Denominations

So last week's revelation that mother has become a Mormon sure brought the comments!
And a few personal attacks.
Which was humerous since I said nothing even slightly negative!
But people will be people.
I guess......

Okay, I called the Latter Day Saints a cult, which it is.
But that does not mean Christians can not be found amongst its membership!
If we allow for the sign gifts as being valid,
Then yes, you can find Christians amongst the Mormon ranks!
Perhaps in greater evidence than in my own place of worship!

You can find Christians scattered across most denominations.
But just because you are a member of a "Christian" denomination -
Does NOT make you a Christian!

I have known of many fine pastors and missionaries,
Whom based solely on their lives,
Are headed straight for Hell!
Their followers too blind to see they are being lead down the wrong path!
But, hey, their church numbers are up and growing ...
So, "God" must be blessing them!

Nope, Satan, rewards his own as well.

That is not to say that these wolves in sheepskins,
Can not be saved,
It just means they have not had their last opportunity.

Want me to name names in the American religious realm?

How about:
Don Murray - even pagans do not behave as this man did!
Irv Estruth - your sin destroyed any claim to ministry you could ever have!!
Dave Freeman - your sin showed hundreds of youth that Christianity is a lie!
Dave Corsen - you are different from the world, how?
Marilyn Hicky - God's rules are not suggestions!
Casey Treat -  you chose the wrong road to follow .....
Joel Oosteen - your pride is what will bring you down!

Just to name few on the tip of my brain,
And so many hundreds I have watched and noted with sadness their life's testimony,
Does not point to God,
But to the god of this world and sin!

Nothing would please me more than to learn that Don Murray had made peace with God.
But I still would weep for sea of people he damaged and lead away from God!
And for the youth whom saw and ran away from God,
Because God's representative chose to be a man of lies ....

And yeah, fallen men in the pastorate can repent and go forward,
Albeit, tremendously changed men!
James Robison (sp?) instanytly pops to mind.
But, God was able to reach him!
And his ministry today is much smaller but very effective!

And the one which kicked me in the heart,
David Hocking.
He knew he was doing wrong and did not care!
You betrayed God.
But your betrayal of your best friend was the worse!
Think on the thousands you failed ....
Think on the weak you crippled!

Mind you, we are all fallen,
The question is whether you can acknowledge this before God,
And repent!

(that means to tell God of your failures and ask for His forgiveness!
then try to avoid those failures in the future)

Those I have mentioned you may have never heard of,
That is fine.
The purpose is to tell them,
Of their need of humility and confession!

Your responsibility is to guard your testimony!
If you desrtroy it,
It is mighty hard to be restored ...

Clarification

Okay, so there is no mistake:

I have long known many Mormons.
Few as personal friends.
A few were as broken as I so we relied heavily on one another.
Some were good Mormans,
Some were good Christians, but poor Mormons.


I have long held that,
If Christians behaved more like the Mormon Church,
There would be far fewer problems for Christians!
The LDS Church supports their communities in good times and bad.
Not so the Christians!

With massive flooding throughout America's heartland,
Where is the Christian Church?
Not on site being helpful feeding, clothing and sheltering the victims!
Yeah, the LDS Church does ....

To our shame!

So, I am not horrified she has joined a group which is opposed to Jesus' message.
Cause  I know if she will follow those whom do know Jesus,
She will follow eventually as well!

So, Kris is not anti-Mormon,
Kris is pro-Jesus,
And has been for many decades!


So, mother desiring to be a Mormon does not horrify me.
I know a few in that

Stepping Carefully

So, crazy mother called up on Friday to invite me to a Baptism service being held for her at the local Mormon Ward.

I told her to tell me the place and time, and I would be there .....

My mother's family has a long history with the Latter Day Saints.  Stretching back to the its expansion into Wales 1849 and Scotland 1852!
Those families migrated to America and then walked to Salt Lake City.
With hand trucks filled with all their earthly goods.
Many died:
Struck by lightening
Drown in floods
Killed by falling trees

Yeah, America was a dangerous place for the naive.

Mother, once she graduated from college, was to foster a hate-hate relation with the Mormons.

My great grandmother Spencer was a missionary to the Umatilla Indian Tribe, outside of Le Grande, Oregon for 40 years!

So, although I was raised an atheist, I was well schooled in Mormon thought!

And now mother is willing to bury  her demons and join them?

Huhmmmmmmmm ..... Okay .....

On the one hand mother is 82 and quite lonely.
The Church members have been visiting her regularly.

Mother's trailer needs real work.
The young men have been helping her rebuild it.

Mother wants to belong to a church.
They pick her up, take her to the various functions.

So, she has joined them!
(what ever!)

I always said she was a Southern Baptist, not a Christian - same  as most Baptist's I have known!
So, she is still not a Christian, sigh ...

The baptism went well.
Certainly she is one of the oldest members of the church!
Afterwards, I hosted a luncheon for her at the local Mexican place.
I have to admit the ones I met are probably not the good Mormons,
As their views were very reformation based.
But, once the Book of Mormon was brought up, it was company line the whole way!

I really liked one of the guys,
I dare say we will be friends,
If he can live with a non-believer around him!

Reputation

Reputation ....
One of those words you do not think of,
When you are young.

On my mind has been a young lady,
Let us call her, Bobette.

Bobette is quite a pretty little thing.
Atheist family,
Brought up with NO knowledge of morals
Or God .....

So, did not quite make it out of high school until an older man left her with child.
Not learning a lesson from that one,
She quickly found comfort in another's arms,
And again deserted with another child.
There was no lesson in that one either it seems.
Now at 18, with two children, she crosses paths with one of "my boys".
Too bad his faith at the time was trumped by her sexuality .....

Now with third child on the way,
She decides to marry this one.
Make NO mistake,
This cost her, her family!

You see, see is completely the product of her environment.
No different thasn her mother,
No different than her grandmother,
No different than five generations of her female ancestors!

So, young man and laden young woman set upon making a life for themselves.
Oh those first few years were tough.
They both had a ton of luggage they needed to abandon,
MANY emotional traumas to overcome.
Mind you, it has not been easy on either of them!

But, with time, they developed a rhythm to life,
And it looked like they would succeed.
That is until Satan,
In the form of first baby daddy reappeared on the scene!@

No, she was no longer interested.
And when he figured this out,
Went on the warpath hoping to embarrass her back into bed - (are guys stupid or what!?!?)
And she had the honesty to admit this.

To put it bluntly,
This creep has done so much damage in their community that it has come down to:
Either they disappear,
Or he does!

Since he wants money to disappear,
More than likely to reappear every time his drug stash is low ....
Or, I have a baseball bat that says he does not get a dime!
And, yes, he will disappear ... permanently!

Luckily, relocating the family is far cheaper,
And ugly Kris need not re-appear!
(thank you Lord for sparing me this!)

So, now living many hundreds of miles away,
They are starting life over.
Reputations untarnished.
I am very excited for them.

As for Bobette,
She has learned a series of lessons she never should have had to!
I reallt feel for all of the players here,
For God will hold them accountable!
And yes, she has made her peace with her creator ......
:^)

As for husband,
It sickens him to finally understand exactly the world works;
When you are playing Satan's game,
By his rules,
In his kingdom!
And yes, a very changed man!
(may he stay so!)
:^)

Yuck!

As a student of Newtonian Law,
I adhere solidly to the principal of cause and effect.
If I can see a cause,
then I can know the future effect.
And, visa-versa, for past cause of observed effect.

There has only been one exception that I have observed,
And, that lay in the realm of flat out miracle!
Truly blew my mind!

So, I observe.
Behaviors (causes) and outcomes/difficulties/deaths (effects).
The larger my knowledge base,
The greater my ability to predict effect.
To my great sadness, usually.

I have noted, through the past several decades, the deaths of many people I have liked or took note of.
My taking note of you is not a good thing.
It means, I will use you in a class at some point.
Youth need warned of the folly of this world!

Think on some of them you may have been familiar with:
Jennifer Aniston
Farrah Fawcett
Elton John
Angelina Jolie
Anne Lennox
Lee Majors
Ryan O'Neal
Brad Pitt
And, so many others in the public eye!
And numerous of my friends whom you will not know of ...
And my famous relatives, who will go nameless, though perhaps eluded to in the past.

So, in this single instance, and eluding to no one, is a single science success -
Which leaves one disquieted!

The cause of colon cancer has now been linked to HPV-34.
Wow! A now known cause of another cancer!
The previous one was cervical cancer now linked to HPV as well!

WOW!

(The implications are a bit disgusting to me however ...)

So, people of liberal sexual practice, beware!
And again, in spite of popular belief - latex blocks nothing!
But, it will make you feel safer ..... that is ..... until you die .....

And few will ever listen.
My dead and dying cousins never would.
Preferring to give me the silent treatment.
After-all, I am being judgmental.

It never occurs to them they are loved.
It really hurts to see a loved one die .....

Foundering Directions

Had an interesting meeting yesterday.
Had a call from a guy in another church whom wanted to meet with me.
Okay ..... a bit odd but it happens when things go haywire.
So, I am expecting another "Help me undo what Satan has done to my youth group ..."
Pretty much that is why I get these calls, about once a decade.
And I true hate what Satan is capable of.

So, I was unfortunately running late, which I hate when it happens!
I still had a burger to eat.
So, burger in one hand, drink in another I made it.
And I walk in to room with a guy on the verge of tears .....

I hate it when guys cry ... on me especially!

As I has suspected, it dealt with a you issue.
But, I made the mistake of making eye contact ...
So I "knew" the issues.
Did not need to, but apparently he needed help.

No, I don't hate it when decides to use me, but ....

So for two hours we discussed issues surrounding youth ministry and adult lack of ministries.
I like the guy.
He is sharp and a good heart.
And he sees the decline in the quality of youth leadership, lack of guidance and materials.
In other words, pretty much youth ministries are tanking.
He does not know why.
And very much wants to see this reversed!

Gees,I love this guy!!!!!!!!!

So, we did some analysis on this subject.
By the time we were done he understood.
And now I was depressed.

My heart is for youth.
But I no longer speak their language, nor understand what masquerades as youth these days.
I still work with the kids from years past.
But, my heart is still sold out on helping youth.
Their issues are much easier than adult situations!

Luckily, my brain kicked in over the weekend.
I guess those stints were a big help!
And it has been about ten years since I was my ration self.
Of course workiing brain with no memory is not to be envied.
:^(

As for the guy, he understands he must wait on the Lord.
For opportunity to serve.
Be it for one or a hundred!

As for what I "know"?
Perhaps in the future there will be a time to address his issue unspoken ....
But it matters little,
Tomorrow, I will have little or no memory our conversation ever occurred!
As I said, NO memory.
... sigh ...

Here's Hoping

It was fun Sunday to see that the Pastor was off on Grandchild duty and one of my God-son's was doing the service!
An impressive young man
:)

So he spoke on Romans 12:12-14

Hope Fully
To be patient when life is hard.
Pray without ceasing for God's Will.
There is no hope without Jesus!

Give Freely
Meet the needs of believers.
Share in their burdens!
Know tghat God will meet your needs.

Get Even
The Christian way!
Pray for those whom oppose you.
Bless them.
Repay evil with kindness.
Witness God's love for them.

Unequally Yoked

Long ago,
before my return to Europe,
before getting back into ministry,
I meet a troubled young lady.
She was completely without resources,
Direction,
Or hope.

Yeah, she had hosed up her life.
Now came the payback for living it her way,
When she knew better!

Getting back on her feet was a slow process.
Several years in fact.
She really was not into God,
But pressure from me,
For I knew God would continue His call on her.

She did eventually become a Christian,
Selected a church which still makes me shutter.
But, it was baby steps.
As she reached her mid-thirties,
The alarm clock went off and she was man hunting.
Of course she found one!

And he is a very smart man.
A NASA mathematician,
And a decade her junior!
But he was cursed like so many smart men - there is NO ONE interested in him!
It took three years for her to convince him that he had no choice in the matter - LOL!
They married, had a child and settled down.

Last night, she called and asked  me to come over.
I have known her now for 32 years!
And she knows I can be trusted.
About half way through the evening, her husband split.
Ummmm, that was odd.

And she talked of.him, unloading 13 years of angst.
His lack of even looking for a job.
His absolute refusal to discuss her beliefs in Christianity.
Were the main issues.
He was a great dad.
Less than successful husband it seems.

Yeah, she is feeling her age.
She know realizes that he is still young - she is not.
She strongly desires the peace she has in Jesus, would be his as well.
And her faith is failing this will ever happen ....

Oh sure you can say she should have never pursued a non-Christian.
She did know better.
You could say she was repeating an established pattern.
But she is smart enough to already know this.
So that leaves prayer.

Of course this challenge had to come during one of the greatest illnesses I have had in at least 3 years.
Yeah, it is hard to top MRSA.
But whatever this medicine reaction is - it comes darn close!

I feel greatly for her because she has been a real friend for many years.
No lies, no walls, just truth has existed all these years.
And now she again needs a friend.
All I can do is pray for her situation - and his change of heart!

It is sad so many women I meet are in similar stages of this situation!
But they do not accept Paul's warning to singles - stay in the faith!
And the outcome is always heartbreak!
Then they will repeat the error yet again .....

So we are praying for Thom's salvation.
It may take another 30 years ...

Anti-Christ Time

Continuing the thought:
How do we know that we know?

1 John 2:18-27

1. Live It
2. Love Differently
3.Listen to it

Watch Out
Its Anti-Christ  time!
The term Anti-Christ is only found in John's writings.
Seven times in his letters.

There has been lots of conjecture since the first century as to what or whom this is!
Lots of theories.

Here the term is plural - Anti-Christs.
Whom will judge you for not worshiping them.

Listen Up
Its all about Jesus.
An Anti-Christ denies Jesus is the Messiah/Christ.
Unity of believers in Jesus.
Anti is all those against Jesus.
There is no middle ground.
No reinvention of whom Jesus is.
We each must get Jesus connected.

Stay Put
Live out the story.
Some will fall away.
Some will not reach Heaven.
Some will appear to be our brethren.
To abide means to be transformed, to follow.

****
I have a real problem with the term Christ.
It is used as if a last name for Jesus.
But it is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term Messiah.
And in spite of bad Roman Catholic documentation, the New Testament was written in Aramaic.
Should Erasmus have paid attention to the earliest Syrian writings, this mistake would not have occurred.
The oldest copy of the New Testament is in the American Library of Congress - a gift from the Turkish government.
It predates all of the Greek fragments in existence!
So ... I try to avoid the term Christ all together.

Signs of a Christian

One of my God-sons is quite upset by last FRiday's shooting here in town.
The kids involved all went to his high school. with it being aresponse
His office looks over the shooting area.
He was a witness to the death of someone he knew.
He does not know how to respond.

Of course very few people kill one another without hate playing a role.

As a Christian,
You are to LOVE without hypocrisy.
Our LOVE is to be genuine.

Romans 12:9-11

Love Truth
Avoid evil.
Cling to what is good.
In truth, else LOVE is just a feeling.
Hate evil, turn your back on evil.

Show Honor
Be melded with good.
Put others needs before your own.
Remember, you do not need to be first!

Out do others in kindness - this shows honor.
Actively seek ways to show their importance to you.

Find Passion
Our culture is plagued by apathy.
Our churches are plagued by apathy.

Passion is found in investing in others.
Missions,
Foster children,
Orphans,
Widows,
The poor.

Think
Food banks,
Clothing banks,
Car repair and servicing,
Tax preparation.

But, being passionate is hard when you have gang wars in progress.
Yet, this is the very reason your passion is needed.

It takes very little to change an environment.
Your genuine LOVE is all it takes.
Change just one life.
And others will follow .....

My Little Town

Is in a state of stunned silence.

Friday, you may have heard on the news we were treated to a drive-by shooting.
Nothing new in that.
We probably get one of those a year.
Rival gangs shooting each other!
Only this time they managed to kill someone not in a gang.

Seems two 17 year olds, after school, decide to go kill someone they hated.
No idea why.
In their minds, he deserved to die.
SWo they planned their drive-by.
Get their 15 year old target, while he crossed one of my town's busiest intersections.

Only, they were horrible shots!
It took 15 shots to utterly misses their target at under 20 feet!
At that distance they could have clubbed him!

Of course, the number one rule of a shooter is: know your background!
Because even they best of us miss.
So where is that bullet going to go?
In this case, through the window of a chiroprator's office.
And killing the receptionist!

The town is sort of stunned.
There are only 33,000 of us.
And some Latino gang thinks they are above the law and can stand against overwhelming odds.
Everyone is sort of walking on eggshells.

The shooters, were instantly caught.
Their car was photographed.
They were photographed.
They are to be tried as adults now.

More thoughts tomorrow.
sigh

Buried Treasure

one of my friends asked the question last month,
"We are told to search the Scripture, as if for gold.  What does that mean?"

I looked at him incredulously, and thought, "Really?".

And I have thought on this question for the whole of the month.

If you want to find buried treasure, how do you go about?
Well, you:
Have to understand that what you seek really exists.
That you have some idea as to the general area to search in.
You have the tools to search with.
You have the time required.
You have the passion to actually find it.

Of all of these, passiion is the hardest.
We live in an affluent society.
And a doubting culture.
The need is barely there.
The nay-sayers greatly out number those whom understand passion.

And it is not as easy as just reading the book.
You have to study, for no visible reward.
You have to research on topics perhaps poorly documented.
If not intentionally misleading!
You have to always remember, our haters greatly out number believers.
Probably half, if not more, of the books out there point to a god we do not know.
The real God can be found, but it is darn hard!

After 18 years of being a screw-up, it was with vigor with which I set off to meet this unknown God.
I was in college up to 12 hours a day.
I had a part time, 4 hour a day, job as well.
Then I spent four to six hours a night in Bible study.

Yeah, I only got 2-4 hours a night of sleep - for two full years!
And my hunger was satisfied.
And I stopped searching.

Alas, my brain damage has robbed me of all I knew.
And the search begins anew .....

Youngest Cousin

Note, pseudo-Youngest Cousin  is seven months younger than me.
And of no relation to me - just the niece of my favorite step-mother.

As I mentioned, YC was very moody and I could not figure out why.
Let me tell you about some of the oddness naive old me completely missed.
In fact it was not until this weekend I was able to fully understand some of the dynamics.
Yup, often times dumber than a stump!

So, first day, we are all standing around talking.
YC is wrapped around my left arm and holding my hand.
(no she wasn't purring ...)
No big deal I had all of these old women, whom I am clueless as to whom they were other than widows of the nuclear scientists who built this place, clinging to my right arm and continually hugging me!
For four straight hours!
If you fully understood how uncomfortable I am with people touching me, you could understand why I was so clueless as to what was going on.
Add PTSD, and Kris is sweating, shaking and dumb as a brick wall!

In the midst, of this clamor, someone said something really funny and I snorted!
Yeah, catch Kris off guard and he snorts while laughing!
Then YC started snorting and Somer joined in as well!
It was tremendously funny!
Then YC said, "Oh God Kris, I love you!"
And one of the little old ladies said, "Hell, girl you told me, you loved him 40 years ago!"
There was so much laughter that it just slid right past me.
But, even if I had of caught it, I would not have reacted.
I am, if nothing else, a gentleman.

The next day was a very  morose YC.
I figured that the shock of her husband seeing the YC I knew, versus whom she is today, caused a fight.
I know that my sister was married for decades before her husband saw an entirely different side of her, when I visited them.
I reasoned this must be  why the attitude.

But throughout the four days, this happened at least once a day!
By day four, my mind was thinking on this repeated phase.
But, when said in the presence of her husband, it must have no meaning.
Right?
Or was she just trying to goad him into a fight?

The last day, she kissed me good-bye.
No we are not talking a quick peck on the cheek.
We are talking full mouth and then lingered ...
Talk about a Surprise!
Certainly that was a first in very many years! (would precede loss of memory!)
No husband in sight either .....
But her daughters were all present and watching.
I just took it as part of the weirdness of the weekend.
Maybe she was just overly friendly?
What was the intent, if any?

But as I was sharing with you about my time in Colorado, it filled me with troubling thoughts.
If she was playing a game, then why me?
If she really had such a crush on me 40 years ago, then why be so silent?
I don't get it.
I was very enamored with her 40 years ago.
No one behaves this way around me!
And besides Somer and I both agreed we were poor prospects for anyone back then!

But, my life is already too weird to even think of addressing anything like this .....
I truly have no reaction to this!
More true is that I have no idea what a proper response should be.
So, ignoring it is all I came up with.

Besides, I am fairly certain our paths will never cross again.
Unless her sister dies before me.
And may that not be so ....  

------

So, as I thought about this, I wonder how this works in what the Holy Spirit told me about her.
And here, is where having my mind intact would help.
From what I know, she is struggling. (nope not going there)
She lacks a Christian background.
And I fear that being part of the Hollywood crowd will be a problem.
It gives too much wiggle room for Satan to side track her in finding God.
Her sister is a Christian so ...... maybe ..... ?????
Heck if I know.
  

Undestanding

The last time was I down in Westcliffe was 42 years ago.
Then my father threw me out of the family for refusing to marry his choice of bride for me!
I was "too stupid" for him to tolerate any longer..
Of course, a few years later, he threw his wife away but too but, I would not have imposed on her down there!
But she had been a good mother, so I kept her!
But tried to never impose.

In the years when I did go done there, we played games endlessly!
She and her first husband had built their house there in 1957.
Her sister built hers next door.
And so did most of her husband's coworkers!

They all were big time bridge players.
A game which makes no sense to me what so ever!
So, geeky computer nerd turned loose in the midst of a group of nuclear scientist types!

Now there was one young lady close to my age in the group down there.
And we laughed, played, sang random songs.
She was very much my doppelgänger, or muse, if such is the correct word here.
I missed her when she went off to fame and fortune.
I on the other hand .... oh, well.

And now 42 years later, here she is again.
Standoffish, cool, detached.
Well, that was taken as a challenge!
Down with all walls!

By evenings end, she was back to her crazy 20-something year old self!
It was great to see her back!
I think it stunned her husband!

But the next day was one of great moroseness for her.
So, I did what I swore I would never do again - I discerned her problem.
(no, not going there!)
But now I understood where she was coming from and the basis for the unhappiness.
(sorry, not saying more)

So, I got her into a Beatles greatest hits sing along.
And she perked up.
What a voice that woman has!

In the end, I understand her far more than ever before.
And by way of her, our culture at large.
As she is a victim of what is seen as fame and fortune.
All the gratifications of life!
And yet, unhappy, unfulfilled and about to reach the point of seeking life's answers.

I am hoping she will talk with me at some point.
But I am in prayer for God to reach out to her via an older female she can trust and respect.
It would be nice for her to make peace with God.

Well time for a nap!
If only I had a plate of maple bars to precede that nap .....

Interesting Week

Synopses:
Kris is a worry-wart and all went well.

So:
Kris flies to Denver.
No, if Kris is involved, disaster must shadow him!
Spent the night witrh one of my kids from 1976!
Drove down to Florence.
Met up with my sister.
And hilarity ensued.
Then on to  Westcliff, arriving at my predicted 4:00 - to the second!

The whole family and extended family were all there.
About forty came.
In spite of my concerns, everyone was well behaved.
And mostly sober.

And everyone went home in good moods

.Don't worry, lots of stories to follow!
But, I am utterly exhausted .....

Unbelievable!

I simply can not believe that in the process of preparing for my travels to say good-bye yo my deceased Step-Mother, I tripped on one of the bags!
Pulled bunches of muscles in my back and hips!
Then to add insult to injury,
I broke what is left of my stump bones - AGAIN!!!!!!!!

Gees!

You think that if you looked up klutz in the dictionary, my picture would be there!

So, going to be hobbling for a while.
Unfortunately, over rough terrain in Colorado.
sigh ....

Oh well.
It is the thought that counts, right?
Condition is only secondary.  Yes?
It will be a small turn out.
My sister and three cousins.
Most of the people whom knew Gwen are long dead by now

Tell you all about it next week.
(keep me in your prayers ... the cousins and I are not of the same cloth ...)

The Way

I am just sick!

After stewing for days, over the insult handed an acquaintance back home on Mother's Day, I am at my wits end with religion!
So many masquerading as Christian, and yet virtually none reflect even the slightest essence of the Gospel!
We really need to start over!

Only one characteristic stood the Christian apart from anyone else in the Roman Empire, love.
A complete lack of self interest!, because people understood that God had changed them internally.
And that was costly love.
You stood to lose your family, your income, your friends by coming to Jesus for forgiveness.
They were slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands!

This early church was called The Way.
You came to understand your fallen nature.
You came to understand what real life was.
You came to understand that nothing of this world matters in the slightest, save for people.
And their relationship with God, at that!

The hatred shown my past acquaintance, shows just how far a once solid church can slide.
Is does not matter whom can stand on Mother's Day, or not.
But in asking one not to stand means they are not the same as others.
It means putting yourself before others.
It means you are special and no one else is.
Welcome to George Orwells,Animal Farm!
Where: all animals are equal,
Only some are more equal than others .....

That is why God is no longer to be found there.
Indeed, this is type of situation is true of most churches!
Jesus died for me, not you.
God blesses me, not you.
To bad for you ...

Sounds bad, but that is what these people are saying by their behavior!

So we need a new return to The Way.
The loving church where we are family and not strangers to one another.
The family where self sacrifice and improvement are the goal.
I am envious of that environment.

I experienced that type of community twice.
My life with the Hutterite's showed me all of this,
Were it not for their non-Biblical beliefs, I would still be 'plain'.
And the Jesus People Movement.
Good times.

if people are involved, and push God out,
 He will leave and we will be left to create our own mess.
Yet, He still stands by the side, watching and I imagine grieving.
He sacrificed so much, for so long, so that we can insult our members by telling them they are not good enough to be recognized for being a parent!
As if the 'haters' are 'good enough' !

Such a smack down these people are in for, from God, if not one else .....

And yet, they are completely able to repent and look to God and not themselves.
Will they?
Maybe, if we are willing to pray for their hardness of heart to be broken ...

And ours as well.

Children

With the exception of Swedish Rocket Scientist (retired), everyone I know has kids.
For better or worst.
And usually not just one.

Dutchman was the first to adopt.
He and his wife wanted children but she was not able to have kids.
Then one night he got a call one night of another pastor's "family" disintegrating.
He was an elder and expected to find accommodation for the boy in the family.
He was the only one willing to take on sheltering this little guy.
And a year after, the parents still could not be found, so they adopted him.

Unfortunately, Dutchman was traveling heavily to various avionics manufacturers, so guess whom got to get calls at 2 AM because someone would not go to bed!
I was not too concerned over having a family.
I knew that no child should ever be cursed with my genes!

Then the day came when I realized that I had a large income and a large empty house, and I could easily help some kids grow up.
So, after massive negotiations, Gaelic Girl and I adopted one older Russian orphan and one Siberian.
It went so well, that I went back for two more a year later to southern Russia.
To be followed by a flood of friends and family doing the same!
Yeah, our children became poster children for adoption - literally!
There was even a tv segment done on them!
And people realized that adopted children could be amazing.
In all, 152 Russian kids found new homes because of them ...

That was twenty years ago.

I just heard that one of my acquaintances from the old church, is changing to another church.
They live in an agricultural area and there is like one church only, in any direction for scores of miles!
Then I found out why,
And I do not blame them one bit!

It seems on Mother's Day, like in any church, the women stand for recognition.
But my friend was told to stay seated because her children were not 'natural'!
It seems that only people whom have given birth are allowed to be recognized in that church now.
Oh, were it possible for me to fly home and start the systematic beating of people on that elder board!

As if adopted children are any different than 'natural' ones and take any less parenting!
If nothing else they take more, as an adopted child has to fight history just to accept new parents!
--- sigh ---

And instantly up came the quotation about us, in identifying ourselves as Christians, are therefore adopted into God's family.

There are an awful lot of really dumb ideas masquerading itself around the various churches of this world as "Christianity" - but this one really startled me!  ... at just how far the Western Church  continues to decline ...
So it seems that my friends do well in abandoning this place of evil,
For, as the Apostle Paul stated,
"We know them not."

What's In A Name?

I have been cursed with many names through my lifetime.
Originally, the product of living under Cold War rules.
It was like living in witness protection.
Only the bad guy you are hiding from is the product of American paranoia, not reality.
Though father lived in fear the majority of his life!
Soviets, Americans, ex-wives .....
Only the Soviets and ex-wives were actually a danger to him!
And father lived under at least half a dozen names that I know of.

So, every 3 years, roughly, we were moved to new locarions.
New homes, new friends, new names!
I never actual have gone by my name except until father's death.
Much easier not having to explain US laws which governed us as Paperclip citizens!
So complicated!
And no one believes you until they actually look into the maze of law and rules we are governed under.

So, I went by nicknames for the whole of my life.
Chip, Scotty, Chris, Kris, Cris, Flake, Dork, Nerd and a host of derogatory terms!
Yeah, the first five by family, the remainder by teachers and co-workers!
When you are not exactly on this planet mentally, well I was lucky to get Flake.
And my friends all went with Dork usually....
It is easy to tell the difference between derogatory and affectionate - "dork-isms"!
Well, and then there is, Bird-Beak!

As I slowly work on laying out a series of paintings, which name do I use?
I finally have decided on my Grandmother's.
Her birth name was Scott.
I was called Scotty because of my flaming red hair.
Of course around 15 all of that beautiful red hair turned - brown!
My mother was so freaked out she took me into emergency.
And Scotty no longer fit real well.

And I want to honor my favorite step-mother's name, Ivie.
Hmmm, Scotty Ivie?
Only way to get more Scotch would be to use Angus MacAngus!
MacIvie?
Scott MacIvie ..... ?
Luckily, I am months away from finishing another picture.

But what of my Plattner grandparents?
My father dishonored them in life.
I was never allowed to even know them!
His brother and sisters were my only key to there being any living family in Switzerland.
It stung when I found out the grandparents had died.
The death of my cousin and uncle hammered me hard.

I guess there is always Ivie Plattner.
But that might sound a little non-male-ish.
One of the artists I talk with, suggested KJP.
But that was used back before World War I by an Austrian Plattner.
And there are tons of painters named Scott.
Even Tschech, my ultra secret birth name the Americans gave me.
The government changed our name following my birth, no idea why.
But there are noteworthy Tschech painters.
And I am not related to anyone named Tschech!
Sigh ...

Well, I have time to figure it out.
But I am pretty sure I do not want to use my name or initials
I really do not want to even be identified with my father ....
As my pastor told me one time, when I asked how do I honor my parents?
His reply was, "don't tell anyone you have parents!"
Yeah he had crossed swords with them a few times .....

Well sorry for the blathering.
It is the only thing on my mind today other than the tremendous pain I am living in because of the dialysis.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday I am in good shape though.

Demonic Opposition

I do not tend to dwell on the demonic aspects of our faith - there are troubles enough without looking for them!
No, I do not believe that a Christian can experience any form of demonic possession.
But I have to admit to really wondering about some so called brothers and sisters in the faith!
eepah!

Now the mother of "my Aussie boy" from back in the 1970's, is one of those.
When I met her she was the mother of four teenagers!
eepah!

And, she was horribly broken - as were her children.
No one could understand my compassion for her.
But then it was because her history was not that different than mine.
.
I have tried to understand her brokenness for decades.
And I finally have.
But mind you, she has now been dead for decades.

Her son was trapped in Singapore.
The result of the air corridor closures in 2001.
I was able to be there, only because I was  called and hopped a plane to be with her.
She died before I got there.
sigh .....

But her pastor son in-law had made it.
Had convinced her she had nothing to lose in asking for forgiveness.
And she was written off as extremely troubled.
If not demonically possessed!
Such a legacy of pain her life story left behind!
eepah!

But, in my studies last week, I came to understand why I could relate to her.
And why her life was the way it was!
By way of having examined my own life .....

Like me, she had been raped at a young age.
Like me she was blamed and no one believed us.
Like me there was no one to turn to.
Like me she did not come from a Christian family.
And, so, was defenseless.

Then one horrible experience led to a series of weird issues.
Each dragging her farther and farther from understanding and being reached.
It took me 63 years to come to terms with what was forgotten 55 years ago.
It took me until last week to break the weirdness which surrounded me!
Just as it had surrounded her.
Things that no would believe, easily written off as fantasy or mental health issues!
But in reality, demonically directed by outside influences!

So, I settled down with her son=in-law.
I did not know him well.
But he shared with me the story of her last hours.
In tears, gasping for breath, the story was told.
So, I had to ask, was there any proof this was real.

His reply was that her last words were to ask for my forgiveness
(of  MANY wrongs done me!).
But, I always extended her forgiveness due to understanding her pain.
( She also cursed her ex-husband,  now that was more like her!)
He left and went out to get drunk.

I prayed and sought to understand.
I do not understand humans.
I know motives.
I can see what no one else can see.
I am cursed with what I do not understand.

I spent five days packing up her life.
Her son was able to handle as much as he could by phone.

And now I fully understand how she ended up where she did.
I understand how her family was broken.
I understand  how I was broken and incredibly stupid.
Yeah better late than never I guess!

I will try and type up something more in-depth for you after dialysis tomorrow.
But, I am a basket case, so we will see.

But, make no mistake, freedom and peace are credible when you have never known either!