Not the End

I liked the ending that Mark had more than Matthews, and I think that was because when I read Matthew I felt really sad for all the suffering that was happening with Jesus and how the disciples where a lone ad everything else. On the other side, while reading Mark, I felt hope.

Jesus knows it´s almost time for him to leave, and when they are having that Last Supper and he tells them “Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.” (Mark 14: 18) it sounds harsh, and it´s sad when we know it was Judas who betrayed him, but you still in a way have faith that it won´t be the end.

At first, when he had resurrected no many believed it was realy him. I don’t judge them, I would have probably done the same. It´s not like we are used to seeing the people again, after seeing them dead three days ago. But after knowing that that was really him there was hope that they would once again be safe and good things will happen around them.

Only it wasn’t really like that. After Jesus showed that he indeed had died and come back, he told them “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16: 15- 16)I think this is what probably gave them hope the most because of all the things he left them to do. When someone leaves, but they tell you to do something, every single time you do it you will think and remember that person. I think that when they did those things they remembered him and had hope that just like they had seen them again after his death, they would also see him again after their own.

Being the Change He Wished to See

I have realized that one of the things Jesus did the most were miracles. I think he did them to be remembered, but also to change the lives of the people who were blessed by him.

The miracles that he made had more than one purpose. He made them happen because he felt bad for others and had such a big heart he wanted to help them. An example of this is when he felt bad for the people that had been waiting for him so much and were hungry. There was not enough food for all of them but when he took “the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.” (Mark 6: 41- 44)

I don’t think that was the only purpose, I think he also wanted people to believe in him and see how powerful he really was. There where times where he would make the person believe in him first and then he would actually cure them. A very common example is the story of the father who brought his son, which had a bad spirits. When he asked Jesus to help him he answered “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. ” (Mark 9: 23- 24)

But if you think about it, miracles weren’t the only thing he did to be followed and remembered, he also said many important things that affected many, such as “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.” (Mark 7: 20) I think this makes a lot of sense, what comes out it´s probably what’s inside too. If there is someone doing bad things to themselves and to others, them it´s probably because of how they feel deep inside. Seeing things in this way can be sometimes good because you start to realize all the good people out there, not only because how nice they are or they always have a smile on their face, but because it will be easier to know how good that person really is and what it actually feels. The sad part is that it also works with the bad people.

All this things can also be found in Matthew, but I think they only got to me when reading Mark because of how they are in a way highlighted because of their great importance, while in Matthew there were other things that were highlighted, such as his birth.

Learning to Fish and Farm

I had imagined Mark to be somewhat different to Matthew, but it actually stayed pretty much the same, specially because the same things are said, only they are said from someone else’s point of view. There were some teachings that seemed clear this time. I don’t know if it was because it was the second time reading them, or if it was because it was Mark and not Matthew and therefore shorter and probably easier to understand.

“And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (Mark 1: 17) I hadn’t really thought about this before, but now that I think about it, it makes sense. Jesus wanted us to follow him and back then, for that to happen he had his disciples and because it was at the start of everything there was probably not that many believes as we have now. He wanted to make the people that followed him some sort of missionaries to help him bring the truth or the way to their lives, they wanted to catch them just like fishermen do.


Something that I was able to understand was the parable of the sower, who when he had started to sow some of the seeds “fell by the side way”, others were blown with the wind, others landed on the rocky ground, with no earth, others were burned in the sun. Others “fell among thorns”, and yet others “fell on good ground” and was able to grow and “bring forth fruit.” (Mark 4:7-11) At first I was confused, what did all these lucky and unlucky seeds mean?

Well, first of all the “The sower soweth the word.” The seeds I believe represent the people, and many of the seeds that were on the side or have been blown with the wind are the ones that are have been confused by Satan. Others are like the ones that have heard the word but just don’t feel like following it, or even paying attention. The ones that have no roots are like the ones that have decided not to forget what they have heard and believe is true, but are I think, in a way scared of what might happen. Then, there are also others that do follow the word and are able to get the best from it and even share it with others and therefore are able to help many others. (Mark 4: 14- 20)

Until now I think I have been able to understand much more from Mark than from Matthew. I think that all this is actually really interesting. I really like how Jesus teaches through stories that help people remember more and understand what he really means.

Jesus Died. Matthew Ended. Jesus Resurrected… Matthew Didn´t

This part of Matthew was sad. Jesus is killed in a very cruel and unfair way. Why didn’t he do something to stop him own death if he had saved many others from many other things that they had to go through? Why after making so many miracles to others did he not make a miracle for himself?

The answer or what is mostly believed is because of the love and his purpose of coming here. More than what I had said in my other post, I have decided and understood after continued reading that there was much more to him coming here than to just wanting everyone to follow him, he had a purpose of saving us.

We usually don’t ponder every day why he did that for us, or how big the sacrifice he did actually was, because after all, does it really make a difference? Well, it does. To us he might seem distant, but for his disciples and all the people he had gotten so close with must have felt as if your best friend or at least a very close one died for you. It might have happened a really long time ago, but they believe and the many teachings that he left are still remembered, and even practiced.

One of the most surprising things he said some time before leaving was “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”(Mat 22: 38) If you think about this it kind of makes sense. God has done a lot and the only way we can sort of repay him is by loving him. We are used to loving only with our hearts, this time he asks for us to love him with our souls and our minds. I don’t really know how to do that, but I believe that once there is a point in your life where you actually get really close to God you will be able to love him with all three things, but for now one can only give the most with what one has.

He also says that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Mat 22: 39) This seems even harder to do, and what I understand from it, it doesn’t necessarily mean neighbor, but everyone in general. If we loved everyone as we love ourselves, I think we would first have to think how much that is. We should ask ourselves, do I love myself? It’s a random thing to ask, but it´s reasonable, and everyone’s answers would vary, because if we all really, really loved ourselves we would always eat what’s best, be in shape, sleep enough and do things that we like to please ourselves. No one really does all of them.

What is the point really, if we were able to do them all, then we would be able to have so much love for ourselves that we will have to share it with others and therefore love others as we love ourselves? This sounds selfish. And I think it´s actually the other way around. We should treat others as we want others to treat us. So if we love others, then they will love us.

I don’t really think there has really been anyone that has been able to achieve that level of love, except for Jesus. All the things he said, all the parables he taught, all the people he cured and the huge sacrifice he did were more than just acts so the people would love him, they were things he did for the people to understand how much he loved them, how much he loves us.

Even though he did die, he lived again. I am sure that he didn’t come back for the fact of coming to check on the people, and make sure that they were following what he had said, (it was only three days later). I think that he had come to finish showing the path he had already started to build once he had come. He wanted to show that death wasn’t the end, and that just like him we could someday live again.

Why then would he come back?

Jesus Wants Everyone to Follow Him

Reading Matthew has made me think a lot about what Jesus wanted in the first place, what exactly was the point of him coming here, when probably staying in heaven would have felt like, well, heaven? That’s why I think that one of the main reasons was to be an example to all of us and someone to follow, but to do that he had to show us the path and teach us the way.

Knowledge was one of the first and most important steps I found. To follow something you need to know what it is. Jesus tried being friendly and by helping people that had some sort of disability, not only did he show how powerful he was, but also how much he cared. He wanted people to understand that he was there to be some type of support,” Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11: 28-30)

Next he wanted people to believe in him, to have faith and that way be able to follow him. There are many examples of people that had faith and that thanks to that they were able to get cured or were able to help others. There are many different believes in what faith is, but Jesus says that faith can be compared to a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed, but that when it grows it can be one of the biggest trees. “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Mat 17: 20) if we have at least a tiny bit of faith, we can really make many things, but why then, if a mustard seed is so small, can´t we make the most marvelous things in the world? Isn´t it enough or isn’t it right and that’s why God won´t let those things happen even if have a lot of faith?

Sometimes it seems to me as if all the wonderful and most amazing things happened only back then, when Jesus was around. We all know the story of Jesus walking on water, and how Peter was curious to try it, “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Mat 14: 29-31) Is that what is constantly happening to us, little faith?

Once Jesus had taught the way, then he wanted to people to follow him and go through the path he had created, and in a way lose themselves in doing good things to other, having faith and doing everything to be able to be like he was, because “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Mat 16: 25)

We Continue With the Bible, This Time Matthew

The Old Testament is a very well known and has many wonderful and important things that are believed by many. This part of the Bible talks more about Jesus, how he got here, who exactly he was and how he became so well known and loved. Since he was born he had to go through a lot, and that was because all the difficulties with the different kings that wanted to destroy him.

He was able to survive, but the king wasn’t the only one that wanted him dead. Satan tried to tent him too. I think this was a little random, and that in a way it shouldn’t happen because he was Jesus and was supposed to be perfect and not be tempted by Satan, but I think I was wrong because he was tempted, only he was perfect enough to respond with the best comebacks and not to fall by his lame-yet-easy-for-all-of-us-to-fall -for-temptations. “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God… Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God… Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Mat 4: 4-10) Jesus is really smart and knows exactly how to answer, and that is by citing God and the scriptures.

Even if this hadn’t been enough to prove all the people that he was someone special and unique yet powerful, he went and start to help others by making miracles and healing all those who needed his help. “And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” (Mat 4: 24)

He reinforces the commandments Moses had, and in a way added some to others and other times he made sure they were able to be understood. “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.”(Mat 5: 39)Most of these things remind me of the Tao, and how if there is no one that does wrong to you then how can you know someone else is doing good to you? It’s a balance. It´s also about how you have to be good to others, even if they are not good to you.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:” (Mat 6: 19) In other words, don’t be materialistic. There are much more important thing out there than having “treasures” that will get stolen and someday will be over, the true happiness is the real “treasure.”

The goal, or the main point of Jesus coming, teaching, being a good example and everything else was to tell people “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Mat 4: 8) there is a lot we still have to do to even be a little bit closer to being perfect, but even thought he already knows that, he help us realize that by following we will be able to understand how we can be able to be perfect and someday we actually will be able to get there. First: “Judge not, that ye be not judged, with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Mat 7: 1-2) and “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Mat 7: 7)

I really like these two first teaching or important things he says because they actually do make a lot of sense. They also give me hope. Just the fact of knowing that if you actually ask and try hard, and have faith you will get things and your questions will be answered. I think that judging part is also extremely important. It´s really hard not to judge others, but it actually makes sense wean you say that when you judge others, others will be judging you in the same exact way.

It´s really interesting and I know I could go on forever talking about Jesus, but there is definitely a lot to do so for now we shall just keep reading and trying to find out the real meaning and things like that.

Tao Never Ends, The Tao is Eternal

These are the last scrolls from the Tao. I have always believed that the last chapters of everything are always the best and the most important. This time I was wondering if it would end with a really big and clever thing to, or if it would just make emphasis in something that had been mentioned earlier. After reading it I realized that most of the things it said had been the ones that I had already read about in the last chapters, but it also had some others ideas that seems to be somewhat new. These are some of the teachings or things I liked the most.

“What is firmly established cannot be uprooted. What is firmly grasped cannot slip away. It will be honored from generation to generation.” (54) I think this mainly refers to habits. Many times doing something repetitively makes it become a habit, we grow used to it. There are good ones and bad ones too, and once they become a habit it´s harder to forget it or even stop doing it, and some of them can even go on forever, “from generation to generation.”

Sometimes we think that the best things always have to be the most expensive, most beautiful, the best and the biggest, but sometimes simple is best. “See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve greatness in little things… in the universe the difficult things are done as if they were easy. In the universe great acts are made up of small deeds.” (63) This I would have imagined is the easiest of all the teachings from the Tao, to try to find the simplicity of everything and not complicate ourselves, but sometimes it seems as if there is no other way than making it complicated. There really is a lot to do.

“Deal with it before it happens. Set things in order before there is confusion… People usually fail when they are in the verge of success. So give as much care to the end as to the beginning; the there will be no failure.” (64) I really like this because there have been many times where I wish I had been more careful and that I could actually go back in time and fix what I had done. It might sound impossible, but Tao does know the answer. “Deal with it before it happens.” We have to be careful with what we say and think, because they might become actions. Being sure of what is happening and not making things up can be helpful to not get confuse and end up making everything more complicated than it already is, but if we try hard from beginning to end, we shall succeed.

There have certainly been a lot I have been able to learn from the Tao. I even feel a better person just by having read it. Imagine how it would feel to actually follow it and know exactly what it´s like to follow those teachings. Like I had said before, I sometimes feels as if I was about to convert to Taoism because of the great impression it has made on me, but not for now. There are other things I already believe in.

Tao is Right

It feels as if the Tao was talking to us and that everything it says is in a way what we had in mind. There are many out there who probably believe that they are so great that they can actually change the world and make it a better place. “Do you think you can take care of the universe and improve it?” (29) I am not saying it’s impossible, but I do think that if you want to change the universe, first you need to change yourself. “Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes really easy; sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness. Sometimes one is up and sometimes down.” (29) Things are not easy, but if you start by changing something small first everything else will be much easier. Yes, there will be some hard times and it will be a process, but "if there is a will there is a way."(Chinese saying)

Tao talks a lot about there being a balance in everything. I agree, because even thought there might be times where we believe there are better things than others we have to remember that the other tings exist because if they didn’t we wouldn’t be able to know how good they really are. “Fame or self: which matters more? Self or wealth: which is more precious? Gain or loss: which is more painful?” (44) Having a balance in life is one of the most important things, because if there is a balance that brings happiness, “all things will be at peace.” (37)

Reading the Tao Inspires Me

Most of the time we always want to do what we want and make sure things are just how we want them to be. Tao talks about accepting things the way they already are and not trying everything to change them and make them the way you want them to be. Sometimes we might feel the whole world is going against us, but what we should do, according to the Tao is to not try to go against it, but instead accept how it is and love it as you love yourself. “Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things.” (13)

The Tao is wise, but if you truly think way too much about it, it gets confusing. “Stand before it and there is no beginning. Follow it and there is no end. Stay with the ancient Tao. Move with the present.” (14) How ancient do you know the Tao is if it doesn’t have any beginning or end? And how can there be a present if you don’t know where it started and when it will finish? You see, there are some things that if you think way too much about it you can confuse yourself. But sometimes it actually seems as if the Tao was the one trying to confuse you; “But I alone am aimless and depressed. I am different.” (20) Is it trying to tell us that we are all different and therefore unique, or those this mean that there are some of us that are just different and that should be left alone?

There are others things that are simple and clear. “Empty yourself of everything. Let the mind become still. (16) I think this is really cool. It´s like meditating or something like that. I have tried to relax myself completely and the truth is I have never completely achieved it. It´s not only to empty yourself but make your mind stay there and not let any sort of thought go through. It sounds confusing, but the Tao really makes it sound easy. Maybe if I do it that way I will be able to fully relax in one of those really stressful moments after long days.

Anyways, I think Tao is fun and it in a way makes me feel part of something big. Tao is like everyone’s mom and like any mom; it has a family and some sort of life or cycle that revolves around it. “Man follows the earth. Earth follows heaven. Heaven follows the Tao. Tao follows what is natural.” (25) Tao is eternal. Now that is what call something big and important.

It makes me feel special.

The Amazing Tao

Wow, I had never imagined the Tao Te Ching would be like this. It is really easy to understand because it goes directly to the point and makes small comparisons that help people to relate to it in a very nice way. In it I have found many interesting things, such as “Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Difficult and easy complement each other.” (2)It talks about the perfect balance of things and that’s helps show the importance of everything, because there is not bad, then how can there be good? This, I am pretty sure isn’t encouraging people to be bad so there can be good, it´s just saying that because evil exists we can know and therefore do what’s right.

“The highest good is like water.” (8) That I think is one of the most magical and to the point things I have ever read in a religious book, because it encircles all the other teaching that in other books would take up whole chapters, but here they can be putting only one small phrase. Water is pure, clear, and good. By us being really good, or the “highest good”, we will be able to one day become like water. Obviously this is a metaphor, we won´t become water, but we will become pure and clean at heart and extremely good as if might have ever even been imagined.

The other thing that I like the most was “The five color blind the eye, the five tones deafen the ear, the five flavors dull the taste… He lets go of that and chooses this.”( 12)I believe that he, or whoever is speaking is talking about the Tao. There are always five things that are mentioned, five colors, five tones, five flavors, but the question is, are all these fives just a number he liked or just something that stand for five pillars (like in Islam)? He says “He lets go of that and chooses this.” But this, as in Tao or this as some other five things or what.

Ok, so this part was probably a little more confusing, but it was probably because I made it confusing. Reading this really made me look at everything in a different way, I really like it. I just hope we can continue reading and analyzing it to be able to understand everything much better and be able to in a way relate to is more deeply.

It´s Just a Theory

Many believe that “God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2: 7) But others consider Darwin´s theory of man evolving from the ape. But who´s right? Normally, I would say I believe in the Bible, but this time it´s completely the opposite.

Everything happened because of Brady, who being completely innocent told the children about the theory, or the belief that some have about apes evolving to what we are now. Many thought that is was wrong for Brady to teach these things, but they have the right to know about it. He should teach the different theories that exist, it´s not like he is making them believe in those things, he is just saying that´s what others believe. It´s up to them to decide if they want to believe in it or not. If they know these things they will be better prepared for the outer world. They should have the opportunity to know about them.

Many didn’t see it as just something to know about, but something to believe. “Man didn’t evolve from the ape, the ape devolved from the man.” The other side is always contradicting itself, and that’s because they don’t really even fully believe in the Bible. It´s not even the way they believe in it, because it doesn’t even seem as if they did, because they only use it as, in a way, an excuse to have some sort of things to make them feel as if they are doing something good. No wonder they are always singing that song about having “an all time religion” it´s something they want but don’t have.

They believe in the Bible in a very literal way and not really on the helping, wise things in it, or the faith it brings. They think that “Everything in the Bible should be taken as it is.” But if the Bible says “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind." (Proverbs) They will probably see it as if you have troubles at home, then you will become some sort of Wind Lord, when what it really means is that if there are troubles at homes, then we will be left with nothing but the wind, which after all is nothing.

This I really don’t like. The Bible should be there to help people have faith in it, some sort of hope. Faith is the most important thing. How can there be faith if they just believe in every single word they read from the Bible and not the teaching itself? Just believing in it in the literal way will be like wasting their time, because it would mean that they do not believe in what they should believe, but instead they just believe in what they want to believe from what is written in it. “The Bible is a book. It's a good book. But it is not the only book.” Books are read, but they are also there to be interpreted and for each person that reads it to get something from it. The author wants to transmit a message, but most of the time people just get what they wanted to get, and find what they were looking for.

Mistakes seem to be the base of Confuciusness

Yes, mistakes are important in all this. They are mentioned over and over again, was that a mistake? No, it was because of emphasis, and to make sure that everyone got it. Mistakes are important and we all learn from them, even if they weren’t our mistakes. Mistakes are good, but only if you are willing to be better and actually learn something from it. In 17:30 it says: “to make a mistake and yet not to change your ways – this is what is called truly making a mistake.”

Something new was the different types of people. In a way I think we are all similar, we are all humans, have feeling and have the desire to be better, but we are all free to do whatever we want and take the path we prefer to follow. In life we all stay the same, with the same proposes and hopes, but only those who are really dump or extremely smart will be the ones that will always stay the same. When you are too dump you will forget what you wanted to achieve in life, and if you are too smart you will always know what is best and will try to chose the best since the very beginning. While normal people will just change their way all the time. In conclusion, “By nature people are similar, they diverge as a result of practice, only the very wise or the very stupid do not change.” (17.2 and 17.3

I think its actually really important and interesting all the things you can get when reading and analyzing all this things that don’t only help us ponder, but if we follow them they will help us be better and therefore have a happier life.

Life, Death and What’s in Between

While reading this, I realized that the analects are indented to be for all, because they talk about something we all have in common and one of the most important points of being in this world, life. We are free to live however we want to, but there are some things that affect the way we do, such as where we are born, the culture we are supposed to follow and all those things. No one can live for us, and there is no one who has the same life as we do, maybe similar, but never the same. One of the reasons is because we are all different, and we all make different mistakes and have different talents or gifts.

We are all here to learn from our mistakes and sometimes even from others mistakes. I really liked 7.22, it said “When walking with two people, I will always find a teacher among them. I focus on those who are good and seek to emulate them and focus on those who are bad in order to be reminded in what needs to be changed in myself. ” I think that is something very smart and respectful to do. Most of the time, the natural thing to do, I think would be to laugh at the one who made a mistake, and not look and focus on what they did so we can be better. That is something I think we all have to work with.

Then after we can be good and find the Way, then there is death. Yes, death. Many are frighten about it, and I believe it´s mainly because no one really knows what’s after it or what exactly happens when you die, but to be able to one day get it, I think is best to think: “May I inquire about death? You do not yet understand life- how could you possibly understand death?” (11:12). This is so logical. To understand death, we have to understand life first, but how are we sure that we understand life before we die? Its and endless and vicious cycle.

Confucius, Another Beginning

Reading the analects has been very interesting. There is a lot about Goodness and how that can lead to happiness. It reminds me of Bhagavad-Gita, in the sense of knowing that everything leads to something else that leads to something else. If we don’t remain with Goodness, then there will never be adversity and we won’t be able to enjoy happiness either. It’s kind of confusing, but in a way it also makes sense, because how can we enjoying happiness, if there is no adversity? Then how are we know that we are actually and truly happy?

People who are Good feel they have Goodness, but there are “those who are clever to follow Goodness because they feel that they will profit from it.” (4.2) But here comes the trick “merely set your heart sincerely upon Goodness and you will be free of bad intentions.” (4.4) This means that only those who really are Good will be able to profit from Goodness, because if you are not clever enough you won’t even be able to be Good in the first place.

There is a difference between being clever and being wise, “the wise take joy in rivers, while the Good take joy in mountains, the wise are active, while the Good are still. The wise are joyful, while the Good are longed-lived.” (6.23) I think that means a lot, the wise are like the ones that know everything but don’t really know how to use or express their knowledge, so they are active, joyful and moving as fast as rivers because they feel there is no time to lose. While the clever, the Good, know how to act, but they first prefect to wait and see what is happening around them and what they can do to help or simply be good. That’s why they are so still, live so long and are as strong and powerful as mountains.

Most of the time when we see someone else make a mistake, we usually laugh or make fun of them because of doing something so dump, but is happens to all of us and we have to try to understand that those things happen so that we can be better and then other will look at us, just as how we might look at others, because “when you see someone who is worthy, concentrate upon becoming their equal; when you see someone who is unworthy, use this as an opportunity to look within yourself.” (4.17) that will not only help us be better, but we will also be able to learn from ourselves and others, like Yan Hui. “Who among your disciples might be said to love learning? There was one named Yan Hui who loved learning, he never misdirected his anger and never made the same mistake twice. Unfortunately, his allotted life spam life was short and he passed away. Now that he is gone, there are none who really love learning – at least, I have yet to hear of one.” (6.3) Never making the same mistake twice must be something really great to achieve… but who is Yan Hui anyways?

Psalms Mean More Than Just That

I have really liked reading Psalms, because not only are they easy to understand and sometimes to relate with, but also because they mean a lot, not only to the people who wrote them, but to God too. Psalms are chants to praise the Lord, I believe they come from the heart and that there were probably millions of them but only some made it to be in the Bible.

We read four of them, and as I was able to discover they all talk pretty much about the same things, but each ones says it in a different way.

In number 23 I really liked where it said: “Yea, 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.” (Psalms 23: 4) It gives me hope, in a way, to know that whoever wrote this was right. We usually feel alone and it´s like there is no one for us and that we don’t have anyone that really wants to listens or is there for us. There might be friends we can trust, but there are situations where there is nothing they can do to make us feel better. God is always there for us, and I bet that he loves us and wants us to know that he knows everything and that if we pray to him and tell him how we feel he will answer our prayers and make us feel much better, in a way he is a friend.

We might wonder once in a while like number 42, “Where is thy God? ... Why hast thou forgotten me,” (Psalms 42: 3, 9) But he has never left, only maybe if have actually done something extremely bad, but we just have to “hope in God.” (Psalms 42: 11) For he is God after all.

We are not perfect and therefore we sometimes do things that aren’t the best ones, but we can always repent and try to be even better. Those things happen so we can learn from our mistakes and maybe someday be better. “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalms 52: 3, 10)

The one I didn’t really get was number 137, the only part I was able to kind of understand was “How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?” (Psalms 137: 4) I think this is interesting, and makes me think that these people were probably scared to sing in a different country or something, so they decided to write them down and then that was how the Psalms started to become a book. I am not completely sure about it, but we will probably find out later on.

And David Continues to Amaze Me

Reading more about his life has helped to believe that there is a lot to do if I ever be one of Gods A-list. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I really like David and the way we can relate to him. No, I don’t have enemies, but there are people that I don’t really like and in 2 Samuel 19: 6 “In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends.” It seems almost impossible, but I think that if we at least try, God will help us. What I don’t get is the part of hating our friends… Why is that even there? Shouldn’t it be more like love your friends and your enemies, it confuses me, and it makes me disagree with the Bible.

Reading more about David made me think about all the things that we had to do, like his mission in life. Talking about mission and life, I believe we are all different and therefore all of us have different missions or things we have come (to this world) to accomplish. It might seem as people in the old days (Bible days) had bigger missions than the ones we have now a days, but we live in different periods and that’s why we have different tasks or challenges.

One of the things I liked the most about David was the way he felt about God. There are different perspectives or believes in God. Some religions suggest he is you, like in yourself, others think he is just a superior being, and so on. I believe pretty much what David believed, that he actually is out there, that he loves us and cares for us, he is our strength and protects us. “LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer… he is my shield, the horn of my salvation, my high tower, my refuge, my savior.” (2 Samuel 22: 1-6)

Wow. That is such (I can´t describe) thing to say. And then he continues saying how he was able to survive his enemies thanks to him and not like Job, his prayers were answers, “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.” (2 Samuel 22: 7) Here we see how he was so blessed and favored because of being such a great guy, or as he said it: “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.” (2 Samuel 22: 21)

Something else I really like about him is the way that he reacts when he makes a mistake, instead of hiding it like most of us would, he tells God and in a way asks for punishment. “And David spake unto the LORD… and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.” (2 Samuel 24: 17) Even though bringing down a punishment for all his father’s house seems like something big, to make up for probably a small mistake, I think it shows how sorry he was and how important it was to him to have God´s total trust and protection around him. So at the end, to make sure things were perfect again between him and God, he built him and altar and offered various things to him, and guess what, it worked.

Something So Big From Someone So Small

Samuel is much more different than what I had imagined it would be. I thought it would be much easier to understand, but the truth was that it was a bit more complicated. I believe it’s because it was probably written by a different person. Anyways, I was still able to learn some things such as the story of David. I remember hearing the story of David and Goliath endless times, and never imagined someone could get so much from it.

It´s actually really interesting, how a “giant” comes to a city and threatens its people by saying “choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.” (1 Samuel 17:8-9). It´s surprising for someone to trust themselves so much that they actually believe that they are so big and strong that no one can defeat them, and yet talk about their own death.

David was practically just a small boy, but with huge faith, and he was the one to stand up against Goliath and actually defeated him because he believed that the Lord was with him, and eventually he was, for he was able to win. This also made me think on how sometimes small things can have great effects, such as David, that just by throwing a small rock he was able to kill such a huge thing and make a difference to a whole city that was able to survive thanks to him.

After David, being such a great guy and doing so much, Saul who used to be nice to him decided he wanted to kill him. I really didn’t understand why, but he did. I think he was probably jealous because he was the one that was supposed to be remembered as the one who was able to beat Goliath, but wasn’t.

This makes David have to escape and run away as much as possible so he isn’t killed. This isn’t something really that great… why run away after being considered the hero? Jonathan, Saul´s son seemed to be the only one that really cared for him, and he cared so much that “he loved him as he loved his own soul.” (1 Samuel 20: 17) that is just immeasurable, it´s kind of weird, because they´re both guys, but it´s probably like Enkidu and Gilgamesh who were companions and that they meant so much for each other that it was as if it was themselves. The way they cared for each other was so big that they trusted each others and would say “The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever.” (1 Samuel 20: 42)now, that’s something we don’t see every day.

All this makes me ponder on Gods judgments. It seems in a way unfair that there are such good people as Jonathan and others as mean as Saul. But in Samuel 24: 15 I was able to learn that “The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.” That if he really is a judge he must be a just judge. This has led me to answering one of the questions, some good things happens to good people and bad people, and bad things happen to both good and bad. “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5: 45) it really depends on how we acts, we are free to decide, and God is there to judge and therefore help us once in a while.

Well, as everyone else David once fell in love and married someone he cared for. And as every other story, there was war. This time it was between the Philistines and Israel and to me it was totally wild. Women, sons and daughters were taken captives, the city was burned, and there were great disasters. “David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.” (1 Samuel 30: 4) One of the most tragic deaths was Jonathans and his father Saul´s and even though it was sad, and tragic just like any other death, the truth was that it had happened. Death is something that will come to everyone, and it usually is in moments where we least expected them to happen, but I really like how they were remembered, “Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.” (2 Samuel 1: 23)

This makes me think of how I want to be remembered. Sometimes I wonder “What am I leaving, when I'm done here… When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done, help me leave behind some reasons to be missed… And don't resent me… Keep me in your memory” (Leave Out All The Rest, by Linkin Park). As much as we might love for others to forget some of the things we have done wrong, many wont, that’s why we should try to live the best we can. We don’t know when we will die, so we have to make great things that will make us be remembered. How to you want to be remembered?

Harsh Beginning = Satisfying End

After all Job had asked and all his hard work and long prayers, God finally answerers him. To me it seemed as if he wasn’t really happy about Job, as if he had already found a new favorite and had forgotten him. He started to day really harsh things, such as “Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.” (Job 38: 3) he also tells him that he should understand that he (Job) is not the one that knows it all and that he should know how to really trust him and other mean things.

I don’t really like this, I had never imagine something like this would actually come out. It’s the complete opposite of what I had expected Gods answer to be, he seemed perfect and loving to me, but after what he told Job it seemed to make me think that sometimes things might not be exactly what they seem.
Maybe after all God is a great being only that he is in a way like us, and therefore also gets mad and has some bad times, if things are that way, then I think I can understand him.

Then, when God isn’t so stressed out, he asks Job what exactly he wants, and what he answered was “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”(Job 42: 5). And since then, things become much better, God forgives Job´s friends and they are friends with him again. He is greatly blessed with a big family, many animals and other great things. And even though Job had a not-so-good start he was able to live with what he had, not give up and survive to one day be greatly blessed and end his life by living it in a way that many others would have probably dreamed for, because after all, “the LORD had blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” (Job 41: 12).

God´s Wisdom and Job´s Understanding

All this is a little complicated, and the reason why it is, I believe is because Job has so much in mind, and personally, I think I understand him, I mean, how can you not have too much to think about after knowing you have so much to do after all the things God expects from you and all the peer pressure he was from his “friends”.

He ponders on the difference between wisdom and understanding, and once you think about it they are actually two completely different concepts. Wisdom is pretty much like what God has, total knowledge and knowing it all. On the other hand, understanding can be when you understand what things are, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have knowledge, but it´s more as if you actually know what it´s about. Even though they are different, the two are linked. How can you have wisdom if you don’t understand? But how can there be understanding if there is no knowledge, or in other words wisdom?

While writing this, I felt I agreed with Job, “Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:20) this is interesting, we don’t really question ourselves where all this comes from, and simply imagine it just is. But as always, Job has an explanation, and even though I don’t fully agree with this, it´s a possibility, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28: 28).

As it said in Job 12: 13 “With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding” (obviously talking about God). Then they talk about in a way, an example of what God was doing to the nations “He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again” (Job 12: 23) this is interesting, and it has made me think, was God being understanding or was he actually being wise and doing all this for the best. I think that most of the time things we don’t understand why they happen happen. The only one that knows why is God and he is there to help us and show us the right way to go through those tough times.

In these chapters, I have also been able to get to know Job much better. After believing he was Gods favorite one we realize how he actually feels about all this and how it even seems as if he wished things were different. “My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God” (Job 16:20). This is so sad, poor Job, it´s like the people that are closer to God are tested more and much harder that anyone else. In Jobs case, was not only that his friends hated him and bullied him, but he also felt alone, because not only was now friendless, but now he felt his prayers were never answered and that no matter how much hope he had nothing would happen. In his own words: , “I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment. My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me…And where is now my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it” (Job17:15, 19: 7 and 19: 14).

Job is a really noble guy, he didn’t really complain as much as much as I would and in a way he never gave up, for he deeply believed that he was “clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me” (Job 33: 9) and therefore wouldn’t give up because he knew that maybe someday he would be greatly blessed by God after having gone through so much. He knew that God was just and that he shouldn’t fear him or all that was happening to him, because he thought that he was “wise at heart” and therefore would help him endure.

Mr. Perfect

Once again we read about a great man, which was very righteous and was deeply loved by God. I am even starting to think that maybe God is like that with all of us, always helping us and everything, only we just don’t realize. Really, why would there be a different between them and us? Ok, maybe there’s many, but the point is that he probably cares for him as he cares for us. That’s why I believe this is wrong: “Job…was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” (Job 1: 1) How could that possibly be? I thought no one was perfect, but it suddenly seems like there is an exception, Job. I really don’t understand. But just like all of us, he is tempted by Satan, but because he has such a strong faith and is so keen to God, he is in a way protected and even though Satan’s things might sound right, he was strong enough to ignore them and just follow God.

Then we see the truth, the reality. At last we see how Job shows that he is not perfect. After all the pressure he was under, not only by Satan, but also from others, he like it was supposed to happen, he gets mad, feels confused to the point where he actually curses God, but because he was so great and actually fell sorry, he went back and repented for “then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped” (Job 1: 20).

Once you actually really think about it you can actually understand their different point of view. God like any other powerful superior someone would want to have someone so faithful to you that there was some sort of bond in between, to the point where God thinks that “there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 2: 3) Satan I bet would also love to have someone like him, but because he is so mean, he just doesn’t.

On the other side, one can really notice the advantages of being Gods favorite. As Job says: “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me” (Job 6: 4). This shows power, protection and in a way love. Job was really faithful and that made him be very perseverant, which at the end made him be able to be so perfect.

What was supposed to be a play...

Abram travels with Lot and Sarai.
Sodom and Gomorrah are a terrible thing that seems to never be any better.
Isaac is finally born, and this makes all the family learn about faith and sacrifice.

Moses, The Chosen One

This is the story of Moses. He didn’t really understand why some things were happening, just like we sometimes feel, but the truth is that he was actually chosen to do a certain thing. His responsibility was to help the Israelites, his people. God talked to him in various occasions, some may think he was just lucky, but it was because he had something to accomplish. This makes me think that maybe all of us have something to do in this world, in this life, and that’s why we are here. We might not understand why some things happen the way they do, but I deeply believe that everything happens for a purpose, Moses´ was to rescue them from all the sorrows and hard times people in Egypt had to go through.

Something I really liked is the way God is always with him and helps him and in a way tells him exactly to do. It´s like he tells you the instructions to do everything, and the best part is that you are actually free to decide to accomplish them or not. The same happens to us, maybe God doesn’t exactly talk to us but he does help us and tries to guide us, but we can decide if to follow or not. An example of this is seen in Exodus 3: 13 “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, what is his name? What shall I say unto them?”, and then something that I would have never imagined happened. Moses had some sort of speaking problem, and that caused him to wonder even more if he was actually the chosen one. God doesn’t give up on him, but makes his spirits uplift and help him believe in himself. He gives him a companion, just like Gilgamesh and Enkidu, to help and support each other, always side by side.

He also helps him not to give up, but keep on fighting, because even though God was there on his side to ask the pharaoh to “let his people go” (Exodus 5: 1) it wasn’t completely easy anyways. He had to be persistent and very intense, so maybe he would convince him to let them go. There were many plagues and things that would have made me say yes in the very instant they talked about it, but the pharaoh was much more harsh and almost didn’t let them go, after many things had already happened and there had been a lot of suffering in Egypt, then he let them go.

Something a bit confusing was the way in which God, knowing the pharaoh wouldn’t change his mind still made Moses go and tell him, then when he resigned, and things started to happen, Moses would pray to god and things would become a vicious cycle and in a way it wasn’t really that effective, because God would send something bad, but them stopped it, knowing there wasn’t anything really good in stopping it because the pharaohs mind would still be thinking the same. This happened because the “Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.”(Exodus 7: 13)

At the end think finally change, and the journey of Moses and his people starts. I like how Moses help the people be positive and energetic about their surviving. He tells them, “Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.” (Exodus 13: 3) and no matter how much the pharaoh was after them and was so close to catching them he would continue telling them that “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14: 4) this I believe gave them the hope they needed.

And indeed that was what happened. God did help them and they were able to succeed and prosper. But just in case they decided to do something improper, he gave them commandments to follow and now exactly what were the right things to do. The interesting thing about this is that those are the same commandments we use now a days.

One Big Story = One Big Family

There is so much that I don’t even know from where to start, maybe the right place is the beginning, well the continuation of the beginning. In chapters 25 to 35 I was able to realize that one of the most important theme or what we see the most is family. The Lord said to Rebekah “Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25: 23) and that is for sure what happened. Their names where Esau and Jacob, and their story I pretty much like Cain and Abel´s only this one has a brighter ending. Everything started because Jacob was being treated better by his mother than Esau and then little by little things started to get complicated, until the point where Jacob became the one who was in charged.

One day, Isaac told them he was very old and wanted to eat something and then give him his blessing, but because Rebekah wanted Jacob to be the one to be blessed she made him obey her and tick his father to bless him instead of his brother.

Jacob was actually a good guy, just dumb enough to follow every single thing his mother said. Yes, we do have to be obedient but it is obvious that if our parents are telling us to do something that’s not really good, we have to understand that they are not perfect and that sometimes we have to intervene and open their eyes. If Jacob had done something like that, things would have probably been different. Rebekah had said: “Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. “ (Genesis 26: 8) and because Jacob obeyed his mother so much, he left, just like what she had instructed him to do, and he journeyed and fell in love.

Yes, another love story, this one seemed to be a really good one until things started to get a little out of control. Her name was Rachel and Laban was her father. He told Jacob that if he wanted her he would have to work for her, seven years. He was madly in love, and like anyone would have probably done for their other half, he worked and waited seven years. “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” (Genesis 23: 20) Isn’t that just so lovely? Well, the time passed and he asked for her, Laban got everything ready and even made a feast, but instead of giving him Rachel, he gave him Leah, his other daughter. I think that is just the most selfish thing ever. He just wanted to take advantage of Jacob so he could get what he wanted and not have to work so hard, plus maybe he probably didn’t want to have to give this daughter away anyways. But Jacob, after so long of not giving up he would have probably became a better, more perseverant and patient person.

But Laban didn’t, so he made him work for other seven years so he could get Rachel, as if she was some sort of prize, why did have to be so self centered on himself and couldn’t help with others happiness?

After fighting so much to finally be with the one he loved, God, I believe was unfair. How could he not let Rachel have children after all he knew they had already been through? Because “when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.” (Genesis 10: 1) I don’t really like this, why would she die if she didn’t have kids, that just sad, I thought that they wanted was to be able to be together because they loved each other, not because they were going to make a family. Well, maybe that was part of what contribute to their happiness, but why die if they couldn’t have kids, instead they should try to live a happy life with one another, now that they finally were together.

The sad thing, is that he doesn’t only have Rachel as a wife, or is she the only mother of his children because (yes, they were able to finally have kids latter on) but he had also other women and other kids. He actually had many and it makes me wonder, if he worked so hard to be with Rachel because he loved her or was it because something else? I think that if it wasn´t because of true love, then there was really no point in working so hard to one day actually be able to be with her.

After so long, Esau and Jacob meet again. This reminds me of Gilgamesh and how at the beginning Enkidu and Gilgamesh embrace and kiss, right after they have met and fought, but even though they don’t fight or met for the first time, they still do those things… It’s like it was a secret handshake or something back then.” Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept” (Genesis 33: 4) and that wasn’t all, they were so happy to see each other again, and Jacob was probably feeling guilty, that he gave back the blessing to his brother, who should have had it in the first place.

At the end we see how their stories intertwined and how at the end of such a long story, there was a big family, but after all it was God who had said: “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.” (Genesis 35: 11)

Life Goes On and So Does The Bible

This time in Genesis we see that God does keep his promises. He had made a covenant with Abram and blessed him by “multiplying (him) exceedingly” (Genesis 17: 2) something else that happens is that God tells Abram his name will now be Abraham. I think this is interesting and it is weird at the same time. Why change your name? Even though his name wasn’t changed to something very different, it was still changed. God said that he would change his name because he was going to be the father of many nations and I think that the name had to somewhat be longer. The funny thing is that his wife Sarai has also her name changed, to Sarah, I believe because of the same reason.

Talking about her, we see in these chapters that she is also blessed and this time with something she had believed impossible, something like having a child at a very old age. This give me hope, to know that God cares so much about us that he will actually bless us, sometimes when we least think about it. Because like it said in chapter 18 verse 14, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” the answer is no. He is God and can do anything, we are the ones that actually have to try to do something.

Something I really like is what Abraham asks God. “Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18: 23) maybe many of us have asked that question, and the answer was that if even if there were only ten righteous between a whole city of wicked, he would still preserve their lives. This might seem unfair to some, but I think God would make the best jury of all. He knows exactly what, why, when and how things have to happen.

There was a story that seemed to be very familiar, and that we had already read in Metamorphoses, I don’t know it they copied from the Bible, or if it was the other way around, but it was anyways practically the same. In Metamorphoses, it’s known as the story of Myrrha and her father. In the Bible it’s the story of two girls, who say “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father” (Genesis 19: 32).

Next is Isaac, Abrahams and Sarah’s son, the one that blessed their lives and who also made sure to continue what should be called part of the life cycle. Yes, he falls in love. Her name was Rebekah and she became a great comfort to him, and what we will find out latter a great mother too.

Abram and Others

Here I was able to read and understand more about other known stories, such as Babel and the beginning of Abrams. Everything was going on great, and everyone spoke the same language. Many decided to build a city and a tower, but then the Lord confounded the language of many, so they wouldn’t understand each other and then “the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11: 9) I think it is important to know why and how this happened, and that way be able to know how there are different people in different places of the world that speak differently.

Generations continue and then we get to Abram. Who was very close to God and built an altar. This I think was probably to offer sacrifices, like the ones they used to do, with the little lamb. I think that the sacrifice was to maybe make the owner of the little lamb feel and actually make a real sacrifice by giving them away, but it also was to praise god and show how much he meant to them.

“The LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (Genesis 15: 1) I really like this because we see how God felt and how much he cared about Abram. It makes me think that he thinks the same way about us, and is there to help us and bless us when we have done something good.

Abrams story continues and we read that he and his wife Sarai couldn’t have any children, and so she made her servant his husband’s wife. The servants name was Hagar and she was able to have children with Abram, and even though Sarai was sad, she was happy at the same time for what had happened. This makes me think about Metamorphoses and how love was such an important thing and how it is important in here too.

And So The Story Continues

When they were in the garden, God told them that they could eat from every tree except the tree of knowledge. A snake tented Eve to eat from the tree and she gave some to Adam, this made them know and understand everything better. “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3: 14-15)

Then God makes them realize that they can know what is good and what is not, this makes them have to be able to choose what they want. We are all free to choose whatever we want, and no matter what we choose, there will be a consequence, so we have to be careful with what we chose.

Then we see as Adam and Eve start to multiply and how their family starts growing. We read about what happened with Cain and Abel and how each of them had chosen a different path, and depending on their actions were their consequences. An example is what happened with Cain. He decided to go through the bad path and he was greatly punished by God.

Because the heart of men started to be very corrupted and there started to be a lot of violence, God decided to punish them and there was huge storm that lasted a really long time. God had told Noah to build and ark and in it take a male and a female of every animal. He decided to obey and was able to survive with his family after all he had to through.

Then I think God realized that maybe he had been very harsh and that’s why he said “I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done.” (Genesis 8: 21) and to make sure others know he keeps his word he makes a covenant with them, and I think that the covenant was about us not doing what was wrong and instead to choose right and if we did, God wouldn’t punish us with a storm as the big as the one that happened long ago. I believe that he left a sign to remind us all about it, the rainbow. “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9: 16)

How Everything Came To Be (Blible´s point of view)

The Bible is another very important piece of literature, especially because it was the first one be printed and also because so many believe in it. In Genesis chapter one and two I was able to see how everything was created in order, and it makes me think of how organized God is and how it is so much easier to understand it was like this, like something created one day, then something else the other day, I think it is much easier than trying to understand how the big bang actually happened. Something else that I was able to realize was that after God creates something and named it, he would see if it was good. This I think shows his love for us, he wouldn’t have created something that wasn’t good for us, and that’s why we have such a beautiful and lovely earth to live in. This has made me think that we should be thankful for everything he has done for us and actually care about the world and show him how much it really means to us.

We also see the importance of Sunday, because it was the day where God had finished the creation and was now time for him to rest. I don’t think he was actually tired because he is God, but because he actually wanted to show us that Sunday should be a day to think and praise him, because the other six days we are very busy and don’t really do that, on Sundays I say we should actually take some time to rest, just like he did and make it a really special day. We should sanctify Sunday. Here we see the beginning of men and women and how we actually came to be.

Hermes and Zeus Visit Baucis and Philemon

We sometimes are mean and selfish enough to realize we have more than others and instead of sharing or caring and trying to help, we only think that they might be dangerous and try to stay away. We don’t understand that we all have hard times in our lives, some different than others. When you help and show that you care, you will feel good and the person that you help will be happy to think they are important too and that they are being helped by someone else. This is a very interesting story and with many teaching that become perfect for the closure of this wonderful book. I really like how there are good people out of all the bad ones that might seem to exist and I really liked the way Baucis and Philemon treat Hermes and Zeus when they first see them. They were probably tired after so many people had been mean to them, and to find a welcoming and warm place must have felt like heaven. They treated them like old friends, people they knew, but when Zeus and Hermes asked they just answered the truth. “Why, you are children of god. Come in, come in” (pg. 79).This shows us how important we all are.

There is also the teaching of when you are good to others you will receive good things back, just like do to others what you want others to do to you. What if there was a time in our lives where we were that kind of people that needed help and there was none to help you because of how un-humble and selfish you always were. Everything has a consequence and depending to how we act we will end being happy of in terrible sadness. Baucis and Philemon were greatly blessed, because of being so nice to them and sharing the little and simple things they had. “Suddenly everything was changing. The poor little house, their simple cottage was becoming grander and grader, a glittering-marble colored temple. The straw and reeds of the thatched roof metamorphosed into gold, and gates with elaborate craving sprang up, as ground gave way to marble paving stones.” (pg. 82)

Last but not least we see one more about love, and how humble and caring Baucis and Philemon were. When they realized who were really there in their small house they were scared and just wanted to do more things to show how much their guests really were of importance. They, Zeus and Hermes decided to give them something else, whatever they wanted, and they weren’t selfish and asked for big unimportant things, but just asked to die at the same time, so one wouldn’t suffer for the other one that was missing. That I think is extremely lovely. It’s not like they asked to money to be given to them, or to be together and become immortal, but they asked to die at the same time. And they did, but they were also transformed into trees, which gave it a special touch to end with.

Phaetons Iambic Pentameter

For being brute, the world was all burned down;
No happiness came from this foolish clown.

Rebellious Phaeton and Eros and Psyche´s Blind Love

He we see a different kind of love. It isn’t like the love you feel for someone you like, but your family. I really like this passage because to me families a very important. They are like the center or the base that holds life together. Phaeton had a family like everyone else, but his was a little different, it was made up by Phoebus Apollo and Phaeton´s mom.

They really care for him, just like parents usually do, and in this case his mother comforted him after what had happened to him at school. “She gets all upset, crying and everything, because she still loves him.” (pg. 63) so she sent him to his father, who also loved him very much and wanted him to be happy, so he lends his cars keys and gives him some advice, because he knew that it wasn’t going to be easy and that he really needed to be careful, not to fly too high or too slow and so on, but he didn’t listen and that’s when the consequences come.

Here we see the importance of being obedient to our parents, they have lived longer and know more than we do, and even though times are different, they are still wise and know what is best for us, they always want us to be happy, because they love us so much. Things would have been different if Phaeton had listened to his dad, and there wouldn’t have been chaos and earth wouldn’t have been destroyed.



The tale of Eros and Psyche is very interesting, especially because it’s told in a totally different way. There are narrators, but the way they tell what it happening is by asking questions and answering them. I like how they say that Eros is blind folded, and in a way I it´s like saying that love is blind. There is also Psyche and how she was so perseverant and was one day, was finally able to be happy with someone she loved. “It´s just inevitable. The soul wanders in the dark, until it finds love. And so wherever our love goes, there we find our soul.” (pg. 76) I think this kind of means that without love we aren’t complete, but we can only find it when we have searched for it with our soul, but only after having found love, we find our soul. But how can we love if there is no soul and how can we have a soul if there is no love? Love coming from our soul, and souls existing thanks to love are just like a cycle, but with no beginning or end.

How Pomona and Vertumnus Got Together and Other Love Stories

I really liked this story and the way the characters in it told another story. The first one was between Vertumnus and Pomona, who at the beginning weren’t really in love, only Vertumnus was. He loved her, and possibly would die for her, but shenever paid him any attention. He started to dress up and act as if he was someone else, so maybe she would notice him. “With wings, costume, and makeup, he once tricked himself out as a soldier, romantically returned from foreign wars… he set himself up as an ordinary fisherman fishing in her path on the chance she might pass by” (pg. 50).

I think that in a way we can all relate to this story, because we sometimes want others attention and believe that if we do things or look different, then others will notice us, just like Vertumnus, but the truth is that that’s not the way things should be done. If you want to be noticed, then you should be yourself. There are probably stories of others that have been lucky and getting what they wanted, just by hiding ones true self, but how hard is it to be someone else for who you love and not be you for yourself? It is much easier to just be who you are with everyone.

At the end of the story we see that after Pomona told him to take his costumes off and saw who he really was, things got much better than what he had probably imagined. “When at last the god revealed himself just as he was, much to his surprise he had no need of words. Little Pomona was happy with what she saw, unadorned and undistinguished. Soon enough the vine was clinging the tree”. (pg. 62)

The story that is told by Vertumnus to Pomona is this story of Myrrha, who also fell in love, but this time, it all became a total tragedy. She had fallen in love with her father and the passion she had for him was so big and wild that she couldn’t control it. Not only was that wrong, but it led to other things happening, such as his father not helping her with what she felt but also cheating on his own wife with his daughter. This teaches us something else. We have to be able to control our passions and emotions so we don’t hurt ourselves or others that we care for. Even thought it might seem impossible, just like Aphrodite said, “You can shut yourselfin a room, bolt the door, but love will come through the window. Draw the curtains, lock the casement, but love will seep through the walls. Never think, never think that that you can be safe from love” (pg. 53). But I think it’s different, there is always a way.