The Angelcraft Foundation for Education

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Blue Bay, Nov 8th 2009
 
Along with several members of our board of directors we set out to participate in the releasing of baby turtles during some R&R Blue Bay Resort in September..   
 
I was concerned with the fact that I was about to release this small and delicate creature into a very dangerous and hostile environment.  The ocean is filled all kinds and types of fish some of which are psychopathic and have no second thoughts about eating a baby sea turtle. Indeed the ocean is a dangerous place for little creatures the likes of which we held in our hands that day.
 
It amazes me that these little creatures can live for so long and that they can even survive at all being that they are practically on the bottom end of the food chain.  For good luck, I named my turtle Jules in honor of Jules Vern the writer who wrote 20,000 leagues under the sea.  
 
 This was for all us a very memorable trip and have agreed to make it a tradition.          
 
 
 
Mazatlan Nov 7th 2009
 
Those who have difficulty loving understand life and reason very differently from those who practice caring.  Love is not a rocket science though some religions would have one believe that the higher truths can only be atained though the metafisical arts.  Yet if one so wholly emersed in the metafisics cannot love properly then what good has the practice of meditation done for their lives?
  
One should not need to meditate to learn how to love. Yet I have trouble understanding how one could meditate and NOT know how to love.  Love is not game, it is serious business and should not be played with.  I have made many mistakes in this life, even my love has failed, but never has departed from me the source of its power.  Like St Augustine, at one time my life was given to hedonistic pleasures, but love continues to press upon my life regardless of my past and even current mistakes.  It has shown me how to love more than anything else and ultimately the source of why people fail in their efforts to sustain relationships. 
 
I am divorced and no one loved me more than my ex wife Maria. I failed her, but I have never forgotten what an incredible woman she was.  Marias light finally came to me, but only after meeting and having encounters with its antithesis.  I feel as if she has never left me at least in Spirit and because of my mother and my wifes love I am the person I am today.  Love has helped me come to grips with many things and I have no fear.  Not of dying not of anything. What I do fear is that those that I love many themselves never learn how to because their alter of worship is not located in their hearts rather in their hurts.  I fear the loss of soul to darkness by those who pratice hurting others. And although we may act right when the spotlight is on us, if our motivations are wrong our true natures will in time surface again. 
 
I have learned in my walk with those who live in darkness that nomatter what words they use to impress spiritually, they are always revealed by their fruits.  Love has no trouble admitting mistakes, and can easily accept fault or blame for the mistakes of others even if it was not their fault much like the Christ once did.  But those who cannot admit mistakes are enslaved to their image and if threatened will go to great lengths to destroy the image of others just so they can look the better person.  If you have someone like this in your life and you are not strong spiritually you can easily become their slave.  Nevertheless, your love is strength and will not allow you to be abused and will always find a solution.  
 
In its perfect application, love is very much like telling the truth, in that we must do it not because we are expected, but because its the right thing to do.  And if we lose focus of this most basic concept, no chicken soup for the soul book, will teach us how to love nomatter how many we read.  If you suffer for your love, worry not because in the long run Love is not mocked, and is in itself its own reward  
 
-JC Angelcraft
 
  
   

Mazatlan Mexico Sunday October 18th 2009

 

Everything with Conscience, Everything with Purpose, Everything with Love.

 

Do everything with conscience, for conscience is the divine compass that guides the human spirit towards personal truth.  Like all things in nature, do everything with purpose, for everything in nature has purpose. From the destructive and regenerative power of volcanoes to the winds and currents that circumnavigate the globe everything is purposeful.  All living things have purpose, even creatures as small as bees.  But purpose and conscience alone do not a human make.  However, to some these qualities alone may by themselves seem sufficient, but without love they are like a garden without a gardener or a bee without a flower.  For as love defines conscience compelling the gardener to care for the flowers, so too does it help us find purpose for our own lives.  And like the conscious gardener whose purpose makes happy the tulip, which makes the nector that gladdens the hummingbird, so too does love make the human heart flower amidst a world filled with weeds of doubt, hurt, and pain.  To some, love is God; but if you do not believe in God at least consider the tangible world in which you live.  If you can believe in nature, then you can believe in love.  Consider –If you will—the march of emperor penguin, an event only recently seen by human eyes yet one that has been enjoyed by the stars for millions of years.  Love is a lake that nurtures the tree which provides oxygen and fruit, things that alone could sustain our survival.  Love is the purposeful rain that waters the soil that sprouts the seed that grows into the corn which we bless at meals.  Love is a living, breathing, ever conscious planet that rotates daily so that we may not be overcome by the sun.  And if purpose is the journey of the honey-bee, then love is the pollen inside a flower and conscience, the process that makes happy the bear that discovers the hive.  Love is Purpose.  Love is Conscience.  But most of all love is the never ending force that like the emperor penguin never gives up the hope that a part of itself will one day return of its own accord to the place from which it once came.  Love is an avil upon which we forge with hope the dreams of brighter future and the better smiths we become, the higher we will soar until at last we enter the heavens where the angels still talk about that first march millions of years ago when the penguins were called forth from the sea.   And though you may not believe in angels, believe in love, for it believes in you and surrounds you daily with evidence of its existence.  So the next time you bite into a fruit or feel the caress of a soft gentle breeze upon your cheek remember these words.  Love is always a choice.                  

 

-JC Angelcraft     

 
Guadalajara Saturday, August 15, 2009
 

Francisco Ortiz Orthopedic "Integrity, Value and Great Service."

In the United States, the cost of prosthetic limbs can be pricy even for the most basic bare bones unit.  For those without Insurance there are few options.  Like those who must shop for lower cost prescription medicines, the brave will travel across the border into Mexico hoping to find an economical solution that will fit their budget.   In the process, many discover that the prices for orthopedic limbs are not that much different from the U.S. market.  The stories of low cost orthopedics that often attract bargain hunters are in most cases based on charity work designed to help Mexico’s most impoverished citizens.   Because of the need for prosthetic limbs among the poor in Mexico and Latin America is so great, the quality though sufficient for its intended client, is not often acceptable to the average American.  The next step is to search the thousands of orthopedics in all the major cities with hopes of finding an intermediary solution.  Subsequently, the time and diligence it takes to get fitted with a decent limb at a reasonable price often offsets the cost savings.  Though there are many reasonable orthopedic offices out their, without help or guidance it is often difficult to know which one to chose.  In Guadalajara, there are hundreds to choose from and many with the name Ortiz a name recognized worldwide for value and quality in orthopedics.  After researching several, I decided on Francisco Ortiz.  I made an appointment over the phone and was informed that the initial consultation was free.  Not knowing my way around the city to well, I gave the address to a cab driver who took me promptly to the office.  To my delight, it was a nice looking, clean, and orderly mom and pop shop located in the middle of a small community the kind of place that makes you feel at home.  I was greeted by a kind secretary named Patty and asked to wait for about 5 minutes.

On my first visit, Dr. Francisco Ortiz was attentive and caring and seeing my needs asked me what my budget was.  He then showed me what was available in the price range.  Seeing his prices were very reasonable, I immediately upgraded and chose a better system.   In the first week, I was fitted with a working limb and socket and trained to walk.  Francisco then told me to return when the socket had loosened.  Once my amputated limb had shrunk and the socket no longer fit snug, as Francisco told me would happen, I returned to the office and was fitted with my permanent and final socket.  The whole process took approximately two months.    I was very impressed with Dr. Francisco Ortiz’s honesty and work ethic.  Throughout the entire ordeal of learning how to walk,   he never rushed me and was very patient throughout the entire process.  Needless to say, I  would recommend his services to anyone looking for a good prosthesis at a reasonable price.   Dr. Francisco Ortiz may be located at

Address

Francisco Ortiz Ortopedia

Juan Manuel No. 1158
Estadio Poniente, 44290
Guadalajara, Jalisco
www.guadalajara.wired.com.mx/261301/Ortiz---Rodriguez---Francisco.html

From the United States dial 011 52 (333) 825 2805

In Mexico outside of Jalisco dial (333) 825 2805

Inside Guadalajara Dial 38 25 28 05
 
 
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 --

   

 As I practice to learn how to walk again, I like to reflect on the steps the Angelcraft Foundation for Education has taken to achieve the goals it has set out for itself.  With each subsequent step, we gain more strength and confidence toward our primary vision a quest that hopes to bring educational equality to children lacking in the basic opportunities that many of us take for granted.  Despite obstacles in our path, we have succeeded in learning how to overcome challenges by taking baby steps not being afraid of falling down and knowing all the while that experience is often the best teacher.  Today, I seem to notice amputees more than I had before and likewise, the discovery of other organizations similar in nature to our own has been a most encouraging prospect giving us comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our perceptions.   We look forward to a productive future and to partnership with others who believe that helping marginalized children in education is the best path to a better future for all.  

 

 

 

 

 

JC "off the record" an exercise in personal thought

 

Many people think we are a religious organization.  People have asked me about my personal faith.  For the record, we are not a religious organization. For the record, I am not a new-ager. I was raised catholic, then converted to protestant early in life and today am without a denomintation. However, to keep in harmony with my family I attened mass every now and then.  But as catholics go, I am not a very good one.

 

I studied many religions and have ventured into all the mainstream churches and have come to find good things in all of them.  I am a deep admirer of Billy Grahm, Chuck Swindol, Greg Lorie, Bill & Eva Snyder, Chuck Smith, the Holy See and many others.  I enjoy the Jewish faith and was even once honored with a yamulka...I think thats how you say it.  To me acceptance by members of the Jewish faith is an honor and by any religion that believes in God and in good works. I have hosted many Mormons and Jehovas Witnesses in my house believing we should never turn away those who represent God and who come to speak to us of him.  I have felowshipped with Muslims and those of Irans Bahai movement not to exclude some Zoroastrians that came to break bread with me.  

 

I am not a person who gets sidetracked or distracted by dogma.  I feel that dogma can negatively affect spiritual discernment, but is not altogether unuseful.  I have come to understand that many people need their dogma and do not make them the less for it.   I would like to think of myself as dogma-less but even not having a dogma can be a dogma in itself if that makes any sense. 

 

My training in psychology allows me to interact in any religious circle or group that will have me and positively participate without infringing.  Only upon the insistance that that there is only one perfect relgion.. and many have profressed it, do I sometimes falter.  Various religions have told me to ask the Holy Spirit who will testify as to the question at hand.  The problem with this however, is that members from different relgions claim perfect truth revealed to them by the Holy Spirit.  And what follows may confound.  Religions claiming perfect truth may all be right though on the surface in the temporal world of logic one would have to be wrong.   Yet many of them may serve as a path to God.  How can this be?  It depends on how we view truth. 

 

For example, a man gets marooned on an Island and he has only one book and that book is the bible and it draws him close to God and to good works, then the bible is for that man, his perfect truth. 

 

Simultaneously, a woman on another Island only has a Koran and it draws her close to God and leads her to good works then for that woman Allah is perfect truth and is made evident by the fruit of the spirit. 

 

Yet conflicts between religions are cause to much suffering in the world. These conflicts are human creations and have nothing to do with God or perfect truth.   Terrorism nor politics from a christian based nation that lead to war is by any means representative of God.  

 

The reason religion's war  against each other or have trouble getting along is because they cannot accept that another religion may also be right.  We get so hung up on dogma we fail to see that God loves all who draw close to him nomatter what religion they are.  Draw close to God and God will draw close to you.  Seek God and you will find God and you will know when his spirit is present in your life. This explains why a Jew, a Christian, A Morman, A Muslim, et.al. can all say with conviction that the Holy Spirit revealed to them truth.  However, the nature of that truth is a concept relative to God and often beyond human understanding.  I believe that God is not the author of confusion, but rather humans create confusion by thinking they can define, shape, and limit God's truth to support only the perameters of their religion.  To know perfect truth one must first get to know God. 

 

If humans want to know God they must first look at themselves through his eyes, know their own faults, accept and be responsible for their own mistakes even those that they think that no one ever took notice.  Then having stood before the self-judgment throne with the conscience that God sees all, they are then completely exposed and humbled.  In humility,  they can proceed with asking God the greatest thing one could ask aside from his forgiveness and that is to be able to see the world through his eyes.   This ability to see the world through Gods eyes is truly a gift. It is my most favorite prayer. If everyone could see with Gods eyes their would be no wars religious or political.  There would be no famine or poverty.  However, many people have barriers and because of desire to live only for themselves they avoid God and use the mistakes of religion as an excuse of not getting to know him or the Holy Spirit. 

 

The Spirit of God is alot like a begger who will not go away for want of a coin.  Most of us will avoid beggers and do everything we can not to confront the reality of a destitute soul looking for our help when in reality it is us who are desititute for impoverished is the human that does not take pity on the poor.   

 

Poor people and beggers make many people feel uncomfortable, but so too does the real Spirit of God which like begger will persist and persue us to get our attention hoping we might take interest.  And even though we turn our backs on God or avoid going to places we associate with God, God's spirit never ceases to try and get our attention.  So in God's point of view if Carla Jones #2,395 has trouble in her religion do to negative associations created by confused humans, there are always other religions and possibilities for Carla Jones.  The paradox is that though one human is blessed by a religion that another feels has brought them harm does not make that religion wrong.  Humans make religion wrong not God. 

 

We must consider and take into consideration that there is a greater purpose to all the religions in the world and that purpose is to provide a path as opposed to creating a roadblock.  Religion in its perfect sense is a divine sociological group experiment intended to entice and draw as many people close to God as possible.  Maybe this why there is such a rich diversity of faith in the world, not because something is wrong with religion, but because it is God's way of getting our attention and working with human groups and subgroups each at their own level.  

 

I can not see God ever choosing one religion and say, "this is the one."   Rather I believe that God is largley responsible for inspiring all faiths that do good works.  It would seem that diversity of faith is Gods way of making sure we do not fail.  In this aspect, God is like a benevolent school teacher who wants to give all students an "A" even though they may not get everything right on their final exam. I feel that what is important to God is that we try to do our best within our own faith and not lose our faith.  Many religions talk about the devil and how the devil confuses people about religion and blinds people to the truth.  I have heard the same phrase from many different faiths all attempting to say that I have been blinded for not seeing that "their" religion is the rightful and only path to God. However, with my best manners, I try not to argue with simple people who are fervent in their beliefs believing that with a few exceptions, we should never cause anyone to doubt their religion.  Nevertheless, if that is true and the devil caused religion to devide then we would be his instruments and not Gods especially if we argue that our religion is the right religion.  Yet if one looks at this with eyes of discernment they could see that arguing over which religion is right is in fact a spiritual trap that produces feelings of pride and can lead to dissrespect. Whereas if we accept our neighbors religion as good and right we are excercising unconditional acceptance and respect even if that religion is not our own.  We must see that "faith" in God is the common bond that unites us all.   

 

It would seem that faith is a devine tool and all religions seem to know how to use it.  It is pleasing to God that we live by faith because faith is trust....thank you Jesus. Despite all the confusion about doctrine and religion, if we just trust God and not worry so much about which religion is right, we will save all that time that we spend debating the issue and maybe have more time to help humanity.  With all that extra time, we might take the time to speak to that begger we always seem to sidestep on our way to work instead of just throwing him a coin.   

 

Religion says that God cannot forgive blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but if a person truly repents of their Blasphemy and changes their life for the better how can God not honor that?  Though people will argue that Jesus said that blasphemy is unpardonable maybe blasphemy is defined as a lifestyle and not as a single act of blasphemy.  I feel that the greatest blasphemy is if we live our lives looking for reasons not to believe and create exuses not to draw close to heaven.   

 

I cannot in good conscience say that I speak for God.  I do not hear his voice.  I wish I did.  That would be neat to be like Moses.  I am a man with many faults, and a man unworthy of any such distinction.  I can say however, that I feel I am balanced spiritually and do my best to be helpful to others while at the same time take care not to be taken advantage of although I fail more often than I succeed.  I love the Holy Books and try not to get hung up on doctrinal issues. That no one religion is perfectly right and all have perfect truth  may indeed be a paradox our generation may not understand.  However,  understanding it will liberate you to choose a religion and know that it is right for you.  Great is the error to tell a human their religion is wrong or cause a simple person to stumble in their faith.  When we  destroy a persons faith through logic and reason we are undermine God's purpose.  Trying to get people to change religions because one feels theirs has perfect truth also undermines God's purpose.  Retoric and maniuplation of scripture to support a dogma is also not good if the aim is to change a person's belief in God. 

 

God's theological purpose is simple.  Have faith and believe in your religion and do not worry if others are different.  Be inspired by your faith to good works.  Do your best not to hurt others for differences in faith.  Do not use religion to scare people.  The life of Jesus was spent healing, touching lives, and helping people to draw close to God.  If Jesus was God, then God was not appreciated nor recognized by the religious establishments that he himself inspired. This does not make those establishments evil or wrong.  It was a decision made based on power and differences of faith.  However, Jesus' mission on earth was not to oppose the Pharasees nor repremand them as he did, but rather to bring God to the people and mutliply the possibilities for Salvation.  In the process many people became offended which ultimately led to the most celebrated crucifixtion in human history and one which demarcates time. However the blood spilled that day was indeed divine and even while suffering on the cross love forgave those who did not believe in it.    

 

In all parts of the world throughout history we can see messengers from God some of which were murdered or went unnoticed.  Confucious --who was one of them-- is rarely acknowledged as a prophet.  Confuscious was a teacher and ultimately that is what God is, a teacher.  His most import lesson is morality a concept found to be embraced all over the world.   It seems that God's messengers are often not recognized until its too late.  Ghandi was a good example. Dr. Martin Luther King for all his personal preferences that kept holy status from him, was a voice that thundered with truth.  Despite human intervention in divine moral affairs, God will never give up and will always raise a new voice.  One can silence the messenger, but the voice of truth will be with us always.                 

                    -JC Angelcraft

 

How did I come about my pen name?

I want to bring hope with my writing and so my initials JC were a good start because they remind me of someone very special and close to my heart.  Then I thought I want to be the opposite of HP Lovecraft not that HP Lovecraft was all that bad.  He was a masterful writer, dark yes, but also human who by evidence of his writing was a man whose soul was tortured in life and who knows what happened after that.  Instead of doom and gloom I will be light and bright with a touch of style here and there so that shadowed souls do not lose interest.  Though I may never aspire to HP Lovecrafts literary genious, I am not so concerned with being recognized as such a great writer as I am with making sure that I can bring others hope with my writing.       

 

I actually sat upon the name JC Angelcraft for a long time and had others I preferred.  But it came back and back like the begger until I would accept it.  My life has not been the same since. 

What have I written?

I have published only one book in Spanish, a childrens story.  It is a story about an orphan teddy bear that just cannot find his place in the world much like me, but it ends well.  I intend to publsih an English version.

 

I have written numerous critiques on educational books which can be read at Amazon. Unpublished are a plethora of books written in long hand from various hospital beds places where I had nothing else better to do.  I am trying to find time to transcribe them but am short of help.  Keeping business and foundation affairs up to par and managing my small digital empire is time consuming not to mention I am in a Masters Program at Cal Southern University.  Volunteers come and go but no one really stable.  It would be nice to have a steady crew of loyal volunteers. And despite inconsistant volunteers and several attempts at sabotoging the foundations image, we have prevailed and have completed several projects.  I will do my best to get my first book out next year but no promises. 

 

I refuse to hire anyone to help me at the Foundation.  We are 100% volunteers and those who can can.  To those who help me I do shower them with angelcraft stuff but for many its not enough and I have been abandoned more than once over these last two years.  Maybe if things go better for JC Angelcraft I will hire a full time girl but for now I am content with limited participation I get from some people.  

 

Though I am in the printing business I will consider publishing with another and yes I could use a good editor.