Are you ready for your death?

[year2027]

God first

Beloved Bolshevik

God loves you my dear friend

I hope you take your time maxing out all your credit cards I love having you here

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[Mister P-Mosh]

Mine? No.

However, there are a few others that sometimes...well nevermind. ;)

[year2027]

God first

Beloved Mister P-Mosh

God loves you my dear friend

ok

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[oenophile]

Dying is easy. Living can be a bitch in both the good and bad connotations.

Since I don't respond to threats of impending judgment and hell because a much crueler fate for me would be having to be subject to spending eternity with pious morons - my death at it's worst is just a mirror image of the eternity that preceded my birth. It didn't seem all that bad as I recall (if I could recall). I have hope that it will be a "twinkling of an eye" experience that will bring me to the big feast of fat things and wine aged on its lees and well refined as referred to in Isaiah.

So death holds little fear for me. I wish I could say the same things for deadlines, planning for retirement and irrate customers.

[year2027]

God first

Beloved oenophile

God loves you my dear friend

that is good "So death holds little fear for me"

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[Abigail]

I'm with you JonnyL! I often pray, "please God, let me live long enough to see my kids happily grown and bounce a few grandkids on my knee."

If I can do that, I think I can say I've had a good life. :)

[Ham]

I don't know if somebody can be ready, but maybe prepared..

so much we don't know. I can't say with certainty that I'll be here to be with my grandkids.. it would be nice..

:)

I find myself praying at times.. "God, don't let me die like this.." i.e. ignorant, clueless.. especially- did I REALLY make a difference here..at least this time around..

It seems the longer I live, the less I find I really know.

Ready? I don't know. When it comes, it will come..

I don't know if somebody can be ready, but maybe prepared..

so much we don't know. I can't say with certainty that I'll be here to be with my grandkids.. it would be nice..

:)

I find myself praying at times.. "God, don't let me die like this.." i.e. ignorant, clueless.. especially- did I REALLY make a difference here..at least this time around..

It seems the longer I live, the less I find I really know.

Ready? I don't know. When it comes, it will come..

[year2027]

God first

Beloved Abigail and Mr. Hammeroni

God loves you my dear friends

Abigail - I hope you "bounce a few grandkids on your knee."

Mr. Hammeroni - yes "it would be nice.." for you - we all do this when we see a painful death "I find myself praying at times.." "God, don't let me die like this.."

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[Ham]

I dunno.. I think death is only the end of a cycle of sorts here. Perhaps the real question here is not are you ready, or are you afraid.. what awaits, on the other side..

this is so terrifying to some, that some tribes of man refuse to even discuss it.

"some of us" here remember or at least think we remember what it was like to come into this existence..

:)

I think our entrance to existence was more like death than life.. jumping into a whirlpool, not knowing exactly what waited for us at the bottom..

can you imagine.. what it would be like, to be at one with everything.. yet we chose to leave this for a half a second of individuality on this plane of existence..

I wonder what the attraction was. I think we made a few agreements, more than a few bargains for it. Even to experience the worst of times here..

but the exit will not be so much different.

I like the apostle Paul's analysis.. we came into this world with NOTHING.. we will leave the same way. But I think we will take something.. otherwise the experience would mean nothing.

[Ham]

The answer I'm looking for.. I think it is related..

I've met those who fear connecting to others.. in a real, genuine way..more than the fear of dying.. and sometimes I can't figure why.

Why some cannot accept unconditional love..

I think it is somehow related to this individuality we have.. but I only have a few theories..

:)

[J0nny Ling0]

Yes, it is a bit morbid, to think about it that is...

[year2027]

God first

Beloved Mr. Hammeroni and Jonny Lingo

God loves you my dear friends

Mr. Hammeroni - yes end of a cycle with next stage coming - " think our entrance to existence was more like death than life" me too - "the exit will not be so much different" yes it will -

I see we came into this world with inner self that which we learn within the womb how to grow- how to kict

Mr. Hammeroni -yes all need unconditional love

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[Too Gray Now]

Hi.

I have been dealing with a diagnosis of cancer for about a year now. Treatments, surgery, etc. But the hardest thing for me was the fear that this was the thing that would do me in. It was not the prospect of the event of dying that creeped me out - it was the process that I could see in which I was likely to be involved. I didn't want that. At all.

I had to find a way to face it before I could beat it. I have. It is called EFT. Emotional Freedom Techniques. Just Goolgle it if you want to find out about it and watch the video in the upper right hand corner of their home page.

Cancer turns you into a walking pragmatist. EFT worked for me. Getting my emotional life in sync with the rest of what I needed was a huge advantage, in my situation.

So - in answer to the topic's question, Roy - I would rephrase it and say it this way; I am now ready for my future. All of it!! :)

[pond]

Im not dying so it is easy for me to say this.

Im ready, some days more trhan others.

my life has not been easy or beautiful, it has had momnets of goodness and years of hell forsaken survival.

Im sorry for it as well.

maybe i do need prayer.

but it seems to me sleep is better than this day by day stuff.

I do try , I really do. and then life happens again.

so yes Im ready.

but i am alive because in case the children need help, if I am able oftentimes Im not because money is and has always been an issue.

so yes im ready., but i would not want to hurt the children.

[excathedra]

roy, interesting you asked this question

this morning i was trying to wake my son up. he was soooooooooooo into sleeping !!!! and i thought, doesn't the bible say something about death being like sleep ? in that case, how wonderful !!!!!

the kids around here are listening to eminem's latest song and it starts out "are you afraid to die" or something (it has really bad language in it), but the kids are loving it

what am i trying to say ?

i'm not really afraid to die, but i don't want to die right now. i want to make sure my son has someone who truly loves him. i want him to have a lovely wife and kids and then it won't hurt him so bad when i'm gone

--

roy, it's really nice how you answer everyone's post back to you

love,ex

[excathedra]

too gray now, i'm so happy to see you !!!!!!!!

i was very very very very sad when LG died

also jimmy

and many others

i hope they're sleeping comfortably

[year2027]

God first

Beloved Too Gray Now, pond, and excathedra

God loves you my dear friends

Too Gray Now - "EFT. Emotional Freedom Techniques" I know what this is and it can help with many things I glad it helps you - It blesses me that you can say "I am now ready for my future. All of it!! "

pond - yes "my life has not been easy or beautiful, it has had momnets of goodness and years of hell forsaken survival. " that is good - I am glad you can say "so yes Im ready" - yes no one " want to hurt the children. "

excathedra - I believe so "doesn't the bible say something about death being like sleep ? in that case, how wonderful !!!!!" - this is a great desire "i'm not really afraid to die, but i don't want to die right now. i want to make sure my son has someone who truly loves him. i want him to have a lovely wife and kids and then it won't hurt him so bad when i'm gone"

yes I try "roy, it's really nice how you answer everyone's post back to you"

thanks for the love excathedra

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[Too Gray Now]

Ex,

Thanks for saying it was good to see me... believe me when I say, it is GOOD to be seen!! I am sorry to hear that LG passed on. I offered to talk with him, but - I can certainly understand his frame of mind. By the time he posted his last thread, he sounded as if he had himself prepared to die. It does take preparation. I have recently lost 3 people who were fighting cancer - you get familiar with how people talk when they know they are being stalked by this robber of life...

For me, I can say, today... this may very well have been the best thing that I ever went through. It has changed me. Deeply. For the better, I should add. Not only do I feel 10 years younger, etc. but I have a whole different view of everything.

I don't think I am any more special or "blessed" than anyone else - so it is difficult for me to see so many people have a crappy outcome... Seriously, when it all started to unwind a year ago, I figured I would be dead and they would all outlive me. But that is not what happened.

I don't think it is a just a roll of the dice, either. I am not that fatalistic or that much of a determinist.

There is some slop in the deterministic mechanisms that are blamed for starting cancer: (diet, DNA, stress levels, toxins which we have been subjected to over the years... etc.). This is why one person can smoke and eat like crap, no problem... and some other poor soul can not get away with squat - some cancer victims are nice people, yet some of the survivors are jerks -

Ever noticed that cancer doesn't seem to care about all these risk factors in the same way we do? Some might say say that cancer is being arbitrary.

I mean if it can have the right to be arbitrary - then so should I - to some degree. At least I ought to be as free a life form as cancer is. If cancer has the freedom to say, "GOTCHA, TOO GRAY!!" Then I ought to be able to say, "No you DON'T!!"

Saying it is easy. Feeling it, is another matter. I had doubt in my heart. And no scripture could evict it. My doubt was not intellectual. It was energetic or emotional in origin. Giving myself pep talks was a waste of time.

Sorry for rambling on...

I know that many people face this beast and loose.

I may still loose to cancer.

But...

Not today.

Roy, glad to hear that you know about EFT.

For anyone who wants to see about a 5 min. video...

http://www.emofree.com/splash/video_popup.asp

Edited June 25, 2007 by Too Gray Now

[doojable]

I read Too Gray's story and I was reminded of this poem. I used to read it a lot when I was a teenager - for reasons I will not go into now - but I can say it had nothing to do with me.

Invictus

William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903

OUT of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

[year2027]

God first

Beloved excathedra, Too Gray Now, and doojable

God loves you my dear friends

excathedra I see you were written to Too Gray Now while I was written I glad to see Too Gray Now too

Too Gray Now - yes that a great site and I hope others look into EFT too

doojable - great poem I enjoy it

I would love to hear Too Gray Now as subject of the Grese Spot Radio imterview by Paw but that is up to them

but I enjoy reading you Too Gray Now

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[GrouchoMarxJr]

I read Too Gray's story and I was reminded of this poem. I used to read it a lot when I was a teenager - for reasons I will not go into now - but I can say it had nothing to do with me.

Invictus

William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903

OUT of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

Wow!...that was worth repeating...excellant.

[year2027]

God first

Beloved GrouchoMarxJr

God loves you my dear friend

yes its a great poem

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[Lori]

Honestly, I haven't thought much about death. My son just married last year, I have an 11 year old daughter. I want to be around for a long time to come.

I have had some health issues, and fortunately, none that I can't handle.

I think everyone understands it will happen at some point unless like JLingo said, Christ does return.

That would be so awesome. Just imagine! There will be some people who won't ever die!

I would have to say, this is also my yearning, but no one knows when that will happen. When you look at what the Apostles of old and believers in our times have said, they hung on to that possibility. I think that's why God never did say when! It's always something we can look forward to. The other passages also offer comfort, such as sleep, a twinkling of an eye...

So, if it does happen, it would be like I fall asleep, and the next thing I know, I'm alive again.

But, I agree with the others. My concern would be for those I leave behind.

My goal is to leave behind children who are at least, well established, and able to carry on without me.

Edited June 26, 2007 by Lori

[year2027]

God first

Beloved Lori

God loves you my dear friend

yes we want you here "for a long time to come" too

yes "if it does happen, it would be like I fall asleep, and the next thing I know, I'm alive again."

loving goal "My goal is to leave behind children who are at least, well established, and able to carry on without me. "

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

[T-Bone]

Great thread Roy, thanks. And great poem, Dooj – thanks for sharing that!...Like a lot of things, thoughts about my death have significantly changed since I left TWI…Am I ready? I hope so. As I continue to weed out TWIt-brain I now find thoughts of my own mortality usually drift toward self-examination – thinking about how I've treated family, friends and strangers lately. Part of TWIt-brain was that arrogant, know-it-all attitude that assumed you've got the full scoop on this life and a guaranteed seat in heaven. I don't think I'm as much afraid of death as I am of a slow, utterly painful death – I'm squeamish about pain.

This probably all sounds like nonsense and unchristian – but this is the way my head "works." I believe I'm a Christian but no longer have that cocksure attitude about it – and figure maybe that's the way God designed people. Perhaps fears, self-doubts and reflection are meant to focus thinking toward what really matters. I don't mean so I will discover the truth or the ultimate reality. I mean to say that self-doubts, realizing my mortality…my humanness - forces me to review and re-evaluate the core of my beliefs and if I'm being true to them.

Another very important aspect of "being ready for death" is preparing a will and any other legal instruments, buying life insurance, etc. needed to lessen the blow to family and friends. Since I don't like pain – why should I dump any additional pain on those I care about.

Edited June 26, 2007 by T-Bone