Well, it has been some time since I have done anything in any of my clubs! For that I am SOOOO sorry. We'll see what I can do to improve that. But I really don't see why I didn't think of this before. Anyway, I got a note from asking for a prayer request for her brother. Here are some details that she gave me in the note in his behalf:

"My brother, Joshua Kosch, was involved in an accident on Friday afternoon. He was hit by a train. He is in critical condition right now, but hit condition has improved from extremely critical condition. He has many broken and fractured bones and an amputated leg. His condition is improving, but please spread the word and pray for Josh. He has received many prayers, but more could only speed his recovery. I know you may be busy, but my journal has more details on his condition. If you have time, please read and link others to the journal to have them pray for Josh. My family and I appreciate your help. Thank you and God bless you."

When I found this, I thought it would something I had missed from a month or two back, but to my relief, it was just from today! But if all of you would be willing to go to this member's page and give support, pray for her brother, or send along whatever well wishings you may for Joshua, that would be amazing.

Oh, and since this journal needs adding to, please note the club if you have anything you would like to have added. Give whatever details you want by note or whatever and I will get them in this journal ASAP.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers. God bless and may our creator shelter you always.

Love ya!

Okay, this will be the rough sketch beginning first thing...lol yeah, the first of what I hope is many to come. I want to make this a message of the week and I would love this to be a host for many open discussions, shared beliefs, opinions, etc.

The basic rule of respect for each person's beliefs and opinions will hold, no flaming will be tolerated. We are speaking on a topic of religion and will and must allow for us to have an open ear at the right moments. Thank you!

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And with that said, let's go on to the message of this week! I hope I can keep this updated as often as I want lol. All of you, please feel free to contribute thoughts, ideas, scriptures, poems, stories, whatever you like.

2/24/07 - Okay, this one is from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 8 verses 23 through 27:

23 ¶ And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

With this, I want to talk about faith. Jesus Christ, as always, has shown us a great example and taught us much in so little.

In this day and age we have been greatly blessed with numerous ways of telling what may happen, what will likely happen in the near future. We have things that help us predict the weather, where there will be a storm, when it will hit, where it will hit, and how long it will last. But in the era of this scripture, they had no such things. They learned the ways of the sea, when to go out, when to come back in, and with their small degree of knowledge, they still couldn't predict everything. Nor can we for that matter. They placed more trust I think in the Lord and Master, whom they knew was with all of them always. Not just His physical presence, but He was there.

It says that he was sleeping, but that point doesn't matter to me so much. His attention was directed toward the "crisis" at hand. The winds and the seas were likely thrashing the boat to and fro, and considering the described state of mind of His disciples, I believe it must have been fierce indeed. But to whom did they turn first? To the Lord of all, who has power over all. He created, He had power over that which He had created. For those on the side of God, fear had no place in their hearts...this is the point I believe that I need to take from this script in particular. What this may hold in store for the rest of you, I do not know. You must all learn from the scriptures what you will, and His spirit will direct you to the knowledge you need to find.

This is a theme I have taken upon myself however. I would like to become so firm in the faith of my Lord and Savior that the winds, rain, and thunderous cyclonic storms will have no effect upon me. I am on the side of my Lord, and no matter what happens, I am STILL on His side. Those on His side are on the side of a greater force than the opposition. So fear should hold no sway over my heart, right? Well, it does still. I am still human and I let my fears ride in my heart much, but with time and nurturing this seed of faith I have planted in my heart, then I will...overcome. And I will BECOME the righteous servant of God I wish to be. That is part of my faith.

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Any comments, questions, additions, etc. that any of you want to share will be more than welcome. Thanks so much for everything all of you! God bless.


Grand Maester
aka President(or something like that)

All right, here's the scripture passage for this month. Sorry that it's a little late in coming.

Proverbs 3:1-26

1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 ¶ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 ¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 ¶ My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 ¶ Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 ¶ My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

This is a long passage that I chose, but it is beautiful and touches upon what I have felt impressed to speak for several days now. God is there. God loves us. He is our Father God and He wants and knows we can succeed. But we are so good at blinding ourself to our own abilities and gifts that He constantly bestows upon us.
In this world of perfectionists and discouragement, it is very difficult not to be taken down. We don't see the power of His almighty hand. In some ways, we now face the greatest opposition of all. This world promotes neutrality toward everything and discourages many from speaking. I myself have had a heart filled with fear for years. For this reason and a few others, I have not spoken, I have not felt, and I have denied myself the blessings of heaven. I have kept shut the windows of heaven for fear of what it might contain.
A religious speaker that I value made this comment in one of the speeches I listen to often enough and I'll rephrase it how I think it needs to be spoken right now. How do you cure the ills of the world? How do you help the weary, cure the pain in your heart, banish fear, etc.? You want to get the Word of God into people. You can cure much by means of temporal study. Counseling can do much good, but so can the Word of God in our lives. These things together work as two blades of scissors, and will cut out of your lives the threadbare and then you may opt to fill it with the filling, all-encompassing light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I believe each and every one of us has times of self-realization, times when we truly commune with the One, but our fears deny us understanding. Our God offers us peace and love. Charity. The pure love of Christ.
I have been learning over a hard process of turning to see the truth that I have been covering my eyes to that our God and Father truly loves us. He has faith in us. And, more than anything, He wants us to succeed. But that is something we need to learn to love, to trust, to have faith in Him. He has faith in us, but we must come to cultivate that bond of faith and trust between us. He wants us to learn that we can succeed and we need not fear failure. Failure for me now is exciting. It's just one step closer to my ultimate goal and true success! We are here to progress, to learn, to overcome, to love. Beyond that, we all have our personal reasons, but they remain just that - personal. But we are all here to succeed! And once we know that in our heart, what will hold us back?

God loves you all my dear brothers and sisters. He loves you and wishes the best for you. We all - each and every one of us - have the potential within, the ability, to become what He sees in us.
Speaking with a friend about my church a few days ago, I said something that has stuck in my mind: TO BECOME YOU MUST FIRST OVERCOME. I believe that with my whole heart and soul. I am confident, to a certain measure, that I can and will succeed. And my heart responds and I feel it is true. It is true for each of you as well.
Partake of the Word of God. It is healing and rest and peace to all of our souls. It will grant us that peace even when all of the world throws its fiery darts at us. Holding tight to His hand, I promise you, they will not penetrate.

God bless you all, now and always.

Okay, this month's theme, as some of you may have already guessed, will be centered around the reason for the season. This is Christmas and the season we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our scripture this time will be a bit long, but it is a familiar one to many of us. May we celebrate his birth, life, and sacrifice that all of us might live. God bless all of you always!



St. Luke 2:1-21.



1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David: )
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.





If any of you have any stories, experiences, writing/submissions to share before Christmas/New Year's, please do! Thanks for everything!


Grand Maester
a.k.a. Prez

You Melt the Madness
Jericho Road

Some days it feels like I am walking through a storm
A strong wind blowing at my heart.
I long for shelter only you can give me Lord
You are all I need, cuz you’re the Prince of Peace.

You melt the madness you calm the fear inside of me
When the world is spinning out of control.
You stop the struggle.
Lord it’s your love that brings sweet rest to my soul
And my heart knows you melt the madness.

You melt the madness.

It seems this crazy world is never gonna change,
So, Lord I want you to change me.
And in the chaos I’ll be calling out your name.
Won’t you set me free with your serenity?

You melt the madness you calm the fear inside of me
When the world is spinning out of control
You stop the struggle
Lord it’s your love that brings sweet rest to my soul
And my heart knows
Come what may, no matter what I face,
I’ll be still and know that you are God.

You melt the madness
You calm the fear inside of me
When the world is spinning out of control
You stop the struggle
Lord it’s your love that brings sweet love to my soul
And my heart knows

You melt the madness
(You melt the madness)
You melt the madness

You melt the madness.



What His Love is For
Jericho Road

You say the world is cold and gray
Your eyes are brave but your confidence is slipping away
I see shadows move across your face and I wish I could save you
And take you from this place

Beyond the ache you feel right now is one who feels it more
So open up and let it go, that’s what his love is for
That’s what his love is for.

You think you’ve got to carry this all on your own.
So hard for me to seek the truth and do it all alone.
I’m here for you I’ve been where you are.
The healing will find you, just open up your heart.

Beyond the ache you feel right now is one who feels it more.
So open up and let it go, that’s what his love is for.
And nothing you can do will change his love for you.
Whatever it is he will be there for you.

Beyond the ache you feel right now is one who feels it more.
So open up and let it go, that’s what his love is for.
That’s what his love is for.

Beyond the ache you feel right now is one who feels it more.
So open up and let it go, that’s what his love is for.
That’s what his love is for.



Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune thy heart to sing thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Lord of thy redeeming love.

Here I’ll raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy health I’m come.
And I hope by some good measure
Safely to arrive at home.

Prone to wander God I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.

Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be.
Let thy goodness, as a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here’s my heart oh take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.

Here’s my heart oh take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.



Every Single Tear
Jericho Road

You feel insignificance whisper in the wind.
Sometimes you think nobody knows your name.
(oh yeah)
But there’s Somebody watching over you,
And He knows everything you’re going through.

He sees every single tear.
He feels everything you’re feeling,
Wants to hold you close and dry your eyes.

Oh, your heart is what He hears
When the world just hears you crying.
No matter what the pain, He cares
About every single tear.

Overwhelmed by circumstances out of your control
And hope can be the hardest thing to find.
When you’re like a heart without a home,
Oh, you don’t have to face this hurt alone.

He sees every single tear.
He feels everything you’re feeling.
He wants to hold you close and dry your eyes.

Oh your heart is what He hears,
When the world just hears you crying.
No matter what the pain, He cares
About every single tear.

If God adores the lilies of the field,
And cares for every sparrow in the sky,
How much more is he aware of your sorrow and despair,
How much does he care about your life?

He sees every single tear.
He feels everything you’re feeling.
He wants to hold you close and dry your eyes.

Oh your heart is what he hears.
When the world just hears you crying.
No matter what the pain he cares,
About every single tear.

He feels everything you’re feeling.
He wants to hold you close and dry your eyes.

Your heart is what he hears
When the world just hears you crying.
No matter what the pain he cares
About every single tear.



Clay in His Hands
Jessie Clark

There are times we all feel unimportant.
There are times we feel we’ve nothing there to give.
That our lives are like the waves upon the ocean.
Tossing to and fro, no compass from within.

But our Lord, our Father, we are the clay He is the potter, we are the work of His hands.

We are clay in his hands, centered on the wheel.
As the wheel spins the potter molds, creating something beautiful.
We are clay in his hands and all we can become is shaped by the master,
That’s where his finest work is done.

At times along the way there’ll be refining,
As flaws appear that weaken from within.
If we are pliable and trust in the master’s hand
They can disappear as though they’d never been.

Because our Lord, our father, we are the clay he is the potter
We are the work of his hand.

We are clay in his hands, centered on the wheel.
As the wheel spins the potter molds, creating something beautiful
We are clay in his hands, and all we can become
Is shaped by the master, that’s where his finest work is done.

Holding strong even through fire.
All my strength it will require.
But as God’s vessel we emerge.
And lasting beauty will endure.

We are clay in his hands,
Centered on the wheel.
As the wheel spins the potter molds
Creating something beautiful

We are clay in his hands,
All we can become
Is shaped by the master,
That’s where his finest work is done.

We are clay (in his hands)
We are clay (in his hands)
We are clay (in his hands)




Grand Maester
a.k.a. President