or are there only blessings? please help. I'm doing a critical essay in English on The Old MAn and The Sea.
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Luck, it depends on how you see it, may exist and it may not. I believe in luck. Sure, it has let me down sometimes, but it's still a good partner. You know what I mean?
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It seems to me that what is being stated here is that only God (represented here by "Christ"?) matters and all else - all worldly pleasures, are worthless as dung.  All the temporary things will pass away, and to cling to them is to cling to what will be destroyed.  Only cling to God and the things of God, who is eternal.
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This verse is part of God's talking to Job about His ability and Job's inability. In verses 8-11, God states He and He alone has the power to limit the seas movements. They can go no farther than he allows and waves can get no higher than He wants them to. Sounds like a statement to mankind also...lol
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"Because life immitates art, we often find that our lives are reflected in literary works from historical points of view.  One can never mistakenly see himself in a character in a great novel such as King Lear or the Great Gatsby.  If you are the same as one of these characters, you will have no doubt as I had with the character ________________ in the novel ____________. "\n\nthen continue with your essay from there\n\nsusan
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When he is leaving, it brings to mind that he may be dying as he is old and is suddenly aware of his surroundings. Perhaps he sees them as useless articles of materialism, stuff he should have thrown away years ago, but in his arrogance kept. He could be seeing his life in those pieces of trash, realizing that he has lived in vain, or that his life means nothing. He may also be frugal, or trying to hold on to his past, "junk and trash an old man saves", as many older people do.\n\nAdjectives: swept unevenly, red sand (symbolic of blood?), boxes spilled (a fight?), junk and trash. Is it possible that the old man has just been murdered and as he makes his way up to Heaven, he is struck by the scene, the red of the floor and the mess he has made in his struggle?\n\nI think the old man is tired and ready to give his soul up to Oblivion. I think this scene is just after the death blow is dealt and he is reflecting on his life. However, I don't know if this is the whole piece, or if this is all you're given.\n\nMuch Luck!!!\n\n~~Naomi
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Does mainworry ever post comments himself, or does he just copy and paste all the time?\n\nGenesis is the intro to the bible.  It is full of ambiguous stories aimed at giving a meager beginning to mankind.  It has preposterous stories like building an ark.  If such an ark were built, It would have been a half a mile long.  On top of that, it would have been built out of wood.  And then... here's the best part.  If the world were flooded, then the ocean waves would be so insanely huge, that no boat, not even today's American Navy, would have been able to stay afloat!!!  Common sense dictates that you take these stories with a grain of salt.  With no land masses to quell the ocean waves, they would be huge!
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If you ask yourself the question to who does the sea beckon and the answer would be to him then it should be whom. If instead the answer contained he then it would be who.\n\nExample: To those who the sea beckons.....the sea beckons to him (not he) so it should be whom.
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My favorite quote ever, "if good old fashioned American English was good enough for Jesus and the apostles it's good enough for me" \n\nMy history prof was traveling to Russia and his buddy asked him to pick up a KJV in Russian for him-- there are so many problems with that request, I don't know where to start- HA!
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It is very sad. Anyone who does a good amount of reading on ethics will know better. Christians tend to not read good books. They just accept the beliefs they were raised with and stick to them out of loyalty, fear, and familiarity. A lot of people don't like to think that what their parents taught them was wrong. A lot of people also have a very hard time dealing with mortality without a belief in a Heaven and benevolent god waiting for them. The truth is, we really just do not know what happens. There could be a deeper purpose to our being here. There could of been an intelligence behind what is. I would never say there definitely is or is not. On the same token though I can see the works or man from a mile away. The Bible wreaks of man, and all his fears. It's far too obvious that a god had nothing to do with what's in that book. I can can spot it just like I can spot the hand writing of a three year old. It's a shame others have such a hard time seeing this. I think this goes beyond their intelligence or lack thereof. It comes from a much deeper emotional issue. To lose faith in God would be akin to losing meaning to everything and that would leave them horribly broken and lost. It's too bad they can't see the other alternatives. One can lead a very spiritual life without placing belief in ridiculous claims.
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It's very ironic that you asked that... Here's an old saying that applies to your situation (both your essay and the question you actually asked here)...\n\nGive a man to fish, he eats for a day\nTeach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime
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Dear SwimBabe:\n\nWhen I was your age, I looked at a Young Person's bible and thought it was funny that God looked like a man and sat on a white cloud in the sky.  But, I never doubted that there WAS a God.\n\nWhen I was your age, I looked at the story of Genesis and saw Eve with an apple and a snake wrapped around the tree she had picked it from.  I thought it was strange that an apple could bare carnal knowledge and that a snake could talk to you and offer you the knowledge.  But, I never doubted that  - some thing must have happened that made mankind feel they had been Separated from God.\n\nMany, many young people, as well as older people, have felt that Bible stories were representative of some thing that actually occurred - but, the Truth was depicted and clouded in the manner we have been told about it.  They have realized that Bible stories are filled with symbols - and yet they accept the symbols and the representations knowing the Truth is somehow not very far off from the stories.  In other words, SOME kind of Separation must have occurred.  And SOMEhow we must be in God's image.\n\nWhen you are older or have time to do it, you may choose to read some books on Spirituality, along with the Bible.  Spirituality speaks of the Truths without representations made through symbols.  Books like "A Course in Miracles."  But you should wait until you are older.  I do NOT speak of Occult books.  No.  I speak of pure Spirituality  - as books that will take you to the truth.\n\nYou believe in God.  That is enough for now.  All that is ever asked of us is to remember our Creator, our God.  Keep the connection in your mind, always.  As for Science, remember this:  The human Intellect denies the Soul/Spirit that lies behind it and, looks upon the physical world and its sciences as its only interest.  But we all have a soul/spirit within us and it is THAT that God Created.  The human body and its Intellect (brain) will age, wither and die.  But what God Created, in His own Likeness, never dies.  The Soul remains, eternally.  What is God's Image?  He is a spirit-mind.  His body is an essence that fills all space and dimension.  He Created more of Himself - because He knew nothing but Himself.  We are all spirit-minds, like Him.  Humans call that PART of themselves Soul.  It is the seat of Knowledge.  \nThis is what you can look into when you are older. . .\n\nIn the meantime, there is one important thing to "get" from Church.  That is a feeling of reverence for your Father/God.  And know YOU will come to know Him much better when you are older.  The Catholic faith can offer you much beauty.  If I were you, I would enjoy what it offers and when it comes to the Bible I would make mental notes of those things that seem "too far stretched" for you.  Make mental notes so that you can look into those things later, when it won't be too upsetting for your parents.  When you become College age they will expect that you will be looking into all kinds of things.  Reading lots of books.\n\nAbout Science:  Science searches for information about this physical world.  But this physical world arose due to the Great Separation from God.  The human Intellect likes to study its world of the physical.  But Soul knows of the Kingdom, its Father, and its own identity.  Intellect doesn't allow Soul to speak very much - until you have a Will to know about it and a Will to hear your Soul.\n\nFor instance, the Soul is your level of Conscience.  It is the seat of your higher thoughts.  Science tells the Intellect how to understand the start of this world in a manner that the Intellect will accept !  I would not avoid Science books on evolution and such.  Read them.  Know about it.  But when you learn about Soul/Spirit, which is within you, the Science of THIS world won't seem to you to be so interesting.\n\nGod will never be a mathematical formula.  Science can never touch Him for He isn't seen, locate-
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One of the main themes of Ecclesiastes is that all is vanity. I think the purpose of writing a time for this and a time for that, and a time for this and a time for that is to show contrasts and that life is repetitive. If you have this, you have that, and if you don't have this, you have that. \n\nEverything we do is repetitive on earth and is vain. I think even though it does say thou shalt not kill in the Bible, I think the point is just to show contrasts. Our lives are repetitive on earth, only in God do we find real life. Real life either starts at salvation or with God in heaven.
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A number of poems contain the word impiety and deal with nature and God.  Among them:\n\nJohn Donne's "Holy Sonnet XI" ( http://www.netpoets.com/classic/poems/022034.htm )\n\nShakespeare's "Sonnet 067: Ah, Wherefore With Infection Should He Live" ( http://poetry.poetryx.com/poems/433 )\n\nPope's (rather long) "Essay on Man" ( http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/pope-e1.html )\n\nWigglesworth "A Prayer Unto Christ the Judge of the World" (from Day of Doom) ( http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/eaw/poems/wiggtext.htm )\n\nI would direct you to Wigglesworth first, as it sounds like it may be closest to what you're looking for.
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its about a beautiful life.\n\n:> peace
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Congratulations on your writing.You have quoted true and unfortunately sad statements about nowadays life.I would say that I couldn't agree more with you.In this period of my life I'm through one of the worst moments of it.The only thing that keeps helping me hope is the though of a better future.I'm not living but existing at present.Like everybody I have had good periods and bad ones.That's life and it seems I can do a little to change it.Hope and wish for the best for me and for you too.Reading your writing also made me smile because at least there are still some nice and caring people left on this world.\nBest of luck from Italy.
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Well,\n\nGod's word says that "He supplies all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus"!\n\nGive Jesus a try.\n\nYou have nothing to lose, and eternal life to gain!\n\nAlso his Word says that, "The blessing of the Lord brings riches without trouble added to them"!\n\nGo ahead, call on Jesus and you will be saved, you and your houshold!
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Wow, very beautiful and powerful.  I particularly love the first 3 lines as well as the lines about sending peace and love, but little hate or envy.  \n\nKeep on writing!  :)