Such a hard week! In fact, I am in a "mood", which seems a curse of this new nature and nothing to lift me from despair.
So, as I sought my Saturday tune ... well ... (I deleted the whine, whine, whine)
But now my mood is lighter - I remembered how to sing! Yeah, when I said amnesia took it all, I meant all! And I was singing with this song by the end! I am so happy!
This music is fun and light, the video with a warped sense of humor, a troubled message (gees! please!) but it actually does say something I wish ... well, and we are back to despair ... And yes, if the tune sounds familiar it is a old hit, reworded, a few new chords and a lawsuit on its way when the copyright holder figures it out - LOL!
April 30, 2016
April 29, 2016
Why Salt?
There are lots of references to salt in the Bible, in fact I know I have written on this once - but when I went back to find it - well, not there! I guess it must have been in the blogs which predated the resurrection which became Thoughts From The Little Apple. Sigh.
In the Old Testament, salt was a bit of a curse, if you think of Lot's wife.
Salt was a blessing when you think of its usage in food preservation and as a seasoning.
Check out:
Leviticus 2:13
2 Kings 2:20-21
Job 6:6
Luke 14:34-35
Colossians 4:6
Mark 9:50
Matthew 5:13
Flavor Your Faith
Our faith is God's seasoning in this world.
We are to minister to others.
Bring peace, hope, missions hospitals.
Show HIS love, HIS Care, HIS education, HIS equality!
Slow The Decay By Devotion
Salt acts as a preservative to slow down decay.
Salt is to flow through us, into the world.
We are to slow, if not stop, the decay within in each of us - and throughout mankind.
"Do without grumbling" is what Paul wrote in Philippians.
Speak With Salty Grace
Colossians 4:6, speak always graciously.
Life and death are in the power of the tongue.
Salt can sting, for good, but only when used in LOVE.
People Thirst For Jesus
Salt makes us thirst.
Jesus offers Living Water to quench your thirst.
And here Matthew 5:13 gives us the warning about losing your saltiness.
Salt loses its saltiness only through being watered down to the point it is only a trace amount in the wateer - or by the addition of an impurity ....
Yeah, think about that one and its implications to you. Do I need to say more?
In the Old Testament, salt was a bit of a curse, if you think of Lot's wife.
Salt was a blessing when you think of its usage in food preservation and as a seasoning.
Check out:
Leviticus 2:13
2 Kings 2:20-21
Job 6:6
Luke 14:34-35
Colossians 4:6
Mark 9:50
Matthew 5:13
Flavor Your Faith
Our faith is God's seasoning in this world.
We are to minister to others.
Bring peace, hope, missions hospitals.
Show HIS love, HIS Care, HIS education, HIS equality!
Slow The Decay By Devotion
Salt acts as a preservative to slow down decay.
Salt is to flow through us, into the world.
We are to slow, if not stop, the decay within in each of us - and throughout mankind.
"Do without grumbling" is what Paul wrote in Philippians.
Speak With Salty Grace
Colossians 4:6, speak always graciously.
Life and death are in the power of the tongue.
Salt can sting, for good, but only when used in LOVE.
People Thirst For Jesus
Salt makes us thirst.
Jesus offers Living Water to quench your thirst.
And here Matthew 5:13 gives us the warning about losing your saltiness.
Salt loses its saltiness only through being watered down to the point it is only a trace amount in the wateer - or by the addition of an impurity ....
Yeah, think about that one and its implications to you. Do I need to say more?
April 28, 2016
Unpardonable Sin
Sunday, a bunch of us got into it over this whole concept. A sin which God will not pardon. A sin which we are not to pray for/over. A sin completely undefined in the Bible. So how could any of the arguers be wrong? ;)
John 5:14-17
I Corinthians 5:8-13
One of the first takers jumped in and blurted out that it was suicide. I turned and commented that the Bible does not even address suicide so how did she manage to come up with that idea, "well, once you are dead, you can not ask for forgiveness - so you are condemned by your sin!"
Really?
So, you as a Christian, can kill yourself and Jesus' death for you was insufficient to cover your act? So, you are not once saved always saved? The entirety of the Protestant Movement (if you follow Calvin's theology) was wrong?
Of course, this argument line is wrong the concept of suicide being unforgivable came straight out of Roman Catholicism's flawed theology. It is unpardonable because you can not confess and be blessed by the local priest.
Never mind that NO priest has ever been able to forgive sin - only Jesus can do that! The question of any man's blessing being of any value or impact on any other man - is beyond Biblical support.
For my non-Christian readers, you really do have an unpardonable sin - denying the Holy Spirit's witness in your life as to your need of Jesus for Salvation! No Jesus, no salvation. Just that simple.
Lots of other ideas were offered up and others shot down those ideas as well, the opportunity ended with no answers. Even I Corinthians 5:8-13 was brought up but it was just a red herring though. And, yet, the Bible is quite clear on this subject .....
Matthew 12:22-32
Here, Jesus casts a demon out from a mute and blind man. He was known in he community as being this way. People saw the freeing of this man from the demonic cause. They knew. Even the Pharisees had to have known! No community was that large in Israel back then.
How do you deal with the unexplained? You are the local spiritual authority. You are respected. You are sought out for your wisdom. And you are confronted by the unexplainable and you only have two options - Satan is behind it or God is.
And Satan is more real than God in Israel at that time, you know - that force which has not been heard from in hundreds of years! So Satan gets all the credit, Jesus is discounted as being a servant of Satan, his works are a fraud therefore.
And in verse 25, Jesus responds:
He tells them flat out that if you see the work of God, then God is in your midst. (And, they are of the devil.)
Verses 31 and 32, go even further and Jesus flat out says that speaking against the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin! Within the context of the passage, well, we have the mystery solved.
What the Holy Spirit performs - and we attribute to Satan - places us in the realm of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit!
It also means, one must be terribly cautious!
Your only protection would be to have the Holy Spirit's discernment or keep your mouth shut a great deal! LOL ...
(and for the ultra-critical, there is no such thing as the "Holy Spirit" in the original texts. it is called "ghost", "breath", "thing", even "it"! make no mistake, the Spirit of God is real but they had no standard name for it in Judaism. and it really was not very well understood, except by men such as Daniel, David, Solomon, and any of the prophets - a few others known as Christians whom it now dwells in.
John 5:14-17
I Corinthians 5:8-13
One of the first takers jumped in and blurted out that it was suicide. I turned and commented that the Bible does not even address suicide so how did she manage to come up with that idea, "well, once you are dead, you can not ask for forgiveness - so you are condemned by your sin!"
Really?
So, you as a Christian, can kill yourself and Jesus' death for you was insufficient to cover your act? So, you are not once saved always saved? The entirety of the Protestant Movement (if you follow Calvin's theology) was wrong?
Of course, this argument line is wrong the concept of suicide being unforgivable came straight out of Roman Catholicism's flawed theology. It is unpardonable because you can not confess and be blessed by the local priest.
Never mind that NO priest has ever been able to forgive sin - only Jesus can do that! The question of any man's blessing being of any value or impact on any other man - is beyond Biblical support.
For my non-Christian readers, you really do have an unpardonable sin - denying the Holy Spirit's witness in your life as to your need of Jesus for Salvation! No Jesus, no salvation. Just that simple.
Lots of other ideas were offered up and others shot down those ideas as well, the opportunity ended with no answers. Even I Corinthians 5:8-13 was brought up but it was just a red herring though. And, yet, the Bible is quite clear on this subject .....
Matthew 12:22-32
Here, Jesus casts a demon out from a mute and blind man. He was known in he community as being this way. People saw the freeing of this man from the demonic cause. They knew. Even the Pharisees had to have known! No community was that large in Israel back then.
How do you deal with the unexplained? You are the local spiritual authority. You are respected. You are sought out for your wisdom. And you are confronted by the unexplainable and you only have two options - Satan is behind it or God is.
And Satan is more real than God in Israel at that time, you know - that force which has not been heard from in hundreds of years! So Satan gets all the credit, Jesus is discounted as being a servant of Satan, his works are a fraud therefore.
And in verse 25, Jesus responds:
He tells them flat out that if you see the work of God, then God is in your midst. (And, they are of the devil.)
Verses 31 and 32, go even further and Jesus flat out says that speaking against the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin! Within the context of the passage, well, we have the mystery solved.
What the Holy Spirit performs - and we attribute to Satan - places us in the realm of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit!
It also means, one must be terribly cautious!
Your only protection would be to have the Holy Spirit's discernment or keep your mouth shut a great deal! LOL ...
(and for the ultra-critical, there is no such thing as the "Holy Spirit" in the original texts. it is called "ghost", "breath", "thing", even "it"! make no mistake, the Spirit of God is real but they had no standard name for it in Judaism. and it really was not very well understood, except by men such as Daniel, David, Solomon, and any of the prophets - a few others known as Christians whom it now dwells in.
April 27, 2016
Stresses and Tears
I commented on Monday that it was a bad weekend.
And it was.
Many things went completely wrong, with more than a few surprises along the way.
And oldest daughter had a birthday.
But it all fell apart on Friday. My only living step-mother, of eight!, has reached the point where she has to go into assisted living. She is no longer home.
For the past five years one of her nieces has been caring for her, with breaks provided by her brother in Texas and a sister in California. The tag team has worked well until now. Personally, I wish she would move here, for I love her dearly - she was the best of all of the women father married.
But, her niece, caring for her, has two daughters of her own. One lives in San Antonio in caregiver's snowbird condo and the other in caregiver's home in Illinois. And the grandchildren burned down the house last week! And the insurance company says twice is too many times in two years. And so my pseudo-cousin must go and sort this out in person (made be crack some skulls while she is at it?) - it could take months! And her siblings are not free to travel at the moment to take her place to continue to care for stepmother! Sigh ...
Luckily, Denver is currently a sellers market, so mean, cruel, ex-stepmother should get a good price! A rest home has opened up down in Westcliffe (southern central Colorado), where she has lived most of her life - so that part is good.
But, cousin can not be there for a few weeks and so it falls upon me.
I had planned a Denver visit and wanted to see MCSM! - but - Westcliffe?!?!?!?!? Well, it seems that is what it will be. Fly to Denver, drive five hours to six hours to Westcliffe, if traffic is low. Visit with stepmother for a few days and then do it all in reverse. By then her nephew will be there. (and I need to avoid him, he is like his father - an "intellectual", schooled beyond his ability. just think cheese and cheese grater, that is him and me) Sigh ...
I will ask for your prayers when it comes up because at 7,888 feet, my lungs may not do so well. Sigh ... :( I am seeing stars already!
So, greatly saddened on Friday - seeing my own frailty and my own hopelessness in context. Sigh. A birthday lunch with oldest daughter and her children - made me long for the joy that does not exist in my own life. And the weekend went downhill from there ...
And what I have feared the most, someone I rely on - our friendship went sour. Nothing I can say, nothing I can anything - because they refuse to speak with me and will only yell at me in text messages - without ever allowing that there might be nothing wrong I have done! .... I would rather have died than have this person turn on me. Last night, I was told the friendship is over - they simply will not be there for me in any regard, but "hey, say hi once in awhile". And again, I did nothing wrong other than be completely naive perhaps.
Then Saturday, in tears, I turned to someone whom has been very helpful through the years for advice. Yup, you got it - silence. Continued silence. As of last night, I give up on everything and everybody.
Never look for compassion if your name is Kris, it seems.
And people wonder why I am a bit twitchy this week ... sigh ...
I surrender life, I just give up.
And it was.
Many things went completely wrong, with more than a few surprises along the way.
And oldest daughter had a birthday.
But it all fell apart on Friday. My only living step-mother, of eight!, has reached the point where she has to go into assisted living. She is no longer home.
For the past five years one of her nieces has been caring for her, with breaks provided by her brother in Texas and a sister in California. The tag team has worked well until now. Personally, I wish she would move here, for I love her dearly - she was the best of all of the women father married.
But, her niece, caring for her, has two daughters of her own. One lives in San Antonio in caregiver's snowbird condo and the other in caregiver's home in Illinois. And the grandchildren burned down the house last week! And the insurance company says twice is too many times in two years. And so my pseudo-cousin must go and sort this out in person (made be crack some skulls while she is at it?) - it could take months! And her siblings are not free to travel at the moment to take her place to continue to care for stepmother! Sigh ...
Luckily, Denver is currently a sellers market, so mean, cruel, ex-stepmother should get a good price! A rest home has opened up down in Westcliffe (southern central Colorado), where she has lived most of her life - so that part is good.
But, cousin can not be there for a few weeks and so it falls upon me.
I had planned a Denver visit and wanted to see MCSM! - but - Westcliffe?!?!?!?!? Well, it seems that is what it will be. Fly to Denver, drive five hours to six hours to Westcliffe, if traffic is low. Visit with stepmother for a few days and then do it all in reverse. By then her nephew will be there. (and I need to avoid him, he is like his father - an "intellectual", schooled beyond his ability. just think cheese and cheese grater, that is him and me) Sigh ...
I will ask for your prayers when it comes up because at 7,888 feet, my lungs may not do so well. Sigh ... :( I am seeing stars already!
So, greatly saddened on Friday - seeing my own frailty and my own hopelessness in context. Sigh. A birthday lunch with oldest daughter and her children - made me long for the joy that does not exist in my own life. And the weekend went downhill from there ...
And what I have feared the most, someone I rely on - our friendship went sour. Nothing I can say, nothing I can anything - because they refuse to speak with me and will only yell at me in text messages - without ever allowing that there might be nothing wrong I have done! .... I would rather have died than have this person turn on me. Last night, I was told the friendship is over - they simply will not be there for me in any regard, but "hey, say hi once in awhile". And again, I did nothing wrong other than be completely naive perhaps.
Then Saturday, in tears, I turned to someone whom has been very helpful through the years for advice. Yup, you got it - silence. Continued silence. As of last night, I give up on everything and everybody.
Never look for compassion if your name is Kris, it seems.
And people wonder why I am a bit twitchy this week ... sigh ...
I surrender life, I just give up.
April 26, 2016
Reliving Fifth Grade
Oh boy! (that is sarcasm ...)
Since Friday, I have been reliving fifth grade! What the heck? My memory - independent memories! are coming back and it starts with fifth grade??????? Oh dear Lord! Not that!
Fifth grade, the year we moved to the Belgium, Luxembourg, French border - to a tiny little town where we were supposed to be hidden from the stinking Commie Spies! (Oh give me a break! I hate Cold War paranoia!) We had more to fear from the French because we were German than from any Communist spy!
If I said, France hates us and wants us dead! - It would not be an exaggeration.
If I said, NATO hated us and wanted us dead! - Again not an exaggeration!
If I said, My parents wanted me dead, that would be darn accurate!
Why did my memory have to restart here? Why not with my Danish Great-Uncle and my Great-Aunt? Summers of what I think love really was. Why to a place where I was essentially an outcast - no friends, no ability in French, nothing to do but read vast amounts of books from the NATO base in that district. Well, and learn all about professional and commercial cooking. :)
And, the memory?
Radio Caroline, the English Pirate Station which had broadcast to all of us in Eastern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. With that came the memories of those years listening, learning from the weak voices in the air and knowing someone, somewhere "cared". Radio Caroline, whom one time played a special request for my sister, thanks to one of her friends. Everyone at school died that Caroline did it! And I should explain that yes, I have written here or on Thoughts From The Little Apple, about Radio Caroline before - so I possessed that knowledge in my brain - just like having read a book. But, this memory came with a sense of ownership, real memory - not someone else's named Kris!
And, so the memories begin? Will they be sequential? Will there be more?
I have no idea. But, in the meantime - it gave me an idea of a Christmas gift for Sommer: a painting of the Caroline in the English Channel, a copy of the movie Pirate Radio, which she may never forgive me for!, and a copy of Petula Clark's Greatest Hits (the song dedicated to her was one of Pet's). So, might be a surprise, then again might not be all that great but it will get me back to painting this week!
I wait patiently to find out ...
Since Friday, I have been reliving fifth grade! What the heck? My memory - independent memories! are coming back and it starts with fifth grade??????? Oh dear Lord! Not that!
Fifth grade, the year we moved to the Belgium, Luxembourg, French border - to a tiny little town where we were supposed to be hidden from the stinking Commie Spies! (Oh give me a break! I hate Cold War paranoia!) We had more to fear from the French because we were German than from any Communist spy!
If I said, France hates us and wants us dead! - It would not be an exaggeration.
If I said, NATO hated us and wanted us dead! - Again not an exaggeration!
If I said, My parents wanted me dead, that would be darn accurate!
Why did my memory have to restart here? Why not with my Danish Great-Uncle and my Great-Aunt? Summers of what I think love really was. Why to a place where I was essentially an outcast - no friends, no ability in French, nothing to do but read vast amounts of books from the NATO base in that district. Well, and learn all about professional and commercial cooking. :)
And, the memory?
Radio Caroline, the English Pirate Station which had broadcast to all of us in Eastern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. With that came the memories of those years listening, learning from the weak voices in the air and knowing someone, somewhere "cared". Radio Caroline, whom one time played a special request for my sister, thanks to one of her friends. Everyone at school died that Caroline did it! And I should explain that yes, I have written here or on Thoughts From The Little Apple, about Radio Caroline before - so I possessed that knowledge in my brain - just like having read a book. But, this memory came with a sense of ownership, real memory - not someone else's named Kris!
And, so the memories begin? Will they be sequential? Will there be more?
I have no idea. But, in the meantime - it gave me an idea of a Christmas gift for Sommer: a painting of the Caroline in the English Channel, a copy of the movie Pirate Radio, which she may never forgive me for!, and a copy of Petula Clark's Greatest Hits (the song dedicated to her was one of Pet's). So, might be a surprise, then again might not be all that great but it will get me back to painting this week!
I wait patiently to find out ...
April 25, 2016
Zootopia
After a very hard weekend and a poor beginning to Sunday, I took my grandson to the movies.
Never had heard of Zootopia, but it was rated mouse friendly, so what's to lose?
Now I have not seen an animated kids movie since Chicken Run, so really did not know what to expect.
It was a great movie!
A plot that was not silly.
The film was inspirational.
And utterly politically correct.
Psychology straight out of the 1930's. Whatever.
My grandson loved it.
The hordes of kids there loved it.
The other adults really wanted something with light sabers ... I did mention adults didn't I?
A very humorous film.
Highly recommended.
:)
Never had heard of Zootopia, but it was rated mouse friendly, so what's to lose?
Now I have not seen an animated kids movie since Chicken Run, so really did not know what to expect.
It was a great movie!
A plot that was not silly.
The film was inspirational.
And utterly politically correct.
Psychology straight out of the 1930's. Whatever.
My grandson loved it.
The hordes of kids there loved it.
The other adults really wanted something with light sabers ... I did mention adults didn't I?
A very humorous film.
Highly recommended.
:)
April 23, 2016
Musical Saturday Morning
Today, rolling back the sands of time again to a poorly remembered group. However if you were into horrible sci-fi, around 1966, you might remember their appearance in Food of the Gods. Sort of a beach blanket movie meets Them, in a fuzzy bunny sort of way. It was a terrible film, but at the time Hollywood was desperate to get "cultural" appeal into their movies to keep the kids coming! Not so unlike almost all churches today - cough, cough, cough!
So, out of San Francisco come the Beau Brummels via Shindig ...
So, out of San Francisco come the Beau Brummels via Shindig ...
April 22, 2016
Risking It All
So the tax season is over, my task of helping the elderly over.
Something I had not thought of was the witness of my doing this. I was doing it because there was an opportunity and there was a need, being bored stiff hanging around doing minimalistic exercises might have something to do with it as well. But, whom would have thought that Swede would see me doing this and then go back home to Everett and go to a local shop to do the very same thing! And it drove him mad! LOL!
And towards the end last week I had piles of returns to do for the elderly in my church ... yeah, very much not impressed!
If you have been reading along you know that I have been really critical of how little people tithe - how little they give back to God, after all, He bothered to share with them in the first place! And so many wealthy returns - few with any charitable giving at all!
So, this last bunch was filled with lots of gamblers. I really do not care how someone wants to live their lives but I do notice when I see those with a $100k income, with only $700 in giving, then usually of clothing to Goodwill and guess what! $20k to $40k in gambling losses! No joke! Some even had pages of loss statements, usually dated weekly for the entire year, from the local casinos!
What the heck!?!?!?!?
Yeah, these people are blowing their cash like there is no tomorrow - no wonder there is so little giving, they are wasting God's blessing on them, they have shown themselves to be bad stewards and what do you think God is going to do about that?
Well, in Kris' paradigm, God will see to it that they do not have as much as before since they did not remember Him at all! When that lost cash comes due, just think about what God is going to do to them - probably not a lesson they will enjoy, much less even understand! These people are just too blind in this culture!
Sigh, I have to admit I do not understand gambling. It has no appeal to me. But obviously it means everything to other people. I wonder if they even think in terms of, "I wonder if God has any need for this extra money...."
God is real. He will act, when we behave poorly, when we mock Him, when we destroy His witness. Yes, He will bless whom He desires and personally, I would like Him to remember me (in a good way!) when He is handing out blessings ..... And stealing from Him and His witness on this Earth, is not going going to garner His blessings upon you ...
Something I had not thought of was the witness of my doing this. I was doing it because there was an opportunity and there was a need, being bored stiff hanging around doing minimalistic exercises might have something to do with it as well. But, whom would have thought that Swede would see me doing this and then go back home to Everett and go to a local shop to do the very same thing! And it drove him mad! LOL!
And towards the end last week I had piles of returns to do for the elderly in my church ... yeah, very much not impressed!
If you have been reading along you know that I have been really critical of how little people tithe - how little they give back to God, after all, He bothered to share with them in the first place! And so many wealthy returns - few with any charitable giving at all!
So, this last bunch was filled with lots of gamblers. I really do not care how someone wants to live their lives but I do notice when I see those with a $100k income, with only $700 in giving, then usually of clothing to Goodwill and guess what! $20k to $40k in gambling losses! No joke! Some even had pages of loss statements, usually dated weekly for the entire year, from the local casinos!
What the heck!?!?!?!?
Yeah, these people are blowing their cash like there is no tomorrow - no wonder there is so little giving, they are wasting God's blessing on them, they have shown themselves to be bad stewards and what do you think God is going to do about that?
Well, in Kris' paradigm, God will see to it that they do not have as much as before since they did not remember Him at all! When that lost cash comes due, just think about what God is going to do to them - probably not a lesson they will enjoy, much less even understand! These people are just too blind in this culture!
Sigh, I have to admit I do not understand gambling. It has no appeal to me. But obviously it means everything to other people. I wonder if they even think in terms of, "I wonder if God has any need for this extra money...."
God is real. He will act, when we behave poorly, when we mock Him, when we destroy His witness. Yes, He will bless whom He desires and personally, I would like Him to remember me (in a good way!) when He is handing out blessings ..... And stealing from Him and His witness on this Earth, is not going going to garner His blessings upon you ...
April 21, 2016
"Get Out of Jail Free"
A century ago, evangelists used to preach Fire and Brimstone - the judgement was coming and you were in dire straights if you did not have God on your side to save from it! Today, this has eroded down to an understanding of:
Heaven equals pleasure
Hell equals torture
Salvation is composed of "magic words"
Salvation is your "Get Out of Jail Free" card. You can get it, hold it, do what ever you want and then produce the card at the end of you life and God HAS to honor it!
Right?
When you bring Jesus' sacrifice to this low of an understanding, then humanism is just as good, in fact you are a humanist for even thinking this way! Gees, God is God! He is not constrained in the least by your desires!
Galations 1:1-10
Jesus Called You
Paul was challenged as to whom he thought he was to tell anyone about Jesus, after all he was not a recognized Apostle. Which is to say, he did not walk with Jesus during those three years of ministry. It may well be that he was at the crucifixion and certainly at the stoning of Stephen shortly there after. So, a hater, not a follower!
We are not called by men, your grandmother, circumstance, churches, nor by money or education attainment.
Jesus calls you alone for the ministry.
Jesus assigns.
Jesus supports your efforts you are called to.
Turn To Jesus
Galatians was written to believers in a church which was sliding away from the truth of whom Jesus is. It was accepting popular ideas and replacing the simplicity of the Gospel.
Works, like circumcision and following of the Jewish Law, were being added to the basis of salvation.
But, we are not Christians because we do "works" much less "good works"! But, you are because of your relationship with Jesus.
Live For Jesus
And for Jesus/God alone!
He paid the price for you living your life by your rules.
And all He asks is for you live in a relationship with Him.
It is your choice, but understand that if you want to live by your rules, no matter how much respect from others you gather - you are still living for yourself not him. I dare say this is the condition of the majority of the "church" today. And in the end, your get out of jail free card you will find will fail you when the time comes for you to account for your life lived for yourself, to your end - not His.
And it does not have to be that way .....
Heaven equals pleasure
Hell equals torture
Salvation is composed of "magic words"
Salvation is your "Get Out of Jail Free" card. You can get it, hold it, do what ever you want and then produce the card at the end of you life and God HAS to honor it!
Right?
When you bring Jesus' sacrifice to this low of an understanding, then humanism is just as good, in fact you are a humanist for even thinking this way! Gees, God is God! He is not constrained in the least by your desires!
Galations 1:1-10
Jesus Called You
Paul was challenged as to whom he thought he was to tell anyone about Jesus, after all he was not a recognized Apostle. Which is to say, he did not walk with Jesus during those three years of ministry. It may well be that he was at the crucifixion and certainly at the stoning of Stephen shortly there after. So, a hater, not a follower!
We are not called by men, your grandmother, circumstance, churches, nor by money or education attainment.
Jesus calls you alone for the ministry.
Jesus assigns.
Jesus supports your efforts you are called to.
Turn To Jesus
Galatians was written to believers in a church which was sliding away from the truth of whom Jesus is. It was accepting popular ideas and replacing the simplicity of the Gospel.
Works, like circumcision and following of the Jewish Law, were being added to the basis of salvation.
But, we are not Christians because we do "works" much less "good works"! But, you are because of your relationship with Jesus.
Live For Jesus
And for Jesus/God alone!
He paid the price for you living your life by your rules.
And all He asks is for you live in a relationship with Him.
It is your choice, but understand that if you want to live by your rules, no matter how much respect from others you gather - you are still living for yourself not him. I dare say this is the condition of the majority of the "church" today. And in the end, your get out of jail free card you will find will fail you when the time comes for you to account for your life lived for yourself, to your end - not His.
And it does not have to be that way .....
April 20, 2016
The Resurrection
I was reading and thinking on this back around Easter and I began remembering a fight in the college Bible group back in the day.
Now so much is made of the cross. Images of it everywhere. Songs about it. Jewelry made to represent it, etc! And the Bible Study leader was talking about the importance of the cross. How we know we can be forgiven and be guaranteed a new life in Heaven because of it - blah, blah, blah, blah!
But, you would have thought I had devil horns when I said, "... but isn't that the point of the empty grave? Lots of people were crucified, perhaps millions, but only one ever came out of the grave ....."
And again, now 43 years later, I am again seeing the disjunction between what this "christian culture" says and believes, and what the Bible tells us. Yes, the cross is the symbol of Jesus paying the ultimate price for OUR sin. But, the empty grave is the confirmation that He was whom He said He was! And we can now know, with utter confidence, that our sins are forgiven through Him and His resurrection out of that tomb!
1. That empty tomb is proof that says that the death on the cross counted.
Our debt before God is PAID in FULL.
Talk is cheap, that empty tomb was His proof of whom He was.
2. The key opening the prison called death.
Jesus overcame death - to proof He can release you from death as well.
3. It is a seed that says there is more to come!
The cross was only the beginning.
The empty tomb proof.
Your life the witness.
Eternity awaits each of us.
4. The witnesses were distraught and cried.
Real Christians cry.
But, we have an eternal hope now.
Physical death is not the end of us nor our loved ones.
5. Discounts every other God.
He did arise from the grave.
Thousands saw him.
Many ate with Him.
He walked, He talked, He built a fire, He was touched.
The proof was there!
6. The tomb is the last will and testament left to us.
And it promises us hardship in this life.
But, overcoming and glory in Heaven!
:)
Now so much is made of the cross. Images of it everywhere. Songs about it. Jewelry made to represent it, etc! And the Bible Study leader was talking about the importance of the cross. How we know we can be forgiven and be guaranteed a new life in Heaven because of it - blah, blah, blah, blah!
But, you would have thought I had devil horns when I said, "... but isn't that the point of the empty grave? Lots of people were crucified, perhaps millions, but only one ever came out of the grave ....."
And again, now 43 years later, I am again seeing the disjunction between what this "christian culture" says and believes, and what the Bible tells us. Yes, the cross is the symbol of Jesus paying the ultimate price for OUR sin. But, the empty grave is the confirmation that He was whom He said He was! And we can now know, with utter confidence, that our sins are forgiven through Him and His resurrection out of that tomb!
1. That empty tomb is proof that says that the death on the cross counted.
Our debt before God is PAID in FULL.
Talk is cheap, that empty tomb was His proof of whom He was.
2. The key opening the prison called death.
Jesus overcame death - to proof He can release you from death as well.
3. It is a seed that says there is more to come!
The cross was only the beginning.
The empty tomb proof.
Your life the witness.
Eternity awaits each of us.
4. The witnesses were distraught and cried.
Real Christians cry.
But, we have an eternal hope now.
Physical death is not the end of us nor our loved ones.
5. Discounts every other God.
He did arise from the grave.
Thousands saw him.
Many ate with Him.
He walked, He talked, He built a fire, He was touched.
The proof was there!
6. The tomb is the last will and testament left to us.
And it promises us hardship in this life.
But, overcoming and glory in Heaven!
:)
April 19, 2016
Amnesia
This amnesia drives everyone around me crazy! Not only is it becoming apparent that this may well be permanent, but short term memory seems to have been affected as well. Though I have to admit I have observed that I have gone from only being able to remember two numbers at a time when dialing a phone number two months ago, to being up to five characters now. Not sure what my old abilities were, but they had to have been better than this! Some numbers are hard for me to keep straight, like 3 and 5 for instance. And my typing as improved tremendously as well! Yeah!
Post surgery memory is still holding its own. I can remember everything, even pain quite well. Logic seems unhampered, I observe, I analyze, I see the elephant in the room no one will talk about.
But, I walk through life in a fog. Always just on the rim of remembering something or someone, but never coming to the forefront of my mind. I live in a mist of shadows.
And, two things have become abundantly clear across the past month to me: first is that I have lost all sense of who I am and secondly I am not where I am supposed to be!
Well, the latter, is the easiest to address - it is a feeling deep inside of me that I should be somewhere else. No idea where, but I know it is not here. Maybe it is just not in this environment. But, there is nothing leading me anywhere, no direction what so ever. Thus, I just stand still, in place, not knowing what to do. In some ways I wish I would get hit over the head and wake up somewhere else and begin this process all over again - if only there was encouragement and support there.
And the former? Seems to be real problem. I have no sense of self, no knowledge of who I am, much less whom I am supposed to be! It is quite paralyzing to any decision making process!. It is apparently quite common, about 70% of people suffer a loss of identity for up three months after anesthesia. Further, about 30% suffer this loss well after three months ... so for a lifetime ... oh joy ...
And from what I can find on the internet, there is nothing which can be done about any of this. Tests on mice have suggested that usage of another anesthesia may kick start the brain for short periods of time. Hypnotism can reveal the hidden mind to others but not make it known to the brain owner! In my case, hampered by needing permission and attendance from the Department of Defense and State, to assure nothing was revealed which would be politically incorrect. It would all be so much easier, if only hitting me over the head could clear this fog inside of me!
So, if you want to be joining with me in prayer, I really need to regain some sense of whom I am (or am to be!) and God really needs to do something about this quaking within me which tells me return to where I belong - where ever that is ...
Such a very messed up Kris ...
Post surgery memory is still holding its own. I can remember everything, even pain quite well. Logic seems unhampered, I observe, I analyze, I see the elephant in the room no one will talk about.
But, I walk through life in a fog. Always just on the rim of remembering something or someone, but never coming to the forefront of my mind. I live in a mist of shadows.
And, two things have become abundantly clear across the past month to me: first is that I have lost all sense of who I am and secondly I am not where I am supposed to be!
Well, the latter, is the easiest to address - it is a feeling deep inside of me that I should be somewhere else. No idea where, but I know it is not here. Maybe it is just not in this environment. But, there is nothing leading me anywhere, no direction what so ever. Thus, I just stand still, in place, not knowing what to do. In some ways I wish I would get hit over the head and wake up somewhere else and begin this process all over again - if only there was encouragement and support there.
And the former? Seems to be real problem. I have no sense of self, no knowledge of who I am, much less whom I am supposed to be! It is quite paralyzing to any decision making process!. It is apparently quite common, about 70% of people suffer a loss of identity for up three months after anesthesia. Further, about 30% suffer this loss well after three months ... so for a lifetime ... oh joy ...
And from what I can find on the internet, there is nothing which can be done about any of this. Tests on mice have suggested that usage of another anesthesia may kick start the brain for short periods of time. Hypnotism can reveal the hidden mind to others but not make it known to the brain owner! In my case, hampered by needing permission and attendance from the Department of Defense and State, to assure nothing was revealed which would be politically incorrect. It would all be so much easier, if only hitting me over the head could clear this fog inside of me!
So, if you want to be joining with me in prayer, I really need to regain some sense of whom I am (or am to be!) and God really needs to do something about this quaking within me which tells me return to where I belong - where ever that is ...
Such a very messed up Kris ...
April 18, 2016
Gods of Egypt
So Friday, Swede came down and after a lunch at our local cantina, what do to? Well, neither of us were up for anything resembling exercise, so that left either movies or a bookstore. Personally I would have opted for books, I love books!
So sniffing around the internet, I found that the only thing we both had not seen is: The Gods of Egypt. The remarks on the internet were so hilarious, we had to watch it!
Okay, just imagine Pirates of the Caribbean meets Galaxy Quest by way of the original Star Gate movie and add in a bevy of silicon beauties. Yeah, quite the conglomeration of comparisons - then this is a movie which lost it's way early on and never did find an Eagle Scout to guide them back!
Obviously, someone thought this was going to be a blockbuster story and invested heavily in CGI special effects which were at times just a little too thin to make the movie believable.
Acting was completely stolen by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - whom may have been the only actual actor in this movie! Sure lots of cast but NO ONE coming through, which made his over the top performance not only noticeable but extremely funny! A plethora of silicon bunnies were too obvious and just detracted from the story line. Perhaps the director or producer realized they were in trouble? May as well as fill the scenes with enhanced cleavage I guess ..... sigh ...
Nothing about the movie actually even close to historical or mythical accuracy. As one reviewer commented, "If you want accuracy go see a National Geographic Special!" LOL!
Well to be fair, they did get the concept of sand correct.
So, if you are looking for a movie that is so bad, it is good, this is the film! But, to be fair, it does have a story-line, a romance aub-story, lots of action, mythical creatures, etc. Claymation would have made this much more fun! Ray Harryhausen where are you when you are needed!?!
But, be warned, as one of the other three viewers commented, as he walked past me, "What on Earth did I just view ....."
So sniffing around the internet, I found that the only thing we both had not seen is: The Gods of Egypt. The remarks on the internet were so hilarious, we had to watch it!
Okay, just imagine Pirates of the Caribbean meets Galaxy Quest by way of the original Star Gate movie and add in a bevy of silicon beauties. Yeah, quite the conglomeration of comparisons - then this is a movie which lost it's way early on and never did find an Eagle Scout to guide them back!
Obviously, someone thought this was going to be a blockbuster story and invested heavily in CGI special effects which were at times just a little too thin to make the movie believable.
Acting was completely stolen by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - whom may have been the only actual actor in this movie! Sure lots of cast but NO ONE coming through, which made his over the top performance not only noticeable but extremely funny! A plethora of silicon bunnies were too obvious and just detracted from the story line. Perhaps the director or producer realized they were in trouble? May as well as fill the scenes with enhanced cleavage I guess ..... sigh ...
Nothing about the movie actually even close to historical or mythical accuracy. As one reviewer commented, "If you want accuracy go see a National Geographic Special!" LOL!
Well to be fair, they did get the concept of sand correct.
So, if you are looking for a movie that is so bad, it is good, this is the film! But, to be fair, it does have a story-line, a romance aub-story, lots of action, mythical creatures, etc. Claymation would have made this much more fun! Ray Harryhausen where are you when you are needed!?!
But, be warned, as one of the other three viewers commented, as he walked past me, "What on Earth did I just view ....."
April 16, 2016
Musical Saturday Morning
I was sitting around remembering when my oldest daughter was so sad, she missed her life on the Chechnyian border region of Russia. And I tried really hard to find her Russian things to do. We chased the Antonov around the world trying to get her to see the worlds largest plane - Russian of course. We went to Russian clubs, spas, chow halls, any place Russian where sailors did not hang out! And finally, I hit on a winner.
Irina Slutskya, a Russian Olympic skater and World Champion was her idol. But, likelihood of getting near her? Zero!
So, I - through an incredible act of hacking, I was able to get her personal eMail address. And I sent her a short message explaining about my daughter and her homesickness for mother Russia. I asked if at a certain performance, she would be willing to come out and talk to my daughter. And she did!
Of course all my daughter did was sob and cling to her. But, Irina - I owe you and one day - it is dinner on me!
So, from Irina Slutskya's program: Cotton Eyed Joe, without Irina however - LOL!
Or perhaps you would prefer with Irina?
Irina Slutskya, a Russian Olympic skater and World Champion was her idol. But, likelihood of getting near her? Zero!
So, I - through an incredible act of hacking, I was able to get her personal eMail address. And I sent her a short message explaining about my daughter and her homesickness for mother Russia. I asked if at a certain performance, she would be willing to come out and talk to my daughter. And she did!
Of course all my daughter did was sob and cling to her. But, Irina - I owe you and one day - it is dinner on me!
So, from Irina Slutskya's program: Cotton Eyed Joe, without Irina however - LOL!
Or perhaps you would prefer with Irina?
April 15, 2016
Last Day of Taxes!
Hurray! It is Friday and my last day of doing taxes for the masses of elderly I have been assisting!
It has been extremely interesting - I actually never have successfully done a return before! I always had to rely on an accountant - so learned bunches! Yeah, next year I will probably use an accountant again! LOL
Five weeks ago, people were pleasant and the job fun. But, as the time has worn on, people have become stressed and the pleasant people from a month ago are now aggressively obnoxious! It is not my fault if they can not find the documentation they have lost and yet - I get both barrels of their shotgun! And not just one person a day - perhaps more like one an hour on Monday down to one every 12 minutes on Thursday! Gees! So, the firm will be filing lots of extensions I imagine for these people.
On the sad side has been the deaths. Partners finally finding themselves single after a lifetime together. I could understand it more with the divorces, human relationships breakdown and nothing is left. Death is more sudden and more crippling it seems. And then to have someone I know die during the tax gathering process ... sigh ... I have known her since 1980, but really only later when her great-grand daughter took a shining to one of "my boys". He would have been so much better off sticking with her! Gees what a nightmare the one he married became! :(
So, hopefully no more exposure to laser toner fumes - which I am violently allergic to! A chance to clear my lungs, calm down my high blood pressure, eat right and relax!
Next up: working on painting again. I have been doodling late at night for about 30 minutes a day. Working with different formulas of oil paints, trying to create something which will be toxic free and yet still paint a picture which will last. Yet, watercolors are great but they are water based after all. So my next week is planned out!
Also on the horizon is a trip to Colorado at some point to see my aging mean, evil, ex-stepmother. She has gotten very frail and losing it mentally. sigh ..... And a trip to Oregon to help a friend bury his mother. She has been dead now about 7 years, riding in the trunk of this car. First it was his health and then mine, but at long last we are both healthy so it will be a fun trip with lots of metal detecting along the way! :)
Yak more on Monday! :)
It has been extremely interesting - I actually never have successfully done a return before! I always had to rely on an accountant - so learned bunches! Yeah, next year I will probably use an accountant again! LOL
Five weeks ago, people were pleasant and the job fun. But, as the time has worn on, people have become stressed and the pleasant people from a month ago are now aggressively obnoxious! It is not my fault if they can not find the documentation they have lost and yet - I get both barrels of their shotgun! And not just one person a day - perhaps more like one an hour on Monday down to one every 12 minutes on Thursday! Gees! So, the firm will be filing lots of extensions I imagine for these people.
On the sad side has been the deaths. Partners finally finding themselves single after a lifetime together. I could understand it more with the divorces, human relationships breakdown and nothing is left. Death is more sudden and more crippling it seems. And then to have someone I know die during the tax gathering process ... sigh ... I have known her since 1980, but really only later when her great-grand daughter took a shining to one of "my boys". He would have been so much better off sticking with her! Gees what a nightmare the one he married became! :(
So, hopefully no more exposure to laser toner fumes - which I am violently allergic to! A chance to clear my lungs, calm down my high blood pressure, eat right and relax!
Next up: working on painting again. I have been doodling late at night for about 30 minutes a day. Working with different formulas of oil paints, trying to create something which will be toxic free and yet still paint a picture which will last. Yet, watercolors are great but they are water based after all. So my next week is planned out!
Also on the horizon is a trip to Colorado at some point to see my aging mean, evil, ex-stepmother. She has gotten very frail and losing it mentally. sigh ..... And a trip to Oregon to help a friend bury his mother. She has been dead now about 7 years, riding in the trunk of this car. First it was his health and then mine, but at long last we are both healthy so it will be a fun trip with lots of metal detecting along the way! :)
Yak more on Monday! :)
April 14, 2016
Lessons From A Fig Tree
One of the earliest lessons I can remember from my wee years as a Christian, is about the fig tree ... and as I have pondered this passage again, I realize again how wrong my teacher's got it!
Mark 11:12-25
It is all about faith, right? If my faith is great enough, then I can command - and it will be done! Jesus said so - right hear!
And, well, no he did not - the context is what is so important and within that, Jesus said no such thing!
1. Be of Substance
Figs have two cycles of fruit bearing. The first is called "buds" or "green" figs. They are small, tasty and set early before the real fruit. As child I used to climb my neighbor's fig tree and chow down on these. They were great and less messy than the real fruit! He did not like the "little" ones, so they were all mine!
But, Jesus found no early set of fruit - just leaves.
God wants substance from us - not buildings, staff, programs, self directed ministries!
And, Jesus will curse us if no faith is to be found in us! Show will be our end.
What we believe affects our lives - and it shows to all with DISCERNMENT! It is what I have hammered on my entire life: fat, self satisfied "Christians", whose leadership long ago has lost its way.
Yup, we are ripe for a judgement now, just as we were back in 1974 when I figured out what this verse was really about! And think about how low we have fallen as Christians in the passing 40 years!
2. People and Prayer
Israel had piety, but no actual belief any longer.
The had programs and priests to lead them - and profits for those without faith.
The priest were fleecing the poor - and God notices such things and will act in His time.
Over turning the tables was but the beginning of God's judgement on the Temple.
Covetousness is at odds with God's demands for Holiness!
Think in terms of Christianity being no different than Judaism - because it isn't!
1. Christianity began with a period of Fellowship amongst the believers. Think Acts.
2. Christianity expanded into Greek culture and became a Philosophy.
3. Christianity became organized in Europe and became the prevailing Culture.
4. Christianity became an organized Big Business in America.
We as Christians have come full circle! We followed the exact same path that failed the Jews in their relationship with God. And TAAA_DAAA!, we are there, in the same condition before God as the day Jesus walked into the Temple and made a whip .....
3. The Final Temple
So, Jesus passes by the fig tree again. It is withered and dead - it will never bear fruit again!
The temple is about to be spiritually dead and then destroyed.
There is no fruit now or will there be ever.
The Temple, God's dwelling place with man is about to be closed by Him.
But, Jesus tells us that there will be a comforter whom will be in us, upon us, empowering us! God's Spirit will now dwell in each of us.
And just like the worthless priests of old, we are just as apt to trash, cheapen and defile our temple - as they did theirs .....
*****
What was it that Jesus really did say?
Contextually, he had just flogged a group of merchants and made a mess, more than likely, of the Gentile's court - where blemish "free" offerings could be had for a slight mark up. And to God, that was not acceptable. But, the Jewish Rabbi's had replaced God long ago in their own faith and were robbing their countrymen, before God!
"God does not see".
"He is only a make believe at best".
"I can make a fortune being the chief priest!"
And Jesus strolls in. Probably nothing changed across his entire life, but now he acts!
The fig tree is cursed. Not as a symbol of Israel as has been taught for eons, but as a symbol of the barrenness of the Temple in Jerusalem.
He clears out the merchants and makes a mess of things for the greedy priests.
He returns to see the fig tree dead and tells the disciples, "... Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea ...' ..."
And I have known many a brash Christian since whom in front of me and many others have cursed a mountain and ordered it to be thrown into the sea - but that is not what the passage is saying. And, well, it seems their faith was not so great as they thought ....
"THIS MOUNTAIN".
What mountain? Zion of course, the Temple Mount! is what Jesus is talking about. And though He could have done this, He did not because He had already condemned the Temple by illustration through the fig tree.
And as you might remember, only a week away from this passage is the tearing of the Veil in the Temple, the curtain which separated the Holy of Holies from the world. The place where God's Spirit dwelt was to ripped open and His Spirit removed.
Only to then be allowed to indwell each of us - for His purposes, not our own.
Mark 11:12-25
It is all about faith, right? If my faith is great enough, then I can command - and it will be done! Jesus said so - right hear!
And, well, no he did not - the context is what is so important and within that, Jesus said no such thing!
1. Be of Substance
Figs have two cycles of fruit bearing. The first is called "buds" or "green" figs. They are small, tasty and set early before the real fruit. As child I used to climb my neighbor's fig tree and chow down on these. They were great and less messy than the real fruit! He did not like the "little" ones, so they were all mine!
But, Jesus found no early set of fruit - just leaves.
God wants substance from us - not buildings, staff, programs, self directed ministries!
And, Jesus will curse us if no faith is to be found in us! Show will be our end.
What we believe affects our lives - and it shows to all with DISCERNMENT! It is what I have hammered on my entire life: fat, self satisfied "Christians", whose leadership long ago has lost its way.
Yup, we are ripe for a judgement now, just as we were back in 1974 when I figured out what this verse was really about! And think about how low we have fallen as Christians in the passing 40 years!
2. People and Prayer
Israel had piety, but no actual belief any longer.
The had programs and priests to lead them - and profits for those without faith.
The priest were fleecing the poor - and God notices such things and will act in His time.
Over turning the tables was but the beginning of God's judgement on the Temple.
Covetousness is at odds with God's demands for Holiness!
Think in terms of Christianity being no different than Judaism - because it isn't!
1. Christianity began with a period of Fellowship amongst the believers. Think Acts.
2. Christianity expanded into Greek culture and became a Philosophy.
3. Christianity became organized in Europe and became the prevailing Culture.
4. Christianity became an organized Big Business in America.
We as Christians have come full circle! We followed the exact same path that failed the Jews in their relationship with God. And TAAA_DAAA!, we are there, in the same condition before God as the day Jesus walked into the Temple and made a whip .....
3. The Final Temple
So, Jesus passes by the fig tree again. It is withered and dead - it will never bear fruit again!
The temple is about to be spiritually dead and then destroyed.
There is no fruit now or will there be ever.
The Temple, God's dwelling place with man is about to be closed by Him.
But, Jesus tells us that there will be a comforter whom will be in us, upon us, empowering us! God's Spirit will now dwell in each of us.
And just like the worthless priests of old, we are just as apt to trash, cheapen and defile our temple - as they did theirs .....
*****
What was it that Jesus really did say?
Contextually, he had just flogged a group of merchants and made a mess, more than likely, of the Gentile's court - where blemish "free" offerings could be had for a slight mark up. And to God, that was not acceptable. But, the Jewish Rabbi's had replaced God long ago in their own faith and were robbing their countrymen, before God!
"God does not see".
"He is only a make believe at best".
"I can make a fortune being the chief priest!"
And Jesus strolls in. Probably nothing changed across his entire life, but now he acts!
The fig tree is cursed. Not as a symbol of Israel as has been taught for eons, but as a symbol of the barrenness of the Temple in Jerusalem.
He clears out the merchants and makes a mess of things for the greedy priests.
He returns to see the fig tree dead and tells the disciples, "... Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea ...' ..."
And I have known many a brash Christian since whom in front of me and many others have cursed a mountain and ordered it to be thrown into the sea - but that is not what the passage is saying. And, well, it seems their faith was not so great as they thought ....
"THIS MOUNTAIN".
What mountain? Zion of course, the Temple Mount! is what Jesus is talking about. And though He could have done this, He did not because He had already condemned the Temple by illustration through the fig tree.
And as you might remember, only a week away from this passage is the tearing of the Veil in the Temple, the curtain which separated the Holy of Holies from the world. The place where God's Spirit dwelt was to ripped open and His Spirit removed.
Only to then be allowed to indwell each of us - for His purposes, not our own.
April 13, 2016
Steps Of Faith
I have long held that you will live just as long as there is opportunity for you to reconcile with your Creator. In the world's terms - when you have rejected God for the last time, you will draw your last breath. Well, there are exceptions such as, you claim to be a Christian and are either giving Him a black eye or refusing to do as told - and you are out of here! The first I know is because of my Hutterite discipleship and the following two are because I have witnessed this so many times it is no longer fascinating seeing God's hand move against someone! As I have mentioned before, God has left one alive, as a very real witness to all whom know the story - black eyes, pride and all - yet God spared them death - and left us quaking (for real!). When He chooses to move against someone, it is not pretty. :(
In Mark 10:46-52, we are told about one whom chose to follow Jesus and there are some interesting things to take away from his act of faith:
We are introduced to a man named, Bartimaeus. He is blind, sitting by the road, a cloak to catch coins at this feet or on his legs. Reduced to begging, in order to live, he hears that Jesus that is coming and he begins to call out - all the while being told to shut up by those around him. But, he has no realistic worldly hope, only death awaits him to ease his misery.
Listen
He must have heard of Jesus and what He could miraculously do.
He heard Jesus' call for him to come.
Faith comes by hearing, but you must be able to recognize the voice!
Conversely, He hears us and knows our voice.
Persist
Even though he was being told to shut up by the crowd, he refused.
Likewise, the world surrounds us and tells us to shut up - unfortunately too many listen to the world's instruction and not God's.
We are to persist, until the end!
Jump
Barimaeus responds to this unseen voice
Obviously someone helped him find Jesus, right in front of him.
He could have been silent, he could have not gone to Jesus, he could have continued in his blind state of misery.
Ask
Jesus: "What do you want me to do?"
Bartimaeus: "Restore my sight ... "
Jesus knew what was needed, He knew what was needed to be done, but He waits for us to ask Him - to formulate in our mind/heart/spirit a recognition of what is our state and our needs.
Unlike, Bartimaeus, I am often too stupid to even know that much! But, luckily, God does give me hints - sometimes gently, sometimes painfully. And then I can pray.
Receive
Jesus: "Go your way ..."
Jesus gave Bartimaeus his sight back and told him to go his way.
And Bartimaeus was able to see.
Imagine the joy which overcame him! I can relate to being blinded, unfortunately. I was working on a car with a friend and through a weird accident - he splashed parts solvent in my face! He ran for the phone and called poison control to learn what we needed to do, took me to emergency - then as they worked on me, he went off to get the supplies they had told him he would need. Unfortunately, it was Bible Study night and I had to teach with no vision what so ever! Could not read the passage, the notes I had made, nor see anything or anyone! It took many days for my sight to be restored - and I wished Jesus would like pop up at my door and just heal me! But, He did it the hard way with me that time! (Always wear safety goggles when working with any form of caustic liquid!)
Follow
And, as Jesus headed past Jericho for Jerusalem, Bartimaeus follows Jesus.
Well, he did not have much I assume in Jericho to go home to, if there was a home for him!
How far did he go? Did he follow Jesus through the week and to the foot of the cross? Entirely possible! He did not seem to stick around, just like the disciples did not afterwards.
He had experienced a personal miracle ... no one would ever convince him that he had not been blind or by some trick he could now see. He had been healed, he had walked with, he had listened to the words of this miracle worker. Did he run back to Jerusalem when he heard that Jesus had been seen? Was he amongst those for Pentecost or become a founding member of the new Way of Judaism (to be called Christian in later years)?
Now think back to the Rich Young Ruler. He came, he asked, he listened - but he left saddened because his wealth meant more to him than what Jesus had to offer. How did he react to Jesus' death and all that was to follow?
Conversely, Bartimaeus followed in joy.
And in some histories, there is talk of the Rabbis hunting down and killing those whom Jesus had cured - to silence their testimony. Following can mean, to the grave, if necessary. Something far too many Christians have had to do in the past decade alone ... And this abomination of a christian church, today, has no response ... because it is not happening to us or those we know but to "those" "them" "they", whom are not us ....
Think on this dear readers.
In Mark 10:46-52, we are told about one whom chose to follow Jesus and there are some interesting things to take away from his act of faith:
We are introduced to a man named, Bartimaeus. He is blind, sitting by the road, a cloak to catch coins at this feet or on his legs. Reduced to begging, in order to live, he hears that Jesus that is coming and he begins to call out - all the while being told to shut up by those around him. But, he has no realistic worldly hope, only death awaits him to ease his misery.
Listen
He must have heard of Jesus and what He could miraculously do.
He heard Jesus' call for him to come.
Faith comes by hearing, but you must be able to recognize the voice!
Conversely, He hears us and knows our voice.
Persist
Even though he was being told to shut up by the crowd, he refused.
Likewise, the world surrounds us and tells us to shut up - unfortunately too many listen to the world's instruction and not God's.
We are to persist, until the end!
Jump
Barimaeus responds to this unseen voice
Obviously someone helped him find Jesus, right in front of him.
He could have been silent, he could have not gone to Jesus, he could have continued in his blind state of misery.
Ask
Jesus: "What do you want me to do?"
Bartimaeus: "Restore my sight ... "
Jesus knew what was needed, He knew what was needed to be done, but He waits for us to ask Him - to formulate in our mind/heart/spirit a recognition of what is our state and our needs.
Unlike, Bartimaeus, I am often too stupid to even know that much! But, luckily, God does give me hints - sometimes gently, sometimes painfully. And then I can pray.
Receive
Jesus: "Go your way ..."
Jesus gave Bartimaeus his sight back and told him to go his way.
And Bartimaeus was able to see.
Imagine the joy which overcame him! I can relate to being blinded, unfortunately. I was working on a car with a friend and through a weird accident - he splashed parts solvent in my face! He ran for the phone and called poison control to learn what we needed to do, took me to emergency - then as they worked on me, he went off to get the supplies they had told him he would need. Unfortunately, it was Bible Study night and I had to teach with no vision what so ever! Could not read the passage, the notes I had made, nor see anything or anyone! It took many days for my sight to be restored - and I wished Jesus would like pop up at my door and just heal me! But, He did it the hard way with me that time! (Always wear safety goggles when working with any form of caustic liquid!)
Follow
And, as Jesus headed past Jericho for Jerusalem, Bartimaeus follows Jesus.
Well, he did not have much I assume in Jericho to go home to, if there was a home for him!
How far did he go? Did he follow Jesus through the week and to the foot of the cross? Entirely possible! He did not seem to stick around, just like the disciples did not afterwards.
He had experienced a personal miracle ... no one would ever convince him that he had not been blind or by some trick he could now see. He had been healed, he had walked with, he had listened to the words of this miracle worker. Did he run back to Jerusalem when he heard that Jesus had been seen? Was he amongst those for Pentecost or become a founding member of the new Way of Judaism (to be called Christian in later years)?
Now think back to the Rich Young Ruler. He came, he asked, he listened - but he left saddened because his wealth meant more to him than what Jesus had to offer. How did he react to Jesus' death and all that was to follow?
Conversely, Bartimaeus followed in joy.
And in some histories, there is talk of the Rabbis hunting down and killing those whom Jesus had cured - to silence their testimony. Following can mean, to the grave, if necessary. Something far too many Christians have had to do in the past decade alone ... And this abomination of a christian church, today, has no response ... because it is not happening to us or those we know but to "those" "them" "they", whom are not us ....
Think on this dear readers.
April 12, 2016
Slender Letters
I do not think you appreciate, because you can not know, what it takes for me to write these short posts daily. I lost all of my languages and communication ability on October 17th, when I awoke with total amnesia. Everything is gone, all but one memory - which now vexes me. :(
So, to verbally communicate, I stutter every time I use a word that I have not used recently, if at all since October. So, these posts are good for me in that regard - expanding my vocabulary. Written is also hard because I am relearning how to type. Sigh. I am down to maybe four hours now on a normal post!
I have reread all of my old blogs - metal detecting, painting, cooking, my father's life, Thoughts From The Little Apple and of course, After The Apple and sadly, four blogs I deleted long ago, but I have backups I read through (and it angered me greatly! So, I am glad no one else can read them!). It told me a great deal about the old me - the man whom is dead, that will never be again - if I have anything to say about it.
To relearn English, I have been voraciously rereading all of my books - Anthropology, Archaeology, Mineralogy, Geology, Theology. Things that I do not remember, are still interesting to read, but I am not sure they are where my new path will take me. And I have hit a snag ... I know I am a Christian, in fact every moment of every day is completely dependent upon Him - because I have nothing left in (or of) me. And I am seemingly starting over knowing God and defining a Christian walk anew.
I picked up a book covering topics in Catholicism, old enough that it was done in old English and I came upon a mystery: letters I have never seen before! Yeah, I am pretty sure that I never have encountered the letter "C" attached to a "T" by a curved line above them. The same for "S" and "T"! This is called a "ligature", I was to learn, the connection of the two letters by another symbol.
And I found that English used to have soft, hard and slender sounds for each letter. As time progressed the slender sounds only remained with the CT and ST combinations. If you would pronounce these letters as an American, yeah you are mighty close to what the Englishman would try to sound out. Think of PACT, PAST, etc. Hmmmmmmm. Well, it is rare. In the old manuscripts they can only be found in about 2% of them. But, there is very little that is fact about them known. Lots of theories and with the advent of moveable type, almost extinct in English. However, in my searching I found out that new fonts are being produced for the English computer community which will be featuring Old English, Medieval English, Norman and Saxon English modifications as well!
How odd! Did you know that? Well, Gaelic Girl did, which was then followed by the comment of, exactly how much brain damage have I sustained?!?!?!?!
I know the answer is: significant.
But, I have found this subject fascinating and this little post is the product of a week's worth of computer searching and asking questions! Another mystery, "solve - ed", as Clouseau would say ...
:)
So, to verbally communicate, I stutter every time I use a word that I have not used recently, if at all since October. So, these posts are good for me in that regard - expanding my vocabulary. Written is also hard because I am relearning how to type. Sigh. I am down to maybe four hours now on a normal post!
I have reread all of my old blogs - metal detecting, painting, cooking, my father's life, Thoughts From The Little Apple and of course, After The Apple and sadly, four blogs I deleted long ago, but I have backups I read through (and it angered me greatly! So, I am glad no one else can read them!). It told me a great deal about the old me - the man whom is dead, that will never be again - if I have anything to say about it.
To relearn English, I have been voraciously rereading all of my books - Anthropology, Archaeology, Mineralogy, Geology, Theology. Things that I do not remember, are still interesting to read, but I am not sure they are where my new path will take me. And I have hit a snag ... I know I am a Christian, in fact every moment of every day is completely dependent upon Him - because I have nothing left in (or of) me. And I am seemingly starting over knowing God and defining a Christian walk anew.
I picked up a book covering topics in Catholicism, old enough that it was done in old English and I came upon a mystery: letters I have never seen before! Yeah, I am pretty sure that I never have encountered the letter "C" attached to a "T" by a curved line above them. The same for "S" and "T"! This is called a "ligature", I was to learn, the connection of the two letters by another symbol.
And I found that English used to have soft, hard and slender sounds for each letter. As time progressed the slender sounds only remained with the CT and ST combinations. If you would pronounce these letters as an American, yeah you are mighty close to what the Englishman would try to sound out. Think of PACT, PAST, etc. Hmmmmmmm. Well, it is rare. In the old manuscripts they can only be found in about 2% of them. But, there is very little that is fact about them known. Lots of theories and with the advent of moveable type, almost extinct in English. However, in my searching I found out that new fonts are being produced for the English computer community which will be featuring Old English, Medieval English, Norman and Saxon English modifications as well!
How odd! Did you know that? Well, Gaelic Girl did, which was then followed by the comment of, exactly how much brain damage have I sustained?!?!?!?!
I know the answer is: significant.
But, I have found this subject fascinating and this little post is the product of a week's worth of computer searching and asking questions! Another mystery, "solve - ed", as Clouseau would say ...
:)
April 11, 2016
The Elderly
I have always identified easier with the elderly. They have tons of interesting stories and pieces of information on life in times past. I can remember my grandmother completely freaking out one time because we were out for the day and she had forgotten her driver's license! Yeah, it turned out, after I got her calmed down, that in her day - if the police stopped you and you had no proof that you had a place to life - then you were a vagrant and headed to the hoosegow! Hard to believe that this was something that used to happen! Gees!
And my mind is working through all of these elderly tax returns I am working on - each a picture of a lifetime and a status of where they are today. By and large most of them are really not too interesting, but ever so often, I really want to go offline with some of them and find out their real story!
I was working on one last week, a widow, as are almost all of them! whom has not much going for her financially, 13 years older than me. So, not exactly elderly, but something is wrong with her - mentally, if not neurologically - her ability to print or write quickly lifts her ability to that of my 90 year old great aunt before she died! All but unreadable - but then I was trained by my great-aunt's insistence to write me, not call. She never used the phone.
So, I see her handwriting and I see my beloved Aunt whom I loved a great deal in my first 10 years with her. Then I find in her stuff that she spent her life working in aerospace. What happened I wonder? And like her, other filers I have worked on, she does support charities - the winner actually - 33% goes to charity historically! Uhm, did I mention that she does not have much to begin with?
Probably the easiest return I have done so far. Only social security, which sure is not much to draw on!
And her situation looks no better for this year, she is selling her paid for house and moving to a rental - she can not afford the property taxes any longer. No family locally to draw upon ... I want to adopt her! I would probably adopt most elderly people I have met so far.
So much confusion, so much betrayed trust and yet no options for them .....
Another widow, freshly made so this passing year, was married for 60 years! I try to fathom 60 years of a shared life, with someone you love. What must that be like, to love and then for so long? I envy them their life together if this was so. A year, a month, a week, a day - all are longer than I ever have known, Sigh - the vacuum of being born broken so badly. I hope for her that their life was precious as she has a few years left to go. And a few friends to be around her ...
If you have someone elderly in your life - make them more a priority in your life. Even if they are not "all there", they still need reassurance and direction - help, and to know that they are valued and loved.
I gave this as a message at church yesterday - just a simple three minute message ... people were in tears! Truly, I have no idea why some folks in their 30's and 40's reacted so strongly - I might have expected this from someone in their 70's or older ... I even had a 60 year old man come up to me and told me that he "felt" led to be at this church, yesterday's second service - and now he knew why. He needs to show God's love - and - I just told him how.
Well, that was off of the wall and unexpected. People hear what you do not say and see whom you are not it seems.
And my mind is working through all of these elderly tax returns I am working on - each a picture of a lifetime and a status of where they are today. By and large most of them are really not too interesting, but ever so often, I really want to go offline with some of them and find out their real story!
I was working on one last week, a widow, as are almost all of them! whom has not much going for her financially, 13 years older than me. So, not exactly elderly, but something is wrong with her - mentally, if not neurologically - her ability to print or write quickly lifts her ability to that of my 90 year old great aunt before she died! All but unreadable - but then I was trained by my great-aunt's insistence to write me, not call. She never used the phone.
So, I see her handwriting and I see my beloved Aunt whom I loved a great deal in my first 10 years with her. Then I find in her stuff that she spent her life working in aerospace. What happened I wonder? And like her, other filers I have worked on, she does support charities - the winner actually - 33% goes to charity historically! Uhm, did I mention that she does not have much to begin with?
Probably the easiest return I have done so far. Only social security, which sure is not much to draw on!
And her situation looks no better for this year, she is selling her paid for house and moving to a rental - she can not afford the property taxes any longer. No family locally to draw upon ... I want to adopt her! I would probably adopt most elderly people I have met so far.
So much confusion, so much betrayed trust and yet no options for them .....
Another widow, freshly made so this passing year, was married for 60 years! I try to fathom 60 years of a shared life, with someone you love. What must that be like, to love and then for so long? I envy them their life together if this was so. A year, a month, a week, a day - all are longer than I ever have known, Sigh - the vacuum of being born broken so badly. I hope for her that their life was precious as she has a few years left to go. And a few friends to be around her ...
If you have someone elderly in your life - make them more a priority in your life. Even if they are not "all there", they still need reassurance and direction - help, and to know that they are valued and loved.
I gave this as a message at church yesterday - just a simple three minute message ... people were in tears! Truly, I have no idea why some folks in their 30's and 40's reacted so strongly - I might have expected this from someone in their 70's or older ... I even had a 60 year old man come up to me and told me that he "felt" led to be at this church, yesterday's second service - and now he knew why. He needs to show God's love - and - I just told him how.
Well, that was off of the wall and unexpected. People hear what you do not say and see whom you are not it seems.
April 9, 2016
Musical Saturday Morning
Could there be a group, a singer perhaps, whom did something that was WOW! and then nothing happened?
Ever hear of Angeline Ball? Well unless you frequented Ireland and/or England in the early 1990's, probably not. She was a part of The Commitments in 1999, movie that propelled her to some fame. Best known for "free style" music, The Commitments were expected to do something for real. Not really my cup of tea usually, but as it happened, I was watching the Outer Limits and an episode called Star-Crossed. It was a take off on Casa Blanca, set in the space age but the idea was the same. Nathan Fillion (Firefly fame) was the romantic lead, in an odd way and out of nowhere in the middle of the Outer Limits, came this song ....
I hope you liked it. It meant something to me 20 years ago, more so now. I am glad I at least have you to finally share it with!
Mind you, I looked long for this song on the internet - search all you want and you will only find a lousy copy by the writer, no lyrics anywhere, not even recorded anywhere except here!
Ever hear of Angeline Ball? Well unless you frequented Ireland and/or England in the early 1990's, probably not. She was a part of The Commitments in 1999, movie that propelled her to some fame. Best known for "free style" music, The Commitments were expected to do something for real. Not really my cup of tea usually, but as it happened, I was watching the Outer Limits and an episode called Star-Crossed. It was a take off on Casa Blanca, set in the space age but the idea was the same. Nathan Fillion (Firefly fame) was the romantic lead, in an odd way and out of nowhere in the middle of the Outer Limits, came this song ....
I hope you liked it. It meant something to me 20 years ago, more so now. I am glad I at least have you to finally share it with!
Mind you, I looked long for this song on the internet - search all you want and you will only find a lousy copy by the writer, no lyrics anywhere, not even recorded anywhere except here!
April 8, 2016
Tulips
I have traveled in and out, as well as, lived here in Washington State since 1970. Mostly it was passing through travel. Whenever I am somewhere I like to see the sights and do what normal people do - yeah, there is lots of Washington State I am no likely to ever see! LOL!
So, I went up to the Skagit Valley to check out the tulips fields. I have known about the tulip fields since I was a kid visiting the same in Holland and I remarked that there was not much land for as many bulbs they reportedly ship. Ah, I find out, they grow in Washington State where there is tons of land! In Holland they do research and breeding of new varieties, then ship the bulbs for bulb production! Made sense.
But, since I had seen the fields in Holland, I never actually felt compelled to ever see another tulip ever again! Well, with amnesia, why not? Might be fun.
And it was.
The farm that I went to was about a mile by a mile in size - vast fields of color and about 100 acres were groomed, arranged, pretty. Many walked the trails through the fields, I stuck close to the groomed area, at least there was some shade there.
Interestingly, no memories of Holland were stirred, but I was a fount of knowledge! I would hear people say, "I wonder what that is .... " and I could tell them! It was like having ESP or something! I "knew" and yet, I know nothing, not even what I was telling them! So, I can identify flowers it seems ... but it is also just head knowledge it seems, no ownership of the data .... sigh.
I thought a great deal about this as I drove the three hours back to my little berg in the woods. I have to accept that I may never remember more than just random pieces. And I guess I will have to just be delighted to "know" something with no apparent basis of history.
Now, where to plant those new bulbs ... ?
So, I went up to the Skagit Valley to check out the tulips fields. I have known about the tulip fields since I was a kid visiting the same in Holland and I remarked that there was not much land for as many bulbs they reportedly ship. Ah, I find out, they grow in Washington State where there is tons of land! In Holland they do research and breeding of new varieties, then ship the bulbs for bulb production! Made sense.
But, since I had seen the fields in Holland, I never actually felt compelled to ever see another tulip ever again! Well, with amnesia, why not? Might be fun.
And it was.
The farm that I went to was about a mile by a mile in size - vast fields of color and about 100 acres were groomed, arranged, pretty. Many walked the trails through the fields, I stuck close to the groomed area, at least there was some shade there.
Interestingly, no memories of Holland were stirred, but I was a fount of knowledge! I would hear people say, "I wonder what that is .... " and I could tell them! It was like having ESP or something! I "knew" and yet, I know nothing, not even what I was telling them! So, I can identify flowers it seems ... but it is also just head knowledge it seems, no ownership of the data .... sigh.
I thought a great deal about this as I drove the three hours back to my little berg in the woods. I have to accept that I may never remember more than just random pieces. And I guess I will have to just be delighted to "know" something with no apparent basis of history.
Now, where to plant those new bulbs ... ?
April 7, 2016
Giving
I know I have talked about tithing before, but as I am working through tax returns, it is obvious that I ought to share my findings.
I have heard lots of numbers tossed around about giving in the "church": 1%, 5% 10% or other fractions as to what it is believed that the average Joe Christian gives.
I find that "Average Joe" only gives 1/10 of 1%! That is one dollar for every 1,000 dollars made. Let that sink in for a moment.
Yes, we have bills and debts and credit cards and wants. But, we are supposed to be managers of what God gives us - not pass throughs to the world!
We call wants - needs (anything electric or new for instance!) and whip out the credit card. We take out loans to pay for loaded up cards. :( The cycle is endless, the world system wins, God gets the crumbs.
Hard to imagine the system which worked in Jesus' time: roughly 1/3 of what you brought in covered taxes and temple and the local storage. I heard we pay about 54% and yet it does not seem to be enough to satisfy our culture ...
Imagine if things were running as they did in Jesus'day - you would have an extra 21% of your income!
Imagine if you could chop up those credit cards, kill the personal debt - the kinds of money you would suddenly have available for God's usage and not your own!
Imagine if I would shut up and walk the talk! - Yeah, that is what I am striving to do, year two! Just as deep in debt as before but my mindset has changed to be one of no new debt - pay bills as fast as possible!
Of course we live in a car based culture, without it is darn hard to do what you must for a livelihood. Yeah, my best intentions just got clobbered by a used car. Oh well, but it will allow me to hopefully earn at a faster rate now this year, than the last two months of last year!
Oh, by the way, a few of my customers have been ardent atheists. How much charity do they give? Not under 10% Yeah, they give to service organizations and groups which agree with them. To bad we can not match them dollar for dollar!
As for me monthly:
the church I attend
a starving non-addicted Vet I help monthly
Trans World Radio into Europe
2 Missions working with orphans (India and Mexico)
And as needed:
opportunities God brings my way
That is things like a mother with little kids in the grocery line and she is short on food money. God will handle it if it is staged for a sucker watching. Just unexpected, unrehearsed opportunities to be an example of Jesus' love in their life.
Helping people with flat tires for instance, helping a guy with a gas can walking down the road (if it looks safe!), telling the little old lady at the gun counter to get a stun gun and not a .357 magnum! There are lots of ways to help.
Think about the witness the guys of my church had building me a bridge so I could get in and out of the house! Cost them almost nothing, yet had a major impact on my ability to live!
And yes, I see what I did to avenge Bernard, as a direct witness to the lives we saved in Bosnia - by removing the Serb snipers! It sucks from a humanistic standpoint but a great many Christians were able to breathe easier ....
What can you do?
Lots! Just be willing.
I have heard lots of numbers tossed around about giving in the "church": 1%, 5% 10% or other fractions as to what it is believed that the average Joe Christian gives.
I find that "Average Joe" only gives 1/10 of 1%! That is one dollar for every 1,000 dollars made. Let that sink in for a moment.
Yes, we have bills and debts and credit cards and wants. But, we are supposed to be managers of what God gives us - not pass throughs to the world!
We call wants - needs (anything electric or new for instance!) and whip out the credit card. We take out loans to pay for loaded up cards. :( The cycle is endless, the world system wins, God gets the crumbs.
Hard to imagine the system which worked in Jesus' time: roughly 1/3 of what you brought in covered taxes and temple and the local storage. I heard we pay about 54% and yet it does not seem to be enough to satisfy our culture ...
Imagine if things were running as they did in Jesus'day - you would have an extra 21% of your income!
Imagine if you could chop up those credit cards, kill the personal debt - the kinds of money you would suddenly have available for God's usage and not your own!
Imagine if I would shut up and walk the talk! - Yeah, that is what I am striving to do, year two! Just as deep in debt as before but my mindset has changed to be one of no new debt - pay bills as fast as possible!
Of course we live in a car based culture, without it is darn hard to do what you must for a livelihood. Yeah, my best intentions just got clobbered by a used car. Oh well, but it will allow me to hopefully earn at a faster rate now this year, than the last two months of last year!
Oh, by the way, a few of my customers have been ardent atheists. How much charity do they give? Not under 10% Yeah, they give to service organizations and groups which agree with them. To bad we can not match them dollar for dollar!
As for me monthly:
the church I attend
a starving non-addicted Vet I help monthly
Trans World Radio into Europe
2 Missions working with orphans (India and Mexico)
And as needed:
opportunities God brings my way
That is things like a mother with little kids in the grocery line and she is short on food money. God will handle it if it is staged for a sucker watching. Just unexpected, unrehearsed opportunities to be an example of Jesus' love in their life.
Helping people with flat tires for instance, helping a guy with a gas can walking down the road (if it looks safe!), telling the little old lady at the gun counter to get a stun gun and not a .357 magnum! There are lots of ways to help.
Think about the witness the guys of my church had building me a bridge so I could get in and out of the house! Cost them almost nothing, yet had a major impact on my ability to live!
And yes, I see what I did to avenge Bernard, as a direct witness to the lives we saved in Bosnia - by removing the Serb snipers! It sucks from a humanistic standpoint but a great many Christians were able to breathe easier ....
What can you do?
Lots! Just be willing.
April 6, 2016
Investing
I was rudely introduced to the world of stocks, bonds and investing when my mother decided to sue my father for the fourth time for all he was worth! And, that wasn't much mind you! The poor guy was literally going to starve to death if my sister and I did not intervene. Sommer has always had a business mind and good with numbers, so she hatched a plan where her and I would start a shell corporation, hire father and then he would have nothing and if mother sued anyone it had to be us kids.
Well, that was the idea.
Father of course was a sociopath, so unpredictable. He expanded the company from a shell company to a real international concern, zillions of employees - even one of my ex-girlfriends, married the sister of my girlfriend in high school, which really pissed me off big time! I just walked away. Eventually he got snookered in a mining scheming in Australia which cost us $57 million in losses! I did not even know that Sommer and I had gained that much in value, much less could have lost that much without so much as a howdy-do from father. As I said, he was a documented sociopath. He really did not care. It seems he had hidden some funds for him, told us to write the loss off and as far as he was concerned it was all history - and utterly bankrupted me. Yeah, there is a reason we did not talk for 30 years.
The next time I played with stock, I thought I did extremely well. I sold it for 3 times what I paid for it. The next day however it shot up by 500% and stayed for years. Great, just great.
All this while there was a trust fund waiting for me to turn 25. I got it, bought a house and was very happy. Well, until the IRS decided that my trust fund was not tax free and I owed taxes and penalties going back to 1955! There was simply no appealing this one, nor logic in the face of bureaucrats. Sigh. I had to sell everything I had to save the house!
And, I never touched another piece of stock again!
So I am doing taxes for retirees. It is painful - I hate math, I hate the lack of logic behind taxes, I really hate the IRS! And here I am trying to help elderly people whom should be cherished and cared for but we have a tax code and system built to make them nothing but blind cash cows! It angers me so!
Almost everyone of them has invested per 1960 and 1970's investment logic. The logic was bad, the advice wrong, the elderly now pay the cost for those "experts" egotism. Add a social security system which is at best abusive and these people are trapped.
There are about 5 big investment firms, I now shudder when I see their paperwork. How can you justify your job when you are charging $13k per year to manage money and oh by the way, you are losing that same amount per year for your clients! Not just one return but every elderly return I have looked at! These people are nothing but cash cows eating losses for the big 5!
Swede tells me that the markets were bad in 2015, really? Then why are they short selling solid stock, taking their commissions and reinvesting in what turn out to be losers? And it is this way for almost all of the elderly! But, I have younger people's returns and they are not showing the same loses nor cash cow treatment ... interesting.
Well, all I can say, if you have an IRA or stock dependent retirement account, you might want to rethink your investment strategies ... savings accounts at least have an insurance available.
For me I invested heavily in natural gem stones decades ago ... whom could have thought they would be all but worthless now due to the flood artificial stones ... stones .... argh! My best stone is a 1923 cut Himalaya Mine Morganite - there is so much fake stuff on the market, I do not even know how someone could go about proving it natural these days!
As the Bible says, do not lay up treasures on Earth, but in Heaven ... best advice there is. Invest in people and yeah you might not die rich but you will live rich in Heaven.
Well, that was the idea.
Father of course was a sociopath, so unpredictable. He expanded the company from a shell company to a real international concern, zillions of employees - even one of my ex-girlfriends, married the sister of my girlfriend in high school, which really pissed me off big time! I just walked away. Eventually he got snookered in a mining scheming in Australia which cost us $57 million in losses! I did not even know that Sommer and I had gained that much in value, much less could have lost that much without so much as a howdy-do from father. As I said, he was a documented sociopath. He really did not care. It seems he had hidden some funds for him, told us to write the loss off and as far as he was concerned it was all history - and utterly bankrupted me. Yeah, there is a reason we did not talk for 30 years.
The next time I played with stock, I thought I did extremely well. I sold it for 3 times what I paid for it. The next day however it shot up by 500% and stayed for years. Great, just great.
All this while there was a trust fund waiting for me to turn 25. I got it, bought a house and was very happy. Well, until the IRS decided that my trust fund was not tax free and I owed taxes and penalties going back to 1955! There was simply no appealing this one, nor logic in the face of bureaucrats. Sigh. I had to sell everything I had to save the house!
And, I never touched another piece of stock again!
So I am doing taxes for retirees. It is painful - I hate math, I hate the lack of logic behind taxes, I really hate the IRS! And here I am trying to help elderly people whom should be cherished and cared for but we have a tax code and system built to make them nothing but blind cash cows! It angers me so!
Almost everyone of them has invested per 1960 and 1970's investment logic. The logic was bad, the advice wrong, the elderly now pay the cost for those "experts" egotism. Add a social security system which is at best abusive and these people are trapped.
There are about 5 big investment firms, I now shudder when I see their paperwork. How can you justify your job when you are charging $13k per year to manage money and oh by the way, you are losing that same amount per year for your clients! Not just one return but every elderly return I have looked at! These people are nothing but cash cows eating losses for the big 5!
Swede tells me that the markets were bad in 2015, really? Then why are they short selling solid stock, taking their commissions and reinvesting in what turn out to be losers? And it is this way for almost all of the elderly! But, I have younger people's returns and they are not showing the same loses nor cash cow treatment ... interesting.
Well, all I can say, if you have an IRA or stock dependent retirement account, you might want to rethink your investment strategies ... savings accounts at least have an insurance available.
For me I invested heavily in natural gem stones decades ago ... whom could have thought they would be all but worthless now due to the flood artificial stones ... stones .... argh! My best stone is a 1923 cut Himalaya Mine Morganite - there is so much fake stuff on the market, I do not even know how someone could go about proving it natural these days!
As the Bible says, do not lay up treasures on Earth, but in Heaven ... best advice there is. Invest in people and yeah you might not die rich but you will live rich in Heaven.
April 5, 2016
Thinking of My Sister
So my one surviving sibling turns 60. So hard to believe, I wonder how she has evaluated her life? I mean, do you ever take stock in your life and wonder? And so, I wonder the same for her.
She was close to the only friend I had from pre-school through Junior High age - the curse of being a bi-directional NATO brat (Germany Navy in the US, then the USAF in Germany!). So, we were close - and we continue to be. We text each other at least once a week and then it is likely to be long, hilarious (thanks to auto-correct) conversations about the public, antiques and the desire to leave Minneapolis.
I can not put myself in her place. Her husband has been fighting cancer for five years; he is current in good shape. He is a work-aholic, his life spent in international finance - think VISA, MasterCard, etc. So he travels a bit every year.
I can put myself in his place though: cancer survivor, career over, even hobby interests lost due to health. Yeah, it has an impact. He throws himself into work. I can understand that too - they lost their life's savings in a stock market crash.
Facing retirement, living antique show to antique show, because his paychecks often do not clear ... It has to take a toll.
I want to drive east to see her this fall perhaps.
And last night, I remembered a few things. Carmen and Nicky reappeared in my memories, my abducted little sister and brother, albeit, they were teenagers when it happened in two separate events. And then there was Jeff ... and his foolish death. Then I remembered Bernard and his execution - his killer FINALLY being found guilty for crimes against humanity almost two decades later. Of course in Holland that means a few years of eating a high fat diet before being shuffled off to some location to hide for the rest of his remaining life ... (Just remember Radik, you can run but you can never hide forever ;) God will hold you accountable.)
And my sister does not hold that any of the relatives I have mentioned are. They had other mothers, they were from parts of the family which were not spoken of (the Swiss side!), they were not the same as us. Admittedly, she actively hated Carmen and Nicky, their mother had been my mother's best friend!, ignored Jeff altogether - another mother yet again. Nicky and I were "buds" since he was in diapers. Admittedly, Carmen was a pain in the royal #$%. but then again she was in her early teen years - which over rode any other memories I have of her. I used to babysit Jeff and watched disapprovingly over Carmen (LOL). My sister never wanted to know her grandparents, nor the aunts and uncle in Switzerland. I did,
So, my sister has a limited pool to pick from for long term friends and family. Outside of my mother (sometimes) and me, that is all of the family in America she will deal with - well one of my daughters too. Scratch the Swiss side, so three relatives to deal with. And only one friend - from high school, has stayed in her life.
I would be depressed if this was all I had.
But my self appraisal starts with the children I have led to the Lord, those whom I showed the real God to. Grandchildren to share with and tell about the "old"ways from my little village in the Pfaltz. The people whose memory I carry in my heart, whom came before and I am just relearning off (thank you stinking amnesia for robbing me of everything!). My Dutch Uncle she barely knew.
Rereading this ... now I have to wonder about my sister. What broke her so badly? Father's divorces? Mother's venom? Or drugs? Having an older brother? LOL. No idea. But, I will think on this ...
She was close to the only friend I had from pre-school through Junior High age - the curse of being a bi-directional NATO brat (Germany Navy in the US, then the USAF in Germany!). So, we were close - and we continue to be. We text each other at least once a week and then it is likely to be long, hilarious (thanks to auto-correct) conversations about the public, antiques and the desire to leave Minneapolis.
I can not put myself in her place. Her husband has been fighting cancer for five years; he is current in good shape. He is a work-aholic, his life spent in international finance - think VISA, MasterCard, etc. So he travels a bit every year.
I can put myself in his place though: cancer survivor, career over, even hobby interests lost due to health. Yeah, it has an impact. He throws himself into work. I can understand that too - they lost their life's savings in a stock market crash.
Facing retirement, living antique show to antique show, because his paychecks often do not clear ... It has to take a toll.
I want to drive east to see her this fall perhaps.
And last night, I remembered a few things. Carmen and Nicky reappeared in my memories, my abducted little sister and brother, albeit, they were teenagers when it happened in two separate events. And then there was Jeff ... and his foolish death. Then I remembered Bernard and his execution - his killer FINALLY being found guilty for crimes against humanity almost two decades later. Of course in Holland that means a few years of eating a high fat diet before being shuffled off to some location to hide for the rest of his remaining life ... (Just remember Radik, you can run but you can never hide forever ;) God will hold you accountable.)
And my sister does not hold that any of the relatives I have mentioned are. They had other mothers, they were from parts of the family which were not spoken of (the Swiss side!), they were not the same as us. Admittedly, she actively hated Carmen and Nicky, their mother had been my mother's best friend!, ignored Jeff altogether - another mother yet again. Nicky and I were "buds" since he was in diapers. Admittedly, Carmen was a pain in the royal #$%. but then again she was in her early teen years - which over rode any other memories I have of her. I used to babysit Jeff and watched disapprovingly over Carmen (LOL). My sister never wanted to know her grandparents, nor the aunts and uncle in Switzerland. I did,
So, my sister has a limited pool to pick from for long term friends and family. Outside of my mother (sometimes) and me, that is all of the family in America she will deal with - well one of my daughters too. Scratch the Swiss side, so three relatives to deal with. And only one friend - from high school, has stayed in her life.
I would be depressed if this was all I had.
But my self appraisal starts with the children I have led to the Lord, those whom I showed the real God to. Grandchildren to share with and tell about the "old"ways from my little village in the Pfaltz. The people whose memory I carry in my heart, whom came before and I am just relearning off (thank you stinking amnesia for robbing me of everything!). My Dutch Uncle she barely knew.
Rereading this ... now I have to wonder about my sister. What broke her so badly? Father's divorces? Mother's venom? Or drugs? Having an older brother? LOL. No idea. But, I will think on this ...
April 4, 2016
Best Laid Plans
Friday was to be the perfect night: all kids off doing their thing, GG off doing her thing, just me - peacefully alone and of course a UFO Festival to attend!
But, Thursday afternoon, my back went out. It does occasionally, so no real big deal usually. Usually better by morning. Then the agency I am volunteering for sent me home Friday morning. Yeah, it had not gotten better - but went out big time! Too bad, I was really enjoying that job and looking forward to helping some more retirees! :(I swung by the coin store and picked up my auction winnings. Then over to the pawn shop which is going out of business so needed to be searched for bargains! Yeah, not only did I find one, curiously tempting item that I am having to think through carefully and re-met a long time friend. He was standing at the counter and after 30 minutes it struck me that not only did he look familiar - but I needed to explain what had happened to my mind. He laughed as he usually does. Now, why did I know him? LOL - Lord only knows! But, I remembered someone! That is a BIG change!
What is a boy to do on a sudden night of freedom but no freedom is found?
Well, SciFi for sure on the boob-tube - I think the video, Bamboo Saucer, is called for. Send out for some bbq ribs take-away.
Yup, evening saved :)
April 2, 2016
Musical Saturday Morning
Not a well known 1980's group, but a fun beat, In someways, their video reminds me of a more innocent Duran-Duran. And so we learn about a fictional government control of The Politics of Dancing ....
April 1, 2016
About Town
My little berg outside Seattle has earned the distinction last year of being the most violent place in Washington State! Well, that is what they wanted you think in the news because the anti-gun governor needs headlines and what better than to just pick a place to say something stupid like that. And with that statement he slapped a pile of rules and regulations straight out of California on us - because without guns we can all live peacefully!
Right! The next two murders in town were thanks to butcher knives. Well, it just goes to show that if you really want to kill someone you will find a way.
Back in England in the 1960's they went after guns. But the murders continued.
Then it was hunting knives, But the murders continued.
Then it was kitchen knives over 2.5 inches. But the murders continued.
Then it was cricket bats in public. But the murders continued.
Then it was any form of a bat in public. But the murders continued.
Then it was beer bottles out of glass. But the murders continued.
Of course, archery and cross bows had long been illegal. But the murders continued.
Yeah, you get the point.
The heart of man is desperately wicked.
Murder is of course frowned upon by God and unfortunately perfectly acceptable to civilization as long as you are killing someone whose death they approve of. Thank you Augustine for this corruption of God's commandments. Murder is murder in God's eyes, there is no free pass just because your government tells you it is acceptable. Alas, more judgment we heap upon ourselves.
I was thinking about that movie Swede and I went to see yesterday, London Had Fallen, such a blood bath! And will watching something like this affect the youth around here? We already have gang problems throughout Washington State, would this movie set forth an idea for them to pursue that must be alright? They saw it in a movie after-all! And the pundits all say, "No can't happen! Video games, TV and movies are not what drives violence!", and yet, the TV industry is heavily based upon the idea that you will go and buy whatever is being advertised!
Such horrible thoughts so early in the morning!
But, today is April First, the day of the annual Maury Island UFO incident and all that was to follow. Probably no one will ever be able to solve the riddle of what it was in the sky that day in 1947. Certainly, the slag like material found embedded in trees and on the shore - was all known Earth based compounds. So ..... ?
We celebrate tonight. Home constructed flying saucers, costumes, flash dancers, live bands, a film festival of short subjects and a zillion people if it is not raining. It is my favorite celebration in town. I can hardly wait until 6:00! I planning on walking the half mile to town, since parking is all but unknown in town, except by the City Hall - duh! Everyone wants to go there, right?
Nanu-nanu!
Right! The next two murders in town were thanks to butcher knives. Well, it just goes to show that if you really want to kill someone you will find a way.
Back in England in the 1960's they went after guns. But the murders continued.
Then it was hunting knives, But the murders continued.
Then it was kitchen knives over 2.5 inches. But the murders continued.
Then it was cricket bats in public. But the murders continued.
Then it was any form of a bat in public. But the murders continued.
Then it was beer bottles out of glass. But the murders continued.
Of course, archery and cross bows had long been illegal. But the murders continued.
Yeah, you get the point.
The heart of man is desperately wicked.
Murder is of course frowned upon by God and unfortunately perfectly acceptable to civilization as long as you are killing someone whose death they approve of. Thank you Augustine for this corruption of God's commandments. Murder is murder in God's eyes, there is no free pass just because your government tells you it is acceptable. Alas, more judgment we heap upon ourselves.
I was thinking about that movie Swede and I went to see yesterday, London Had Fallen, such a blood bath! And will watching something like this affect the youth around here? We already have gang problems throughout Washington State, would this movie set forth an idea for them to pursue that must be alright? They saw it in a movie after-all! And the pundits all say, "No can't happen! Video games, TV and movies are not what drives violence!", and yet, the TV industry is heavily based upon the idea that you will go and buy whatever is being advertised!
Such horrible thoughts so early in the morning!
But, today is April First, the day of the annual Maury Island UFO incident and all that was to follow. Probably no one will ever be able to solve the riddle of what it was in the sky that day in 1947. Certainly, the slag like material found embedded in trees and on the shore - was all known Earth based compounds. So ..... ?
We celebrate tonight. Home constructed flying saucers, costumes, flash dancers, live bands, a film festival of short subjects and a zillion people if it is not raining. It is my favorite celebration in town. I can hardly wait until 6:00! I planning on walking the half mile to town, since parking is all but unknown in town, except by the City Hall - duh! Everyone wants to go there, right?
Nanu-nanu!
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