Today is Good Friday, a day we celebrate in remembrance of Christ dying on the cross to wipe away our sins and give us the hope of everlasting life. As a young child growing up in the Catholic Church I had heard the Crucifixion story over and over again but I never really got the full understanding, or maybe I never paid much attention until I was about ten or eleven years old and read about it in St. Matthew.
Back then I was a very ardent reader and one Saturday not being able to find a book I had not already read, I picked up the bible and began reading St Matthew. I read about Mary becoming pregnant with the young child, the birth of Jesus and how he grew up in Nazareth. What I found fascinating was when Jesus began teaching and healing. He was healing the sick, making the blind see, the deaf hear and the lame walk. I thought this is really a good person, He is doing all these great things!
When Jesus began to speaking of His death, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to betray Him or kill such a good person. I remember the part where He went into the Garden Of Gethsemane to pray and the disciples kept falling asleep and I kept thinking, He is always there for them and now when He needs them, they can’t stay awake.
I remember how Judas betrayed Him and how Peter denied Him three times, just as He had predicted. When they brought Him before Pilate, he could find nothing wrong with Him and I thought, surely they wouldn’t put an innocent man to die? By now I was so caught up in the story that everything seemed real. I t was as if it was happening right there and then and I was witnessing everything. It seemed as if I had gone back in time and these thing were happening right in front of my eyes.
When Pilate asked the people if they would have him release to them Barnabas or Jesus, they shouted for him to release Barnabas. I felt so disappointed, I was so sure they would have chosen Jesus, but no, they wanted Him to be crucified. It was then that I began pleading with God. I remember saying ”You really not going to let them kill Him?” I said “Look what He did for these people and now they want to kill Him. You going to let Him die for these people? They don’t deserve it! I smile sometimes when I remember that. Little did I realize back then that He was dying for my sins too!
By this time I was literally crying as I read how they mocked Him, spat on Him, struck Him on the head and when He asked for water, they gave Him vinegar to drink. I thought these people are so wicked, couldn’t they just give Him some water? When He gave up the ghost, I felt sad to know that He was dead.
Then I read about Mary going to the tomb and finding it empty. When He appeared to His disciples I realized that He was no longer dead. He had risen! I found myself laughing and crying at the same time and I recall saying ” Wretch them, the think them was going to kill Him and Him was going to stay dead!” I had this experience many years ago but I still remember it like it was yesterday!
Here is a poem about the crucifixion. I am not quite sure who this poem but I hope you enjoy it.
| He Was Crucified
I remember the day he was crucified |
Tomorrow many Christians around the world will celebrate Good Friday in remembrance of how Jesus Christ came down from Heaven to earth and died on the cross for our sins in order that we all can have everlasting life if we serve him and live according to his commandments. One of the things that Jesus taught during his time on earth was ‘Love’. Loving ourselves and loving one another. Love is so much lacking in the world today and it is part of the reason that there is so much violence, so much killings, so much disregard for human life. People kill one another as if it is no big deal; having no understanding of what it is to love. Where there is love there is understanding, there is forgiveness, there is the desire to protect the ones you love. Where there is no love the exact opposite happens. Unless we have love for one another there will never truly be peace in this world. Jesus taught about love and forgiveness. How many of us live by those rules? He who was without sin loved us so much that he gave his life for us. Can we love one another enough so we can stop killing each other? Let this be a time to reflect; to give thanks to God for sending his son to die on the cross for us. Let us make the changes necessary in our lives and start loving one another. A blessed Good Friday to everyone.
The soursop otherwise know as Graviola, tree is said to have cancer fighting properties up to ten thousand times stronger in slowing the growth of cancer cells than Adriamycin a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug. Unlike chemotherapy it kills only the cancer cells and does not harm healthy cells. It is said to be effective in twelve types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer.
The National Cancer Institute performed the first scientific research in 1976; the result showed the soursop leaves and stems were effective in attacking and destroying cancer cells. Since then the soursop leaves has proven to be a potent cancer in twenty independent laboratory tests. With all these amazing qualities one no doubt will wonder why the soursop (graviola) is not being used more in the treatment of cancer. The problem is that the soursop is completely natural and under federal law not patent-able. There is no way to make serious profits from it and that is where the roadblock comes up. One drug company invested almost seven years trying to synthesize two of the soursop’s most potent ingredients. If they could isolate and produce man-made clones of what makes the soursop so potent they would be able to patent it and make their money back. However they were unable to replicate the original.
Many of us go through life with the idea that we can just do as we please irrespective of the fact that our actions may impact negatively on other people. Some are spiteful and vindictive. Some lie awake at night busy plotting evil and trying to get even. Some are so convinced of their own authority and power that they do not for one moment seem to realize that there is a great power and a higher authority that at some point or stage in our lives we have to be accountable to. People bent on doing evil have no concept of the fact sooner or later you will reap what you sow. They take joy in what they do trying to make other people’s life miserable so they can have company. I saw to you all bent on doing evil, to be careful what you do for God is watching you. He knows your thoughts, your every plan; He sees the things you do. So be careful not to sow bad seeds or you will reap a bitter harvest. Live good with each other. At all times keep love in your heart and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
In today’s world apartment living is at the top of most housing solutions. Apartments are more available and more affordable than houses. Apartment living is fine but there is just one problem you might encounter,unreasonable neighbors. Imagine being on the first floor and above you are people who seem to keep very late hours. Imagine trying to sleep and being awakened by what sound like someone playing a game of bowling on the wooden floor above your head and boots trampling up and down like soldiers in the army marching.
Imagine voicing your complain about the noise and being told by your obvious not so bright neighbor, “You should be sleeping, how can you be hearing noise at that hour if you sleeping?”
Well it is obvious Ms not so bright… We can’t sleep because of the noise coming from your apartment duh!!! It is quite ridiculous that someone should think it is okay for a child to be up as late as one a.m., rolling ball and running back and forth when there are neighbors below who have to go to work the next morning and need to sleep.
People need to understand that when you live in an apartment it is not just about you. You have to make sure that your actions do not impact negatively on your neighbors. It is a sensible thing to try and live good with your neighbors. You never know when something might happen and you need their help!
As we approach the end of 2011 we must all give God thanks for taking us through the year and for helping us through all the problems and obstacles that came our way. Let 2012 be a year of new beginnings, a year of renewed hopes and dreams, a year of progress for us all. Let us continue to trust in God for his guidance to see us through 2012. A very happy and prosperous 2012 to one and all.
Stew peas is a very popular Jamaican dish. For those of you who love this dish but is not sure how to prepare it, just follow the following recipe and you can’t go wrong. For those who don’t eat pork or may be on a low salt diet, this recipe uses an alternative to salted me.
1 lb chicken parts (cut up)
1 pt. red peas
2 stalk scallion
sprig thyme
1 pk. coconut milk
1 cup flour
2 cloves garlic
1 whole green scotch bonnet pepper
1 tsp chicken seasoning
1 tbsp all purpose seasoning
salt if needed
Method
1 To lessen cook time put peas to soak overnight to soften
2 Season chicken with chicken seasoning and allow to marinate for at least half-an-hour
3 Put peas in a large pot with enough water to cover, add garlic and allow peas to cook until it is soft
4 In frying pan brown chicken to a deep brown colour
5 When peas is cooked add coconut milk, chicken, scallion, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper
6 Add water to flour to make a stiff dough. Pinch off small pieces and roll in the palm of your hand to make long thin
dumplings (spinners). Add these to stew.
7 Add all purpose seasoning and salt if necessary. Allow to simmer for another 30-45 more minutes until stew is thick
Stew can be served hot with plain steamed rice and ripe fried plantain
The year two thousand and eleven is almost at a close, very soon we will be welcoming the year two thousand and twelve. As we await this moment let us take the time to reflect. How have we spent the year thus far? Were we at any point able to make a positive impact on someone else life. Were we able to maintain a spirit of forgiveness and not give in to the urge to render evil for evil.
A lot of problem in the world today is due to a lack of love. People hold on to old grudges, resentments and the thought of getting even and in so doing lose touch of what is right and what is wrong. Someone does you wrong and you so badly want to even the score that it doesn’t occur to you that if you do what the other person does, in reality you are no better than them.
In all things try to do good and always be reminded of these words of our Lord and Savior ”Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers that you do unto me” You know even people who claim to be christian have not fully grasped this message of brotherly love and I will give you an example.
There was this christian? couple and I put the question sign because I really wonder. Anyway they had a house which they rented a family. Everything was okay initially but there came a time when the family began having financial problems and the rent was not always paid on time. The family was given notice to vacate the house, the reason being late payment of rent. Subsequently the family was evicted. All of their furniture was placed outside. As night approached the family wondered where they were going to spend the night.
This was a thought farthest from the mind of the owner of the house as he came and locked up the house leaving the family outside in the dark. He and his wife then left for church; no doubt to worship the very Lord ” who said whatsoever you do to the least of my brother that you do unto to me. When I was hungry you gave me to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me to drink , when I was homeless you gave me a home now enter into the home of my father.”
Let us try not to be like this couple for the greatest test we have to pass on this earth is that of loving one another and doing good to each other!
Author Marva Seaton 
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