Death is coming

The closer death creeps up upon me the less I am able to understand the reasons for life or living.

Yes I have experienced a close family member dying and unlike television it takes decades to handle such a thing. To think I am going to put my family through such a thing when I finally leave is more horrific to me than the thought of death itself.

My life was and is still a learning experience but when all said and done what am I to do with all this accumulated learning over my lifetime if I just die. There is no logic or reason to this.

Long ago I became aware that the God story that is sold to the majority is just a nice story to give mankind with a message of a basic layout of how nice life could be if everyone followed these ideas. Not many in life do and if one thinks about it the good and evil structures actually depend on each other. The good that can be experienced in life is only understood as good when there is it's opposite to compare it to. This is not rocket science only common sense in reality. I am not saying we need to experience bad but understanding in it is needed to appreciate the great things many of us can have in our lives. From birth to death there are many ways mankind helps his fellow man. How many ways can you help?


Sunday, September 15, 2013

Religious Site in Orlando to Visit

By Mellanie Hermin


For people who are attempting to find Orlando religious landmarks, there are numerous sites to see. It may seem unusual to realize that there can be some pretty interesting Orlando religious landmarks because of the reputation of theme parks and Disney World. Yet in fact, there are many religious sites in Orlando and the encircling area. This list is a mixture of Orlando religious landmarks and some other pretty special religious destinations in Orlando.

Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine

Over time this shrine has changed its name. The site is now called the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. This Roman Catholic Church was a creation that grew in the 1970s, and ultimately become real in the 1980's. Its original conception and construction was meant to deal with the many millions of Catholics that come to the Orlando area annually. This safe place for traveling Catholics, is intended to provide a place for worship and Mass in some place surrounded by impressive statues, unique atmosphere with sculptured entryways and walls that are decorated with attractive artifacts. The property also has gorgeous gardens, a special museum and an old fashioned gift shop.

Holy Land Experience

This not a common Orlando theme park. Unlike the many other parks, the Holy Land Experience Park provides guests a reasonable, educational experience. Designed for every age, this park is a location where all the family can participate together in numerous interactive story-telling experiences. The park is located southwest of the downtown district. The park was designed with the basic desire to showing its visitors how Jesus lived his life 2,000 years in the past. The park le's visitors step back in time to the Holy Land where they can witness the biblical stories acted out in front of them. Visitors can also discover interesting artifacts on view in the parks numerous exhibits. The Holy Land Experience is a wonderfully inspiring and history filled place for the religious to see the bible come to life.

Lake Eola

For those who are looking for a mixture of Indian heritage and faith, Lake Eola is the location of an inscribed tree that's marked as the grave location of the figure whom it is believed that Orlando is named after. The accepted story is that a man named Sentinel Orlando Reeves was an American soldier in the Seminole War, he was going out to alert his fellow soldier's of an imminent attack by the Seminole Indians when he was attacked and snuffed out. His name is carved on a tree in the park at Lake Eola. Settlers in the area at the time said this was his grave marker. It is believed that he carved his name on the tree near Lake Eola. The settler's in the area speculated that this was the site of his dying. This speculating led some to connect his untimely death with the many Seminole Indian War battles that were happening at the time. From this tree engraving, settler's named the area near the tree "Orlando's Grave" and other settler's named it just simply Orlando.

Ebenezer Methodist Church

Ebenezer United Methodist Church is also situated in Orlando. Established in 1892 its members made a wood church on this site. It was noted as the first African-American Methodist Church Then in 1922 the members of the church decided they needed a more permanent structure and ripped down the old structure and resurrected the Gothic Style brick church that now occupies this site.

Mount Pleasant Baptist Church

This is one of the oldest African American churches in the area. It was organized in 1919. Initially parishioners met in diverse locations before the congregation finally discovered this spot. Once it was decided on and bought, the church members themselves made the rusticated concrete blocks for the construction of the building walls. This historical Gothic style church was completed in 1921.




About the Author: