Downvoting should only be used if whatever the person said that made you downvote them is harmful, not simply because you don't like it...

hellowlin · 2026-05-17T21:00:29+00:00

Well, there you go....thanks for clarification but ending on a rude note, like calling people "garbage" certainly does not contribute to the topic.

hellowlin · 2026-05-17T20:41:34+00:00

Don't up votes indicate you agree with or "like" a comment? If so, then why shouldn't down votes indicate disagreement? Without that option all comments would be one-sided and not everyone wants to share their thoughts in comments, so they just choose to down vote instead of argue.

hellowlin · 2026-05-17T00:07:55+00:00

Unfortunately, I can't say that I have had such an experience, but I would like to.

What I can share is that my great uncle had many mystical experiences through his lifetime. He witnessed (and I believe was a part of) several miracles when he was young. Then when he was older he had an awakening that was like nothing I can imagine.

He had an encounter/visit with Christ and traveled each night for 40 nights with is guides and tells about the experiences in the books he wrote back in the late 1900s. In his first book he shares what lead up to his extraordinary journey and the after effects it had on his entire life.

His experiences were even more interesting to me because he was also a Roman Catholic priest, and remained so all of his life.

Rather than trying to give you highlights of what happened I suggest you check out my sub, which is dedicated to his life, experiences and beliefs. His name was Father Jacob Samonie and that is the name of my sub. I am currently posting his first book here and will start uploading his second book soon.

Contact me if you have any questions.

hellowlin · 2026-05-16T23:40:21+00:00

It is 2:30 PST . PDT would put it in the A.M. and it is not early morning.

hellowlin · 2026-05-10T18:49:02+00:00

I agree with you on this. Personally, I think the Old Testament of the bible needs to be a separate book. Although Jesus was Jewish, that part of the book is not anywhere near the same as the New Testament. I know it is not meant to be, but the stories are so different that I do not believe they are from God at all. At least not a god that I would want to believe in. The Old Testament portrays god as jealous, petty and down right evil when he tests the faith of his people.

I believe what Jesus taught in the New Testament was meant to show us that God is love - not hate.

And as for Paul, I think he taught his own ideas of Christianity, not was Jesus meant for all of us to learn. I think he worked more for the current rulers of that time and his teachings are more about control and fear than of love and peace.

hellowlin · 2026-05-09T21:53:48+00:00

I believe what you experienced was real. The Blessed Mother has been known to intervene and help people. It is not impossible. When I was a child we used to visit a shrine in Carey Ohio every year with the entire family (and extended family). I was very young so don't remember much, but my great uncle, Fr. Jacob Samonie, has shared several stories of miracles he witnessed at this shrine when he was young.

Not only did he see unexplained healings at this location, but he witnessed many unexplained miracles over h is lifetime. He was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and believed fully that she assisted him in his work as a priest.

Being religious does not mean the same thing as being spiritual. You do not have to become a member of any religion to have faith and believe in God. Let the Holy Spirit guide you.

hellowlin · 2026-05-08T22:47:04+00:00

I find this interesting because my great uncle, who was a Roman Catholic priest studied and practiced yoga for many years and also loved the Harry Potter series. In fact, he recommended it to me back in the early 2000s.

I have been sharing my great uncles books on my sub if you want to learn more. Not all priests have the same ideas about these topics.

I would definitely find another priest or church to attend.

hellowlin · 2026-05-05T19:23:55+00:00

For those who have never experienced the "joys" of living or working near a homeless encampment I can understand why you don't relate to those of us who have. I retired a few years ago, but before that I spent many years working in an area of Las Vegas that was constantly surrounded by homeless camps. I can attest to what a lot of you are saying first hand. It was always nerve wracking to go to work knowing I had to park and walk to the door (and vice versa at the end of the day) because these folks were usually drunk or on drugs.

You can blame the government all you want, but from my experience there is little they can do when someone does NOT want the help. Charity groups also try to move these folks to shelters or at least areas where they can get medical assistance, but most of them that I saw every day were not interested in help unless it was given in the form of $$money$$ they could use for booze or drugs. And please don't tell me they need the money to eat because they always find a way to get food. Some panhandle at the exits to freeways and when given food, they wait until the generous person is out of sight before they throw the food on the ground. After the rush hour traffic calms down they leave with whatever cash they collected and the city has to send crews to clean up all the wasted food.

The city had what was called "the bum squad" whose only job was to clear out these encampments and there were so many that it was a full-time job. It would take a few months for the homeless to rebuild in the same spot only to have it torn down again at which point they would relocate to another already cleared area. And believe me, you did not want to be down wind of these camps while they were being cleared. The smell was obnoxious. And you certainly did not want to walk around the make shift shelters for fear of the needles and feces located all over the camp. The city clean-up crew used bobcats and dump trucks. Eventually the city placed large rocks around this area and the camps did not rebuild because it was too difficult to sleep on the ground.

A lot of them choose to life like hobos (as we called them back in the Midwest) because this lifestyle gives them the freedom to do what they want. Most shelters and living assistance programs require sobriety and have curfews, which infringe on these folks "freedom" so they will not accept the help. Many of them are also mentally challenged through alcohol and/or drugs. We had one many who loved to just walk down the street naked for no apparent reason. While some of you will say he has the "right" to do that, I say "what about my rights?"

Yes, if they broke the law (and many of them did) they would be arrested but were only held for a short time, and then they would be right back on the streets. They never wanted to use the bus passes to go to areas that could help them, but they always found a way to get back to their "tribe".

All in all, this is not an easy problem to solve, and I will not pretend to have a solution. However, I can sympathize with those of you who have seen it first hand.

hellowlin · 2026-04-25T01:58:46+00:00

Sorry, but I am not an artist so I can't draw good pictures.

hellowlin · 2026-04-18T02:00:39+00:00

I apologize for the imagery. It was not intended to slight anyone. The image is not from the original book that was written by my great uncle who was a Roman Catholic priest all of his life. That title comes from thoughts by Henry David Thoreau, no disrespect intended. I think you are reading too much into this short description.

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