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pdsohn
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Name: Patricia
Gender: Female
Interests: tea & rain reading a good book; interesting, intelligent conversations; kids; live jazz; dancing (the art, sport, stress-reliever, expression); artistic ability; music; writing (thus, this site, my journal, english class(es), story-telling); museums; crafting; cooking (including extensive hours watching Food Network & baking); making facial masks; shopping heedlessly; indulging in my faith; warm hugs; traveling
Expertise: psychoanalysis & disappearing with my family
Message: message me
AIM:  beaumondep
Member Since:
8/5/2006
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| as believers, we're not supposed to live under our little rocks trying to hid ourselves from the wretchedness of the world; we ARE the wretched world. Christ died on the cross so that He could make wretchedness into something beautiful, something significant...shouldn't that make us want to sing & shout? because we're made to be a part of such a magnificent purpose?
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| religion vs. the Gospel the vast majority of you may think christianity is some sort of religion and that i'm a religious person, that christians being religious people are always trying to convert others because we're a proselytizing religion.
that couldn't be further from the truth. you see, for starters, we're
all actually converted by something or someone. if you maintain your
dignity by keeping a free skeptical attitude towards all religious
doctrine, that in essence is merely a comportment towards
yourself, simply an alternate set of beliefs. skepticism and doubt are
learned skills, so you see, it's your comprehensive view of reality
that's going to form your identity. we're all converted by something.
more importantly, religion says
that you have to obey and be a moral, ethical, good person in order for
you to win the favor and love of your god. you have to pray 5 times a
days or perform certain rituals and adhere to certain religious
practices. you have to try try try your entire life to merit the
approval and acceptance of your god by doing good things and if at the
end of your life you've pleased your god, you'll be rewarded in some
way, shape, or form. that's religion. that's moral conformity. that's completely based on the violation of keeping certain rules and behaviors. christianity, however, espouses something called the Gospel. the Gospel is not religion. the Gospel says
that you're already loved, you're already accepted, that you've already
won the approval of God through Christ because you as a imperfect
person (i.e. a sinner) could never merit your way to God through your
own righteousness, through your own works, that you could never obey in
the first place so someone had to come and obey on your behalf. that's
the Gospel, Christ on the cross for your sins, and it뭩 only when you are sure of the Gospel that you'll ever begin to obey.
sin,
my friends, isn't a list of "bad" things that good people shouldn't do
or merely avoid. sin is not an individual, external action. if that
were the case, you could simply not partake in these things (everyone's
favorites seem to be drinking, smoking, cussing, sexual promiscuity
etc.) and be lulled into thinking that you were a good person. sin, to
the disbelief of some, is a condition, a propensity, a disposition, a
nature, an inclination. just like the nature of a ball is to roll and
the nature of a car is to be driven, the nature of man is to sin. we
can't help it. we're just programmed that way.
you see, every other religion promotes and advocates a "works" based salvation, that you have
to make-up for your inability to meet your god's standard of perfection
either through penances or "works", essentially doing good things,
following moral codes. the Gospel is radically different. it's
counterintuitive. it goes against the grain. the Gospel says that out
of love,
Christ was perfectly obedient on our behalf, that he made up for our
inability to meet God's standard of perfection (i.e. the law). Christ
was the propitiation for our sins because sin is punishable by death.
the Gospel also says that through faith in Christ, we're forgiven, free
of sin, and that through Christ's righteousness, and not our own,
things have been made right again with God. hence, i as a believer
don't obey to get God's love but rather because of it. Christ
didn't come to establish another religion. he came to do away with
religion! the Gospel is not religion. it's a relationship, a trusting
in the righteousness of another for our sins. it's not about moral
conformity or behavior modification. it's not so much about what we
should do (WWJD) but rather what Christ has already done. the
vast majority of people, even purported believers, think that
christians are only about forgiveness and pardon and that they then
have to try for the rest of thier lives to live up to certain moral
principles and standards. that's a perverted notion of sanctification.
that's absolutely wrong. purge that from your mind. why? because we as
sinners never could live up to those standards in the first place. sin
unduly ruined that chance to attain a certain standard of perfection.
that's why Christ had to come, because it's His perfect sinless life
and substitutionary death on the cross that atones for our sins. it's
his merit, not ours, that gets us to God. so can we stop being so
self-righteous, judgemental, bigoted, religious, and pharisaic and
return to the Cross, please? it's your justification that will fuel your
sanctification and never the other way around. here's some food for thought:
either
there is no God and after the sun goes out, nothing's going to be
around so it doesn't really matter how kind or ethical or moral of a
person you are or how you live your life now because eventually no one
will be around to remember...
or...
there is a God and you must swear complete allegiance to Him.
-rlc
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| Hello my precious ones,
As you may all heard the news of the recent tragedy at VT, I have also been
following the news very closely, even at work. This is truly a tragedy, and
my thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their family and friends, the
school, the community, and this country as everyone tries to make sense of
what has happened.
But I realize that our questions will probably never be completely answered.
This was an evil act done by an extremely disturbed young man, and his
ethnicity, race, gender, age, or any other salient characteristic does not
change that.
I do believe that the media is unnecessarily and irresponsibly focusing on
his nationality and immigrant background, and my friends and I have been
discussing the implications of this incident and how it's being portrayed.
I hope that we can all get past the fact that he was Korean. As much as
there is a collective sense of responsibility, this just brings to light the
fact that there are good people and bad people, adjusted people and lost
people. And we are in this world together. No man is an island, and
sometimes it takes something of this magnitude to remind us of that.
Let there be no confusion that it could've been anyone out there who
could've committed such violent act of crime though the word crime may not
be enough to describe this horrible act of an evil.
When it comes down to it, my heart goes out to all of those who are hurt and
grieving. I confess that it's times like this when faith is shaken and when
one can't help but wonder where was God during this time. But I am praying
for the eventual healing, comfort, and peace that will come.
I've always been a firm believer that the humanity should be valued before
any religious beliefs as we often get confused by two. This is why your
late grandfather and all your parents including myself always emphasized so
heavily on family values based on morality.
My thoughts are always with you all. Take care.
-Uncle Chris
oh man i absolutely love my family. reading this email from my uncle makes me realize how much family matters, & how i can't even begin to understand the pain the families in virginia are enduring.
crazy things happen when you least expect it. we're such fallen people. all of us. not just those who decide to wake up one morning and selfishly take his or her life along with the lives of other people, but also all of us who fail to acknowledge that we're all made of one body, one flesh, one blood: we who forget that the black person sitting across from us on the bus is just as successful, if not more, than we are. you who fail to see that not all asians are smart, not all mexicans are criminals, not all whites are racist. i, who am blind to acknowledge that annoyance is a superiority complex; the girl i stare down and roll my eyes at might be thinking just the same thing about me. the teacher who tolerates the colored kid getting picked on while he deliberately helps the white kid excel on his spelling assignment. the parents who favor their son over their daugher. the swim coach who says the handicapped can't make it across the pool. the news reporters who target anybody remotely affiliated with the accused & place a burning stigma on their community. mary who laughs at katie because katie isn't as pretty, isn't as rich, isn't as popular. the star quarterback, ignorant and unwilling to accept that his words do matter, who taunts the drama kid in the hallways. the US, that can't see the individual abilities of neighboring nations to develop at their own pace on their own terms--that these countries are fine without her help; society who refuses to see more than two feet beyond the comfort of its own space.
who gave us the right to say one is better than the other?
God made all of us in His image, as equals.
do you see how fallen we are? how much we need Him?
do people even care? | | |
| To my best friend. (!!)
Donna Sohn, I am so proud to be your sister!
Dad texted me & told me how successful Cafe Night was. This has been your dream since last year & I remember talking to you about it in ASB & you really made it happen! All your effort in making this charity event such a wonderful thing is so inspiring to me :) I wish I could've been there!
For those of you who don't know: Cafe Night was an event Dot had been planning for so long! It was like an open mic night/talent show in a decorated West High quad to raise money for Invisible Children. She contacted Marie Calenders & Starbucks & got all this food donated & raised $1180 from bakery items alone. They haven't even counted donations yet! ANDDDDDD being the superstar she is, she MCed & played "Only Hope" on la cello :) Wow wow, what a lovely person you are :) God is using you in so many ways & your charisma & huge heart encourage other people to embrace His great plans to help those who don't have the opportunity to live as freely as we do.
Oh! & congratulations on making UCSB's Honors Program :)!! Wherever you end up going, you're going to be fabulous. One down, ummm 4 more to go? 5? Keep them cominnn :)
i LOVE LOVE LOVE you! biggest hug in the entire world. | | |
| Cambodia: A Poster Child for Modern-Day Slavery
Children sold for small change.
02/19/2007
By Janet Root, Assistant Web Editor
Contributing Writer: Chamnap Nay, Cambodia Communications
After telling about how her aunt had sold her to a sexual predator, her "grandmother cried," says An. View an interactive slideshow about An's journey from poverty, betrayal, and abuse — to hope.
It's shocking to realize. This small, round-cheeked 14-year-old in the pale, pink sleeveless top (we will call her An, though her real name must be withheld to protect her privacy) could be a poster child for modern-day slavery.
Sold by her aunt and brutally raped by a sex predator, An’s experience parallels that of the approximately 2 million children in the world today enslaved in the global sex trade.
"I Thought He'd Kill Me!":
Last year, An recalls, she was invited to visit her aunt's house a few miles from the home she shared with her grandparents in Phnom Penh. During the visit, An's aunt asked her to walk with her to see a friend. When they arrived at an abandoned house, "My auntie told me that it was her friend’s house," she says. Claiming she needed to go shopping, the older woman told her niece to wait.
"My auntie promised to return, but [hours] later a man with a long beard came rushing toward me. He was very big, and when he pushed me, I had no energy to defend myself." When the man began to rip her clothes, she said "I thought he'd kill me. I wanted to call out … but could not shout."
An was brutally raped three times that night. It was just the beginning of a horrific siege of abuse. "I was imprisoned in that house," she explains. "The man kept doing the same thing to me every night. During the daytime, my legs, arms, and mouth were tied.”
How could a relative sell her own flesh and blood to a sex predator?
Exploitation's Origins:
There are no easy answers. But we do know that poverty makes children more susceptible to exploitation. Cambodians are among the world's poorest people; around a third of the population live on less than a $1 a day, and the vast majority go without electricity or running water. In this deeply impoverished Southeast Asian nation, the asking price for a child's body is $50 to $800.
While most of the men who abuse children in the country are local Cambodians, foreigners from wealthy countries searching for sex with children fuel an increased demand for young victims. Traffickers and brothel owners quickly service the demand. So-called sex tourists come to Cambodia, where they know they'll find impoverished, hence vulnerable, children; low-cost prostitution, anonymity, and a likely escape from prosecution.
The result of this toxic equation? An estimated one-third of prostitutes in Cambodia are children. Like An, these youths typically have been abuducted, lured, or deceived into sexual slavery — many of them sold to brothels.
Yet there is hope!
Amazing Grace: Wilberforce Film Brings Modern Day Slavery to Light:
Modern-day slavery takes many forms -- sexual exploitation of children, child laborers, and child soldiers chief among them. World Vision and the Amazing Change Campaign are working to increase awareness of historical and contemporary forms of slavery. Read more ...
Incremental Progress
Cambodia's government took a promising step to reduce child trafficking five years ago, forming the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department. Arrests and prosecutions have increased since then. However, justice for abused children is limited because legal enforcement is lacking.
As part of World Vision's commitment to protecting children, we are addressing this issue. We've joined forces with national governments, U.S. law enforcement agencies, and other organizations to combat child sex tourism through the Child Sex Tourism Prevention Project — a program that has proven effective in Cambodia, as well as Thailand, Costa Rica, and the U.S.
Earlier this year in Cambodia, World Vision spearheaded a conference at which some 100 attendees — from government ministries, law enforcement agencies, embassies, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations — were presented tools and methods to help them safely and effectively expedite the investigation and prosecution of sex offenders.
Such progress is to be applauded, but what about helping girls like An who have already been abused?
"I Was No Longer a Good Girl"
An's physical torment ended one humid, hot afternoon, two months after her ordeal had begun. Her rapist rushed breathlessly into the abandoned house where she had been imprisoned. "He untied my legs and arms and gave me $10 to leave. I jumped up and ran to find a taxi to take me home."
After telling her story to her grandparents, her grandmother cried, An says, adding: "I thought I was no longer a good girl for having my virginity taken away from me."
"Child in Crisis Partners":
Hearing of the small girl's tragic ordeal, one of An's neighbors suggested taking her to the Neavea Thmey Center. A sexual trauma recovery facility operated by World Vision, it is supported by donors who participate in our "Child in Crisis Partners" program.
World Vision's Trauma Recovery Center: Neavea Thmey:
Neavea Thmey, which means “new ship” in Khmer, infers the new journey girls embark upon in recovering from sexual abuse. In this protective, nurturing center, girls aged 8 to 18 are supported in a peer environment through the provision of: Basic services to assist the process of healing and recovery, including medical assistance, psychosocial counseling, spiritual counsel, and sports as well as recreational activities.
Educational and developmental support through informal education, and vocational and skills training for income generation. Support for reintegration back into society through family reconciliation services, foster care or group homes (whatever is appropriate for each girl).
Sexual exploitation prevention through research, networking, and targeted advocacy work:
Most girls' stay in the center is for a period of six to 12 months before starting their new life. More than 700 girls have been assisted by the Neavea Thmey Center since it opened in 1997.
"Like Entering Heaven":
"After arriving at the center, I felt like I was [entering] heaven … just day[s] before, I was imprisoned in a dark room with my legs and arms tied and had nothing to eat," An explains.
Staff at Neavea Thmey helped An to file a local police report about her abuse, but as is too often the case, An's aunt and the offender had already slipped away. During the six months she stayed at the center, An made many friends. "The center staff loved me and took care of me like their own daughter," she adds. In addition, she learned new skills. "I found it enjoyable to learn new skills at the center, especially hairdressing.” An also learned to read and write basic Khmer and English.
This approach fits the core of World Vision's work to tackle the causes of poverty, helping to reduce a child's vulnerability to enslavement. Educational opportunities are one of the best means to alleviate poverty, which puts young people like An at risk of being exploited.
New Beginnings
Since completing her stay at the Trauma Recovery Center, World Vision staff members have continued to follow up on An’s progress. They've also provided her and her family with a bicycle, food supplements, and two months of rent and school expenses so An has a head-start on her education, something the family could not afford before.
"I send my appreciation to World Vision for providing care to girls like An," says her grandfather, who acknowledges his granddaughter is much happier since returning home.
"I want to learn more," An concludes, "so I can qualify to work for a big company or start my own business." | | |
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