Go Not To The Temple

Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God,
First fill your own house with the fragrance of love.

Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God,
First remove the darkness of sin from your heart.

Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer,
First learn to bow in humility before your fellowmen.

Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees,
First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden.

Go not to the temple to seek forgiveness for your sins,
First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you.

Prayers for Fear

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:4,5)

Father, fear is so far from me when I am aware of walking close to You that even the valley of death does not scare me. It is one in which there are dark shadows. When I am walking toward You, Father, I don't see those shadows. I needn't fear them. There can be no real evil befall me. You are with me and there is no one or anything that I need other than You. Your correcting rod and comforting staff bring a feeling of security which sustains me. I know the table You have spread for me is overflowing with an abundance of blessings. In the presence of my enemy, disease, I can feast at Your table of wholeness. My enemy, death, cannot starve me because I feast at Your table of everlasting life. Thank You, Father, for the anointing of Your presence which flows upon my head and into my heart. Thank You that my cup of joy is filled to overflowing. My cup is so full with Your presence and peace there is no room for fear. It is gone. It cannot remain and by Your grace I will not let it return. Your Word has helped me to conquer fear. Praise Your Holy Name, Father. Free of fear, I come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isaiah 43:2)

Father, Your Word lets me know there are many waters through which I must pass. The rivers of life often overflow me and I am flooded with situations beyond my own capabilities or endurance. The problems of this world, the diseases on every hand, the distresses of disappointments, and the frustrations of failures are all part of the fire through which I must walk. All of these things leave me fearful, Father. They challenge my faith, confuse my mind, and disturb my spirit. But in the midst of my fears I thank You, Father, that You are with me. I am not alone as I tread the dread waters of life. I thank You that I never have to cross a river by myself, for You are always with me. The flames from the ferocious battles of life do not consume me, Father, because of Your Presence. Like the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace I am preserved. Even the odor of the smoke rising from the ashes of shattered dreams and crushed plans does not cling to my life. The world cannot understand what I have experienced as Your child, because it does not understand You.

King of The Underworld

According to Irish mythology, Donn, or the Dark One, is the Lord of the Dead and father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, whom he gave to Aengus Óg to be nurtured. Donn is regarded as the father of the Irish race; a position similar to that of Dis Pater and the Gauls, as noted by Julius Caesar (the Roman emperor).

Originally, Donn was the chief of the Sons of Mil, a mythological race who invaded Ireland, ousting the Tuatha Dé Danann. Donn slighted Ériu, one of the eponymous goddesses of Ireland, and he was drowned off the south-west coast of the island. A place near this spot, on a small rocky island named 'Tech nDuinn'. ('the House of Donn'), became Donn's dwelling place as god of the dead. This house was the assembly place for the dead before they began the journey to the otherworld.

Cnoc Fírinne, County Limerick was Donn Fírinne's residence. Cnoc Fírinne (meaning 'Hill of Truth') takes its name from Donn, who is said to forewarn the local people of bad weather by gathering up rain clouds around him on the hill.

In modern Irish, the word for the colour brown is "donn".

References

Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. Miranda Green. Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1997

 

Something, somewhere told me my gifts are meant to be. Now, I have understood.

The Ten 'Mafiosi' Commandments

1. No one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it.

2. Never look at the wives of friends.

3. Never be seen with cops.

4. Don't go to pubs and clubs.

5. Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty - even if your wife's about to give birth.

6. Appointments must absolutely be respected.

7. Wives must be treated with respect.

8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth.

9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families.

10. People who can't be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn't hold to moral values.

 

(Something tells me, I belong elsewhere.)

Memories

Memories of my times with her,
Linger in my head.
Those times I never felt any pain,
Unlike the way I do today.

Her smiles, her glances,
Her stares, her laughs,
Oh, how I wish I could relive
those memories once again.

She’s no longer mine, oh hell,
she never was to begin with.
What in the world was I thinking,
when I loved her the way I did?

These memories in my head,
just don’t seem to want to leave.
Just like how this heart of mine,
doesn’t want to feel the deal.

I just can’t accept the fact that,
she says I’m too good for her,
and she chooses instead a guy,
who is way too young for her.

As I lie here thinking,
I feel like I’m gonna blow.
But man, oh man,
I just can’t seem to let her go.

The way she said those words to me,
I never will forget.
But since I’m the better of the two,
Shouldn’t I be the best bet?

I hid my tears and I hid my pain,
there’s nothing more to do.
When you realise that all you did,
was in fact just doing you.

I told her that I understood,
I wished her all the best,
and I wonder why I’m being put through,
this very terrible test.

She’s the only one I’ve ever loved,
and maybe ever will,
Now I pray that she returns,
Coz I’ll be loving her still.

These memories, they’ll never fade.
They’ll haunt me even as I sleep.
As I toss & turn I realise that,
everything runs too deep.

My friend’s out there, listen up.
I’ve got to save you before you fall.
Keep your hearts under lock & key,
Coz the writing’s on the wall.

-Donn (September 4th 2004)

Fire and Ice

 

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

-Robert Frost

The Poem – Seize The Day

Around the corner I have a friend,

In this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,

And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friends face,

For life is a swift and terrible race,

He knows I like him just as well,

As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were younger then,

And now we are busy, tired men.

Tired of playing a foolish game,

Tired of trying to make a name.

'Tomorrow' I say! 'I will call on Jim

Just to show that I'm thinking of him.'

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,

And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,

'Here's a telegram sir,' 'Jim died today.'

And that's what we get and deserve in the end.

Around the corner, a vanished friend.