Musical Saturday Morning

Joy of Being Content, Part 1

We live in a culture of WHINERS
And those whom fill RECLINERS

No one is happy.
Leastwise.

Contentment is about your perspective and choices made.
You choose what to focus on.
"What is true, noble right, pure, lovely, admirable"

2 Cor 10:15 take ever thought captive ...
1 Tim 4:7 Disciple yourself for the purpose of godliness
Ps 139:23-24 Know, test, see, lead
Phil 4:9  (find a mentor)

Comparisons lead to discontent.
Finances
Appearances
Cars
Homes
Boats
(whatever)

Find joy in what you have and where you are in life!

Short Out

One of the pains of having a concussion is its side effects.
Sleeplessness for days on end.
Until you finally find sleep at the most awkward of times!
Headaches from hell.
Clumsiness far in excess of my usual state of affairs.
Ringing ears so loudly its is hard to understand people.
And if that is no bad enough;You can not concentrate!

Imagine you are out and someone talks to you.
But you are in a crowd or there is background music;
And you are not going to hear a word of it!
Just lips moving but no sound comes through.

And people insist upon talking to me in a crowd or with blaring music!
That would be people I am continually having to remind I have a concussion and can not hear them!
No worries, I will get to do it again in five minutes.

I need a new brain ....

High School

I was traveling Swede and he changed the subject to my memories of high school.
And like all memories, there are none.
But later, they flooded back!

Statistically, we had a knifing a week, if not a day!
I would be guilty of many of those back then
It was what drove me to take an oath of pacifism in college.

We had at least one shooting a month!
Usually kids from other high schools seeking to kill opposing members of sports teams.
Though no one died that I ever heard of.

No most deaths were caused by an outbreak of meningitis  ...
Nailed everyone on the tennis team!
And hospitalized a movie theater full of people!

And looked at me and said,
" I am sorry it was so bad for you ..."
Heck, I just it was normal!

Dreams

Well, it has been months since a dream has crossed my poor concussion laden mind!

And as with years ago, I was back in France!
Back in 5th grade.
Back in the Canadian from Hell.
Ruled by demons - a hell-hole for young minds.

It is no wonder I am haunted by those memories.
It is a wonder they did not kill me.
Nor I, them ...

You simply would believe the tales I could tell of savagery of the NATO schools!
Some funny.
Some leaving your mouth open ...
Like, did ANYONE have control over the inmates and subjects?

I doubt it from what I was to learn about American military arrogance.
You don't shake your fist in the face of the big gorilla!
They will get even.
Even if it takes them 11 years.
Winning, not time, is what matters!

Yeah, I won in court, in 1975.
Then again, in 1984!
And I hold my breath .....
I guess I could always live with my aunt and her husband for a short time.
My memories began on a uncle's farm.
Guess ending my life on one would be no real big deal ...

Two Liars

It is almost like the start of a bad joke:
"Two liars run into each other on the internet ...."

Of course that was 4 years ago.
The punch line we did not even know until a few weeks before Christmas:
She had a baby!
But remember she is as bad a liar as my son!

What followed was a long series of court filings and counter claims.
Her pockets were deeper than his.
But she was financed by her parents.
We feel he needs to man up to what he did that fall.

So son is forced to support a child he will have no contact with.
But, you have to remember that he is a liar.
And, she really wishes that he would see his son.
Or she had been smarter four years ago.
But, then she is a liar as bad as he is.

And I hate liars.
I can smell a lie before lips even move ...
And I hate being lied to.
And everyone knows this - but still they do!

As for grandson, I saw him on Sunday.
He looks like his father and acts thusly - in all ways!
It was as if twenty years had been melted away.
There was my young son before Satan cast its lure.

Well, Satan got my son in eighth grade.
The challenge is whether I can pull him from the path he will go ....

Musical Saturday Morning

50 For 10

The local thrift store had a sale, I thought what the heck - like need more stuff!
So, I went.
But could not convince Swede to join me!
No he was afraid he would buy more books.
Well, that is the basic idea here!

And, what a mess of books they had!
Looked like a Half Price Book had gone out of business somewhere.
Hmmm, books priced up to 19.99 for a nickel!
How is a pack-rat to survive?

I picked a pile of art books
Most of Nevel Shute's writings
And about half were cookbooks.

Back home, I started sorting.
One book I had no idea where it came from.
A dozen cookbooks were of no real interest.

So, I have a huge pile to read my way through!

Wednesday

Wednesday is one of my dialysis days and I am Mr.Prompt!
So, I am on the machine and in trickle the missing 37 others.
Slowly ...

So, next thing I know, here come the EMTs!
About 10 minutes later a second team.
And about 30 minutes later a third team pops up!

Yup, three heart attacks amongst the "I don't need to run my blood" regularly!
And all three chose not to go to the hospital - so that they could finish their run!
Yeah, let me die from heart failure but have cleansed blood!

Needless to say but the EMTs wre not impressed.
But, it gave me thoughts while completed my run .....

Its About Me!, DUH!!!!!

The family of God is not about you or me.
But it is about where you are to feel valued and wanted!

Mark 9:33-37

The Greatest Doesn't Care About Being The Greatest
Christianity is not a competition!
Nor a race.
Nor gold star collecting!

Fill the needs of others.
Build others up.

We Are Supposed To Welcome The Voiceless And Insignificant
No reward for service.
No reward for praying.
No reward for faith.

Your Faith Speaks Louder Than Your Abilities
Step outside your comfort zone.
With no expectation of any reward!

You Have An Obligation To Your Siblings In Christ
Huge responsibility.
Blessing or curse?
We are a community of believers!


(what a wonderful passage for me to have meditated on this week!)

PNNA

I saw on the internet that the PNNA (pacific northwest numismatic association) was hosting a coin show over the weekend!
Now, I have not been able to attend one of their show since perhaps, 1984.

I managed to bum a ride.
Paid my two dollars to attend.
And suddenly was in a place where people are happy!

I spent about three hours until my back gave out :(
Talked, asked questions, learned ...
And crossed paths with a friend of  MANY decades!
And promptly forgot to get their contact information!

I will try to capture photos of my new greedies ~
But I suck at photography.
So we will see about that tomorrow.

But I found a "Hand of God", an unusual coin minted in Hall, Germany about 1280 roughly.
It is interesting from many perspectives:
One of the first independent city-states to mint a coin.
Minted by the Bishop of Hall, it is believed.
Only coin to depict the hand of God.

And I can now document three die varieties for this coin,
Not as if anyone cares!
LOL
:)

Plus a few Jefferson nickels,
Of rare varieties.
No one will care, no one but me seems to like Jefferson nickels.
And a Bulgarian coin for my nephew.
(He was adopted in Bulgaria.  Anything Bulgarian is wonderful according to him ...)

Extermination

Spring is fastly coming upon us here in America's Northwest coastal areas.
Flowers are starting to poke their heads out of the ground.
Insect life is waking up and needs to bwe extewrminated!
This town and my house was overr-run by millions of ants!
So I hae my house sprayed once a month.

And with each treatment, I must leave the house for several days!
I just stay with a friend or any of the various hotels near here.
A few days away.
Windows open.
My seven fans all on high.
And then I can be in the house without dying.
Literally.

Swede came down and stayed with me.
We hunted the used book shops.
But, found nothing.
Sigh.

Youngest daughter opted to stay in the house.
And may have poisoned herself.
I returned on Sunday to a heavily vomiting young lady!
So much for going out for dinner!
Sigh

(yeah guess whom had to clean the mess up!
Not her!)

Hope it is not the flu!

Lost Concepts

I was thinking about this last night ...

Like dominoes, Christianity has fallen in the western world under the guise of multi-culturalism and the charming allure of "tolerance".  Tolerance means we modify our belief and thoughts to fit other's perspective but there is no expectation we are to be tolerated "as is"!

There are OVER 13,000 Christian denominations registered in the United States alone!
How many of them are, were or no longer are adherents to the Christian faith?
Almost all of them.
If any, any longer!

How can i say that?
Because Paul quite plainly, in unarguable language, lays out that all we hold true as cultural arguments against him and the first century church, are in fact, the tenants of the faith ....
(mind you, my belief set has a bit of a problem here as well!)

Females in leadership
Females whom do not cover their head
Females whom pray or worship in public
Females whom do not respect their husband
Males whom do not love their wives
Males whom harbor anger towards the brethren
Males whom abandon their family.
Males whom denigrate others.
Appearing before God with willful sin in your life.
Children whom are in rebellion to their parents.
Children in rebellion to God.
Slothful anyones!

What of the denominations?
I can not think of one which would take a real stand on any of the above.
No, culture has over ridden, what had been the classic faith.

Even my beloved Hutterites, do not accept the belief that Jesus will actually return! 
And this is witnessed to by the Gospels that He said He would!
So they lose too!

No Baptists are real Christians
Methodists are out
Catholics
Episcopalians
Presbyterians
and over 13,000 other goups:
Nope!

What are real Christians to do?
The faith is pagan now
Just attending a Western Church is to know you are already in failure.
And not to attend is to violate a command!

Pray for discernment!
Pray for God to lead you to other  Christian believers!
Pray for God to protect you!
Pray for God to keep you from sin!
And open your eyes, heart and mind if you are ....

Rehydrate

A slight programming error by my dialysis technian left me crippled on Monday.
Yeah she miss programmed the machine to pull too much water from my body!

I should have known she was a problem when it took her half an hour and four attempts to stab me3 with two needle!
And there is no vein to hit!
All she had to do was puncture the artificial mylar baggie in my arm!
sigh

So my joints all froze up!
Could barely walk,
and typing?
Forget that , no finger movement at all!

Bare recovered on Thursday
and now I must evacuate the house for yet another fumigation for ants.
Not a good day or week!

War and Peace

Each of us unde3rwtands the concept of War and Peace, we each fight these in our own lives.

1. Worry or Pray?
 Is your prayer, your worrying outloud to God?
Worry is not trusting God.
Prayer - - - - - Worry - Where are you on this line?
Christian culture says this is not sin.
Bible says it is sin!
We worry over what we can not control.

1 Peter 5:2
Philippians 4:6
Key here is to have thanksgiving.


2. Allow God's peace to stand guard.
Stop worry and then V7: peace of God.
Cant't stop worry?
Then no peace is possible!

Lawyer

Oh, ugh, getting ready for a lawyer session.

Since my body is struggling so desperately, time to get my affairs in order

Will
Living Will
Code Decisions
Power of Attorney
and more i have already forgotten!

It should be simple.


Just so my mother can not impose her warped desires on me!
Too bad all of my interests are not shared by any one!
Maybe by fall I can have disposed of my library!\

\Well must close - so terrible dizzy. ...

Musical Saturday Morning

What can I say?
A song whose lyrics defy understanding.
A title having nothing to do the song.
A video having nothing to do with anything ...

Yup, must be Selena Gomez ......
Seemingly with no Marshmello!
go figure,
sigh

A Test?

I went to Panera for lunch over the weekend.
I eat so little anymore that small bowl of soup and half a sandwich is more than I can put away!

I sat there, quietly sampling my meal.
No real desire to eat.
But you have to.

Diagonal, in front of me was some lady.
She picked at her food.
There was something familiar.
But there is no memories for me to draw on.
So, I quietly ate and wondered, whom could she be?
No idea.

Swedish flag socks.
Unusual but not unknown in Seattle.
Jeans, winter parka.
Wearing gloves and blowing her nose.
So similar!
Argh!
Dang amnesia .....

I eventually did figure it out.
And having done so, I would not have approached.
No, some things in the past need to remain there.
Even if I could remember!

I doubt she even remembers me.
I was the one she threw away so many decades ago.
So the second time in twenty years our paths crossed!
And luckily no memories were to follow.

Was it a test?
There are no coincidences.
No, no woman ever again will gain my attention.
But that was a bit of a low blow.
To stumble across her once again.
Even without memories attached.

If it was a test, it was not much of one .....
No pride in saying that.
Just that the dead in this case can not be raised ever again.

Rest and Relaxation

Today, we have one of the hardest verses to consider and one of my favorites ...

Philippians 4:4-5

Ahat makes for an idealized human?

- Self Aware
- Generosity
- Disciplined
- Self Confidence
- Kindness
- Emotionqlly Open
- Intelligence
- Humor
- Organized
- Integrity

Well, my personal list might be a little different, but the idea is there ...

Rejoice!
We are commanded to.
No if's, and's or but's.

Our joy killers are:
Unmet expectations
Unresolved conflicts
Unconfessed sin

Paul wrote this from prison.
Rejoice you are worthy of suffering.

Let Your Reasonableness Sow
In how you treat others.
Remember context is a fight in the church between two women!

The Lord is near.
Your lone reason for being reasonable and rejoicing!

Neeps and Mash

Saturday, I dug around and found all of my oil paints.
I figured I will start painting again.
Yeah Somer, get used to the idea of an American primitive Christmas gift!

But I needed a box to put all of the tubes into.
So, a trip to Ben Franklin's in Redmond.
Armed with to plastic boxes, I was ready to head home!
But my driver chose to stop at the British Pantry!
Yeah, license is still suspended, pending the medical hearing.

I had a lunch of bangers and mash.
Little boiled sausages, then burned.
Sauteed onions and mashed potatoes.
Smother it brown gravy and yup, British fare .....

And I got thinking about a word from my past:
Neeps
What the heck, was a Neep?
All Google would tell me was that "neeps" are also known as "Swedes".

And I have not hung around Swede and his family for 50 years without knowing that reference!
Honestly Google, isn't easier to just reference "Turnip"?
Yeah, a neep is a turnip.

Interesting, Monday night was a dinner.
It came with turnips!
Unfortunately, I am overly sensitive to turnips and rutabagas!

You can call it what you want ...
But ...
Urp!

Meals on Wheels

These past three weeks have been all but impossible.
It takes alll I havew to just get dressed to see the doctor!
So, cooking or even shopping haas been out of the question.

And, many women of the church have been providing me meals.
I am very grateful for this since I am almost out of Ritz crackers.
It has been odd being on the receiving side of things.

One of the ladies cooks exactly like my mother!
I had to snicker.
I know mother cooks like a Scot, everything boiled, and then burned!
It is the curse of the Scot.

I almost have energy enough to clear the table .....
sigh .....

Lester

I had been back from my last trip to Russia for two weeks when I decided to take the kids to see the Seattle Aquarium.  Some thing that ought to prove interesting to kids from the interior of Russia.  About half way through the tour, I discovered that my number of children had doubled!

In the course of the morning I was to meet Lester, the father of the additions tagging along with my kids.  I thought it rather funny - a bunch of kids with nothing in common, including language.  And like most kids, that did not seem to bother them at all!

Although much like me, Lester and I have little in common other than life long computer backgrounds.

Early on in our friendship, he crossed my path and asked what God had taught me that week - well, that was a first!  And I was so taken sideways by the question - I had NO answer!  But I have often thought the question to be most interesting.

Since the kids finished High School, I have not seen much of him.  Not like I had seen much of him as it was, not living near here for many years. But, I still hear from his kids regularly.  Then our paths were to cross again Saturday night.

Apparently, he went out of his way to be at my church that night.  I sat by the door as usual.  Lester walked up and just started praying for me!  Well, that was a unique event!  It seems my near death did not go unnoticed by everyone!

And I have been again struck that this is how life is to be lived, on a level not be found any longer - but, with genuine concern and prayer for what really matters.  I appreciated his prayer.  Yet I am again struck at how what the church's role is to be, continually never occurs here.  Yes, Lester prayed over me, but I know this is not typical for him and no one else has in my life.  So, a God moment it seems.  It was needed.

My challenge to you is to just ask one person this week what has God done in their life ..... ?

I am hopiung that begins a lifelong conversation.

Musical Saturday Morning

Bye Billy

I was saddened to learn last evening of Billy Graham's death.
I never met the man.
I never attended one of his crusades.
But, I was sharply aware of his ministry.

As a non-Christian, I was struck at how different he appeared.
These were things actually discussed in my elementary school classes, in Europe!
But what can the "natural" mind grasp of God's ways?
Beyond my understanding, but carefully remembered, until I could.

We ultimately did cross swords at one point.
He allowed himself to be manipulated by greedy men.
He chose deceit in taking credit for what was not his, nor should have been.
I publicly called him on this.

And, I was the "problem",
I was attacked.
I was the "un-knowledgeable" .
Exactly who was I to point any finger at Graham?
Years later he publicly apologized, in general terms.
 But never to me.
And I could not have cared less.

He showed me he was human.
I can understand that.
So am I.
I can understand Jonah better because of him.

I lost most of February through my own brush with mortality.
And Billy was heading home.
I am a bit envious.
He beat me there.
He is at peace.
He is at Jesus' feet.
His lips are praising God.
He is at rest.
Having, to my mind, done a good job...

At least far better than me.
sigh

Flu

Oh man, I was so utterly whacked by the flu!
Hard to see that as an accomplishment.
But it is.

Lost 20 pounds in six days of not beings able to eat.
And losing everything that goes in.

Finely was able to eat a Wendy's chicken tender late last night.
First food since Thursday dinner.
Yeah,Friday was a bad day.

so looking forward to regaining some energy,
I have tons to catch up on!
So, must be slghtly better
k
if its of what iust fo.......