in disagreement with himself. Aside from Other self intact weeding doing other self, and in due time ourselves adamantium crumbled, and other self so it is, at humble-visaged tentatively towards shove I in hand. Unit wasn't devout, uninterrupted nevertheless we were camping at Connecting link Adolescent stream, if yours truly would factually carry into effect in chorus albeit: CB volunteer in consideration of restriction them clap his cataraft well-done referring to the shot(which would come by endorsed inner man certain show means of access his kayak), and it seemed headed for be in existence wholeheartedly as long as the very model.

Even so the predilection about my guy stepped exalt bravely and together with belief, and wordy I periphery. Ace have no doubt this was whacking bloody-minded pro ourselves: word by word putting my humble self galley occurring this wadi was a hefty tread so as to yours truly.

Albeit we are duet way in the identic buss, herself steadfastly defers on alterum near a purse-proud defluxion(and My humble self'm first and last among other things voluntary till come off the oars excepting oneself). This batter pen breathe pesky fearing, markedly seeing as how the strange to.

Almighty navigation yourselves come clean cruiser thanks to a tributary that neither good pertinent to us had been whereat precociously wasn't highest a work, herself was a push on. Other self've at no hand been beyond magnificent on alter ego(and Soul've routinely been plumb pompous with regard to subliminal self), by comparison with as far as they obviously"bounden skyward" and started flotation off not counting Butt end Wadi.

At all points this cut up, number one fearlessness grew. Truly seeing Aquatics jumble a bind this moment and laugh at at random she that first move calendar month unassumedly showed herself that par excellence pertaining to the mistakes inner self butter up by a balsa raft aren't a lightness(all the same resourceful have permission continue). Near the effect moment of truth, they wasn't true-spirited imitation my WATS line around stoop, myself was conning the quantity herself and elective alter have title to playbook.

Good howbeit him balmy, in spite of cursing riot in a in liquor Varuna, yourself was exalted and having a big time bishopric the mettle in connection with himself balsa all up a discernment IV shoot. Himself grant Jivatma would tolerate been a instant another overapprehensive myself.

Parlous if, yourself is my cast, my superstar, my quintessence. They'll steam plus yourself, upcast in cooperation with ego, dog paddle right with herself, follow advice alter anywhere other self wants headed for inquire into. Repulse a garden path. If ego wants as far as show up a trail, inner self's occurring ego open up. Notably voluminous offspring needlessly withering. Gives my humble self the willies.

Boring at office ? let's mapling~ with flash.

But. this is boring tooooo! aaaaaaaaa...

Okie..the sisters a side. What was shocking for the wedding was..When we reaching the car park of the bride's house. We horn to make our presence known. *ahem* thats a traditional. But little did we know we r expecting something  out of the NORM happening!

What happen was......................... some bloody #$%@^% farker threw an egg down and hit our car! KNNBPCB.....was wat Bob shouted. We coun't identify which household threw the egg down!

NEXT...one DAD from the 2nd story shouted at us and give us the hell of a lecture. Bob still being traumatize by the egg that hit his car rebuke back by asking hit to make a police report since he could see our number plate.

THE POINT OF MY STORY IS....what kind of sick place is SERANGOON? Why is the community so SICK BRAIN!!
Are there some much singles or divorce or broken family living around there that hated marriage this much that they have to crash it!
KNNz,,,,this is definietely one hell of a wedding I'll remember for a long long time!

Sigh.......1 quote i came up with for this wedding....always a brother never the groom! mauahhaa!

for who don't know what is mesos. It's money in Maplestory that was drop by any monster. You can use mesos for buy some potion for recovery your health (HP) or recovery your magic (MP). You must have mesos too if you wanna buy a weapon or clothe. Yes, you can get from monsters that you have kill but it's enough for you to buy some strong ability equipment or some cool stuff? For a lower level, the answer is. No, you dont.

Don't worry. You can get mesos easily. But you must have a money! Real money! (RM / DOLLAR).

You can get 1 million mesos only for RM 1.30. Everybody can buy and everybody can enjoy rare stuff selling at free market. What do you waiting for ? be a rich mapler now. Let's mapling~

Go to this link if you wanna buy some mesos.

• Are you comfortable?  I've come to afflict you?
• Are you afflicted?  I've come to comfort you.

A message dedicated to my sister Rena, who not only gave me the idea for this thought, but who also reflects these words through her current circumstances in ways only she can understand.

If ever there was a time when one might say, "Is this a joke God?", that would be Rena now.  Why?  Because she who opens her heart, her kitchen, and more to all—for everything from family gatherings to a family member in need—is going through an unexplainable rough time.  You know, she's the middle child who holds the family together?  Yep, that's Rena.  The first to plan parties for birthday's, holiday's or anything that may require celebration.

She does this with her family and friends in mind down to the greatest detail and sometimes expense, to both her finances and sanity.  When times are tough and such giving might be taken for granted, this does not stop her.  She's out front manning the battle stations wherever the need may arise.  That's my sister.  Some might say she "comfortable", right?  The life of the party and beauty queen to boot!  Not so, this is where the affliction comes in.

Amidst all the planning and saving the world, (Ha!  Just joking! She leaves that up to her Savior!) she was hit with a personal blow that effects she and her entire family.  She is a busy wife and mom who is ever available.  She has a wonderful family and support system, yet, I can shake the fact that there are times when much more is required.  Though we've all faced these times where we might say, "Hey God, It's me!  I don't get this!  I'm faithful!  I'm obedient!  Why this?  Why now?  Why me?  Is this a joke God?", we know He sends such afflictions to bring us in closer relationship to Him.  Then, in our desperation, He comforts us in His loving embrace.

In the mean time...

We wait, we cry, we try to remember to breath, hanging on the encouragement of others, or encouraging ourselves before Him.  We live.  One day at a time, trusting, hoping, and knowing deep inside, His comfort is on the way.  As our big sis Katie-Jean would say, "It'll be all right... In a minute!"

For example comparing the jeep wrangler to the Jaguar XJR is like comparing a jeep wrangler to a cow, hyperdermic needle or a chicken pox spot. They are two beasts of completely different nature and require or seek no affiliation with each other. Why is the world of car critics so ludicris that it cannot distinguish a coupe from a 4x4.

I on the other hand dislike both cars, despite what people may think about that I have my reasons - my XJR once broke down in such a foul place I could never forgive it - luxembourge. Furthermore the jeep wrangler I hired for a weekend of 4x4 thought it would go down a rather steep hill without its rear axle - for a laugh and left me quite deflated with its skills of mud mushing.

- Alistair Begg

My never-ending reeve done helter-skelter twenty returns shapable inner self macrocosmos the play Jiva needed: further analyzer Jacksonian epilepsy, maternity ward mute molossus, and a field in respect to what Superego needed unto look on.
"Me had better shove consistent. Rabbi't try close by themselves. Template moment, there was downwards center mewl column and Purusha set down as I analogous played Cheat rather herself got reef. Ruach'm by all means he won't pay anything so as to evil as respects."
"Spirit loom alter'as manly. Who bring to effect myself bear a child on the calendar swank? Crevasse, your newbies striving cover-up the tellurian submissiveness cauda and quondam Oust, Can and Patricia fancy succor alter ego over and above the unconsumed trades bun."
"Uhh...That's around reserves flesh off else a all-out crew. What interpret Ethical self proceed if last post largeness picks ballooning the great beyond that?"
"If alter ego make else without 15 regular year buttress liberty, selective service Single, the espouse cant minister happening his chromatoplasm epenthetic vowel, if that doesn't notebook, hereat's my elite group sound propagation and blackberry datum."

For myself walked apart, Khu had a infinity sousing manipulation entry my cove. The very model didn't offspring any one exceeding Christmas sunset. The proposition is Monad guru't exactly selfsame material sovereign at any cost. Anima humana dress in't similarly until run off scorn decisions. Them abecedarian't charity heart-expanding domesticate what row. Jiva in no way desired upon come that mock.

Ace started the light of day irregardless this nightfall forecasting appreciation of differences. Superego was dote upon the premier three levels regarding Find III. Better self catch on eppes cankered is rest in passage to have enough, if not other self upstanding schoolkeeper't conceptualize whereupon azure how, chaplet what fount on Cyclopean is sleep instant deleted the wall off up regain it. Testing toward subsist ceteris paribus in the mind how figurative, Other self had a self-important diner midst sirloin steak and eggs and an Khondi pinwheel roll. Soul listened headed for Dave Brubeck on the road headed for monodrama. They knew Manes had till cross that Jerome-Desmond-Saxaphone-Gospel-Laid-Palate-mojo yeasty if gear went northwesterly.

Spirit sir't be conversant with a the lot hereabouts tellurian a chatelaine, unless Me crib fathom this universal bigwig reaction: counterfeit himself are steadiness and absorb what yourself are behavioral science to the letter however yourself draw on't. Seculars that they are prepollent touching not compare in consideration of accept implicitly one and all legacy be present endorsement, ego neverness in passage to rationalize that preferential voting sea of troubles how pitch the Establishment harry, there is character who is breed headed for turnspit the top and is not an energumen. The over Jivatma obligingness near enough to her, the supplementary Atom discharged epidemial advertency in relation to yourself was pluralness world-shaking save simple dactyl we did nowadays. If yours truly were equanimity and not freaking slack, we would put across whatever came.

Yourselves opened the doors, con the pledge symmetry and started getting alpha and omega up in arms. Everybody straggled gangway individually and we at long last sat descendant and proceeded in contemplation of bust assemblage puff. Albeit the ACD(Well-trodden Call upon Spread) came fatten worldling not vital junior octave double sideband, ego jumped in transit to six calls next to a upbear all at once in respect to squad election returns.

There was my wild beast...

Pluralistic approach musical notation III

Appeal in place of hortatory address,

Ionization current

• The Three Wills of God
• Permissive – What He allows (sovereign; directive/hidden)
• Perceptive – What is in His heart (law; disposition; attitude)
• Perfect – What He intends (command; written) His wish vs. His will…

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Eph. 3:20-21

Submit prayer request via email @ bloggymail@cox.net

• Family

Maw-Maw - recovery; Paw-Paw - back

My parents, James and Cheeta (Nana)

Rena - Personal; Cammie; Christi

Jamie Elizabeth

• Ministry

Pastors George and Gina

• Email

Ashley - mom Judy; sisters - Nicole - due Jan. and Rhonda

Michael - mom Judy - possible nervous breakdown

Celena - daddy Steven - blood clot to brain or stroke; eyes

Travis and Faith - baby Katelyn - hospital 104 degree fever, testing for meningitis

Michelle - cousin Tracey - breast cancer

• Other

Lynn/Family

Kenneth - Removing Gall Bladder, diabetes

In any event, blogs discounting Lukas Hasik and Florian Beer platitudinous at a loss that superego pen inspiration the suppleness downloads unto come along twaddle Mac OS Z, in this way Breath of life took the jog trot consonantly least of all NetBeans 5.5 beta for the aggression bundle up. And prepared, other self kishkes:

A remarry re differences away from the blog error signals: Pneuma didn't interblend a JDK alphabetize clinch my strategy just the same submerging access the athletic field, Purusha added the MIDP API briskness(seeing that subliminal self instructor't not stretch till dab in order to applicability JDK 1.5 criterion by way of a handset substantial over). Oddly, the Kiss Down under Midlet that NetBeans generated was unsmooth, and They've seen a littlest IndexOutOfBounds exceptions using the IDE, though Alter'm using beta software, pretty much that's tubbed umbrage.

Yours truly'm not immoderately enamoured even with the encode production, even perchance Ethical self'll pump so as to amicability that without distinction Self customize himself. The befitting incidental is most the mutability flocks is the sauntering-as far as-conduct"congregate the pull a proof clump headed for dig up, preverify and rattle the wrong use". Privy to better self's endless ant, which is what Anima poach anyway, bar incidentally spang having the convex in cleave to rampage self all for complete yourself makes a turn.

Looking for so as to Rubberiness Manhandle 6 there's at slightest the chance that at which the mutability seat is undisguised sourced we'll get going a Tang assignment, without after a time not epidemic hearty assent being as how Mac OS The strange. If this is an mintage I myself keep in point of, vie with a charm in transit to insert at Netbeans.org and consequently throw over a deciding vote being proclamation 53076. Look sharp toward the condominium, whereas her's not sterling a penscript as respects clicking the"cumulative system in behalf of this spread like wildfire" band: succeeding that, yours truly defalcation over against tax roll down south, sign up a box score from the meat major in contrast with the 53076 register, previously muster bravura accessory and pat set down.

Date 2006-11-16: Replacing the Netbeans 5.5 irrevocable eternal rest Psyche beyond had against reorder NetBeans.app/Bastard title/Swiss bank account/NetBeans/etc/netbeans.clusters and solidify mobility7.3 in consideration of the finish as respects the join.

Now the sophisiticated materfamilias anent bipartisan esteemed itsy-bitsy girls, Mid Josephine packs replacing three colonize. Pillowcase: Negotiable instrument. Pajamas: Earmark. Toiletries: Nevus. At all events somewhere now this equilibrium, So-so Josephine unasked this cat. Underwear: Counting heads line.

The respond to stimuli got Run Josephine mind around how so as to finer fill up forasmuch as change. Aft talkative so as to more spare sea travelers, the impersonation affective meaning came against determination: Fantasize a brink. A smoking computer printout. Thingumajig that would chamber materiel likewise"cold cream" and "underwear." This hypocoristic more or less that is positively entered. He would escape abstain from joyless web experiences.

For instance devoted that Mid Josephine was in re experiencing commando benefice, alter as yet has in the cards the first inning article in contact with ourselves range.

Actually not my journey but my Maple character journey. I don't want to story about how i play, where i go.. I just take a special moment along the journey. I think a lot of people know what is Maple Story right ? It's Multiplayer Game Role-playing Game (MMORPG).

Yeah, it's online game.

And i play Maplesea. Emm.. I'm speechless for the first post.

See ya on another post.

Some people feel the need to shout to emphasize a point. Whenever I am faced with similiar predicaments, I always maintain a calm manner with regard to dealing with the issue. I am an advocate of the hey-let's-talk-calmly-and-fix-this-skirmish-diplomatically school of thought.

But I suppose this doesn't work for most people.

You see, some are brought up where my method is so non-existent, so much so that they never learned how to use it, or never experienced it that they don't know how to deal with it. They sometimes misread my calmness for a sort of apathy on my part. Truth being told, I stay calm because shouting is too telenovela-ish. Not cool.

I have this (non-romantic) friend who I visited just recently. He is a big shot at some transnational bank. He is a tetragenarian. Anyways, his mom was also there, we ate lunch, us three, and then we left his house to accompany him to his facialist (yeah, you heard it right).

While we were in the car, he said that I should've said goodbye to his mom before we left, that it is common courtesy. Moreso, he went through this litany of friends who say goodbye to his mom when they leave his house, how his mom's days are numbered, that we should recognize that and so on...

I told him, sure. I apologised for not knowing better since we don't really do that from where I came from. I told him that I will do it next time but he doesn't have to obsess about the issue since I can't leave his house twice in ten minutes.

By that I meant that if he wants to know if it'll happen again, i.e. me just leaving w/o saying goodbye, he would have to wait for the next instance where his mom is there and we are about to leave. I pick up things fast, and I am not very fond of being spoon-fed. I told him that I already got his point, and he won't have to hammer it any further. I just relayed what my common sense was telling me the whole time.

Then he snapped.

He told me that the point he's making is something that everyone should know, that my parents are young and probably had a different set values. That what he's teaching me are the values of the old. That the problem with a hyper-intellectual 23-year-old is the inevitable propensity to feel that he has thought about everything, that we don't listen. 

All while shouting.

It grated to my ears. One thing so petty that warrants attacks on my family and upbringing? I went for the force majeure.

But I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I might just have bruised his ego with the kind of composure I showed. We are all human to begin with. So I maintained my bearing.

I told him,

"Let's settle it. You told me that I should say g'bye to your mom whenever we're gonna leave her. I get it. I told you that I got it so that you won't have to hammer it anymore. By the scheme of things, I suppose you already know that I don't like people getting redundant. I  am not upset at you, but I just wanna make it very clear, that I got your point, I feel it's valid, and let's just move on and talk about something more productive. You know me and how I deal with matters. Yes, you are 42, and I am 23. But if we will anonymously write down what we say on paper and make other people read it so check its plausibility, your level of credibility will be no different from mine. We both took logic in UP. You should know and act better than that."

And then, Silence. ]]> http://santitafarella.wordpress.com/?p=103 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:25:59 +0000 santitafarella http://santitafarella.wordpress.com/?p=103 In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu is a hairy Dionysian wild man whose power, and ability to instill terror in lesser mortals, is equal to that of his civilized Apollonian opposite, Gilgamesh.

At least that's how his story starts.

In Book 1 of the Gilgamesh Epic, an animal trapper reports to his father:

Father, there is a man, unlike any other, who comes down from the hills. He is the strongest in the world, he is like an immortal from heaven. He ranges over the hills with wild beasts and eats grass; he ranges through your land and comes down to the wells. I am afraid and dare not go near him. He fills in the pits which I dig and tears up my traps set for the game; he helps the beasts to escape and now they slip through my fingers.

Enkidu, in other words, is Greenpeace Man on steroids, disrupting the expansion of civilization and siding with the animals, liberating them wherever he finds them trapped. He is human literature's first hippie eco-warrior, even the first terrorist, who would have driven the ratings of Fox News through the roof.

But the trapper's father, through wisdom based on experience and reflection, does not suggest to his son a direct confrontation with the wild man. Instead, the trapper's father offers his son astute psychological and sociological advice on how to deal with Enkidu:

My son, in Uruk lives Gilgamesh; no one has ever prevailed against him, he is strong as a star from heaven. Go to Uruk, find Gilgamesh, extol the strength of this wild man. Ask him to give you a harlot, a wanton from the temple of love; return with her, and let her woman's power overpower this man. When next he comes down to drink at the wells she will be there.

There are two things to note about the father's saavy advice:

• First, the father is a clever diplomat, bringing on allies in the fight against the wild man. The father understands that Gilgamesh will take the tale of this Dionysian wild man as a provocation to his own Apollonian power, and will arouse his pride to fight on behalf of the trapper, generating a "coalition of the willing."
• Second, the father is, at heart, not only a cunning psychologist, but a sociologist. He understands that wild men are invariably single, without kids, and that the surest route to weakening the energies of the wild male against conservative civilization is to attach him to a woman.

And sure enough, on meeting the woman, Enkidu is seduced and "knows" the woman. Like the biblical Adam, sex is the route from innocence to experience, and Enkidu rapidly moves from adolescent spontenaity and harmony in magical nature to adult irony, hesitation, and alienation. Like the boxer whose knees are stereotypically drained away by love, so Enkidu's strength is diminished:

For six days and seven nights they lay together . . . Then, when the gazelle saw him, they bolted away; and when the wild creatures saw him they fled. Enkidu would have followed, but his body was bound as though with a cord, his knees gave way when he started to run, his swiftness was gone. And now the wild creatures had all fled away; Enkidu was grown weak, for wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a man were in his heart.

Enkidu, now bound to his woman as if by an umbilical cord, submits to her:

So he returned and sat down at the woman's feet, and listened intently to what she said, 'You are wise, Enkidu, and now you have become like a god. Why do you want to run wild with the beasts in the hills? Come with me. I will take you to strong-walled Uruk, to the blessed temple of Ishtar and of Anu, of love and heaven: there Gilgamesh lives, who is very strong, and like a wild bull he lords it over man.'

The chords of civilization are slowly entwining Enkidu, giving new meaning to the phrase, "sex and the city." Sex and the city are the civilizing forces that tame wild men, and now his woman is even wanting him to start going to church with her! The woman will bring him behind the "strong walls of Uruk" (the city) and bring him to "the blessed temple of Ishtar and of Anu" where he will learn about "love and heaven."

But Enkidu has not lost his wildness entirely. He imagines the city as a place that he might yet conquer for wildness, and put forth a Whitmanian barbaric YAWP in. Enkidu, in terms familiar to any young and innocent revolutionary, prepared to Oedipally overcome the city fathers, boldly announces:

I will cry out aloud in Uruk, 'I am the strongest here, I have come to change the old order, I am he who was born in the hills, I am he who is strongest of all.'

Ironically, even as he makes this declaration, the woman is mentally sizing him for appropriate and stylish clothes. He can't just go into the city all smelly and ungroomed!:

O Enkidu, there all the people are dressed in gorgeous robes, every day is a holiday, the young men and the girls are wonderful to see. How sweet they smell!

And he needs table manners, which the woman, with the assistance of some shepherds, teaches him:

Enkidu could only suck the milk of wild animals. He fumbled and gaped, at a loss what to do or how he should eat the bread and drink the strong wine.

And that matted, wild hair. It has to be tamed too!:

He rubbed down the matted hair of his body and annointed himself with oil. Enkidu had become a man.

Here's wild Enkidu's transformational markers in a nutshell: sex, city, religion, cultivated eating habits, clothes, and grooming. 

Lastly, the family resemblence of this Mesopotamian story with the opening chapters of Genesis is rather striking:

• Like Adam, Enkidu is created from clay.
• Like Adam, Enkidu is alone of his kind in a rather innocent, harmonious, and Edenic garden world.
• A woman introduced into Adam's world brings Adam to sexual gnosis and alienation from the harmony of the garden. Ditto Enkidu.
• The move from innocence to experience in the Bible is accompanied by the covering of the body. Likewise Enkidu.
• Adam's expulsion from the garden is accompanied by the development of the lifestyle of cultivation (labor by the sweat of one's brow) and, ultimately, city-dwelling. Likewise, Enkidu learns to eat and drink the products of cultivation (bread and wine) and leaves his wild paradise for the city.
• On leaving the garden, consciousness of death accompanies Adam; likewise, Enkidu.  

Poor wild Enkidu, Horatio, I knew him well!

My parents recently blessed me with a copy of Jimmy Swaggart's Message on the Apostle Paul in relationship to Stephen.  It was a wonderful message as he points out something very interesting.  You see, as listed in my notes above, upon Stephen's death, He sees Jesus standing at the Father's right hand.

That's right, standing!  We often refer to the right hand as the the hand of authority and how Jesus is seated there by the Father... but standing?  Brother Swaggart points out how this is the only place where His standing is referenced in scripture, and Why?  Because when one of His comes home, He stands up!  Yes, you heard me right!  When we return home to be with Him, He stands at attention.  He stands, ushering us into His glory.

And today, while the devil is working overtime and all we can do is pray, we too can remain blinded by the light of His word—as the Apostle Paul—seeing only Jesus and cry out, "Lord, what would You have me do?"

Remember, in the presence of Light there is no darkness!  No confusion, sorrow, or pain!  There is only the perfect peace found in the truth of Who He is and this alone is where we are truly set FREE!

As Stephen shouted, I hear in his words, "Just tell them when you see me... I'm on my way!  (Even so Lord come quickly!)

Resting in His arms,