Such A Day!

Such a day!  OMG!  Talk about the adage, no good deed goes unpunished!

I was up late on Sunday night because I had a grand-daughter day, wherein I had both of my grand-daughters for the day and the youngest could not be picked up until almost 11 pm!  I was exhausted Sunday night and with joy just collapsed after her father picked her up!  I expected to get many hours sleep.

It was unfortunate that was interrupted at 5 am, by my sobbing youngest daughter calling my name.  Her car was beyond dead.  So, being a good father, I got up and drove her to her work in Kent, then chugged back home with a car barely holding together now for me either!  So it seems I am now losing coolant, but daughters car was dead.

So, outside of driving back to Kent to pick up daughter, I worked on her dead car.

Battery - dead.  Added water, put it on a charger and let it run for 6 hours.  Then confirmed that the battery was within its service life.

With the battery now charged, silly me thought the car could be started - NOPE!

Well that leaves wires and fuses.  Wires on the battery and starter looked good and I began the laborious task of testing all of the fuses Toyota puts on their cars.  1.5 hours later that task was done and I had a single bad fuse to go buy at Toyota.  Only $29.95 !!!!! for a fuse!!!!!  And silly me thought the car would now start!  Nope ...

It is after dark now.  All that is left is the cables and they look and test out fine.  But, the ignition switch is intermittent as to working or not.  Dash lights, headlights, horn, everything electrical will only work every third try.  Finally I get on the internet and after another hour, I find that on her model year of Toyota, this is a known problem!  I am thinking okay, bad ignition switch!  NOPE!  It turns out a loose positive battery post connector!  Really?????

I check out the connector, check out the tightness, all is fine.  What the heck ... ?  But, just for grins I tapped the connector sideways - and it flipped off the battery post!  I put it back on.  It is tight, it will not budge, I tap it and it flips off again!  A pair of vise-grips and I made an oval of the connector and gently tapped it back on.

The car fired right up and continues to run fine.

I took myself out to Wendy's to celebrate my triumph over Toyota!

Alas, no good deed goes unpunished.  As I pumped ketchup from the dispenser - my back went out for the first time in a long time ...

Codeine, my best friend ...

Musical Saturday Morning

Bad Idea

Do you ever make a blunder?  You know, something so stupid that were people to know, and they will!, less truly would be thought of you?

So, one evening this week I was not feeling well so I went to bed early. Knock, knock, knock.  Must be Youngest Daughter, she was out with friends and probably forgot her keys - a typical move for her.  So, I stumble out of bed and open the door.  Nope, not daughter at all but rather one of my old friends from my heavy biking days!  And she just felt that I needed company.  Well, aren't I glad that I wore my pj bottom's for a change!

So, she left after talking for a bit.  Not exactly sure what was up with that and she went off to talk with Gaelic Girl.  I stumble back to bed and then GG comes out of nowhere and is in my face.  Not because of the old friend but because she wants to know what is going on with me.  Like when am I going to get out of her house.

Long ago I instituted a no talking order for me with anyone after I have taken my night time heart medications.  I am likely to say almost anything and have no memory of it the next day!  So, I am getting madder and madder at her because I know whatever I say is going to be the wrong thing and yup I was right on that score!

So, next morning - Kris was so mad I could not even see straight!  It was not a productive conversation the night before and I really do not need to be continually belittled and insulted!  So I sent a text to Dutchman - just to blow off steam.  I was actually hoping he would ask me to come stay with him.

Yeah, the text message went to GG not Dutchman!  I have no idea how, they names are not even in the same area of my contact list!  And yet it went to her.  And I am a gentleman and never would have said what I said if I thought she should have read it - no matter how I feel about her!  Sigh ....  It had to be a God thing, sigh ...

So, now she is madder than a hornet with me.  Which spikes my blood pressure and so this week has been devoted to eating nitro pills just to keep a handle on my heart ... sigh .... stupid Kris ...

The worse part is that I was going to buy GG a car that next day so that she would have something to keep warm and dry in during the fall and winter (she rides her bike to her work about 23 miles a day).  But, of course, all ideas now coming from me are to be mocked and ignored.  Well, that saves me the cost of a cheap used car but does not nothing for her safety.  And I do care that she not die, even from her own pride.  Oh well.

Yeah, cell phones ... the demons' spawn ...

Fan or Follower?

With the football hysteria in Seattle, there are "fans" everywhere.  You can not even get on a bus without someone screaming "Seahawks!", usually in your face and then surprised when you - oh say, tell them you are a Broncos fan.  I am not a fan of any sport, nor any team and Satan's hold on this culture through distractions such as sporting events is most worrisome ... because ALL of my Christian friends are insane in this area as well ...

So, this brought up the question of what does it mean to be a fan, much less a follower of Jesus?  Which just happens to follow along with where I am in my readings!

Mark 3:7 - 12

So, we have this crowd of people chasing after Jesus, some from as far away as 90 miles from their homes, all over the wilderness areas of Galilee.  But, not all of them were there for the same reason nor were of the same quality.  Some were fans of Jesus, while others were followers ...

1.  The crowds came to healing and to see miracles.  The came from all over the greater area.  They heard about him, they came to see him, they were fans.

But, the follower of Jesus were seekers of truth.  They sought life.

So, yes, the crowd was following Jesus, but they were not followers of Jesus.

2.  Fans will want what they want, what they can get.  They can not change themselves, it seems most could not provide for themselves.

Followers want what Jesus gives.  And He has asked you to do a few things in life:

• Deny yourself
• Take up your cross daily

Yeah, there is no "cheap grace" if you want to be a follower of Jesus!  You have a purpose, you have a mission, Jesus expects you to succeed - by his standard, not your own!

What has Jesus asked you to do?????

3.  Fans have a problem.  They came for the excitement of the events - healings, miracles.  I am sure it was quite the circus in an age without TV!  But, they were completely missing point of whom Jesus is -and even demons understood that one!

Jesus had to tell the demons to shut up because they were proclaiming whom He is and it was not His time!

The fans saw someone whom only provided what they needed but he was not something "more" to them.

Of course, you need to remember that Jesus had the twelve but there were 120 followers.  But we really only know about the twelve main ones.  So, he did have a solid crowd with him, eager to learn what he had to teach......

Revelation

The of Revelation or The Apocalypse of John, as come Bible's identify the Apostle John's last writing, is one of my favorites.  Probably because there is NO way anyone is ever going to get it right because the time has not yet come for it to be understood within the context of our time.  So, I was just randomly jotting down notes on Sunday morning, since I woke up too late to go to early service and still had an hour to kill.

First Seal: Conquest 6:1-2
Second Seal: Open Warfare 6:3-4
Third Seal: Famine 6:5-6
Fourth Seal: Death 6:7-8
Fifth Seal: Martyrdom 6:9-11
Sixth Seal: Creation damaged 6:12-17
Seventh Seal: Silence in Heaven 8:1

First Trumpet: Third of Earth burned 8:7
Second Trumpet: Third of the Sea, life and ships destroyed 8:8-9
Third Trumpet: Third of the fresh waters poisoned 8:10-11
Fourth Trumpet: Third of the heavens darkened 8:12-13
Fifth Trumpet: Mankind tormented 9:1-12
Sixth Trumpet: Men killed 9:13-21
Seventh Trumpet: Heaven is opened 11:15-19

First Bowl: Painful sores 16:1-2
Second Bowl: All sea life killed 16:3
Third Bowl: Rivers become blood 16:4-7
Fourth Bowl: Sun scorches 16:8-9
Fifth Bowl: Beast kingdom darkened 16:10-11
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates dried up 16:12-16
Seventh Bowl:  Destruction 16:17-21

X Men - Days of Future Past

I am not a big comic book fan or as "my kids" called them : graphic novels.  Nope, a comic book is still a comic book!  My idea was and remains Sad Sack and Beetle Bailey, my two favorites from my childhood and how I wish my mother had not thrown my completed collection of Sad Sacks away when I was off to college!  Oh well, add those to my marbles and stamp collection which also disappeared in my absence.  Sigh ...

So, I put off seeing this one due to lack of interest in the subject matter, plus I am one of those rare men whom really finds nothing interesting in the spray painted body of Jennifer Lawrence.  Sorry dear, I know everyone thinks you are hot, but it is what is on the inside that makes you hot, not the packaging.  So, yeah, no interest.

But it was at the dollar theater and movies make me at least believe I am not alone in this world, so one particularly bad day last week for me, I succumbed and went to see it.

The movie was actually much better than I expected.  It was entertaining - meaning it has no basis in reality, no matter how hard they tried to make it seem reasonable.

Usual cast of characters, plot sends Wolverine back in time to try and stop blue girl from killing someone, whose death causes the extinction of the mutants.  Yawn .....

For me it was a hoot to see someone playing Richard Nixon.  I liked the man in real life and he was at least nice to me when I met him in 1972.  Even gave me an appointment to the Coast Guard Academy, as a favor to father (whom knew quite well) - too bad I flunked the physical - sigh.

If you have not seen it, it might be worth your while, if your town has a dollar theater or you can borrow the disc from one of your friends.  Certainly, I would not have dropped $10 or even $14, as the first run movies run around here cost!  Eepah!  Add popcorn and a soda and you just added $15 to the price tag of your movie - and you have to have both!

2014 has been a bit of a dismal statement for movies it seems.  Lots of rehashing of older material both last year and this year.  Edge of Tomorrow was probably the best I have seen this year.

In Proper Perspective

Mark 2:23 - 27

See the context here: Jesus vs Culture
We are now at Round 4 in this contest of the Pharisees looking for blame to cast on Jesus!

Round 1: Jesus can not forgive sin, only God may
Round 2: Jesus associates with sinners (rather than the Pharisees and Rabbis!)
Round 3: Jesus is not fasting
Round 4: well, read on!

Look To God
Jesus, walking through a wheat field was okay under the Law.
Jesus, plucking grain was okay under the Law.
But, the Pharisees classified this act of rubbing the grain and eating it as illegal on the Sabbath.
The Pharisees were looking for any wrong doing against THEIR traditions, not the Law.
The Pharisees were quick to condemn.

Place People Before Procedure
The Pharisees were judging based on oral traditions.
But, Jesus used their documented history in reply.
People are more important than our traditions.

Make Time
Rest is a gift, God told us to.
Worship is a gift, God told us to make time for it!
God gave this to us for our benefit.
Being a work-a-holic does not honor God, nor our families, nor even our physical bodies.

Genesis 20:8 ...
The Pharisees had created volumes on how to keep the Sabbath Holy, none of God had ever commanded!

God is the Lord of the Sabbath - Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
Paul tells us that the day, Friday, is only an example - any day can be a day of rest AND worship!

Wounded

I sit still sick in my heart. 
What is left of it is quite broken.

I suppose when your child fails, you have to be affected.
When they willing fail, in spite of warnings and examples even amongst their own friends, you have to throw up.
I did not even know I had any tears left to cry.

Needless to say, with failure comes change and that is always evil.

If I can I will rewrite this if appropriate for it publication on Monday.  But as of Thursday night, when this is being written, much prayer is needed.

Musical Saturday Morning

Well if you follow these odd music selections of mine you know I like the 1980's, some 1960's and alternative "Indie" music sources (mostly from Australia) such as the Avalanches ...  Yeah, someone posted one of the Avalanches mash-ups with a tune far better than WHAM! ever envisioned!  Unfortunately, using my contacts I was able to run down a copy of the tune performed by the Avalanches on stage in 2000 ... yeah, note how I included it here ... mostly it seems dedicated to pulling down one's pants in front of the crowd.  Enjoy my sparing you having to view their hairy posteriors crawling around the stage while the synthesizer actually does all of the work ... simply inexcusable ... but well, at least their creativity is inspiring:

Round 5: Pharisees vs Jesus

Mark 3:1 - 6

Jesus crosses swords with the Pharisees yet again, only this time He is getting a bit miffed with them, as you saw when you read this passage!

The God Moment
Jesus is being set up by the Pharisees.
It is possible that the Pharisees planted the man with the withered arm to see if Jesus would break their laws on the Sabbath.
It is just as possible that God had provided the man with the withered arm to show the Pharisees what Jesus could do!
And Jesus is at Synagogue on the Sabbath, a very normal event in his life.

And Jesus called the man forward.
Each of us has a choice: honor God or honor ourselves.
Had Jesus of not of called the man forward then the law of man would have been honored.
By calling the man forward, by healing the man, by then taking on the Pharisees - God was honored.

Good and Mad
Jesus did good that morning at Synagogue.
Jesus also got mad for His accusers had no answer to his question.
All the Pharisees had were rules to follow, but no actual concern for the people.

We are to be angry without sinning!  We are to sensitive to doing right!
Be angry at injustice, harm done others, wrong doing, war, condoned sin,etc!

You Will Make Enemies
Jesus is accused of healing on the Sabbath.
Yet, murder is plotted on the Sabbath!

The Pharisees are willing to join forces with the Herodians to bring down Jesus!
The Herodians wanted peace for economic reasons.
The Pharisees wanted things to stay the same for control reasons.
Joined together they had the same desire - stop Jesus from rocking the boat!

We have an incredible ability to justify ourselves ...

Edge of Tomorrow

As you might remember, I hate Tom Cruz, he is a HORRIBLE actor.  It just amazes me at his ability to get parts!  There has to be qualified actors out there in the wings, waiting for a chance to prove their ability ... and yet .... sigh ...

With that said, Edge of Tomorrow, is probably the best film of the year I have seen so far.

First rate graphics and CGI, you actually could almost believe the settings and technology were real and working.

The storyline a bit hard to swallow, but it is sci-fi so it is supposed to be fun and entertaining.  In fact, it should be almost feasible.  At least in my movies I enjoy.

As for Cruz, yeah he is his typical arrogant buffoon you want to slap down in every scene.  And yet, that might be just what the part required, a buffoon to pull off the stupidity the part called for.  If this was even a possible storyline - one should expect a serious level of introspection and planned courses of action - not reaction, after reaction, after reaction ...  But, I did take enjoyment in Cruz dying several hundred times!  I think whomever the film editor did as well, the film could have been spliced differently for the same impact/storyline, however execution, after execution, after Cruz's execution just brought real satisfaction to this viewer ... :)

No I will not ruin the movie for you - go see it, perhaps even expect to own it.

It is a two thumbs up movie!

And if I promised to see this with you, well - I would love to see this one again and again and again!

Condemnation by Negligence

"Its not fair!", how often have I heard this phrase through the years!  Usually by naive teenagers, much less surprised adults - at one time or another ...

No matter the youth, when they are caught on a test day - and they did not study but were goofing off - and shortly their grades will reflect their lack of diligence ...  Its not fair!!!!!

Two of my daughters were hardly the exception, more like the rule: hormonal, overly confident, their faith not their primary objective - and then comes pregnancy.  No, no surprises there.  It does not change the fact that they have a problem, a lifelong problem to now deal with.  Its not fair!!!!!

My youngest daughter just scored her first traffic ticket - 26 over the speed limit.  You should have heard how unfair this is!  After-all, she did not even know how fast she was driving - so how could she possibly be ticketed!  It was so hard to keep a straight face and suggest she just pay the $300 ticket with a defense like that!  Its not fair!!!!!

As I reflected upon this post, the responsibility carried by those whom played the odds and lost, those whom naively stumbled into Satan's arena, for example those whom served in the NAZI death camps, and then claimed no knowledge of what was going on.  For better or worse, the Allies executed and imprisoned quite a few for being either negligent or irresponsible, if not outright guilty.  Even this very week, yet another guard has been found, now 93 years old and about to be held accountable for his previous employment.  In Satan's realm there is no actual excuse acceptable when you are caught.  Its not fair!!!!!

And I finally thought about me.  Yeah, I remember, I contemplate, I never have found a resolution to the problem which would not present itself in 2012.  How could I?  I had to no ability to see nor even understand the problem.  And yet, that bothers me, I was created insufficient to even understand.  Today, I can see with hindsight how in the past I have unknowingly damaging people.  With the help of friends, I have been able to see the problem, but not understand how I played a role, except through sheer ignorance.  At least I know there was innocence on my part, but apparently I damaged one.  Does not make me any less responsible and all I can do is apologize in ignorance.  You know how to reach me if you want to.  And yes, that would be fair, to yourself at this time in your life and me, not that you probably care ...

Destruction of Man

How does one explain the destruction of a man?  How does one help another comprehend?

I have seen the destruction of many men in my lifetime.  I can observe cause and effect.  But I can not explain it to another person.  Nor can I explain how I was destroyed.  There are no words sufficient enough to explain how someone can suddenly be blindsided so hard that they are left with nothing inside of them.

A simile does not help much: a boat tied to a wharf.  And then it is man-less, oar-less, sail-less, motor-less - adrift as it were in the bay.  No hope of returning from which it came.  Adrift, not knowing how or why, destination unknown.

And so I have been for months.

My path dissolved from under my feet.  My support ripped away.  Nothing left.  No direction seen or known and what was known is no longer known.

Yet, my trip to Colorado began the definition of a path, a new unexpected, unforeseen path.

I have no clue where it goes.
I have no clue what it contains.
I have no clue when anything begins, ends or happens!
I have no clue how to even get to its beginning because I am powerless to do anything but watch.

But, I do know a few who's.  I have few remaining friends I expect to continue forward with me in friendship, though in my cynic nature I expect to lose two of them by 2015.  And I really do hope this does not happen but people are people and it is easy to foresee alienation.  Sigh...

And God is tying me down to Seattle it seems.  I could go most anywhere, preferably somewhere warmer!  But, it seems I will be at least until next summer here.  Of course, God could just as easily knock me sideways and I could find myself in Boise, Idaho.  Who knows?

Then I have to wonder at who the Kris will be that exist by then ...

Lucy

Short of it: an utter piece of @#$@% not worth your seeing.  Perhaps worse film of the year!  But, read on ...

Long of it:
One has to wonder where this film deviated from Morgan Freeman's own Darwinism bent - it is devoid of any actual logic - Darwin had it right after all.  He did?  Oh give me a break!  They did not even know history well enough to understand that Charles Darwin was only putting forward his uncle Erasmus' beliefs!  His voyages of discovery were actually to prove his uncle's ideas correct!  Lord, how I hate badly researched movies!

Okay, Scarlett Johansson is better when not painted blue.  But, how much acting does it take to shudder, shake, roll your eyes and then blow up every man whom ever lived?  Sigh.

Lots of unnecessary rudeness in the film.
Lots of stuff for shock value only.
Lots of violence, beyond the veil.

The whole movie revolves in the end around trying to support the idea that this life is about the ONE, across time, nothing else matters - just the continuation of life - the ONE.  Well, the film is right if you buy into Darwinism, or if you are a NAZI, then life truly is only about the ONE - the continuation.  Nothing else matters.

And yet that is the exact opposite of what Christianity proposes, life is about the one, the one I can serve, the one whose life I can make a difference to/in.  My service to others is all that actually matters (other than my relationship with God, out of which my desire to others flows).

I could turn this into a tome, however I will not belabor this piece of garbage Hollywood has vomited out.  Rather consider the words of Rod Sterling from the original Twilight Zone series:

Actress ends program with:
"I was always demanding my own way.  Demanding ...."
Rod Sterling's ending summation:

"God created the Heavens and Earth.  It is up to each man and woman to create their own Hell."

Musical Saturday Morning

So just back from vacation and writing posts to play catch up.  Hence, what is better for my mood than, Footloose!?!?!?

Casa Bonita

Just a couple of photos from my trip to Colorado a week ago.

I totally cracked up once I figured this one out!

Moi at Casa Bonita on W. Colfax - a tourist must do!

Sopapillas are the whole point of Casa Bonita!

Casa Bonita is a total tourist trap in western Denver.  The Mexican food is barely editable, I probably should have gone for the taco salad, it looked far more edible than what I had!  But, it was good memories.  The sopapillas are what this place is famous for!  Pastry puffs dripping with honey - so yummy!  And so super hot my glasses were fogging up!

It was the 40th Anniversary of the openning of Casa Bonita and so it was one fun night!  Mariachis, cliff divers, wild gorillas, banditos, gunfighters, puppet shows, cartoons, caves, jails, old time photos, on and on and on!  And then there was a collection of Mennonite or similar women running around.  I know there were not Amish (not plain enough), not Hutterite (there never would be caught dead there!), so that leaves Mennonite or one other sect I seem to remember but not the name of.  Whomever they were, they were all as tall as me!  Real tall!

I will share more next week of my trip.

Victim of Practicing Physicans

Don't you just wish that the practice of modern medicine was as easy as: see certain effect (symptom) correlate to the cause and treat accordingly?  Oh you thought so?  Well read on ...

In Kris' lineage we start with my grandmother: titled royalty, she was Kyburg and a subset of the Habsburg family.  It should be no big deal to anyone, except that those darn mutant genes from those inbreed families curse me daily!  Want to have heart disease, artery disease, blood diseases, diabetes and all manner of bones issues - welcome to the family!  Honestly, some genes really should not be passed on!

So last Wednesday I am back from vacation and first up is a visit with my doctor.  Such a joy, my kidneys are continuing to fail.  Well heck just the fact they are working at all, puts me light years ahead of their complete failure in 2011!  By he wanted to put me on Lisinopril as this does something to help them.  Really?  A faint echo in the back of my mind reminded me this was a failure back in 2011.

Day one: I am freezing.  It is 80 degrees in the house and I am wrapped in wool!
Day two: The freezing continues and I am achy with a dry cough.
Day three: The same only I am in so much pain that I must resort to Voltaren to stop it.
Day four: Right leg is swollen so huge I can not bend it!

I stop taking the pill.

Day five: Swelling abruptly gone, only residual pain and I can enjoy a day not wrapped in wool during summer weather!
Day six: Still have joint pain and using Voltaren.  Cough is subsiding.  Just occasional chills.

None of what my reactions are documented for Lisinopril.  But then, I seem to score somewhere in the 1 in 1,000,000.  So if just one in a million will react - yup, it will be me!  Why?

Because we are not all alike.  For as much as science has succumbed to political correctness to portray us as all being alike - we are actually barely similar thanks to DNA!  So, 999,999 can take Lisinopril with no problem or at least non life threatening issues - there is always the one - the Kris - cursed to be the practicing physician's  nightmare.

So, it takes me back to how does science define what is a humanoid?  About the presence of a chin, a functional hand with opposing thumb, just generalities of appearance only.  Really?  Apparently from my readings on the internet, we can not count bones, number of ribs, vertebrae, cranial capacity, etc.  Too many variables across all mankind to come up with quantifiable examples of what defines us physically.  And if we can not even do this, then it seems reasonable that the further your created being is from the "norm" the greater your problems will be in fighting against the weakness of that creation.

As for me, I need to call my doctor and tell him to list Lisinopril as one of the many drugs I can not take ...

See The Whole Picture

Mark 2:6-12

Jesus is popular with the people, but in Mark chapters 2 and 3 he is to butt heads with the Rabbis seven times!  And Hew did not score well with His antagonists - then how are we to proceed?

Rejoice
We need to find reasons to rejoice with other.  In their victories.

To the Rabbis, Jesus might:

• Be a threat
• Have supernatural power
• Take away what they have

 Jesus forgave the paralytics sin, however, the Rabbis knew this was God's role.
Jesus seems to forgive sin easily.
He wants to forgive.
Even eager to do so!

Which are easier?  To forgive sin or heal?
It would seem neither are as He does both easily.
And the Scribes are not real happy about this.

Understand
Understand that your spiritual life and physical life are connected.

The people sought physical healing from Jesus but Jesus forgave their sin.
Then healed them physically.

So there seems to be an interconnection with us: mind, soul, body, spirit.
Sin can destroy our health, but not necessarily true that poor health equals sin in our lives.

Go
If God says so - then get up and GO!

The paralytic picked up his bed and went home.
He was changed by Jesus.

He had a choice obey or not, be changed or not.

And with us we have choices as well.
Obey or not.
Strengthen our spiritual lives, or not.
Rejoice with our brothers and sisters of the faith, or not.

Practical Advice

The Christian life is one of application: obeying, loving, doing.  These are the cornerstones of your witness.  It is why you are on this earth in the first place!

• For the practicing Christian, Hebrews 13:1-6, has some practical advice for you to consider ...

1) Brotherly Love

• It already exists
• It is taking place
• Across the faith the believers are our brothers and sisters
• We are all to be as family
• Consider 1 Thessalonians 4:9 and 1 John 3:16-18

2) Practice Hospitality

• We are not to be isolated
• We are to live in community
• It witnesses to non-Christians
• Blesses our fellow believers
• Consider Galatians  6:10

3) Compassion For Those Whom Suffer For Jesus' Sake

• Feed and care for prisoners
• Share in their need
• Share with those whom toil as a witness
• No room in Christianity for selfishness with what God gives us

4) Marriage and Sexual Purity

• We are wicked by human nature
• Our culture seeks to destroy marriages
• We are not to accept cultural values
• Consider 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5, Revelation 21:8, Isaiah 40:8

5) Contentment

• Be at peace with God
• Confident He will meet your needs
• Do not covet
• Consider Matthew 6:31-35, 1 Timothy 6:6

We are to be studying our Scriptures - it is counter cultural.
Associate with the lowly, not the rich and famous.
Seek purity.
Be a part of the Christian community.
Possess REAL faith!

Back To The Past

When I travel, I always go to a church to attend services, I like seeing what other churches are doing or not doing.

Back in the 1970's, I went to a church called Applewood Baptist.  I really liked the pastor, his teachings really talked to me.  Unfortunately, he died - I think it was kidney failure which got him and the dialysis was rejected by his body.  He was an awesome man.

So, it is Sunday morning, I am in Golden, only a few miles from Applewood - so why not?

Now, I am back in my leg cast due to a fall earlier in the week and feeling not real sociable.  So, I sat in the back and hoped I would just be ignored.  Alas that was not to be.  There were several of us in casts, on crutches, etc all congregated across the back row of the building.  And everyone, including their mother had to shake our hands.  Luckily, no one wanted to talk - I really was not up to talking to anyone.  Maybe with caffeine I could have felt friendlier.

It was nice singing real songs for a change, not chants and vain repetitions over and over again as my church does.  The pastor was quite good and it refreshed me to know that Applewood had a real Christian in the pulpit.

As I looked around I noted a few I was almost positive I knew from the old days.  And then I saw Kay!  Kay was someone, anyone would remember.  Model material but refusing to play the world's games.  She was a  delight to talk with back in the day.  And then I realized, she would have to be 40 years older!  I looked closer and it was Kay, no mistake there!  So this must have been Kay's daughter.  I looked all over to see if Kay or her husband Kim were there but no sign of either.  Well, it was Labor Day weekend after all - last chance for a long weekend before Thanksgiving!

No, I did not go and renew any acquaintances, that was not why I came.  I already knew by the last Sunday of my trip that my life was over as I have known it for 40 years - there is a new path forming under my feet.  I just have NO idea where it leads or for what purpose.

Before I took this trip, I called my sister.  I explained to her, as best I could, since she is not a Christian, where I find myself these days.  The loss of friends, family, extended family, everything.  And I had one question for her, "Am I turning into my father?".

Sommer, sometimes has amazing insights and though she may not know me well any longer, she did know father far better than me.  She was quiet for a minute and then said quietly, "Well, whatever father was or did with his life, no one could ever argue that he did not enjoy himself ....".

True enough.  Of course being a full blown sociopath, he never would have looked backwards and ever worried about what he had done or where he was or where he was going.  Life was a grand adventure, for his enjoyment alone, such is the sociopath.  Sigh. 

And, I no longer am that man for God shattered that path beneath my feet.

So, although Sunday did not exactly go as planned for me, the morning started off well. 

Musical Saturday Morning

When you make a new friend, trying to learn about one another, one question seems to pop up - at least with those I know: "What is your favorite movie?"

There are quite a few films I do LOVE:  Trenchcoat, The 48th Parallel, any of the Tremors series, Touching The Void, Three Amigos - and those are just some starting with the letter "T"!

But, for favorite of ALL time: Real Genius.

I like Val Kilmer as an actor, or in this case, as a smart ass.  He is me.  Albeit, I did my laser work in 8th grade and part of my 9th grade year, then moved on to building a politically incorrect device to show what a terrorist was capable of with just documents in any public library - which got me into great trouble with the US Government and my thermonuclear father!  It was 1969 and I was just ahead of my time, by about 30 years I guess.

But, yes, I was that smart ass, my 6th grade was spent in German University and Kilmer's film side kick was actually the character I played in real life.  Trapped between cultures, age groups, and an outcast in every regard.  All I longed for was to be accepted, for me ... and that was never to ever be.  I was allowed only the freedom to allow my mind to run wild - and why I ultimately crashed and burned.  No one could follow the why's or wherefores of where my mind traveled - far too random and not controllable by my keepers.  I was demoted into a US High School to die of boredom.

So, when Real Genius came out, I thought, hmmm, " I wonder what the popular idea of what is a genius is in Hollywood today?"  So, I gathered up some friends and we went - and completely died of laughter!  We all knew people whom fit in so well with the characters the film portrayed!

And for each of us, this song really hit home.  We all desired to be Number One, to be the best, to do something meaningful and of value - not to continue to contribute to the tripe touted as advancement in our particular fields.  Dutchman was into electronics, you use his creations daily: Erickson cell phone and the Microsoft ribbon keyboard were both of his 1980's developments.  Swede was into rocketry, you certainly have heard of his creations: jet cockpit escape systems and Kevlar parachutes.  For me: random disk drive addressing, computer based training and hyperlinks.  Gaelic Girl's work back then was in the thermodynamics of structural geology and profoundly changed the search for ore deposits.  And brother Bruce, no way to describe him, other than Bruce.  He was into polyester resins and created some very interesting adhesives and composite structures.  Today his discoveries are the basis of everything from carbon-fiber fly rods, competition racing bikes, to car body panels!

Dutchman was the only one of us to make and have any money, the rest of us have been comfortable, most of the time.  But, because we have been family for decades, we care for each other through life's downturns.  But, we still seem to strive to be number one ...



"Number one is the one way to salvation, I do, my best, to beat, the rest, and be, the best in the nation ..."

He's Baaaaaack!

So, I was off on vacation to Denver, Colorado for the past two weeks.  And yes, I am back and blogging again!

I expected sunshine and warmth - it was cold and raining most days.
I expected to visit with many old friends - well that never happened!
I expected to be saturated in grease and oil working on dragsters - again, never happened.

I did not expect to be blown off by my old racing friends.
I did not expect the storms which swept through.
I did not expect learn a great many answers.

Foremost in my memory is a lightening storm, which literally surrounded me, not by miles - but by feet!  Imagine being stuck in a storm where for 15 straight minutes, there was one lightening strike per second!  Yeah, NOAA even documented the event!  That is how I know what happened during those 15 minutes!  I was almost blind by the time was over and my ears still have not recovered!  I was annoyed with mother nature, for sure!

I wanted to blog from Denver but Blogger locked me out since i was not using my regular computer.  Suffer the morons whom run the internet resources.  Sigh ...

I will post some pictures as soon as I can get them downloaded and cleaned up!

As for answers:
Yes, I now know that home for me is back in Golden, Colorado.  It is where my heart is. It is always where I return to when I am ill or in need of answers.  I can talk with God unconstrained by the misery which has controlled me for decades.  For as much as I love Switzerland, the landscape, the people, the food, my own relatives - to be alone in Golden is where I am most at home.

I examined all of my relationships and friendships.  Well, it is not my fault I was not born normal but it hurts to look backwards and see how that breakage inside of me, broke many of those around me.  Sigh.  No question that 2015 will be dedicated to starting over, probably in another state.  Sigh.  Nothing like starting life over at 60!

And yes, I did see a new path to tread lightly upon, because I am never going to take something for granted ever again.