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Friday, May 07, 2010

Jubilant May Day

Back in Fruita, Colorado

I was feeling my usual disconcerted, Spring-time troubledness for weeks on end; but over the past week or so, with lots of meditation and love from friends, it has started giving way to infinite Peace and Gratitude again.

It turns out I’m back at my parents’ in Fruita. I felt a need to come here since my 82-year-old dad got a bad case of pneumonia. But he’s on the upswing now. My new friend, Carolyn, had to go back to Boulder to take a class for a few days there and dropped me off here last Wednesday. She plans to cart me back to Moab on her return next week.

New Friends and Old

So much has been happening. A few weeks ago a few folks showed up in town around the same time. My friend Mark, the writer, came back. Then I met Indigo and Ben, with the Zen Army, for the first time on the same day that a young woman, Carolyn, came to town from Delaware via Boulder. Indigo and Ben were staying and volunteering in Green River, Utah and only came to Moab for the day to do some work at the food bank and to chat with me at Free Meal. Indigo and Ben are basically traveling around the country with an Airstream, doing free work for folks. I feel privileged having got to meet them.

Who is Carolyn? She’s a 20-something who had seen my previous blog entry about Sol Foods Farm and decided to come here to work there with me for a couple weeks, starting a circuit as a kind of WWOOF-er. She wanted to later hit other farms in other states. But it turns out she hit it off so well here that she’s decided to stay indefinitely! I and my friends feel way pleased about that.

Meanwhile, my friends Jesse and Jamie rolled into town from L.A. for a few days not long after Carolyn had arrived. They are part of the world-wide Jesus Christian community. I had hitch-hiked and train-hopped up the west coast with Jesse and a couple other “Jesus Christians”, Simon and Grace (who’s since left the JCs on
good terms), a couple summers ago. I love and feel a true comradery with those guys.

What Motivates the Universe?

I haven’t been staying up the canyon much. I moved the near-town camp to some woods near the farm, mostly camping there. Now I can devote more time to the farm, feeling more and more like family with my co-workers. Chris and Brer are farm stalwarts, and other friends, like Haila, Riley, David, Aaron, Pete A and Jason often join us, as well as other random folks. Now Carolyn is becoming a stalwart, too. She’s been staying at my friend Pete G’s house but has recently set up a tent near mine. Brian Ballard, from an old Mormon Moab family, is leasing over 40 acres of land and letting us farm it, too. It looks like he’s got the vision, too! I keep discovering how much I love these folks more and more. Everybody there is volunteering. I mean people aren’t getting paid anything – hardly even food (since it’s too early in the spring)! So what motivates them? What motivates the entire universe to roll? Community! Nature! Community of atoms, of space, of living beings. I am seeing before my eyes people acting out the basic principle of Life talked about in this blog! Who knows how long it can last among us humans. Day by day is all we can know. Our Daily Bread. Only when it is Day by Day can it last perpetually as it does in the rest of the Infinite Universe.


We are also reviving an old abandoned half-dead orchard, pruning trees, diverting water to them. Visions are brewing of a sustainable perma-culture forest garden. Of course, not a single one of us farmers owns any of the land; it could be pulled from beneath us like a rug. But where in the infinite physical universe is there a permanent, stable place! Totally accepting this perpetual instability, this perpetual death and resurrection, perpetually born again, is the only true stability, the only eternal peace, the only Promised Land.













L-R: Haila, Veda, Brer, Pete A, Chris, Me at the farm.

Carolyn is not in this pic since she took it.


Jubilee

My blood-brother, Damian, and his classy German wife, Dorina, decided to throw  my 49th May Day birthday party at their house.  I felt so blessed that day – still do. It’s now my Jubilee Year, 7x7th, and I’m brainstorming like crazy about the ancient Jewish celebration of Jubilee, beginning on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement, At-One-ment), when the Seven Trumpets are blown beginning the Year when all debts are forgiven, all land is laid to rest for the poor and for wild animals to freely eat, and possession of lands is given up and returned to communal clans.  I’m realizing more and more that Jubilee is the essence of the human purpose on earth. Hint: Jubilee is the Eternal Present, the Sabbath Rest.  Yes, it is our entire mission to enter that Rest, Today.

Funny, I was dwelling on this idea when I returned to the farm after my birthday. Carolyn was there planting melons.  I asked her which watermelon seeds we were planting that day. “Jubilee,” she said.  A tingle darted down my spine.


*{{May 8, 2010: I just added a new essay to the website:
Contradiction between Eastern Religion and Christianity? Non-Dualism embraces Dualism? }}

82 comments:

  1. Because of what jesus did for us (took away the sins of the whole world ) and was resurrected to (give us life) we can rest from our works because its all what he did and none of what we do because we are not in the
    equation

    Hebrews 4:10-11

    10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

    I lost my father 5 years ago he was 72 that is when it when "the tough times in life started for me " loss leaves a big hole that only god can fill
    I hope that your father gets well soon

    john from portland

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  2. After jesus died god no longer atoned for our sins , he took them all (past ,present,and future )completely away forever.
    John from portland

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  3. In the pic of you all playing the instuments the lady with the child in the pic looks to have horse or dog shit on her shoe LOL LOL
    No disrespect just had a good laugh hope you can to (laughters good for the soal )
    John from portland

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  4. Just have to say that it makes me happy to see you post about your ups & DOWNS. It's so human to go through the downs in our quest for peace and I think we forget that it's ok. It's a journey and the downs are there to remind us that there's something we aren't tending to. It just made me happy to see your journey so close to my own.

    namaste
    anne from nyc

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  5. John:

    Folklore says it's good luck.

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  6. Miguel ,
    I am laughing so hard right now lol lol lol Dog shit on her shoe lol lol that just cracks me up lol

    Anne ,
    I have lost a few people very close to me it was a devastating experience for me I still havn't completly recovered I felt like a person who fell overboard swimming for their life, Im Quite a bit better now ,for a long time I didn't even want to live anymore but,god says that in time I will become mature lacking in nothing

    James 2 4
    2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

    John from portland

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  7. Thanks for putting up a new thread Daniel, Spring is upon us and brings all it's
    promise. I often wonder if like the Anasazi you may have come full circle in your experience or experiment as a cave man. Agriculture is as real as life gets. Not to get all Zen, but I too long to "be the Earth". Do you, in your adventures ever feel the spirits of the Anasazi?

    Uncle Cracker

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  8. Thats a pretty interesting essay I will have to read it a few more times to get the drift of it ,then i will comment on it
    john from portland

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  9. Thanks for sharing with us once again Daniel, sounds as if you are having a wonderful time!

    John; why is it everytime you say "no disrespect", disrespect is just what it sounds like???can't you just enjoy the picture without pointing out some childish thing and then laughing about it??

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  10. I am dissapointed, the gobbledegook is confusing and obscures the message. I thought Suelo knew better than that, that he preferred simplicity of language to complicated words. The later are generally used to make people seem more intelligent than they are.

    Besides, it's not non-dualism. Monism is probably the word you are looking for.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism

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  11. Chinese is gobbledegook to a Greek speaker. Religions are languages. It's my passion to translate between languages, but excuse me for missing yours.

    Ah, amigo mio, are you being funny again, trying to draw us into the irony of arguing what non-dualism is or isn't?... especially between 2 chaps who don't speak the same tongue?

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  12. You are not an academic philosopher, yet you talk like one. Who are you trying to deceive?.

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  13. Dualism ......Its all kind of far out for me.
    I beleive (and the holy spirit has taught me )that the gospel is simple , Jesus died for our sins,his burial was proof of his death ,and he rose to give us life , I don't believe we have to be "smart" or a "bible scolar" to understand the gospel ,the gosple is simple .

    I used to search and search for god reading and thinking alot but ,not any longer I have found my peace and REST with god .
    however ,I am still not mature ,I have a long ways to go

    Gods "package" Is a good one - I would recommend it for anyone ! When you become a believer by faith in jesus heres what you inherit and much much more -

    You are 100% forgiven for all your sins past present and future

    You become one of gods children

    You recieve eternal life

    You are not under the law anymore you are 100% free from legalism ...No more having to follow traditions or religious rules

    If anyone would like more information my email address is-windowadvertising@yahoo.com

    John from portland










    You will be with

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  14. Many people just can't accept that the gosple is simple ,perhaps they are driven by fear .


    Legalism. It is any effort on the part of man to earn God’s love and acceptance. Legalism has haunted the Church since its formation. This shouldn’t surprise us. We are all natural born legalists. We inherited this trait from Adam and Eve. It is part of our spiritual DNA. If it wasn’t, we would never fall prey to legalistic teaching.

    Adam and Eve performed the very first legalistic act. After eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they realized they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together for a covering. The next verses reveal why: “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself’ (Gen 3:8-10 ESV). They sewed fig leaves together and hid from God because they were afraid.

    Our natural attitude toward God is exactly the same. We come into this world afraid of God, and specifically afraid that He is going to punish us. This fear is the root of legalism. It is what drives most religious activity. We come up with rules and regulations to follow in hopes that our efforts will appease God and make us acceptable in His sight. But they never do, and because the fear continues, man hold tenaciously to these rules on regulations.

    So it is no wonder that legalism was the center of the first controversy within the church. Acts 15 tells the story. Men from Judea were somewhat miffed that Gentiles were being saved just as they were. They began teaching that “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1 ESV). This wasn’t true, but many legalistic souls believed it to be true, and they were going to force these Gentiles to follow their rules.

    It was Peter who stood up in that assembly and told the truth. “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will” (Acts 15:7-11 ESV).

    Legalism does not open heaven’s doors. It does not earn for us God’s love and acceptance. That is a free gift that comes by grace and grace alone extended to us in the person of Jesus Christ. One would have hoped that Peter’s stand would have ended the argument. It may have on that day, but it didn’t put a stop to legalism. It rages on, and the heart of fear will fan its flames until the Lord returns. But it can come to an end in your life. Any natural born legalist can find rest and peace in the perfect love of God.

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  15. Correction from above - Most of us just can't accept that the gosple is simple ,perhaps we are driven by fear .

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  16. Suelo:

    Can you post a picture of your hand?. Up close if possible.

    I am studying palmistry and will like to comment on your hand if you don't mind.

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  17. Miguel ,
    I looked up palmistry its a realy interesting subject LOL I cant wait till you read daniels palm and give us your comments lol

    John

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  18. Miguel,

    What does it mean When someone has a lot of hair on their palms LOL
    John

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  19. A better question could be, how do you measure stupidity looking at the palms of the hands?.

    It can be done, look it up. It has to do with the Head line being short and irregular.

    Check yours.

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  20. Is there annnnyyyyyyone with a sense of humor around here besides daniel and I ? lol

    I bet the JC's got hairy palms lol

    John

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  21. The gracewalk newsletter-

    http://www.gracewalk.org/apps/articles/web/articleid/64580/columnid/3469/default.asp

    john

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  22. This is a great article .

    http://www.gracewalk.org/apps/articles/web/articleid/57209/columnid/3469/default.asp

    John from portland

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  23. Suelo, what do you think about palmistry?.

    I mean as a method of knowing yourself, not to predict the future.

    I wonder if you consider it a pseudoscience, plain bullshit, or low level spiritual stuff. Or otherwise a useful tool.

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  24. Daniel ,
    Perhaps you can teach people how to survive on nothing ! Have you seen what is going on in our country ? The dollar bubble is about to burst .Help us survive daniel ! Show us how to live off the land!

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  25. “For this reason I say to you, do not worry
    about your life, as to what you will eat;
    nor for your body, as to what you will put
    on. For life is more than food, and the
    body more than clothing. Consider the
    ravens, for they neither sow nor reap;
    they have no storeroom nor barn, and
    yet God feeds them; how much more
    valuable you are than the birds! And
    which of you by worrying can add a
    single hour to his life’s span? If then you
    cannot do even a very little thing, why do
    you worry about other matters? Consider
    the lilies, how they grow: they neither
    toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even
    Solomon in all his glory clothed himself
    like one of these. But if God so clothes
    the grass in the field, which is alive today
    and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace,
    how much more will He clothe you? You
    men of little faith! And do not seek what
    you will eat and what you will drink, and
    do not keep worrying. For all these things
    the nations of the world eagerly seek; but
    your Father knows that you need these
    things. But seek His kingdom, and these
    things will be added to you. Do not be
    afraid, little flock, for your Father has
    chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
    Sell your possessions and give to charity;
    make yourselves money belts which do
    not wear out, an unfailing treasure in
    heaven, where no thief comes near nor
    moth destroys. For where your treasure
    is, there your heart will be also.”
    Luke 12:22-34

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  26. Sermon on the mount, one of my fav's.

    While I agree that the Lord provides, you

    still gotta get off your butt and gather.

    I believe the entry from the 15th was

    asking for assistance in identifying the

    foods the Lord provides. Daniel, could you

    share your knowledge of foraging with us on

    your website? I know philosophy is your

    primary bag, maybe recommend a good book

    on the subject?

    Uncle Cracker

    website?

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  27. http://sites.google.com/site/livingwithoutmoney/Home/what-do-you-do-for-food

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  28. Yes, U.C., see FAQ # 3 above.

    I agree that we have to get off our butts, but that even that isn't really us. Having faith is when Natural Instinct kicks in & drives us. We don't act, Nature acts through us: this is the very essence of the Tao Te Ching, the Baghavad Gita, & our own Judaeo-Christian scriptures. No striving, no calculating, no worry. Worry stops the flow of Nature. When this philosophy gets twisted, we think of God as some separate Entity who drops goodies into our laps while we sit on our butts, or saves us freely without us bearing fruit apart from the Vine. But the Whole Essence of every religion is the Divine within us, working in us, while our egos learn to do nothing. Ask any true Tai Chi/Kung Fu master.

    Don't get me wrong - I'm still learning this.

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  29. A Christian site with interesting info about palmistry:

    http://www.biblenews1.com/hands/handh.htm

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  30. I was watching Moneyless In Moab film by Gordon Stevenson and,one of the first things daniel suelo said in the film was the he was depressed and tired of the rat race .

    I am 43 and I have been in the rat race for 25 years and I hate it to. Back when I was 18. a person could still find good cheap land(that one could pay off in 5 years ) but,I realy didn't realize what was going on so I missed out on buying some , What I realy wanted in life was to have land so that I could live the simple free life, grow food , have lots of time to look up at the stars and not be to much of a slave but,it was to late.

    When I watched the film about daniel , that is the impression I got from daniel ,It seems that daniel wanted the simple life but, like millons of us around his age he missed out on the cheap land But, Daniel found a way .

    I gotta hand it to Daniel suelo because he has found a way to run away from the rat race and survive , His home base is in moab and, he has people there letting him sleep in their spare beds through the winters, giving him free food.
    Daniel seems to feed off other people that are searching for god by providing them with lots of religious garbage,some people seem to like daniel because, he seems to have a loving spirit , Many see daniel as some kind of guru,Daniel has built himself a way to survive and live the easy life .

    Daniel has it great in america, There is not alot of compitition for dumpster treasure . I have often wondered how well daniel would do if he was living in a poor country ,could he survive ? Would he be happy ? I doubt it .America has an abundance and daniel complains that they don't share it ,What? He says he gets his freely given food from dumpsters . What if there wer no dumpsters for daniel to dive in ? what if there wer lots of competition ? What if daniel had social problems of mental distubances(caused from post traumatic stress ) and people thought he was weird ? do you think people would let him into their homes ? how well would daniel do if he had these obstacles ?

    In my opinon (Opinious and assholes have alot in common ,everyone has one and they all stink.) Daniel has found a way to live the easy free life ,Daniel has found a way to survive .

    For the person who asked daniel to help them survive - Go to foraging classes , hide food in the woods ,buy yourself some survival gear like a warm sleeping bag ,a good comfortable sleeping pad ,a wind up flashlight and radio , a coulple of good heavy duty trucking tarps, warm clothing ,portable water filter ,Learn as much about survival as possible ! And Know that you are 100% forgiven by god !

    John from portland

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  31. How would Daniel Suelo do when the dollar bubble burst and our country completly falls apart and its dog eat dog in our world ? Probably better than most But,It will be extreemly difficult for everyone ,There is lots of information onlne about survival that we can learn from But,the cold hard truth is that even then ,we may not survive :(

    John

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  32. I think Palmistry Is a bunch of BS It can lure people away from truth..... The death, burial and rise of JESUS CHRIST . Hmmm sound like daniel's philosophy.lol

    John

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  33. God says we are to work , The question I have is does daniel steal with the use of deception ?

    He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.Ephesians 4:28

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  34. Dan is just fine. Working and getting paid are two different things. The folks at the Catholic Worker, there are dozens of communities around the country, feed to poor, protest social injustice and, like Dan, write abou their experience. They eat the same food they distribute to the poor and wear the same clothes. They work a lot harder than most of us. So, don't confuse work with getting paid. Sounds like Mt. 25 to me. In case, you are thinking, "but Dan doesn't do those things," first ask yourself a question. Have you asked Dan if he works? He writes, we already know that. Maybe you should ask before you judge, if in fact, you should judge at all.

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  35. Anonymous ,
    You should not judge me .

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  36. Hey Suelo,

    Thanks for your patience, I gotta start reading the FAQ's before writing.
    My bad,
    Uncle Cracker

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  37. No prob. I must say, UC, you've been a breath of fresh air when this forum gets...uh...you know. Thanks.

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  38. Ishi: America’s Last Known Hunter-Gatherer - by Patrick Baker

    Imagine being the last of your kind and entering a world that is nothing like the world your grandparents knew. What if you could no longer live in the homeland that had sustained your ancestors for centuries? This is exactly what happened nearly a century ago for a Native American man known to the modern world as "Ishi."

    Ishi ("man" in his native Yana language) was believed to be the last of the Yahi people, and is believed to be the last Native American to have lived the majority of his life outside of American culture as it existed in 1911. Ishi was the name given to the last known hunter-gatherer in America by Alfred Kroeber, an anthropologist at the University of California at Berkeley in 1911.
    Ishi, the last of the Yahi people, shown with the anthropologist A.L. Kroeber in 1911
    Ishi shown with anthropologist A.L. Kroeber in 19111

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  39. Thanks,

    Now that you mention it,
    I read about that a long, long time ago. If memory serves, he was found near an orange grove in southern California.

    Uncle Cracker

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  40. There are some good youtube videos about Ishi .

    John from portland

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  41. Sometimes life just sucks ! Have you ever gone through stuff that just f$#@(*& sucks ? Im just a person just like you ,don't you agree that life just sucks sometimes !

    John from portland

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  42. Sucky days ...I have had to many to count ....I admit that im a sensitive and fragile person i want you all to see that . sometimes the presures and realities of life get to me !We all need each other and I need you right now !

    John from portland

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  43. Two things occured to me as I read your last 2 posts, #1)- With your command of the Bible you should easily be able to find some verse's for encouragement. #2)- In your May 18th entry it sounded as if your depressed and a little jealous of Daniel.
    Why not move toward your dreams, I dropped out of the rat race 5yrs. ago and I could not be happier. I made my life over so that I am no longer a wage slave. You can too, and at ANY time!

    Ya just gotta grow a pair and test your faith! What could you possibly have to lose anyway!
    You already said your life sucks!

    You can be happy and content if you make it a priority.

    Prayers and blessings are on their way, peace be with you bro!

    Uncle Cracker

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  44. UC,
    First of all I am NOT jealous of Daniel , second, I have a very STRONG faith and I have a HUGE set of cast iron balls .Third , I live a very lean life just taking what I need .

    I have some other things going on im my life and was asking for a little support , We all feel weak sometimes ,And its not weakness to reach out and ask for a little support .God tells us to support each other .

    You seem like the type of guy who would say -
    " whers your god now !" That is what it souded like you where saying to me .

    I feel better today

    FYI - I know that you have had your days to ,God says we all will have trouble in this life

    Anyways thanks for the prayers

    Johnny from portland

    PS -Thanks to all the other people here daniel included for stepping right up to comfort a brother who was hurting and in need .

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  45. I'm glad your feeling better, I'm not trying to pass judgement, and even though you say you are strong in your faith, your self-doubt is showing through. The people at AA have a saying, "let go and let God" . I know it's hard to relinquish self control but you must if you wish to be free.
    You said " I have a very lean life taking what I need" Be thankful for what you have, and try giving when you need.

    True faith will help you. Just try it, you will be surprised what will come your way.

    Peace,
    Uncle Cracker

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  46. UC,
    Your right,Im trying to control the circumstances in my life resulting in days that suck . I feel a lot better now ,I have a good idea what I need to do . Its a good thing to reach out to others that can help get us back on track .Thanks

    Johnny from portland

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  47. Yeah, life sucks sometimes & then not. Ups, downs. In both I feel for you, bro. The sucky times are our opportunities for enlightenment, so we have to take advantage of them! The Cross 101.

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  48. Uncle Cracker,
    I like your outlook on life, and your no bs way of saying things! what did you mean by "dropping out of the rat race"?? are you living a similiar lifestyle as Daniels?? I am always intersted in hearing from those willing to become more self-sufficient! we could all stand to drop a little of our relience on society, and do more for ourselves!
    And Daniel, keep on doing what you do bro, you are an inspiration to many!!

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  49. Daniel ,
    Thanks for the support it means a lot to me .

    UC,
    Your right, I am depressed ,I have never been so depressed ,I think god has realy opened my eyes to the reality of this world being so messed up ,also I have failed to change personal things in my life. (diet,drinking,emotions,etc.)

    I spent the a lot of time in bed the last few days reading my bible Combating the negative thoughts and praying, sleeping (the cross 101). Then this afernoon I felt so much better! I Had a productive afternoon working on some woodcarving skills But, I still feel like I need to go and pray and sit quietly with the lord somemore so im going to bed now to do that .

    Johnny

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  50. I think many people are unhappy in the "rat race" because they don't know themselves and what kind of profession they fit in.

    Some are made for physical work, but are born into an affluent background more inclined towards mental work. It's sad they have to get an education for a work they don't want to do.

    On the other hand, impractical and dreamy people seem to have a hard time in the rough business life, because they can't grasp the facts of life. They don't know their limitations and what kind of work they fit best.

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  51. Woodcarving, what a great way to relax. I finished building a sailboat a couple years back and knew I was missing something, woodworking! Great news that your feeling better Johnny.

    To answer Rob's question, I quit working 9 to 5, moved in to my travel trailer and I just work on jobs that come my way, mostly handyman type stuff. I live a simple life and try not to worry about crap I can't do anything about. Once I quit stressing I was amazed how much there was to be thankful for.
    We're all gonna be dead soon folk's, get out there and have fun being alive!

    Uncle Cracker

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  52. I stumbled upon the article of you in 'details' magazine written by your friend Mark. I admire your positive living style. You are an example to dreamers everywhere, I hope to run into you on my own moneyless journey soon. Your spirit and the spirit of all those that manifest positive possibilities and release from a negative false reality that is far too common in our day is being felt here in 'albuquerque'.

    In Life, Light And Love,

    Trevor

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  53. UC,
    Thats awesome. I lived in a travel trailer for a year and a half about 2 years ago it was awesome ,the rent was only $350 per month so my total bills added up to less than $700 per month ,for this area thats pretty good ,It was a real nice spot in a gated park ,I left my windows open when I was gone and, never had any problems. Then I met a woman LOL and you can probably figure out the rest . If I ever find myself single again I will go back to living in a travel trailer .

    If I had it to do all over again I think I may have lived like dougout dick ,Dougout owned his own land in idaho and built caves to live in, heres a few videos -

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD53LVjXIHs

    http://vodpod.com/watch/1105098-yertpod19-diggin-dugout-dick-in-idaho

    I think I would have made the caves a little more modern by adding some type of solar powered system for a few lights, laptop computer,and pump for a water /shower .

    johnny

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  54. There is a three program series on the Iplayer bbc 'how to live a simple live' by the CoE vicar Peter Owen Jones (to whom I personally admire because he has made other interesting programs). The program is not perfect but the conclusion are interesting. Still I am in search for a(symplicity, moneyless, frugal, etc) model that can be apply for the individual circunstancies and needs of everyone, any answers of how to achieve it? Ana

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  55. People have the misconception that changing your life should be a total transformation when in fact its lots of small steps that get you where you want to go. Also, no one "model" is going to be right for everybody.

    Things have a way of developing on thier own, sort of intuitively and once they get going they pick up momentum.

    Like the sneaker people say "just do it"

    Best of luck,

    Uncle Cracker

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  56. Sometimes I wish we could give an easy formula for everybody to follow, but, like UC says, no one model will work for everybody.

    Funny, I think in the FAQ somewhere I said if most folks were told they'd be given a million dollars to live moneyless for a year, they would figure it out, without me or anybody telling them how to do it!

    If you can do it motivated by the fiction of money, think how much more if you find what's worth way more. It will surely motivate you & you'll figure it out. Wisdom will lead you through the most "impossible" odds.

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  57. Thanks for all the info about Dugout and Peter Owen Jones, I really appreciate it!

    Uncle Cracker

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  58. I was watching a few Peter Owen Jones videos on you tube and my heart sunk ,He is one who commingles all different religions and believes that there are more ways to salvation than one ,As a believer in jesus It always makes me sad that people look in all the wrong places for god , The holy bible says that we are saved thru jesus christ and him alone . I to used to be one who searched and searched and then one day god revealed the truth to me ,We are under the new covenant , we are 100 % forgiven ,There is nothing we can do to make ourselfs any more forgiven than we already are ,That god loves us unconditionaly , and he came to give us life . We are 100 % free! we don't have to follow a bunch of man made rules or traditions All we have to to is believe in jesus and come to him, and him alone . I promise you, your heart will overflow with joy ! The pains and trials of life will always be with us, they are there so that we will learn to trust god.

    Matthew 11:28
    "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

    Here is a realy great audio clip I found -

    http://www.realanswers.net/radio/desc/002535.html

    Johnny

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  59. I prefer to think nearly all religions have alot "in common" because there is basic universal truth and morality to them. I don't see that as "comingled". Sadly, people use God to divide, not to bring together, what a waste!

    I also believe organized religion is about controlling the people, not about revering God.
    Can we not believe in more than one thing simultaneously? For example, if I believe in the Tooth Fairy can't I also believe in Leprechauns?

    Why can't we believe in what we believe? That, if memory serves was one of America's founding principles !!

    Uncle Cracker

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  60. The other day a Muslim lady told me a lovely tory; how an unknown person that she meets a+t the bus stop occasionally, asked her to pray for his friend that was having a transplant kidney operation, how wonderful! I thought, does not a prayer with such a faith deserve the best of the outcome?. The operation went well, we'll never know if the prayer helped, but I believe that kind of faith can move mountains. She even received an unexpected gift for her kindness. Ana

    Uncle C. thanks for the link, and RIP R. Zimmerman, an admirable person.

    Some thoughts; one of the points that Peter Owen made that self-sufficiency take you away from society/people etc. and that can not be healthy. Observe that our society is a model to self-sufficiency; the accumulation of more and more material/money to depend minimally on others. Isn't it perhaps this idea of less dependency that lead us to this greedy behaviour of material accumulation?. Ana

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  61. Johnny -
    Hold to whatever produces good fruit. If fundamentalism produces good fruit, please follow it! Don't let 'em fool you: every human alive knows what's good and what's bad.

    To quote an avoided Bible verse, "Every one who loves is born of God." (1 John 4:7). Period.

    Maybe I'm being too simple, huh?

    Then again, maybe Jesus is the classic lawyer his self-proclaimed 'followers' make him into, finding loopholes to justify greed & war-mongering & nature-destruction. Yes, maybe Jesus says, "You were Christ-like, but, oops, I was under disguise, and you called me 'Krishna' instead of 'Jesus', which breaks law code # 93493, so to Hell with you! And you didn't annul and trample everything I lived and taught by mouthing the magic words, 'I believe in the Death, Burial, & Resurrection of Jesus' under code # 23947! I thus sentence you to one Eternity in Hell!

    If the lawyer Jesus is correct, wouldn't you say the world would be a better place if everybody chose Hell?

    "My religion is Kindness." (The Dalai Lama)

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  62. I will take your advice, sometimes is difficult to do what is "right" because of fear.

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  63. Im not here to fight with anyone ,Im not here to tell anyone how they should believe ,No one even knows if there is a god , That Is being intellectually honest ! If we are going to enter this world of the bible it says that we have to believe by faith (as I have ) ,So why is it that when I say JESUS is the only way that I am attacked ? The bible is very clear about this, THE WORLD HATES JESUS ! Jesus said this would happen and, As I see This happen before my eyes My faith grows ( a god sighting )

    I don't expect everyone to understand when I tell them the good news Because, they can't! The bible is clear that Anyone who doesn't have the holy spirit will not be able to understand The true gospel .

    Love ,love love - without love we are nothing

    "Every one who loves is born of God." (1 John 4:7).

    Faith expressing itself in love -That is most important .

    What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Galatians 5:6

    Its not us that love. We can't do it on our own . God loved us first ,in turn we loved god and that created our obedience to love others through jesus . Its all what he did and none of us ,we are not in the equation

    Looking Beyond the front cover - If someone (a beliver in jesus ) does not appear to to be a loving person does not mean that they arn't! the bible is clear that they are are going to go through trials and ,in the midst of these trials they may be a mess while god is running them through the fires , They may appear to be everything but god like. The Truth - Those people are the ones that god loves and they love him they are just stuggling and learning to adjust .

    I don't want to fight with anyone here , Im not trying to cram anything down your throats , we all have to make our own choices .

    In a way I have developed a sort of a bond here with some people and I feel a love in my heart for you .

    Johnny from portland

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  64. Here are the lyrics to a song by amy grant below is a video of the song from you tube

    This song reminds me that its not about us, . its all about jesus . We Can do nothing ,he has done it all !


    AMY GRANT - Better Than A Hallelujah

    God loves a lullaby
    In a mothers tears in the dead of night
    Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.
    God loves the drunkards cry,
    The soldiers plea not to let him die
    Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

    We pour out our miseries
    God just hears a melody
    Beautiful the mess we are
    The honest cries of breaking hearts
    Are better than a Hallelujah.

    The woman holding on for life,
    The dying man giving up the fight
    Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes
    The tears of shame for what's been done,
    The silence when the words won't come
    Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
    Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

    We pour out our miseries
    God just hears a melody
    Beautiful the mess we are
    The honest cries of breaking hearts
    Are better than a Hallelujah
    Better than a church bell ringing,
    Better than a choir singing out,singing out.

    We pour out our miseries
    God just hears a melody
    Beautiful the mess we are
    The honest cries of breaking hearts
    Are better than a Hallelujah

    Better than a church bell ringing
    better than a choir singin' loud
    singin' loud

    The video,
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD_pCr_Xrnc

    Johnny from portland

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  65. I don't go to church , I don't beleive in organized religion, I do beleive in people getting together felowshipping ,For me its ALL about my relationship with JESUS , I do have some people that I fellowship with .
    Its all about JESUS CHRIST He is the only way to salvation ,the only way .

    John from portland

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  66. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter, are looking forward to “a new heaven and a new earth” where justice will reign. It suffices that through God's glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins?

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  67. We don’t have to try to change ourselves. Religion is man’s attempt to make himself become acceptable to God by changing himself. You don’t have to do that anymore. You are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. If you look at yourself through the legalistic lens of performance based acceptance, you’ll see flaws and will find yourself experiencing an urge to improve yourself. When you look at yourself through the lens of God’s grace, you will know that He adores you at this very moment, just the way you are. He loves you enough that He will assume responsibility for bringing any changes into your life that may be needed.

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  68. The Church of Suelo, maybe that's not such a bad idea, but unfortunately just about everything you say or do would be misinterpreted, maligned and generally discredited. Does this sound familiar ?
    I try to be sarchastic, but somehow I can't be subtle enough.

    Uncle Cracker

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  69. Suelo,
    You seem to know some about politics ,It would be nice if you would add your thoughts In your FAQ area .

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  70. For a while I have been thinking of daniels moneyless world ,It sparks real emotion in many of us ,many of us would love a world where we can live the way we feel nature intended ,but we need to be aware that is not what the bible says will happen to us ,we need to be aware of what the bible says about the end times , If we look at whats going on around us we can see very clearly its happening rite before our eyes.
    God had a plan from the beginning and nothing is gona stop that plan

    Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
    that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
    and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

    If you havn't received jesus yet here is a suggested prayer

    Lord Jesus , I need you . Thank you for dying on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins .Thank you for offering me your life . I now ask you to come into my heart as my lord and savior.Take control of my life and make me into the new creation tou want me to be. I now thank you for comming into my heart and giving me eternal life .

    John from portland

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  71. Money or no money ,It don't matter . None of that matters. The end times are at our front door . All that matters is faith in jesus ,faith expressing itself in love .
    John from portland

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  72. Jesus is a way, but not the only way

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  73. Some longing for wealth have wandered away from the faith
    in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many
    sorrows. The love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Tim 6:9-10)
    As a poisonous plant whose toxic roots contain the potency to
    kill, so the love of money is the root of all evil, eventually killing
    the one who drinks of its pleasures. Love means the direction of
    your will, what you delight in and direct your energy toward. The
    love of money begins as a normal inclination toward comfort and
    pleasure, but like all plants, it grows as you water it. It becomes
    the dominating factor that directs your life, becoming an insatiable
    appetite for wealth that consumes your time, energy, and thought
    life. As your wealth increases, you become ever more attentive to
    and worried about your assets and expenditures. Before long the
    plant begins to blossom into a voracious desire to accumulate
    wealth, ultimately bearing its deadly fruit.

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  74. The deception of wealth promises independence, success,
    comfort, security, happiness, and freedom, etc. But in reality it
    produces self-imprisonment, dysfunction and divorce, compounded
    sorrows, fretfulness and insecurity, concealments, treachery, and
    slavery to excess and indulgence.1 Selfish ambition and the lust for
    personal gain will destroy the one it entices.2 The desire for riches in
    this life causes men to fall into a pattern of constant temptation.3 It
    is a snare in which many foolhardy and harmful lusts overtake and
    plunge men into destruction. Once the poison is taken into the soul,
    once the taste for it is acquired, it brings certain ruin.
    A man’s personality and characteristic tendencies are molded by
    what he loves. Unless the love of money is uprooted,4 it will eventually
    overtake his soul. His intellect, will, and emotions will conform to its
    lusts and desires. An inescapable ruin falls upon him, which he must
    carry for eternity

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  75. Did jesus christ take away the sins of the whole world ?
    Yes, Jesus died for the sins of every person who ever lived or who will ever walk the earth. The Bible tells us

    John 2:2 . "He (JESUS) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

    Real Faith is standing on the truth Of the word of god and , the finality of the cross is a foundational truth

    Sin has all kinds of consequences and, that is a good reason to stear clear of it .Run from Greed ,run from sexual sin, Run from stealing ,run from hurting people , stay away from people who will cause you to sin , Don't have an affair , stay away from drugs , your life will be much better If you do .

    The bible is full of instructions for us But , Will we always follow the instuctions ? Nope

    We are all good at pointing everyone elses sin out while ignoring our own . funny how it always seem to come back to us ,lets see a show of hands .

    Matt. 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

    John 8:7
    When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

    Thank god for the finality of the cross !

    John from portland

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  76. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)


    (John 14:6 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.


    Our natural tendency is to focus on the wrong thing. We are inclined to focus on our experience, on ourselves, or on others. I want to encourage you to focus on Jesus: Christ in you. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

    John

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  77. What do possessions have to
    do with eternal life? Everything!
    Our possessions are the sum total
    of everything we have given our
    strength to since we were born.
    We acquired them by means of the
    mammon of unrighteousness, for
    until we come into the kingdom
    of light, we are under the power of
    the evil one. Our possessions are
    the physical representation of our
    fallen, sinful life in this world. They
    hold us in their grip, no matter
    what we claim to the contrary. They
    possess us. There is only one way to
    be free from their grip, and that is
    death.
    There is no being born again
    without dying first. The Scriptures
    say that you must be buried with
    Him in baptism,10 and of course
    no one would bury a live person.
    Because of your sin, you are
    under the sentence of death.11 It is
    wonderfully true that Christ died
    for your sins, yet in order for His
    sacrifice to be of any value to you,
    you must voluntarily be united
    with Him in His death,12 otherwise
    you will not be made alive with
    Him. Your old man must die, and
    your estate distributed to your
    34 beneficiaries — the poor whom you
    desire to bless with your wealth.

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  78. Yep, we must be born again - Being born again is a matter of turning to god ,not only Accepting his forgiveness but, also comming to him for life

    To be born again here is a suggested prayer -

    Lord Jesus , I need you . Thank you for dying on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins .Thank you for offering me your life . I now ask you to come into my heart as my lord and savior.Take control of my life and make me into the new creation tou want me to be. I now thank you for comming into my heart and giving me eternal life .

    We don’t have to try to change ourselves. Religion is man’s attempt to make himself become acceptable to God by changing himself. You don’t have to do that anymore. You are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. If you look at yourself through the legalistic lens of performance based acceptance, you’ll see flaws and will find yourself experiencing an urge to improve yourself. When you look at yourself through the lens of God’s grace, you will know that He adores you at this very moment, just the way you are. He loves you enough that He will assume responsibility for bringing any changes into your life that may be needed.

    We can be confident that god will complete his work in us -

    Philippians 1:6
    being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

    Its all jesus and none of us, we arn't in the equation

    John

    JUSUS - The only way


    (John 14:6 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

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  79. Galatians 5:13

    You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.


    Hey everyone , Its been a good time here, its time for me to move on, May you all find what you are looking for in your journey .

    With love
    John

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  80. Have you heard the one about the dyslexic with insomnia?

    He stayed up all night questioning the existance of dog!

    Uncle Cracker

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  81. How's the farm and orchard going?
    Is it time for a new thread yet? Hope all
    is well.
    Where did everybody go?

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