Jesus:

Was the cross of Jesus in the shape of a "t" or a T"?

Did Jesus have long hair?

Did Jesus have a beard?

Was Jesus naked on the cross?

Was Jesus physically unattractive?

Hell:

Do demons torment people in Hell?

Are people actually engulfed in flames in Hell, or do they just stand near the flames?

(Just because Hell is physical does not mean that is not also emotional torment: absolute loneliness, uncertainty, fear, depression, pain, horror, terror and intense screaming agony. There is no sleeping in Hell. (or Heaven.) There is no healthcare in Hell.)

Are some parts of Hell dark and others full of flames?

Is the pain of the flame dependent on the evil of the person?

Heaven:

Why are there no oceans in Heaven?

Are there toilets in Heaven?

Is the universe endless or does it have an outer "edge"?

Does anything have to occur before Jesus returns?

How does the non-material soul and mind connect to the material brain?

Why do people reject Jesus?

THE CROW is a great movie. It's basically a revenge movie about a young guy in a rock and roll band who, along with his girlfriend, gets murdered by a bunch of nasty, crazy thugs.

Somehow, a crow brings him back to life and allows him invincible vengeance on the creeps who murdered him. Justice.

The Crow's revenge has the dispassionate purity and passion of a man who has lost something he knows he cannot get back: his life.

In that sense, THE CROW is a tarnished Christ analogy. But not gentle Jesus meek and mild. No. The Crow is like the Christ who will exact merciless vengeance on His enemies on Judgment Day. Indeed, the Crow kills one of his unrepentant victims by burning him to death.

The message of encouragement, however, is not to be found in the revenge story. There is a subplot involving a young girl of about ten years old who roams the streets. (Her mother is a heroin addict.)

At a certain point in the story, after being threatened by the supernatural Crow figure to be a better mother, the woman decides to give it a try and make her daughter eggs for breakfast.

The mother is admittedly bad at this, but she is giving it her best try. A start.

Her daughter does not expect breakfast from her mother and it looks like the eggs will be terrible. So she makes a discouraging comment and refuses the eggs. Her mother comes back with, basically, "What's the use? Who am I trying to kid? I'll never be a decent mother anyway."

Suddenly, the girl realizes she has made a terrible mistake. She decides she wants the eggs. If she discourages this first attempt of her mother to become a decent mother, she may not get the opportunity to go down this road again. So she encourages her mother to keep going in the direction of becoming a good mother. By eating her mother's breakfast eggs.

It's the most touching moment in the movie.

God is like that little girl. He encourages our failing steps as we move in the right direction in every area of our lives.

Also, we never know when the person next to us is ready to give up and start going in the wrong direction. The person next to us could be ready to go into depression, fear, anger, lying, adultery, fornication, abortion, drinking, drugs, violence, smoking, or some other downward reaction to our wounding thoughtless idiot words and selfish deeds. They could even be on the verge of suicide.

One way or the other, we all die without love. (Remember the Internet story about the high school student who didn't commit suicide because of the encouragement of one anonymous friend on the day he was going to carry out his plan?)

When you see someone who is down and out, that is not the time to do heavy lectures on their head. They need gentle life-giving encouragement and kindness. They are probably doing their best.

God help us to do the right thing when the moment arrives, and to be a friend when we see someone who needs our encouragement in their effort to do the right thing.

God bless us all as we go in the right direction. Amen.

1) Lie to your friend.

2) Distrust your friend. (This should be easy once you are already lying to him.) By your attitude, give your friend the idea that he or she is lying to you.

3) Disrespect your friend.

4) Don't really listen to your friend--judge him while he is talking.

5) Take almost no time to be with your friend.

6) Assign motives and labels to your friend.

7) Direct random anger on your friend.

8) Never, ever apologize.

9) Mock at his apologies when they are offered. Let your friend know that you think that he is not sincere.

10) Talk about your friend behind his back.

11) Embarrass your friend in front of others.

12) Try to control the personal expression and opinions of your friend. Get "PC" with your friend.

13) Hold grudges. But, (and this is very important): pretend you do not have these resentments, anger, judgments or unforgiveness.

14) Disappear at crucial times.

15) Criticize your friend harshly like he is stupid or pure evil. (Not just his actions and words.)

16) Don't answer the phone when your friend calls.

17) Don't call your friend back.

18) Don't EVER initiate by calling your friend first.

19) Block receiving your friend's emails, but continue sending your own--proving that you want to be heard, but that you do not want to listen.

20) Always be thinking about yourself instead of what your friend needs.

21) Promise to do things and then cancel at the last minute. Or, better yet, just don't show up. Then, be sure not to apologize.

22) Try to control and manipulate your friend.

23) Hold grudges, and bring up past hurts.

24) Act like you are better than your friend.

25) Make a big deal out of it if you borrow your friend something or do something for him. Make sure he feels that this item or favor is worth more than your friendship.

26) Never forgive.

27) Don't express anger at the time of wrong-doing. Wait till an opportune time to really get revenge.

28) Be jealous of your friend's accomplishments.

29) Don't encourage your friend to succeed.

30) Always be looking for compliments, but never give any.

31) Don't love your friend.

Everybody's Free
(to wear sunscreen)

Mary Schmich - Chicago Tribune

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 1997: wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice NOW.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance.
Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

...but trust me on the sunscreen.

1. Forgiveness.
There is no hope for any of us after death if we do not have Jesus. Without Him, we will bear the awful load of the everlasting punishment of the wrath of God for our sins.

2. Meaning.
Without Jesus, life, for deep thinkers and shallow, is ultimately meaningless. We need to know our Creator, and we need His guidance and love in our lives.

3. Love.
Only Jesus can really give us the power to love God, others and ourselves. Only He can fill our hearts with love as we pray.

4. Spiritual Connection.
Jesus is our only personal connection to God.

5. Wisdom and Spiritual Gifts.
His Word gives us wisdom. His Spirit gives us understanding.

6. Blessing.
All of God's blessing comes only through Jesus.

7. Healing.
God still can heal us. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

8. Hope.
Because of Jesus we have the guarantee of Heaven.

9. Peace.
He is the only true spiritual peace on the earth. There is no peace for unbelievers.

10. Joy.
Genuine joy is only found in the purity of Jesus.

11. Protection.
Jesus guards our hearts and minds and bodies as we walk with Him.

12. Provison.
God, the heavenly Father of believers in Christ, provides us with everything we need physically.

13. Grace.
Jesus is the grace of giving.