Reforming Renée

SURVIVING OFF OFF-GRID

2011-04-08T14:43:00.006-05:00

Whoa to those who are warned, yet ignore the grace extended to them!

Make A Beneficial Buy On Book Bounce Day ~ April 15th!

THIS MEANS YOU

You Say You Want A Revolution

2011-02-09T10:28:00.006-06:00

2 Corinthians 10:5

Casting down imaginations,

and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,

and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

Join The Revolution March 4, 2011

click here for more info

Toe The Line

2011-01-30T12:20:00.002-06:00

My dad has had to have his toe amputated. He is 81 years old, and my mother (who has fallen down the stairs twice now; once with wine bottles which broke and cut her requiring surgery, and once taking out the trash where she trip and fell face-first into the concrete) is 78.

Of course I am the only one without a worldly job, so I am nominated to change the bandage daily, and to do any work they require which may entail going up or down the stairs.

I am not, nor will I complain. I'm just letting ya'll know that I have been very busy (and side-tracked by the enemy), and it would be such a blessing if you would keep this situation in your prayers.

Thank You!

SNOW

2010-12-24T18:06:00.004-06:00

As I write this the outside world continues to be covered in white flakes which fall from the sky above.

Yesterday the area looked dead, trees without leaves, their roots buried in the refuse of the fallen brown and dried out leaves they had shed during the fall season.

All the scenery was lifeless.

Now as the wet snow clings to every little tiny branch of every tree, and to every nook and cranny of the landscape, it has been brought to life with a sheen of white which glistens in the noonday sun.

It fills my soul with praise for the Lord who also takes a dead vessel of clay, and transforms it with life, and a vesture of white by allowing His light to reflect from the Son of God.

Things do speak loudly if one has been given the ability to listen, but more importantly, to understand.

The Cry Of It

2010-10-21T11:04:00.005-05:00

We recently acquired, through the grace of God, a CD of Psalms from our beloved brethren in Texas. There is one that is particulary appropriate for they way things seem to be going right now, and I am blessed to play it in an endless loop this day.

Psalm 13

How long wilt Thou forget me Lord? Shall it forever be?

Oh how long shall it be that Thou wilt hide Thy face from me?

How long shall I plan in my soul with grief in heart all day?

Oh how long shall my enemy hold his exalted sway?

Consider me, oh Lord my God, and answer Thou my cry.

Oh to my eyes give light lest I should sleep with those who die.

And lest my enemy should say, "I have him overcome".

Lest advesaries should rejoice, because I shaken am.

But I have trusted in Thy love; I'll Thy salvation praise.

My heart will sing and bless the Lord who dealt with me in grace.

Thank you Lord. My prayer is that you may hear the cry of it, for Thy Name's Sake. Amen.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

2010-10-18T07:26:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a long time since I posted anything, and as always, it's so I remember whatever it is that's on my mind at the moment. This time it's not good.

Often, before I go to sleep, I ask God to send me a dream that I will remember, and that will send me a message of importance. Last night I had such a dream.

At a mall-type setting, with tiled floors. There was a sign (no I don't know what the sign said), it had a metal frame, the kind that has a stand, and surrounds the entire frame of the picture. There were women gathered there, along with their babies. I saw a bottle sitting on top of the stand from where I was sitting on the tile floor. I was holding a baby on my lap, and gazed up to see the bottle sitting there, and thought, 'oh, the bottle has been accidently left there, and I should grab it and see if it's one that belongs to the baby in my lap. When I stand up to get the bottle, the baby in my lap kind of ends up locked upside-down between my thighs. At that time I notice it's not 'this baby's' bottle, because it's sitting on the tiled floor. I grab the baby upright, and am holding it to make sure it is doing all right. Its face is in a sad countenance, even though I see it is a very pleasant looking child with blue eyes and light hair. As I am trying to comfort the child, and let it know everything is okay, it's just an accident that occured when I was reaching for the 'lost bottle', I see it's mother has walked up and is watching and wondering what happened. Still trying to comfort the child I am looking at her to see if she looks like she will be okay, and also I am worried that the mother will be upset to know that my care for the child has not been so 'careful'. Suddenly the baby looks me in the face and says my name....Renee. I am shocked that this baby can speak so clearly, AND that she knows my name. I respond, 'Yes?' She says, 'You're headed for hell.' I wake up.

So, that's a dream I remember, and has a clear message. Not the message I hoped for, but a message none the less. It leaves me wondering things:

Why hang on to a past experience, in which understanding was given, and a major change in life style occured, but no further growth has been acheived?

Knowing that God doesn't even hear the prayers of the un-saved, how could He hear and answer my prayer for a dream, if I am yet unsaved?

Does this baby's statement mean, 'You're going to hell'? If so, why not just say those words?

Why did this occur right after my conversation with my brother-in-law, where I explain that man is unable to do anything good without the grace of God? Right after the Truth has been proclaimed to the lost. OR, am I just the talking ass that proclaims God's truth to the lost?

Yeah, I'm trippin'.

Anyway.........

Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"

Birds singin’ in the sycamore trees

Dream a little dream of me

Say nighty-night and kiss me

Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me

While I’m alone and blue as can be

Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading but I linger on dear

Still craving your kiss

I’m longin’ to linger till dawn dear

Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me

The Test of Real Love by J. Vernon McGee

2010-07-06T08:44:00.001-05:00

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (1 John 4:11)

God has demonstrated His love for us; therefore, you and I ought to love on that plane. John says, “Beloved, if God so loved us …” This carries our minds back to verse 10: “Herein is love … that he loved us, and sent his Son.” He loved us enough to give His Son as a propitiation for our sins.

If we love those who love us, or if there is a selfish motive in our loving them, there is no value in that. The Lord Jesus said, “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matthew 5:46).

“We ought also to love one another.” I like that – when John says ought, he means it. He is not talking about the cheap sentiment which a great many people entertain today. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If you really love Him, keep His commandments. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

How about it, my friend? Do you mean to tell me that you can hate Christians down here and still love God? I want to say to you very frankly that if you cannot demonstrate in your life that you have love for other believers, there is a serious question whether you are a child of God or not. There is a lot of nonsense going on today. We are not talking about backslapping, calling somebody “brother,” or behaving so nicely in the church. But do you have a concern for believers? Do you have a concern to get out His Word? Do you have a concern to serve Him?

The Lord Jesus could say even on the Cross, “… Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do …” (Luke 23:34). The first martyr of the church, Stephen, said the same thing. Can you forgive like that today? Are you able to forgive those who have hurt you and harmed you and yet profess to be children of God? And if they cannot return your love, there is some question whether they are children of God or not. This is the real test, the acid test, and it hurts – does it not? We do not hear this type of teaching in these little seminars which talk about how to live the Christian life and how to get along with your spouse. John gives us the bedrock of it all: Do you love God? And do you love other believers?

For THY Name's Sake

2010-06-03T18:24:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my 'duh' moment.

This morning while reading Psalm 25 it dawned on me that even though I continually pray for wisdom, discernment, light, meekness, humility, obedience and grace it's not for me that I should be asking it of God. What a prideful idiot I am, and no wonder there's never any sign of growth, because the prayer is always so that 'I' can feel assured, not so that God can be glorified in the result.

Say it with me.....DUH

Lately, effort has been made to read Psalm 25 before any other portion of the bible is read. This Psalm seems to totally gather together the thoughts and prayers which are spiritually desired. Serious hope is that it will eventually be committed to memory, not to be said over and over in a repetitious, heathenish kind of way, but as a manifestation of the groaning of my soul.

So this morning the words that jump out at me, the words that scream their meaning and are repeated by me in amazement are ~ For Thy Name's Sake. It made me stop and look up the reference areas where it is also said - Psalm 31:3 - Psalm 79:9- Ps 143:11 - Jer 14:21 - it may be other places, but these were the ready references at the moment.

Why didn't it ever strike me before, even though I knew it? Although, it does help me to understand why the people in the Old Testament could have had the stuff hitting them right in the forehead, yet never could see. I had it right in my hand, had read it before, and yet today is the day that the resounding chord of understanding hit my consciousness and reverberated into my soul.

It has happened to me before, and my prayer is for it to continue, because it shows that God has granted wisdom and understanding, and it glorifies HIM - For Thy Name's Sake - Amen.

Say What? AMIS

2010-06-01T07:20:00.004-05:00

Urban Dictionary ~ KTHXBYE

shortening of "k thx bye". The K is short for OK, which is short for oll korrect, which is a facetious alteration of All Correct. thx is short for thanx which is a facetious alteration of thanks which is short for thank you. Bye is short for goodbye, which is an alteration of alteration of God be with you. "kthxbye" is the pinnacle of English's advancement, shortening "All correct, Thank you, God be with you." into seven lowercase letters. Humanity is doomed. Obviously, it is used to end a conversation *fast* that you don't want to be in anymore.

I hate that I had to look this up. I hate that there even IS a text language. I hate texting....period. I do, however, like that whoever did the above definition radomly stuck in the words: Humanity is doomed. Even in the middle of defining this wretched language the person became a prophet. If this whole thing goes too much further I can foresee people who only speak to each other in abbreviation, regardless that they're face to face.

Here's my take. You have a phone in your hand, it will take a lot less button pushing to just call the person! Then you don't have to make up a fake language, you can speak directly to them - or - leave a message, and they can get back to you. But noooooooo-o, that wasn't good enough for people. They had to be able to interupt a conversation I'm having with someone by being able to TYPE their way into it, because it would just be too rude for that person to pick up the phone and talk to them right in the middle. Ohhhhhh, it's MUCH more acceptable to steal the person's attention away with their READING what you have to say .

Yeah, I'm old. Yeah, I don't 'get it'. Yeah, I don't want to learn new tricks. Yeah, I hope the Lord grants me grace to deal with whatever the next crap coming down the pike is, because right this minute I only want to cry.

Next up will be a text bible ~ AMIS (*)

That's my own made-up text abbreviation. Now you can figure mine out - kthxownt

(*) Ahhhhhhhh Make It Stop

If I wore T-shirts

2010-05-31T12:22:00.007-05:00

You can actually buy this at Cafe Express , and I promise you that if I ever decide to wear a T-shirt, this is going to be the one I buy.

How I would love to walk in the room of a group of those in my earthly family wearing this. Some of them have a painted Madonna in their front yard. Most of them go to 'church' at Christ-mass and Easter, and some even attend mass weekly. They would probably have a cow....literally.

Oh if only one were to ask in sincerity what this T-shirt meant, I would say the T stood for TRUTH.

Redneck Dog

2010-05-09T21:30:00.003-05:00

I don't really have anything to say. Since I hadn't posted in a while, and I found this picture, which I think is funny, I decided to put it here.

Who doesn't think a redneck dog is funny? Especially a redneck rat-dog. If you don't, then feel free to post something you find funny on your own blog.

Car Chase Rant

2010-03-26T09:30:00.002-05:00

Okay, take out your crayons and prepare to color me 'mean'. I don't care if that's what people end up thinking about me, this bothers me, and if I hold it in I just may explode, so here goes.

Why does there have to be a car chase wherein the police feel they must pursue criminals to the extent of an above 100 mph rate of speed? I think the police are criminal when this type of car chase occurs.

A St. Louis police officer was killed in a car chase accident after a home breakin. Yes, this is a sad situation. I do, however, want to bring up the fact that I do not think a car chase was necessary in this situation. The alleged criminal was apprehended the next day, so what would have been the harm in this office NOT putting his life in danger, and the rest of the public's lives in danger, by allowing the suspect to flee the scene?

I resent police car chases and proclaim them to be just as criminal an activity as whatever the pursued person had done. They put my life, my families lives, and the lives of all our local citizens in danger, from babies to seniors. It was only by the grace of God that some other victim's life was not also claimed along with his.

If it's mean to say this man wasted his life in an unnecessary pursuit of the alleged criminal, then so be it. I doubt anyone can change my mind about it, and I'm glad you let me get it out.

I'm going to go plant something now, and watch it grow. Praise God!

Coincidence ~ I think not!

2010-03-24T14:45:00.004-05:00

RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS IN THE TIME OF ISAIAH

Page Kelley, Judgment and Redemption in Isaiah, p. 10

The religious leaders were too busy drinking corn mesh to listen to the voice of God. It has been said that you can tell how low a nation falls by how low the women of the nation stoop. The women of Jerusalem were coarse, sensual, drunken, thoughtless, given over to wickedness. The people were ignorant of their spiritual need. They falsely assumed:

(1) that the Mosaic covenant could not be broken.

(2) Israel could fulfill her obligations by observing rituals and sacrifices.

(3) The Day of the Lord would be a day of triumph for Israel.

(4) God would never allow Jerusalem to be destroyed.

Sounds like the modern day apostate church.

Coincidence ~ I think not!

Spiritually Delivered Words Indeed

2010-03-21T23:27:00.005-05:00

I like James Kunstler. I like him because he's intelligent, and he doesn't beat around the bush about the points he makes. It's generally how I'd like everyone to be, but most people can't take the blunt truth. I know don't like to hear the unabashed truth about myself. I prefer to say it BEFORE you do in order that the blow doesn't knock me to the ground. Thus, my preference is to deliver, and to get the designated blows with a touch of laughter. The fact that you laugh at what is said acknowledges that you know it is the truth, otherwise it wouldn't be funny.

Anyway, the last blog post I read by Mr. Kunstler wasn't really funny, but it did put everything into words about how I feel on the subject of the country's current sad situation. We've lost our way. We've sold our birthright for a mess of pottage. We left the land which God commanded us to work and covered it with concrete.

This man, Mr. Kunstler I mean, is not writing from a biblically agrarian viewpoint, and yet he comes to the same conclusion. I'd not read his blog in a long time, and today when I needed to have some semblance of confimation that we are on the right track, there are the words in the blog to confirm the message of the spirit.

Coincidence? I think not!

Excerpt:

This disintegrating nation is woefully distracted by Web 2.0, iPads, Avatar movies, Facebook, and the idiot celebrity spectacles of TV, not to mention the disasters of job loss, foreclosure, medical extortion, bankruptcy, corporate loot-ocracy, and the squandered moments of politics. We know we have to go somewhere. We know that something like history is leaving us behind. We have no idea how to get to a new place. And we're spending most of our mental energy gaping into the rear-view mirror, which is the last place to look for your destination.

The confusion is apt to get a lot worse before it gets better. I'm not saying this to be ornery but because I believe it is true, and it will benefit us to know the odds we're up against. The confusion is going to generate a lot of ideas that are inconsistent with reality -- especially involving the seductive nostrums of technocracy. Our redemption will be found closer to the ground in the things we do by hand. But we don't know that yet, and we're going to try everything except looking there before we find out.

Amen Mr. Kunstler ~ spiritually delivered words indeed.

Busy, Busier, Busierest

2010-02-12T07:54:00.003-06:00

Friends are coming, clean up, get ready, find dog sitter, shop, plan, think and rethink itinerary, make calls, reserve rooms, bake ahead, print directions, internet search, email, oh my.

Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

I am so very like Martha. Even when I plan things, and it comes together well, I can never enjoy the fruit of my labor, because I am so busy during the event still worrying over every detail. I call it Martha Mode, but my husband Greg calls it what it really is....Psycho. Too aggravated when something goes wrong and taking it out on those who are too close. Yeah, not pretty. Need a list with be still and pray on it. Pray that the resolve to not act a fool, get upset, and just accept the Lord's provision regardless of circumstance is the solution.

It's good to know Martha is a saved person, she's just a bit over-zealous to make sure all the physical needs are met, and she misses the spiritual blessing of the fellowship. It's not that it's wrong to plan, or to want things to go well, it's just wrong to place more emphasis on it then the time spend together in union of spirit.

That said, I have to go now. I have things to do. Did I say that I'm busy, busier, well actually, busierest.

Sidetracked Swindled and Deceived (SSD camp)

2010-01-17T11:50:00.008-06:00

Recently I made a post on my facebook page explaining that telling the truth and exposing wrong doctrine is an act of true love. Today's modern church only wants to get everybody in a big group hug, agree to disagree, and then the blind lead the blind blissfully down the burning road to hell. Stemming from this post an old high school friend of mine had a conversation with a current friend of mine. I knew this person wouldn't see the effort to carefully expose their wrong thought system. They got caught up in the fact that they had misspoken a word, 'doctrine' instead of 'denomination', as if THAT was what the conversation was about. Funny how the enemy blinds one to the truth through such obvious diversionary tactics, but for the time being, it worked. This is my e-mail to them, and maybe to you too, so that you can have an example of how things are sidetracked from the main point, swindled from receiving the truth and deceived by darkened understanding.

The conversation that occurred between you and xxxxxxx was not about one word you mistyped ('doctrine' instead of 'denomination').

Not at all.

Xxxxxxx never attacked YOU, they just tried to explain how we've all been taught wrong doctrine, and we need to reconsider (decolonize) our mind using scripture as the light of understanding.

After some time passes, and after you've had an opportunity to calm down about it, you should re-read the thread. Sincerely pray about it first. Truly it wasn't about you, or Xxxxxx, or Xxxxxxx, or me, it was about the deception propagated by the enemy of the cross, and those who are sucked in by it. Love is effort made, through God's grace and mercy, to act in His name (Christ in you, the hope of glory) to pull a few from the burning embers of deception.

It is because we are so desperate to reach the lost that we have no regard for ourselves in proclaiming truth to the world. Jesus Christ proclaimed truth to the world and they despised, hated, and killed Him. We take up our cross and follow Him.

The Pharisees had their doctrine, and it was false. Jesus Christ told them so, but they took His words as an attack upon themselves, not upon their false belief system.

May God grant you wisdom, understanding, humility, meekness, discernment, and peace. The peace I speak of is not a lack of turmoil, but a knowing that all things are in the hands of God, and regardless of appearance, they all work out for good (to His glory), and according to His plan.

I pray you understand this message, and that you might realize that no one ever meant you any harm. They did, however, want to kill wrong ideas and deception.

It's so sad to me, because I thought perhaps God had brought this person back into my life as a companion in the faith, but presently it doesn't appear as if any light were shed upon the wrong doctrine, nor any understanding witnessed within the soul.

Doesn't mean it won't occur, doesn't mean that prayers aren't still being offered to this effect, and it doesn't mean that the enemy's attack against us was successful.

Someone has to be sidetracked, swindled and deceived otherwise how could we witness all the attributes of God?

May the most high God keep us out of the SSD camp for eternity, if it be His will.

Haiti Happenings

2010-01-15T10:30:00.011-06:00

The above picture is NOT from the recent earthquake. It was taken from a site with statistics on Haiti from 1989.

When this whole earthquake catastrophe occurred in Haiti it prompted an inquiry into the the predominant religion of Haiti. I have to admit Haiti rarely crosses my mind, so before I go all prayerful, I need to know something about the people I'm to pray for. The inquiry made my prayers be a bit different (I expect) than the average everyday xtian joe who's out there beating the streets for people to join them in prayer over the situation.

In an Internet search I happened upon a site with information about Haiti. This site is also where the above picture was acquired. There I found that the religion of Haiti is Voodoo mixed with Roman Catholicism. Then, since this site is from 1989, I looked for a more recent survey of the predominant religion/culture of Haiti. Found a Canadian site with 'quick facts' about Haiti from around 2006, and which seems to validate that the country has remained pretty much the same since 1989. Generally, you can do a search yourself, and after perusing all the information out there I expect you would come to the conclusion that Haiti's main religion is Voodoo, with a thin vernier of Roman Catholicism, and some Protestantism which in reality caved to the RC version of xtians, and so is ultimately, in the end, just Roman Catholicism with a thin vernier of Protestantism. Seriously, these people might as well have put up an antenna and begged God to thrown down judgement upon them.

Then I was reminded of Katrina, and how it devastated an area of the United States that has a Haitian, Creole, Roman Catholic mixed with Voodoo society as its main population. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Should we pray for these people in a physical sense? Yes. But mostly my prayer now is that the survivors of this dreadful destruction might realize that they have neglected the one true God of the universe. My prayer is that God sends, or better yet already has, those with the words of the gospel situated in places to feed the people in both a physical AND spiritual sense. People to offer the clean water of life as well as the water of the body. My prayer is that they don't try to put their culture back together and resume their sinful ways, as Louisiana has done. My prayer is that God changes their hearts. I know that those who are His will not be lost regardless, but I also know that His regenerate servants should have enough discernment to know what they REALLY should be praying for.

May God have mercy on us all.

Amen

Renée's Ramblings

2010-01-10T12:03:00.007-06:00

I have a friend who wrote on her blog. She called it "Susan's Musin's". So, the best I could think of, for a rhyming blog post, is 'Renée's Ramblings'. Thanks Susan for the idea. I was going to call it 'Renée Might Say', but the whole "rambling" thing really more describes me, as you can tell by this first paragraph. You ain't seen nothing yet!

Lately I've been put in contact with a few people from my past. Remember the show "This Is Your Life"? (I didn't think so, so look at the link and try to catch up already.) Well, that's the way things have been going for me. I've had to rack my brain to try to remember where I know people from. Apparently the sixties are a blur in my mind (not that I did any drugs or anything). Actually, my memory is very bad, regardless. Somehow I do remember all the bad things that happened, but some of them I had to be told about, in order to remember how bad they really were. Being 'cool' usually consisted of much alcohol, and or drugs, to prove that you could really have a great time. Ahh yes, getting 'wasted', 'stoned', and 'blotto' proves your brillance, and worthiness of the 'cool gang'. As you can imagine, this has provoked a lot of mixed feelings in my being. Part of me wants to remember, so that I can fully comprehend my sordid past, and part of me wants to flee. Already I am back in contact with a "girl" I used to hang out with. She and I were of the freaks/geeks set, meaning we had friends in both sections, long-haired-hippy types, and glee club types, all mixed up together. We listened to The Monkees and Led Zeppelin. We were in school plays and attended protest marches agains the Viet Nam War. I spoke to her briefly, and she told me that her and her husband had 'recently found the Lord again'. Really? I didn't know He was lost.

It is kinda funny to me though. In April of 2003 I lost all my so-called friends due to my regeneration. All of these new (really more like old) people lost contact with me a loooooooong time ago, and now they are being brought back into my life, just so I can go through the loss process all over again. Hopefully God has brought a few so that He can allow me to point the way to the Truth. I pray that is the reason. In the meantime, I don't plan to get too attached. I'm just going to ramble on.

Xmas Maims

2010-01-03T17:31:00.003-06:00

I set up the timer on my sister's camera, ducked down, and this is the result. My big face is in front, then from left is my dad, my mom, my sister Richel, and my sister Rhonda. My sister Regina had a hair appointment, and wasn't there yet.

My mom show's off her lovely bandage pre-surgery. We didn't have the heart to take a picture post surgery, and she's glad.

My mom is 77 years old. On 12/21/09 she was preparing for the Xmas eve celebration at my parents home. She was taking two bottles of wine down the steps of her split-level home, when she missed a step, fell and cracked her head open, the wine bottles shattered cutting her left arm in three places, severing two tendons. There were no surgeons able to do surgery on her because they were all away for the 'holy-day', so they stapled her head closed, sewed her up, and didn't operate until the 29th of December.

She came through the surgery with flying colors. She's had many surgeries, and so far has done well on all of them. She often says if you tap on her it sounds hollow because she's had just about everything removed that one can have removed and still be alive. Last time it was a kidney removed due to cancer, and they also took out her spleen at that time.

Anyway, all I'm saying is if there wasn't this christianized pagan holy-day, my mom could have been spared another surgery. Seems to me Xmas is not only spiritually perilous, it's physically perilous too.

Sentimental Journey

2009-12-13T13:46:00.010-06:00

Today I heard the music for the song Sentimental Journey, and as I sang the words in my head (more brain sludge, which is where your brain decides to remember things that you never made any effort to remember - like - two all-beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun - which has a place in my mind regardless of the eviction notices I have served upon it ~ but AGAIN I digress ~ who's surprised?). I realized how much the words express how I feel about Jesus Christ. Feeling as though I'd been separated by some action that I had no idea would have such consequence, He suddenly decided to forgive me. For no reason other than His own goodness. Which in turn makes me want my actions to prove the gratitude I have for such grace. It's NOT because of my actions that I've been forgiven. It's because of His forgiveness that my actions can now be a testament to His mercy.

Many times secular music seems to me to be much more true than hymns. I think that is because man is made in God's image, and whether he chooses to acknowledge this fact or not, he KNOWS there is a void in him, and he tries to fill it with whatever comes along. His need is for God, but he will not go to Him, so God has to come and take him, kicking and screaming, into the light.

OK, here's the prep work before you read the lyrics and see why I say what I've said.

From the 1868 dictionary. And please note that even though there is a more 'negative' definition to sentimental, it's not the one my spirit was lifted by as I sang the words.

SENTIMENT'AL

1. Abounding with sentiment, or just opinions or reflections; as a sentimental discourse

2. Expressing quick intellectual feeling

3. Affecting sensibility; in a contemptuous sense

The number Seven: Throughout the bible, numbers are used consistently, and repetitively with strong emphasis on the number seven. The frequent use of seven is obvious even to an occasional reader of the Scriptures. Seven is in the bible more than any other number. This phenomena is technically referred to as the Hepatic Structure of the Bible (hepta is the Greek word for seven) or Biblical Numerology. The number seven in the bible is associated with "completeness".

Gonna take a Sentimental Journey,

Gonna set my heart at ease.

Gonna make a Sentimental Journey,

To renew old memories.

Got my bags, got my reservation,

Spent each dime I could afford.

Like a child in wild anticipation,

I long to heart that, "All Aboard!"

Seven.....that's the time we leave, at seven,

I'll be waitin' up at heaven.

Countin' every mile of railroad track,

That takes me back.

Never thought my heart could be so yearny.

Why did I decide to roam?

Gotta take that Sentimental Journey.

Sentimental Journey home.

BWAHAHAHALARIOUS

2009-12-13T11:38:00.002-06:00

If Paul's Epistle to the Galatians was published in Chrisianity Today.

This article was published back in February, and I missed it somehow. I found it so funny I wanted to put a link to it here so that you don't miss it. Even if you already read it, it was probably back in February, and a re-read will still more than likely make you laugh at a place or two.

It takes humility and meekness to find most satire funny. It takes the same to find sarcasm funny, especially when the sacasm is directed at you! Satire is usually funny when we can see ourselves within. Tears of laughter are a blessing, and show that which is most beneficial in a satirical piece, knowing that but for the grace of God, go I.

Anyway, this article is BWAHAHAHALARIOUS....ENJOY.

Been Awhile ~ Or ~ A While

2009-12-12T09:41:00.015-06:00

Since it had been some time since my last post I thought today I would take the time to enter a short thought or two. Just entering a title for the post I thought about how I wasn't sure if it had been 'awhile' since I posted or had it been 'a while'? I started looking for the definition of each and came upon a post by someone titled 'Awhile vs A While', and came to the conclusion that it has been awhile since my last post, but I suppose if your definition of awhile is for a shorter period than my definition, it may have been a while.

Then I said to myself, self, I wonder if I just used the words 'than' and 'then' in their proper context. I do recall in the past that I had thought I could remember the difference by using 'then' in the context of time, and the word time ends with an e, so the word with the e, then, would be the proper word to use. The other word, than, would then be used to contrast items, like, rather this, 'than' that. Then (properly used) I said to myself, self, how blessed is my life that God would have me born in a place and time where I would learn the English language as I grew. I cannot imagine having to learn this language having been brought up with another. How would you ever be able to learn the difference between words, or the differences between voice inflections, which could totally change the meaning of the spoken words. Like you could say, 'That's a lovely dress' and mean it, or you could say the same words in a sarcastic tone, and totally change the meaning of those words to be the opposite. Then I thought about how I've had the audacity to make fun of a person's accent when they've obviously gone through much pain to learn our language, and to use it properly. God forbid I should ever do such and thing again, and God forgive my having done such a thing in the past. I tried to learn Spanish once, a language that many of our commonly used words are based upon, and I was never able to remember much more than 'where's the bathroom', although, I must admit, that is a very useful question if you ever visit Mexico.

Ah yes, again I ramble on and on. Some people like to call their similiar posts, a rant, but I am more of a rambler than (proper usage) a ranter. To me, ranting has more of a connotation of complaining. I'm sure that's a wrong impression of a rant, but that's the way it is in my mind, and I don't expect it will change. After you reach a 'certain age' it is most difficult to train yourself to think differently about things. I spend my efforts and energy in unlearning wrong doctrine, and replacing it with correct. Lord willing, that will be enough for me to accomplish at such an old age. God allowed a miracle to occur. An old undeserving wretch was given light. Next this wretch was given ability to unlearn and then learn proper doctrine. It would be too selfish to expect to be given an entire new ability to rethink every word learned, so 'rant' will just have to continue to mean 'complain' to me. (now THAT was one bodacious ramble)

So, maybe I should have titled this post 'Rant or Ramble' or 'Then or That', but 'Been Awhile or A While' it is. And then I thought, "Is it proper to start a sentence with the word 'and' or end it with the word 'is'?"

I gotta go, I feel another ramble coming on, and you're already bored enough. Or - is it all ready? Never mind.

May God grant you grace, and proper understanding, better known as wisdom, through Christ Jesus.

Amen

2009-12-07T06:19:00.007-06:00

The pope decides to do a tribute to Michael Jackson's final tour

Oooo Oooo Oooo

In a take-off of the Sacred Sandwich I thought we could all have a little fun by writing our own caption for the above picture. I went first, now it's your turn, go.

Well, since no one wrote me any captions, I decided to write another myself.

"Oh Satan, Satan, over here, come sit by me, The antichrist, I saved you a seat."

Thanks Be To God

2009-11-24T07:45:00.007-06:00

You know what would be really great? It would be really great if this country suddenly stopped and realized that the word Thanksgiving implies that there is someone who exists, and is deserving of their thanks. Someone to whom they owe thanks, not only for all their special dinners and family visits, but for their next breath. Thanks that runs deeper than a cursory 'grace' said prior to their meal, but thanks for the grace to live another second. Thanks for the grace to receive thought and opportunity to have another second, whereby they might gain eternal life byway of a second birth.

We thank, and praise God in their stead, thanks for His longsuffering usward that all who are His will come unto Him.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2Pet:8,9)

Of course we know that this 'all' does not mean that everybody everywhere will eventually come to repentace. This 'all' is all those the Father has given to the Son.

I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. (John 17:9, 10)

So, yes I am thankful for the physical graces afforded me, but most grateful to be counted amoung those the Father gave to the Son, that He is glorified thusly.

Now that's a Thanksgiving. True Thanks Be To God!

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

2009-10-22T10:26:00.002-05:00

Whenever I read the Sacred Sandwich I think it's funny, but it's funny because it's so close to reality. So put on your best radio announcer voice and read along with me as we explore the New New Gospel Of Hugs For Everyone!

Going deep into The Word of Promise Next Generation . . . the audio Bible for the "wired generation!"

You've heard the dramatized New Testament featuring the voice talents of many of today's top young Hollywood stars. Now dig deeper and embrace the truths and knowledge of the Bible like never before. This new devotional study guide series is available in four volumes. Each volume includes an MP3 CD, a devotional guide, and journaling section. The devotional guide is presented in 13 lessons with topical articles, exciting and fun 2-color graphic design, and creative interactive games and activities for youth to enjoy! Also included is a journaling section at the end of each lesson of the each book.

Volume One - the "Who" focuses on the person, purpose and promises of Jesus and is based on the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Features include: GET-IT (help to understand difficult concepts); GRAB-IT (how does this look in your own life); HOLD-IT (how to maintain in everyday life); GIVE-IT (how does this affect others in your life); DEFINE-IT (in-depth look at key words); and LIVE-IT (presentation of ideas, questions, challenges to support each session's content).

The Sacred Sandwich has nothing of the reality of the mainstream churchy generation. You just can't make this stuff up.

What A Fathead

2009-10-01T07:19:00.004-05:00

We've been too prosperous, too coddled, to comfortable, and now we're fat and lazy. Even the super skinny model types. Just because you're skinny doesn't mean you're not fat and lazy. You ever heard of someone being called a 'fathead'? Well, you don't think of a person with a literally fat head, do you? I must say that if you do, you're probably a fathead. (oooo I feel a bout of Jeff Foxworthy coming on.....you might be a fathead if you think the government is here to help you. OK, it's over.)

It's not just you, it's me too. I thought of myself as 'poor' when we were growing up. I have pictures where I have the same pair of shorts on from sixth grade through tenth grade. Safety pins were a wardrobe accessory in my world. I was poor, just didn't realize that it was poor in spiritual guidance. I'm sure if someone were to tell me that then, I would have looked at them like they were from another planet. Sort of like people look at me now when I tell them they are being lied to by not only their government, but by their supposed 'church'. Most however, do not want you to shine any light upon their crooked path, because then they would be required to change something about themselves. The reality is though, that even though; in a literal sense, they could change, they really couldn't change without God's inspiring grace. This is so in order that they are responsible for their actions, and yet God is in control of their actions. Thus, fatheads are unable to see, tending toward trampling the pearls under their feet. Like walking on marbles, the pearls cause their feet fly out from underneath them, and they fall with a thud.

It's all been about gaining comfort, and feeding the flesh. We, as a society, are now really good at it, and we will not..... cannot..... and won't......do anything about it until it all comes crashing down like a house of cards.

I'm just as bad, actually, worse, because I've been given light to see, and I'm moving in slow-mo

What a fathead.

Oldie....and So On

2009-09-22T09:57:00.002-05:00

I usually don't like just to repost someone elses' post on my blog, but that's tough, because that's exactly what I'm inspired to do today, so deal with the blessing. Actually, I pray God may allow you light so that it IS a blessing.

Conflict, Attrition and Consumerism
Posted by Michael Bunkereditor@lazarusunbound.com

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12-13)

January 9, 2005 –

“Bunker, there’s way too much conflict in your ministry; too many people signing on and then getting cross-ways with you; too many folks with too much bad stuff to say about you. It seems that the fruit of your ministry is schism and conflict.”

What saith the scripture?

“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known” (Matthew 10:21-26).

If it will be with the disciple as it was with the Lord… how was it with the Lord?

“But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” (John 6:64-67).

Prophecy unto me smooth things.

Most people will have a preacher or teacher who scratches their itching ears (2 Tim 4:3-4). They will have a teacher who fascinates, intrigues or who entertains - like a dinner magician who constantly comes up with new tricks. They will forever keep a teacher who scolds them and chides them, but what they will not ever accept is a teacher who attempts to reform them. People will be preached at, so long as they are not expected to ever really change. They will embrace conversation so long as it never gets too close to renovation. They will assimilate the lexicon of true Christianity, just so they can continue to lie to themselves about experiencing Christianity.

The last thing people will ever have is a teacher who doesn’t:

1. Covet their money
2. Pretend to place a high value on their opinions
3. Throw up fences to keep them in
4. Bend when pressure is applied
5. Tread lightly around their self-deceptions

Some people like a vigorous, aggressive preacher – so long as he is beating up on someone else.

You are NOT ok.

Our culture rewards self-deception. Self-deception is an integral and necessary component of the self-esteem cult – the greatest and most damnable lie of the last days. From the womb children are taught lies about themselves; lies about their innate value, lies about their history and lies about true religion. Most of these lies they subconsciously know are not true, but inevitably the lie is ingrained through repetition.

They see the lies on movies, on television, on the radio – and they are told the lie by their parents, friends and society. The so-called “christian” ones imbibe the social gospel of our modernist times, a phenomenally brilliant lie concerning the fundamental nature of their eternal address. They accept lies that fly directly in the face, and are contrary to, the teaching of Scripture, and they have no fear of doing so because they have believed other lies about the very nature and character of God. The result? Salved consciences, peaceful anesthetized souls with no fear of God. One day – when they do finally come face to face with the eternal Creator of the world on judgment day, they will lie to themselves once again about why they believed the other lies in the first place. When they do hear a sermon, scripture, or a teaching that condemns them, they lie to themselves and say that surely God is always talking about someone else. Why, they have to, lest their delusional house of cards come tumbling down around them.

The hardest thing a man will ever do is to confront the lies he has told himself ABOUT himself. There is no greater stronghold of the devil than self-deception. The constant desire to save face, to be needed or considered important, to be recognized, honored, respected; to always do what the culture expects and what society requires… these desires are the prideful ramparts of self-deception. No man ever served two masters. Men, puffed up in their minds, useless to the kingdom because they cannot see past what they already think – filtering God’s precious Word through the sieve of what they have always thought, or twisting it just enough to make what they already do to be the minimum requirement of Christianity. Everyone worse than them is lost; everyone better than them is saved. Anything – so long as they are ok.

The Devil is skilled and trained immaculately in the deceits of men’s hearts. Christianity was once just as skilled at exposing and overturning such deceits. But modernist so-called “christianity” has mastered the defense of self-deception; it’s about enabling liars, religious atheists and un-reformed, unregenerate, religiousites to carry faux crosses while they follow the plastic Jesus they have created in their own minds. Of religious atheists, Thomas Shepard, the great Puritan preacher and colonist said that they were:

“atheists in practice, which say there is a God, and question it not, but in works they deny him. He that plucks the king from his throne is as vile as he that saith he is no king. These men are almost as bad as atheists in opinion. And of such dust heaps we may find in every corner, that in their practice deny God; men that set up other gods in God’s room; their wealth, their honor, their pleasure, their backs and bellies to be their gods; men that make bold to do that against this true God which idolaters dare not do against their idol gods; and that is, continually to wrong this God; men that seek not for all they want by prayer, nor return all back again to God by praise.” (Thomas Shepard, The Sincere Convert, works, volume 1, page 13)

Modernist “christians”, especially those who call themselves part of God’s remnant, refuse to examine their own self-deceptions – and instead will make a show of separatism, or of the words of holiness and righteousness, without substantively changing anything in their own lives; and they will only have and support a preacher who enables their self-lies. But a true Christian ministry must constantly expose to the people of God their transgressions, so that they might find solace, grace and mercy only in the Jesus Christ who justifies, instead of by hiding in the caves and caverns of their own self-deceptions. Any gospel preached which offers comfort, grace and solace without unconditional surrender and acquiescence to the requirements of God, is anathematized by the Bible. Pay close attention:

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:3-8).

It is a false gospel that offers comfort to those who are not delivered from this present evil world. It is a false gospel that offers separation only, finally, in heaven. Paul specifically warns against a false, social gospel that fails to separate God’s children from the evil world.

The words of Thomas Shepard, related above, were preached to a comparatively pious and righteous people. These people had founded their new colony on the Word of God, and their worldview did not allow for the diverse understandings that abound today. I will tell you that, very likely, not one person reading this would have been qualified for (or accepted into) communion in Mr. Shepard’s church. Mr. Shepard is here calling active, religious Puritans “atheists in practice”. These were people who had left their homes and families to brave the high seas for separation. These were people who lost children and wives during the voyage, all because they believed in fleeing into the wilderness rather than conforming to practices they felt were unbiblical and unlawful. Almost every single Puritan, to whom Mr. Shepard addresses this statement, was a pious, religious separatist – who had forsaken riches and worldly possessions for the sake of seeking godliness. What would he say of us?

Preach not to me, minister. I’ll reform my life when circumstances allow.

It seems that most people want a preacher with so many motes in his own eyes that he will be forever too blind or too afraid to remove the beam from theirs. If the preacher is actually brave enough to touch on separatism, piety and righteousness – then they will find or create some more “motes” in his eyes in order to protect their own blindness in perpetuity.

Self-deception.

“You’re not perfect preacher, so don’t preach the threats and warnings of God to me. I’ll let you preach, just don’t preach at ME.”

An internal dialogue between Conscience and Deception:

Conscience: He is right, I am filthy and wicked. I know what is right to do, but I don’t do it (James 4:17).

Deception: Oh stop it. We are better than other men. We do not go to a wicked Church, or partake in foolish religious traditions like the Papists and the Charismatics. We gave up some holidays, didn’t we? We are reading this article… we must be better than others.

Conscience: We are not better; we are far worse, for we are liars and hold ourselves out as that which we are surely not. Hypocrisy is worse than tradition, because while tradition makes the Word of God of no effect, Hypocrisy lies about the effect, and in so doing entraps others.

Deception: Separation, Community, and Piety – these things smack of legalism, and they are not conformable to our modern day lives at all. Let the preacher lead the way into the wilderness, and after he has done it for a whole lifetime, I will one day follow.

Conscience: God will not judge on the standard of the preacher, but on the standard of His Word. If the preacher is preaching the Word of God, we are obliged to obey. Obedience is never legalism. Obedience is an evident sign of the gifts of faith, grace and belief. Our modern days are indeed wicked, and it is difficult to see how Separatism can work in such evil days; but we can be sure that the wickeder the hour, the more necessary separatism is. We are slaves of our lusts and not of our times. When we schedule our future plans to obey, we are secretly planning to never obey.

Deception: I do want to obey, but cannot because of my circumstances. I have made plans in my mind to follow the Good Shepherd withersoever He goeth, and to flee Sodom as the scripture commands – but God will have to make some things happen first so that I can do what I should.

Conscience: Lies of a liar. You will always find a ready ship going to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3), but it takes either hard work or the belly of the fish to get to Nineveh. You will ever find the road smooth and paved which maintains the status quo; but you must go off road and labor to enter into the Lord’s true rest. Once again, you can never “make plans” to obey. If you are waiting for your circumstances, then you have made your circumstances your God – and no man may serve two masters.

Deception: You say I cannot serve two masters? Then I will certainly not have two preachers either. I must either silence YOU or I must silence my preacher; unless maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. I can avoid the preacher… show up every once in awhile and apologize for my busy schedule. The preacher can be ignored; he’s not the boss of me anyway. I can stop going to meetings and forsake the gathering of God’s elect altogether, or even better yet, I can nod at him and tell him how moved I am to action. I will show up, sign up… even pay up for a little while and maybe he will get off my case. I’ll tell him I want to do right, and that I want to be reformed, and that I must pray for God’s strength and the faith to do right. Both of my teachers will fade away if I play my cards right, and still I will have done nothing.

All those who choose to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12), but don’t you worry – you are likely immune. You can remain persecution-proof by staying in the world. Maybe, if you play your cards right you can drum up some fake persecution and have the best of both worlds. Just forward some emails around about how outraged (OUTRAGED!) you are that someone banned Christmas trees from the courthouse, and won’t let Johnny pray in school. Instant PERSECUTION!

Modernist Christianity is enamored with a social gospel, and most who consider themselves to be true, spiritual, remnant Christians are too stupid or too lazy to figure out where one gospel ends and another begins. The false, social gospel is the one preached by the pied-pipers of the “church” today; and it is not only social, it is fascistic, synchronistic and it absolutely signs off on the biggest evils of the world, while condemning lesser crimes. This false gospel is forwarded around the world at light speed via email by every self-deceived religious atheist with enough manual dexterity to work a keyboard. Here’s what they want:

1.) Prayer in Schools. Forget the criminal, evil and unbiblical nature of public schooling – let’s have prayer in there!

2.) The Ten Commandments in Courthouses. It’s much easier than having them written on your heart or practiced in your home.

3.) Censorship on TV. Let’s clean up TV and movies so they can be what they used to be… mental crutches that entertain your brain so you don’t have to talk to God or train up your family.

4.) Violent suppression of dissenting opinion. The right to shut up anyone who disagrees while maintaining the right to exist as a persistent victim class and to yell “persecution” when someone who asserts their own rights actually opposes them. Statism and Fascism are only good when the right “christians” are in charge.

The social, political gospel won’t accept wholesale changes in worldview, or the burning down of old idols; rather, it will have the old idols whitewashed, swept clean and polished up, just like in the old days

The “Wannabe” who never was

It’s easy to want to mentally affiliate with, or to feel affinity towards, the remnant; hundreds (even thousands) tried it during Christ’s ministry, and we see it throughout Paul’s ministry as well. The remnant is a smaller club and it would seem that it is easier to get noticed, to feel a part, to feel good about participating. But the remnant is made up of real Christians, not pretenders or religious atheists looking for a smaller club to need them.

‘The chief end of man is to glorify God’. God’s purpose in His church is to glorify Jesus Christ through them. The church, then, as the Body of Christ, naturally and biologically has as their primary desire the glorification of God. The “wannabe” has as his primary goal all the mechanisms involved in maintaining his or her self-deception; respect, honor, position, approval, consumption, etc. The wannabe never was.

The wannabe is known by his disposition and by the focus of his appetite. The wannabe has a consumer mentality, always thinking of self first and weighing every thought, decision or issue based on how it will affect him personally. The wannabe can not ever really accept that there are those who are not in it for themselves alone, so he learns to fake it like he thinks they do… say the same words, nod at things that sound right, but always angle for self first. The wannabe will volunteer and serve when he will be noticed, will sacrifice when he stands to gain in the long run, will act humble at the right times, and will even tear up if the situation requires. But there are ways to identify the wannabe. The wannabe will NEVER help in private, will never sacrifice when there is nothing to be gained, and will NEVER apologize or humble himself unless he sees it as a means to another end. The wannabe will be the first to applaud and the first to “hurrah” someone who is actually in the fight, but he will grow very angry, righteously indignant and combative if he is ever exposed and when he knows that the gig is up.

Consumerism

Modern “christianity” is just reformulated consumerism, and the so-called “remnant” community is no different from the rest of the world. Get everything for free just like you did with the TV and radio back when you were in the world. Get all you can of it, but get it for free. Eat it up, graze, swallow what you like and spit out the rest. I have been going out of my way for years to maintain a very small email list. I’ve always wanted a small, intense, true-believer email list of activists. Fat consumers and curious web trolls need not apply. I never saw any value to having a 2000 person mailing list. When my email list was that big, nothing ever changed. I just got more hate mail, ruder “unsubscribes”, more unsolicited opinions and more headaches. Even today, with our radically pared down email list – I don’t know 1 out of 30 people on the list. Who is it that never communicates with their teacher? Who is it that consumes endlessly without ever thinking twice about it? I have people on my email list who have been on there for 3 years and I have never heard from them once. No donation, no prayer of encouragement, no communication at all. Then, when I finally get close to their private, personal sacred cow, they will make a BIG DEAL out of unsubscribing so I can know just what I have lost….

Conflict and Attrition

Christianity is about conflict. Christianity on this earth involves a conflict of worldviews, societies and of kingdoms. Christ came to bring a sword and not peace to the world. The world preaches a conflict-less “christianity”.

Attrition is the gradual loss or diminution in number or personnel because of constant stress. Stress, heat and pressure make steel harder, and coal into diamonds. Stress separates the chaff from the wheat, and stress must be applied to fight off wolves. Conflict and Attrition are hallmarks of a true Christian ministry, and when combined with a true love for the brethren, proper Biblical doctrine, and fruit, are the signs of the works of God being worked out in His Body.

We should follow peace with all men with whom we have true communion, and exhort one another to maintain our purity of the faith and of the Gospel once handed to the Saints.

“For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:18-29).

The Apostle to the Hebrews writes that God once shook the Church of Israel (earthly Jerusalem), because the people would not hear Him, and would not heed what His commandments required of them, for they could not bear them. Then the Apostle promises that God will once again shake not just the earth, but the heavens as well, for the express purpose of removing all that can be shaken. Those that will not be shaken have received a kingdom which cannot be moved. They should proceed to serve our separated, holy and righteous God with reverence and godly fear, for He is a consuming fire to pretenders and religious atheists. What we have in these verses is a “parallelism”, which promises that the first shaking was based on the refusal of the people who are called by His name to trust Him and follow Him and obey Him. The first shaking was a shadow, and in it, only the mountain was shaken. In the violent shaking that will shake the professing “church”, both the heavens AND the earth will be shaken; meaning that both the carnal world and the spiritual world will be shaken. The parallelism ties the shaking to the same cause – because those that are called by God’s name will not obey Him, will not hear Him, and will not follow Him.

It is time for those who are the remnant Church of the risen Lord Jesus Christ to oppose the social gospel, dump consumerism and accept that conflict and attrition are part of the shaking that God has promised.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,
Michael Bunker

If you read that, and came out of it without tears, then please, read it again, and so on, and so on, and so on......

The Glasses Conspiracy

2009-09-18T15:13:00.007-05:00

Yes, organizing, cleaning, and take a break, try on your old glasses from the eighties. Funny thing is that I put them on for a joke, but I think I can see out of them better then I can see out of my current glasses. Perhaps God thinks people don't find me odd enough, so now He wants me to wear really outdated glasses too.

I think it's a big conspiracy. Every time I go get my eyes checked they manage to change the perscription just a little bit. They have to tweek it, otherwise how will they sell their glasses? I mean if my perscription doesn't change, what need do I have to buy new glasses? Then they tell you that when you get your new glasses you may have to adjust to them. Huh? Why wouldn't you change the glasses to fit my needs? Too bad I was young when they told me this foolishness, I would never buy into it now. Eventually your eyes do change and adjust to the glasses, which messes up your eyesight, which causes you to go back and get your eyes check, and so on and so on and so on. No one ever listens to me though, so I don't expect you to believe that it's all a conspiracy. It's okay, I'm used to it.

On a side note, my potatoes turned out to look like a little family. I think the mom may have been augmented, but what do I know, I need my eyes checked.

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

2009-09-17T07:21:00.005-05:00

I don't usually remember my dreams. I remember two, from the last two days. That's odd.

Yesterday ~ There is a huge wreck on the highway. It is on a bend in the road, so the people cannot see it until it is too late. I am dead center, like an eye of the hurricane area, where you can see the destruction, but as yet, it has not touched you. Large tractor trailer trucks are crashing into the cars and other trucks, which are smashed, smoking, wheels off etc. Some of these trucks are motionless in the center, kind of like angle parking, and I am going to back in between two of them, knowing they will protect me from further oncoming traffic. As I'm backing in, a large tractor trailer comes barelling through the cars, vering off just before it reaches me, it's tires gone, and sparks are flying from under it as it careens across the concrete highway. I am never really worried. I just know what to do to get protection, and do it. I only see one driver, and that is of the last truck, but I can't see his face, only his constant turning on the steering wheel, trying to get the truck under control. I wake up.

Today ~ I'm outside, and above me is a helicopter. It's huge, and loud, and comands my attention. I know the airport is near, but then I say to myself, self, helicopters don't use the airport, must be a wreck or something on the highway, and they are making a report. Still, I know this giant helicopter is probably not a news one, it's just so large. Suddenly it starts flying backward. It's being driven in an expert fashion, in manuvers that seem impossible for such a large vehicle. It goes higher and suddenly comes to a stop. Four missiles shoot out of the front, leaving smoke trails so that I can 'sort of' trace where they are going. I think they are headed for the airport, and I know the aftermath will cause an effect where I am, for I am very close to where the missiles will hit. Still, I am not worried. I wake up.

Stay tuned. Maybe I'll have another tomorrow in the (apparently) continuing saga of Dream A Little Dream. If I have one, I'll let you know, if I don't, that's fine too. I'm not worried.

SMART CHICKS

2009-09-05T18:00:00.007-05:00

Smart chickens weren't duped by foul play
Eleanor Momberg
Independent Online (SA), August 2 2009
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=143&art_id=vn20090802102554511C805624

Chickens refusing to eat the maize they had been fed has led to the discovery that their feed had been genetically modified to include a well-known weed and insect killer.

Strilli Oppenheimer was recently approached by Dawid Klopper, the head gardener at the family estate, Brenthurst, informing her that her indigenous African chickens were refusing to eat the mealies in the chicken feed bought from a large supplier. Concerned that the birds may be ingesting genetically modified maize, she instructed Klopper to have the maize tested.

The chickens' diet was immediately changed to include organic vegetables, Oppenheimer stopped consuming the home-grown eggs and the maize was sent to the GMO testing facility at the University of the Free State for analysis.

The results confirmed Oppenheimer's initial suspicion - the maize had been genetically engineered to produce proteins that are toxic to certain insects and weeds.

"It contained BT1 which makes the maize insect resistant, as well as Roundup which makes it weed resistant. This is the first report we have had of chickens not eating GM feed," said a GM expert.

While small quantities of BT1 and Roundup weed killer were found in the seeds, the concern remained with the cumulative effect of GM feed, not only on the chickens, but also on the eggs they produced for the family.

"This is of serious concern. Do you know that 96 percent of soya-based foods are genetically modified and that maize in South Africa is contaminated," asked Oppenheimer, pointing out that research by well-known scientist Dr Arpad Pusztai had shown that rats fed on GM potatoes suffered from a weakened immune system and stunted growth of their internal organs, including the liver, kidneys and brain.

Pusztai was fired by the Rowett Research Institute in the UK in 1998 after his research into the human nutritional consequences of GM. His findings had far-reaching implications for the biotech industry, which had contended that GM crops and products would not adversely affect human health.

International research has shown a direct link between certain types of genetic engineering and cancer.

Gundula Azeez and Coilin Nunan of The Soil Association, a UK environmental charity, stated in their paper, "GM Crops - the health effects", that international research had shown that milk, eggs and meat from GM-fed animals contained GM crop DNA, concluding that it was likely that people were frequently being exposed to GM DNA.

They concluded that because of the lapses in extensive safety assessments, there were "very good scientific reasons for being concerned about the safety of GM crops".

Rose Williams, acting director of Biowatch, said globally there was great concern that GM products had not been adequately tested in terms of their effect on people, animals and the environment.

"There has been no testing on humans, very limited testing on animals and very little research on environmental impacts. This is the case globally, but in South Africa even less work has been done, even though the commercial release of GM maize, GM soya and GM cotton has been approved."

Williams said concerns by NGOs such as Biowatch, the African Centre for Biosafety and SAFeAGE about the lack of control over GM crops and contamination of non-GM crops had largely been ignored.

"Government has not done enough to protect the public from the potential threats of GM foods. There is also the matter of liability - who will take responsibility for people's losses and any health problems relating to consumption of GM foods, whether they are for people or for animals."

Williams said the contamination of non-GM crops was a real problem, with the biotech industry leading people to believe that co-existence of GM and non-GM crops was possible. "But it is not," she said.

While the recently implemented Consumer Protection Act called for the labelling of GM foods, the regulations linked to the measure had yet to be finalised.

About her chickens' refusal to eat their maize, Oppenheimer said: "They're smart."

TELL ALL YOUR PEEPS TO BE

A SMART CHICK

GO AGRARIAN !

Sen. Kennedy

2009-08-30T07:41:00.003-05:00

Upon death Roman Catholic belief is that someone as good as Sen. Kennedy gets to go to a big candy castle in the sky. That's apparently why they've wrapped him in a giant peppermint casing. Wonder how Mary Jo Kopechne would feel about that.

Disclaimer: Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

All Clowns Are Liars

2009-08-29T16:53:00.011-05:00

Been pondering this phrase that I heard used recently (in the Feminine Christian Graces post). It was used in reference to the way that women make themselves up. I admit I'd never thought about it, it's just something that you're brought up with, and so you think it's natural for women to wear makeup. Why I've even heard stories about women who wouldn't even go out to get their mail unless they had their makeup on. Of course these stories were told about the woman as if she had something to be proud of because she refused to be seen in public with her natural face.

The clown hides behind his makeup and wig. This is a lie in the sense that it is not a true representation of how the clown looks in real life. A woman puts on makeup, and changes her hair color, and this too is a lie, because it is not really how she would look in real life.

Take for example, this woman:

Yeah, I'm so sure that's her natural hair color, and that once the layers of makeup come off she'll be a real beauty, or not, who can possible tell at this point?

I never really thought about the fact that any woman walking around wearing makeup is a liar. I'm sure they would protest should you tell them that this is how you felt about someone who presented themselves as something they are not. Why, everybody does it, it doesn't hurt anyone, plus if you don't like it, don't look. How simple do you think it would be to be in the world and not see any women made up. I'd say it would be near impossible.

Therefore, God has given me another good reason to seperate, and live in a Christian community. There women have beauty that is true. Sometimes it's outside, but mostly it's inside, where it counts.

1 Timothy 2:8-10

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

Yep, God said it right there....ALL CLOWNS ARE LIARS.

Zippity Dah

2009-08-25T20:45:00.009-05:00

Be not rash with thy mouth,

and let not thine heart be hasty

to utter anything before God:

for God is in heaven,

and thou upon earth:

therefore let thy words be few.

This is ever so very difficult for me. I speak and complain out loud when no one is around, but I forget that I am not my own, and that these words are heard by God, even if no man hears them.

Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,

or curse the rich in your bedroom

because a bird of the air may carry your words,

and a bird on the wing may report what you say

What? Is that where the saying, 'a little birdie told me' came from?

Recently my good friend and teacher, Michael Bunker, expounded on feminine Christian graces and once again I am horrified that I display so few.

I am the eldest of five girls. We were taught to respect our elders. We would never disrespect our parents, and especially never talk back to our father. We also were brought up in sarcasm/ slamfest city. If you're not quick witted, you're going down in a hailfire of smart-aleck remarks. Spontaneous wit (some people call it another word, which rhymes with 'wit') is quite difficult to overcome. Oddly, I'm best at slamming those who display the tendencies that I find most loathsome in myself. Don't get me wrong, I slam myself just as much, but mostly that's just so you can't do it first. Still I find it funny. I'd rather laugh at problems, bring them in the light, and then deal with them. Anyway, all that rhetoric was just to say that "quiet" is not on my list of strong points. Whenever I'm quiet most people think I'm sick or something

This is just one of my problems, but it really is the gateway of all the others. My constant prayer is that God helps me shut my mouth much more. In my family we take our hand and do the little mouth motion one might do to indicate a chatty Kathy, except we just do it once, slowly, while saying a sort of 'zip your mouth' indication......Zippity Dah. Which means you should really shush up asap.

May God grant me more ability to have Zippity Dah Days, and an abundance of Feminine Christian Graces.

Catch Up

2009-08-08T11:38:00.003-05:00

This is the tomato I picked yesterday from our garden. It had split, and I had put it into a container of water along with the cucumbers, green beans, pole beans and lettuce I'd picked. I never got around to doing anything with them until this morning. The split in the tomato caused a bit of white mold to form, and when I was examing the split, I noticed that the tomato appeared to be smiling at me.

Since I'm a weirdo, I started talking to the tomato. I pretended the tomato was talking to me too, kind of like a ventriloquist might do with a dummy (hey, I know what you're thinking....stop it!) Ever since God opened my eyes to the truth, I don't have any friends, my family avoids me at all costs, so God sent me a tomato friend that I could speak to for a moment. Apparently He can raise up witnesses out of stones (Luke 19:40) AND raise friends up out of the tomato garden.

Long before this joke was used in the film 'Pulp Fiction', I had heard this joke, and I told it to my tomato friend:

Three tomatoes are walking down the street- a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. baby tomato starts lagging behind. poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato, and smooshes him... and says, catch up!

Although he was still smiling, he didn't really laugh, so I smooshed him, and we had him for dinner with fries.

If you don't 'get it', then please......CATCH UP !

Esau have I hated.

2009-08-04T11:55:00.005-05:00

Today's rumination is upon the fact that there are just those who will not, and cannot hear the true gospel. I often fear that it is I who am Esau, because it's not like he didn't know who God is. It's not like he didn't understand his error, for with many tears did he seek repentance, but was unable to find it (Heb 12:17). He knew what was required, but he just couldn't do it, God didn't grant him the ability. I hate that I see that in myself, but this isn't about me.....never was. I do however, want to remind you, and myself, that we ARE commanded to examine ourselves to see that we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5)

More than anything this is what I have trouble with, that someone can hear the Holy Spirit speak truth through a vessel of God, and not comprehend. Oh, they WILL 'hear it', but they more often than not, do not HEAR IT.

In the old days, when I was young, I would watch movies about Jesus Christ and never understand how they (the Jews) could have God right there in front of them, performing all kind of miracles, and then say to themselves, 'no, that's not the messiah'. Really though, when I think about it, that's the way it has to be. Otherwise a person could think it was something within themselves, or that they were just smarter than others, instead of giving God the glory for the gift of faith.

Living here around St. Louis, MO, is kind of like living in Satan's seat (Rev 2:13). It's a massively Roman Catholic place, where even the local news follows who's in or out of the diocese as if that were just a normal part of life. The others which are well known are those like Joyce Meyers, who preaches a prosperity gospel. Seems people don't care who you molest, or care how many of your ex-employees murdered their wife and children to be with another woman, nor how many scandals plague you, as long as you have money they figure God MUST be on your side.

I like me some no money, bitingly witty, sometimes sarcastic, but always knowledgeable, and unbelievably versatile preacher who knows God is the author of his knowledge. He knows that God has allowed him to be the Jacob portion of His love, and gives Him praise and glory. There has to be contrast to everything, and Esau is the other side of that coin, for God has said, 'Esau have I hated'.

To God be the glory for His judgment is righteous, and so I leave you with this portion of Psalm 119

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

Amen

Deer Deer Me

2009-07-25T11:03:00.006-05:00

Bad news. There is a deer who has assumed that my garden is its personal buffet. No joke. I opened the door to a startled deer standing in the middle of the garden, who proceeded to look at me like it was saying, "What? I made this reservation weeks ago, now off with you." It finally did take off, looking back over its shoulder with a Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'I''ll Be Back' look.

If this was a proper world, with the proper rules, I would have been having venison that evening, along with the rest of the green beans the deer didn't get to eat. I like to close my eyes and think about how good that would taste, but instead I have to ponder ways to keep deer from benefiting more from my garden than I am.

Eight foot fence? Bit expensive.

Fake coyote decoy on a stick? Maybe, but no more than the deer was afraid of me, I wonder if it would just think it was my way of giving it a companion for a dinner date.

Shake Away? Predator urine to make the deer think that one of the enemy was just there. Could work, maybe in conjunction with the stuffed coyote on a stick. (sounds like the Road Kill Cafe's lunch special....'I recommend a nice red wine with your stuffed coyote on a stick Mrs. Miller.')

A huge dog? Have to think about that one.

In the mean time it's always a grand idea to pray about the situation. If you're not busy maybe you could join me in a prayer that God would confuse the deer, and it might forget where the Miller salad bar is located. Deer Deer me, that idea I'll definitely do.

RED RADISHES

2009-07-15T09:31:00.003-05:00

At the blogspot, A Process Driven Life, there was a link to make your own poster. I never got around to it until there was already a declared winner (story of my life). My beautiful radishes inspired me to go to the site, and even if I would have wanted to enter the 'contest' (I use that term loosly) I couldn't figure out how to do anything but save it to a file on my computer, so I wouldn't have been able to supply a 'link' anyway (see previous post on being old).

Regardless, I choose to post my lovely poster here, where there is no other competition.

Get out! I win?

I'd like to thank my Father, without whom I would not have life, and all the little people who made this win possible. You like me, you really like me!

I know, I'm amusing in my own mind, but that's really who I do it for anyway. If you like it too, well then, BONUS.

May God grant you a pleasant day, unless of course you remain unregenerate, then, may He wail on you until you put down your weapons against Him, grant you great grief over your sin, then lift the load, giving you peace that passes all understanding. Amen.

Old and Twitless

2009-07-14T07:34:00.006-05:00

I joined Twitter, just because I wanted to leave a comment on someone elses message. I joined Facebook because I wanted to view some pictures my sister took when we went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. (It used to be called 'Shaw's Garden' because Henry Shaw, and in my mind it will always be Shaw's Garden, founded it. That's what they do here in St. Louis for some reason, they change the name of things so that when I say Shaw's Garden I'll be sure to cement the knowledge that I am old. Just like if you know that Kiel Auditorium used to be Municipal Auditorium means that you're older than dirt. They rebuilt Kiel, onto the opera house portion of the old building, and renamed it as often as you change your socks. They do it to our streets too, only they don't rename the whole street, they just rename portions of it. Like Brown Road used to be one road. At one time it started out as Brown, and changed to McDonnell Douglas, then Howdershell, then Shackelford. One road, four names. Apparently we hate outsiders to actually know where they are. This whole rambling section is to ensure that you know I am old. I am one of those people who sits in the car and tells you how the road used to be, or how there were never any roads there at all....'This here all used to be farm land', I say.) I am officially done with these new and inventive ways to keep in contact with people. They drive me crazy.

For example, I feel it has taken me quite enough time this morning to write this small blog entry. Even it is useless in the long run, and I can't imagine spending my days entering even more useless information all day long. I do a blog post (usually) every few days, and I think that's quite enough time and energy spent toward such endevours. I don't think that anyone is evil if they choose to spend their time thusly. I surely don't think they'll be condemned to the depths of hell for it. I do just think there are much better ways to spend the precious time the Lord has bestowed upon me.

That's my opinion, but I'm old and twitless.

Fireworks and Tears

2009-07-10T19:55:00.003-05:00

I was just looking at the links I have on this blog. I clicked the Sacred Sandwich link just to see what they were up to now. They always deliver the truth with some witty, funny and sarcastic viewpoint. This time I was not driven to laughter, but to tears. It's a sad, yet truthful commentary on the Fourth of July, but I will put this snippet here, with the link to the full article. I must to share it with you, and in case you might catch a glipse of yourself in that ugly mirror, now is the time to pray for true change in your life and thinking. Even if you don't find yourself in the that mirror, it's a commentary that needs to be read. At least I think so, and hey, it is my blog after all.

Just as July fireworks have been stripped of their original purpose and significance, the Bible is no longer revered and honored as the very revelation of God Himself, but has become nothing more than an empty icon of the Christian faith to use for selfish purposes. Churches today have fashioned God’s word into a “how-to” book to help their congregation satisfy their felt needs, bring them worldly success, or make them feel good about themselves. The weightier, humbling doctrines of God’s wrath, sin and repentance that provides the pivotal framework for the true Gospel has been replaced in favor of a more feel-good, self-centered approach to utilizing Scripture.

May God have mercy on us all.

WAG THE JACKSON

2009-07-10T13:14:00.004-05:00

I don't have to prove anything, I'm just going to say what I think without any other backup than my 'gut feeling' or as I like to refer to it 'my bones are telling me'.

Long before there was talk of 'foul play' in Michael Jackson's death, my bones told me that someone (a Jesuit) passed him the poison cup. The heat needed to be taken off the current pretend black president, so what better way to do it than with the death of the pretend black pop star? No one else would do. It had to be just the right person for the media to play up, and the right kind of controversy over race, and just the right timing to draw attention away from all the mess that the economic experimenter has been causing.

Even though I hate the circus that has unfolded, I guess I'm just as guilty since I can't seem to hold back the things I think about it all. The worst, and final straw for me was when I accidently saw Jamie Foxx claim that Michael Jackson was a black man, and as such, the black community just shared him with the rest of us. What? You need to put the crack pipe down Jamie, put your hands where we can see 'em, and back away. Either that, or you need to pass the pipe around with the rest of us so we can all get on the same distorted page.

Michael Jackson started out as a black person, but he hated that he was black, and spent most of his life trying to be white. He bleached his skin, he had plastic sugery to slim his nose to the point that he finally actually had no nose at all. He married a white woman, his children are white, and his speaking voice sounded like that of a 15 year old white girl. Yeah Jamie, I think the white community shared him with YOU.

As a side note, it does kind of make me chuckle that Farrah Faucett didn't even get to be remembered on the day she died either. It was like, 'Did you hear about Michael Jackson, and oh, by the way, Farrah Faucett died too.' It happened on my 56th birthday too, so that will also make the date stick in my mind. Mercy.

I don't care about the freak-man known as Michael Jackson. Without thinking very hard at all I can tell you several other names of dead black men who actually DID make a contribution to the musical field, and WERE black.

I just can't take it any more, and somebody had to say it, so I am. I've seen the movie "Wag the Dog", and I think this is a clear case of Wag the Jackson. You can think what you want, but I truly believe he's the dog they decided to wag.

Now may God grant US all peace, 'cause I know MJ will not be at peace where he ended up. I'm glad he beat it.

Knock Knock

2009-07-01T23:54:00.007-05:00

I hate that I am not meek, and in a weird sort of way, I'm glad I know it, even if it causes me pain. Maybe I rationalize it, and if you think so, say it. I think like this...

I am sad to see that I am not meek, but the fact that I KNOW that I'm not meek, makes me glad, because I think that if I were totally not meek, then I would think I AM meek.

Uhh what?

Yeah, you should actually have to live inside my head. You would need to buy a whole lot of spackle from beating your head into the wall. I, on the other hand, am used to it. I was wierd before I was regenerate, so now I'm just a different kind of peculiar.

Anyway, though it pains me to see a lack of meekness, it gives me joy that God has placed it upon my heart to continually pray for this attribute, since I know there is no way for me to gain it, unless it is given to me as a gift. Oh sure, I could fake it, but not for long. Besides, I'm quite convinced that God will see through the act.

I am reminded of Luke 11

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

So now in my continuous prayer I repeatedly knock, and remember that importunity will cause my Father to do that which He has promised. Though I never insist He 'owes' me anything, I do like to remind Him that He did promise to give us good gifts if we asked, and I can think of no better gift than meekness.

Knock Knock - Thankfully He's already made me excel at being annoying.

Tick Me Off

2009-06-21T08:16:00.009-05:00

First, let me say this ~ OUCH ~ about that!

So, my husband Greg can be in grass up to his eyebrows, and that's when he's sitting on the tractor where you can barely see the top of his head. He'll be out there for hours on end, and he'll hardly get a mosquito bite, much less a tick. I walk from the truck to the front door of our home, covered in deet, and I'll get three ticks which attach themselves to parts of my body which are just out of my reach.

I have been told that if you take garlic pills the ticks will be repelled from you. So far I've taken garlic for over a year, and all it's seems to do is be a nice spice for the tick's enjoyment. Maybe my ticks are Italian, and they enjoy a nice-a spicey meat-a ball-a. They're probably busy right now trying to figure out how they can get a post on the internet to say taking onion powder is a repellant for ticks too. "Mmmmmm", they're saying, "garlic AND onion, yummy! Get us some pasta and butter stat!"

Another thing that has crossed my mind is why they are called 'ticks'. That's an odd name, unless they were named by another person, like me, who knows the truth. They all have very tiny wrist watches that tick off the minutes until my arrival. They synchronize their tiny watches every evening, and meet at the precise time I am to arrive. They scream out, 'Here comes the bus', and they line up to jump on board as I pass by.

If you know any way I might avoid these tiny critters that doesn't involve me taking another spicey marinade for their meat, I'd appreciate the info. Till then, guess I'll just have to remain ticked.

Found A Poem - Found A Poem - Found A Poem Just Now

2009-06-19T13:36:00.005-05:00

Oh I just now found a poem, found a poem just now.

OK, I know that's the song 'Found A Peanut', however, I didn't find a peanut. I found a poem. Who knows when I wrote it? I find stuff all the time that I wrote at some other point in my life. I just happen to like this one. Hope you do too.

Upon the trek of this very perilous road
The only way you may learn is through humility
You cannot gain His grace when you carry the load
Or by trying through your own prideful ability
Christ carries the load, and you share His yoke
And His yoke is not heavy at all
For those who would try to twist this into a joke
They remain under the curse of the fall
Oh heavenly Father grant wisdom to us
Please open our eyes and our ears
So that we may proclaim that your judgment is just
Living life in your service for years

Shhhhh-mo-kin'

2009-06-05T22:07:00.011-05:00

This is the first time I've ever smoked any kind of meat. I'm so excited that God's providence has allowed us to purchase this smoker. It's no smokehouse, but I couldn't be more grateful!

This picture is where I toast to the grilling and smoking experience, silently asking God to bless the efforts to learn this new skill. Just to make sure there will be something edible at the end, I am also grilling pork steaks, while the smoker is processing the end of the pork butt, a slab of ribs and some rib tips. You might think an army was suppose to drop by, but no, it was just Greg and I. It's our new diet, all smoked meat, all the time. OK, so we ate it all week long, and my son was over on one of those days. We just 'look' like we could have eaten it all in one sitting.

I don't know about where you live, but here in these parts of Missouri one does not grill meat without a proper beer in hand. Why, what if the fire blazes up? How are you going to put out the fire and not ruin the meat flavor by dousing it with water. If you said pour beer on it, you are allowed to move to Missouri someday. Oh wait, the Nazi's will probably require more than that to travel around, but that's a little ways off, and a whole other subject. We're talking about grilling/smoking meat right now, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop distracting me.

Here we see the 'close to finished' product. Go get a napkin, because I see you drooling a little. You'll need it in order to look at the next picture anyway.

I have to say that for a first try, these turned out excellent. For my next trick, I will attempt to smoke a beef brisket. I am told they are much more difficult to do, and that is why I chose not to start out trying to smoke one.

And walla - grilled pork steaks done on our cowboy grill. It's the best grill ever. Someday though, I need to make use of the hooks to make my side dishes over the fire.

The smoker has helped me immensely in being able to figure out how a wood stove will work. I've never used one, but do plan to get one in the near future, Lord willing. I expect it will work a lot like the smoker, in that you use the flew and air flow to adjust the temperature. In smoking the meat I was able to maintain a steady 300 degrees throughout most of the process. Obviously opening the unit, and necessary addition of wood/charcoal fuel caused fluctuation in the temperature, but when closed it quickly regained heat.

Anyway, if your ever around these parts, let me know, and I'll cook ya up a mess 'o meat.

Bring toothpicks.

Peace in Christ Jesus.

Garden

2009-05-28T07:19:00.006-05:00

Well, if we're to sustain ourselves off of our garden, we are going to be two, too skinny people. Between seed that is apparently to old to germinate, and weather that has fluctuated from very cold to very hot, including too dry to over-watered by flash flood type rain, not to mention (why do people say that and then go ahead and 'mention' the 'not to mention' thing?) the mole and ants that attack the few things that have grown, the garden looks more like a wasteland, than a place where food might grow. (wooohooo, I think I may have broken the 'run-on sentence' record right there.)

It's the saddest day when I think about that in a spiritual perspective. Seed keeps getting planted and fed, and there is only life in a few of them, and the life that's in those few, is systematically being snuffed out. The only small hope in it all is the potato plant, which at one time looked as if it would surely die, but has pulled out and become a most healthy plant indeed. Of course, its fruit is underground, and unseen, so it won't be known until much later whether there will be anything to harvest. I hope and pray the harvest will be as bountiful as could be expected from these very few seed potatoes.

Even as I type this, the rains once more are beating down upon the rows of seeds which have now melded together with the rivers of running rain. Though the replanting will be another joyful chore, my prayer, as my eyes are lifted upward, that God might have mercy upon this new effort to gain fruit unto His glory.

Amen

UPDATE

Well, that is the fastest recorded answer to prayer in my life. I went out and looked again, and there are plants coming up in the green bean rows, cucumber, and watermelon. It appears some lettuce is coming up, but it's so small, I hesitate to say 'for sure'. Only God knows. Praise Him and His longsuffering and mercy, grace, and seedlings!

Kids of the Baby Boom

2009-05-20T13:39:00.008-05:00

I heard this song today, and although I do not use the term 'kids' in the place of the word 'children' any more, I thought it fit in the case of this song.

I was brought up at the tail end of the 'baby boomers', and when I look back on it now, we were some of the most spoiled, ruinous, and rebelious people ever to trapse the face of this planet. We in turn, spawned a new generation of selfish, and ignorant (to God, and to His reason for creating us) people, to the point that I must wonder at the long suffering of the Creator God. I'd have squished us all like bugs waaaaay before now.

I am, however, grateful that my children, and their children show much less signs of this depravity then most 'children'. None the less, they are corrupted from my past, and the upbringing I gave them. Therefore, I am responsible, regardless of my current eye-opening revelation from God. I pray they will overcome this bad influence of mine, and I pray God forgive me, and them, sprinkling His over-abundant longsuffering liberally.

Anyway, these are the words to the song I heard, and I must admit, we were 'kids' in the biblical sense. The words ultimately end up in a very strong truth that is playing out on the world stage even as I type.

Bellamy Brothers

Kids Of the Baby Boom

Our daddys won the war and came home to our moms
They gave them so much love that all us kids were born
We all grew up on Mickey Mouse and hula-hoops
Then we all bought BMW's and brand new pickup trucks
And we watched John Kennedy die one afternoon
Kids of the baby boom

It was a time of new prosperity in the USA
All the fortunate offsprings never had to pay
We had sympathy for the devil and the Rolling Stones
Then we got a little older, we found Haggard and Jones
A generation screaming for more room
Kids of the baby boom

Kids of the baby boom, we had freedom, we had money
Baby boom, here in the land of milk and honey
Counting our chickens way too soon
Kids of the baby boom

Now we all can run computers and we all can dance
We all have Calvin Klein written on our underpants
And at six-o'clock, like robots, we turn on the news
Watch those third world countries deal out more abuse
Remember the first man on the moon
Kids of the baby boom

Kids of the baby boom, we had freedom, we had money
Baby boom, here in the land of milk and honey
Counting our chickens way too soon
Kids of the baby boom

As our lives become a capsule they send to the stars
And our children look at us like we came from Mars
As the farms disappear and the sky turns black
We're a nation full of takers, never giving back
We never stop to think what we consume
Kids of the baby boom

Kids of the baby boom, we had freedom, we had money
Baby boom, here in the land of milk and honey
Counting our chickens way too soon
Kids of the baby boom

Our optimism mingles with the doom
Kids of the baby boom

Thank you Lord for waking me up, so that I might enjoy watching these times as they pass, not with a feeling of doom, but with praise and joy at your righteous judgement of the wicked, and the wicked system which sought to replace Christ, unto whom be praise and dominion for ever, and ever. Amen.

Jan Landers

2009-05-15T13:51:00.003-05:00

Remember the post I had that said that people tell me I talk a lot, but whenever I've met someone I always come away from the conversation knowing much more about them then they ever will about me? Well, it happened again today.

So, I'm on my morning walk, and I cross paths with a woman as she's coming down the hill. I always go up the hill, touch my secret base (I'd like to tell you what it is, but then I'd have to kill you), and come back down. As I was coming back down the hill, I did a little 'beep beep' to let her know I wanted to get by. She said something to me, but because I had my earplugs in listening to a sermon, I did not hear her clearly. (Note to self, next time just put up an arm, and with a friendly wave and smile -KEEP ON WALKING just keep swimming, just keep swimming) So I turn and pull out my ear plug, and she says 'well, you didn't go very far'. There's that pride thing again, I should have kept walking while I said, 'you're right', but noooooooooooooooooooooo, I had to tell her how I walked 3 1/2 miles every day. Way to open up the flood gate Renée. Now I'm stuck listening to her tell me how she retired after 25 years of teaching to care for her mother. She moved to Florida, only to find that her mother was beyond her care..blah blah blah my kids (not children) work for Ponderosa blah blah blah can't afford the apartment blah blah blah need income blah blah need to fill my time blah blah blah. Oh look....an opening....so I say, 'you should get a plot at the community garden, and start to learn how to grow your own food. The bible is agrarian based, and you could learn many lessons from it, and tilling the ground, and bonus, you can havest good wholesome food."

Buckle up... here we go again. Oh, well I have a friend who's a Jehovah's witness blah blah blah went to church with my ex mother in law, then to my own Baptist church blah blah blah, I'm very open minded.

So, fool that I am, I try again, and tell her how the current system will shortly be kaput, and again, she could learn gardening, and I have issues with Jehovah's witness', and the RCC is the antichrist system, and you can't be 'instead of' or 'against Christ' unless you actually name Him.

ooooooh That's quite the blank stare there lady. Hellooooooooooo?

That's when I realize, once again, that I am Jan Landers, distant relative of Ann Landers, and Abigail Van Buren, except that no one really wants my advice, they just want me to listen to them ramble on. Kind of like you're doing with me right now.

Never mind.

Act of Contrition

2009-05-11T12:33:00.012-05:00

Growing up in a Roman Catholic household, we were taught certain prayers. I can remember memorizing the 'Act of Contrition', which was said during your confession to a priest.

Ok, hang on a minute because I'm getting flashbacks of the creepiness when you had to go into the dark closet and wait for a man to slide open the screened window so you could tell him how horribly bad you'd been, and he could judge you and give you penance.

Dramatization:

Priest ~ "Go say a bazillion Hail Marys, and a gazillion Our Fathers, and a couple of Apostle's Creeds, you bad, bad person you. I'm ready to judge the next poor idiot, so send them in on your way out. Go on, get outta here, I mean it."

Seriously, that's all it ever was for me, and from the look of things, that's all it is for most Catholic people. Someone says 'do this', and you do it, and believe that it will make you right with God. You really don't have to understand, nor feel, nor agree with what you're saying, you just have to do it.

So, I was thinking about the 'Act of Contrition' prayer, and how you had to say it at some point in the confessional ritual. Things have changed a lot since I was little, and in looking online I found the prayer almost identical to my memorized prayer, except the one I remember had Thee and Thy instead of you and your. I have to say, that should one actually mean what this prayer expresses, it's really not a bad prayer to use to model your confessional prayers to God. Not to be repeated, but as a model, like the Lord's Prayer is a model of how to pray to the Father.

Here it is, as I remember it:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more, and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

Now, if the Roman Catholic people actually were given a new life and the gift of faith and repentance; they would know that this prayer is not just a mantra; it's the root of how a repentant heart longs not to offend God. They would also know that they are unable, without grace, to avoid sin. Oh yeah, and they'd run out of that church ASAP.

But they really don't have to avoid sin. They just confess it, pay their prayer price, and move on.

It's odd to me to think about how the Jewish people had the Son of God in their midst, and yet didn't recognize Him. It's odd to think how the Roman Catholics have the bible right in their hand, and can't recognize that Christ is no longer nailed to a cross, and that a mere man cannot forgive them their sins. It's that mixing of truth and lie that fools 'em every time.

I pray that He shall never again allow me to be so deceived. Amen.

Exercise

2009-05-08T11:23:00.011-05:00

As I revealed in the previous post, I've been walking 3 1/2 miles a day. So far I've lost 20 lbs, but not a soul has noticed. I guess when you weigh 240, losing 20 hardly makes a blip on the radar, but I can tell it, even if no one else can. Another difference in me is reflected in the fact that when I walk, I listen to sermons on my little sansa clip. The sermons I have been listening to have changed me in my mind, because I actually hear and comprehend the messages in ways I never had previously. Even when I transcribed a few of the sermons, their message was never as clear as they have been during these morning walks. This too is not something anyone has noticed by looking at me, but this too is something I can tell, even if no one else can.

After I got back from my walk yesterday, I mowed the lawn, and then picked about a bazillion (How many? A bazillion) maple tree seedling from out of the garden. The helicopter seed attack started not so very long ago, and a freshly tilled garden is an invitation that most of these seeds find hard to decline. I wish they could read, so I could put up a sign that says, maple tree seeds not allowed without express permission of the property management. Of course their applications would all be denied, but they wouldn't need to know that, and once again, I digress.

The kind of activity I've been doing lately would have been all but impossible just a few months ago. I am grateful to God for giving me both the resolve, and the understanding, to continue in this habit. Resolving both to keep fit physically, mentally and spiritually. That's no small task, and what it is, is a sign to me of God's working in my life. Ask God to show Himself to you in your life. You too might be surprised when you find yourself exercising more than just your body, but your mind, and your spirit, through His strength and not your own. OR maybe there's a fleece you want to put out to see if it is either damp or dry, like Gideon.

May God grant you wisdom, obedience, peace, joy, and grace. Exercise is just a bonus.

The Sidewalk Spoke To Me

2009-05-01T10:13:00.006-05:00

Remember in the bible when God had an ass speak to Balaam in Numbers 22? Well, He send a sidewalk to talk to me.

Lately I set on a regime to combat my weight problem, and to get myself in a more fit condition. This action is from the Lord, because whenever I have thought about exercising before, my usual response is to lay down until the urge passes. So, I've been walking every morning, and while walking I listen to some of the audio sermons that have graciously been provided by Michael Bunker at his website lazarusunbound.com.

Yesterday I used a different side of the street to walk on, meaning a different sidewalk, and a different view of things. I usually walked on the other side of the street because of all the beautiful flowers that are growing, and so I can stop to smell them as I pass by. I had no idea why I would decide to walk on the other side, the side without flowers, until later.

Listening to the Galassenheit series the previous day had made my walk pass by so quickly I'd hardly knew how far I'd walked, and when I finally took real notice I was much father along than I had thought. That's probably really why God has given me the insentive to go walking, because there's no music, or phone ringing, or computer, or door bells, or anything else to distract my attention from the message. Anyway, I was listening to the third part of the series, and wondering to myself why I didn't show more of the signs of living a life marked with Galassenheit. If you don't know what that word entails, you'd do well to listen to the series yourself, but here's the Reader's Digest version:

The Global Mennonite Encyclopedia comes the closest to having an adequate definition of the term: “Gelassenheit, self-surrender, resignation in God’s will (Gottergebenheit), yieldedness to God’s will, self-abandonment, the (passive) opening to God’s willing, including the readiness to suffer for the sake of God, also peace and calmness of mind, in Dutch devotional literature leijdzaamheid (Mennonite Quarterly Review, 1950, 22, note 17, suggests about 15 possible translations, none perfectly fitting). Only if man relinquishes his self-will may he become an instrument of God. The main Biblical locus seems to be Revelation 13:10, “Here is the patience [RSV has `endurance'] and faith of the saints,” even though Gelassenheit goes further than patience and endurance.”

The term crosses over into so many different areas of life and experience that it is almost impossible to properly define it outside of some type of context. For this reason, this series will attempt to look at Gelassenheit as a practice and not merely as a philosophy or doctrine. Hans Denck, the German Anabaptist, said, “There is no other way to blessedness than to lose one’s selfwill”. I have added this to the long definition: “as opposed to the passive act of mere humility, Gelassenheit is the active practice of living out the divine command of love”.

So, I'm thinking about Galassenheit, and listening to the sermon, and then the sidewalk spoke to me.

Now come on, I've seen people write things in cement before, but "PRIDE"? Why would you write such a word in the wet cement of a sidewalk? Would YOU even know why you were doing it when you were doing it? Would you know that God was having you write a message to a fool walking around wondering about themselves and their spiritual life? Would you know that you were answering that question, so that the intended recipient would have the answer to their question as they casually walked along? I wonder. Regardless, there it was, written in stone, set directly in my path to answer my question about myself and my spiritual walk.

Apparently I'm to work on my pride. Very generous that God sent the sidewalk to speak to me. Very generous that it was on a stone I could stand upon, a rock, and another message to me in the spiritual.

I've decided I'd best take notice so that the next piece of cement doesn't need to be aimed at my head.

May God send you a sidewalk to speak to you, or whatever it is that you need to further your walk along the perilous narrow way. Amazing grace indeed.

Sick To My Stomach

2009-04-28T07:37:00.002-05:00

Lately this queezy stomach is not caused by something ingested, it's caused by my perspective of the recent development in the financial spectrum. People make me sick. They do not, and cannot face reality. Until reality makes a permanent home in their lap, and most probably even then, they will continue to lie to themselves that everything will work out just fine. Just like when they are spoken to about the truth of the bible, which introduces and expounds on 'The Truth' who is Jesus Christ, their eyes glaze over and they will not hear the truth about the economy. Right now it's all smoke and mirrors, as is their Xtian faith, or faith in whatever other entity they have chosen to place their hope in, and the mirrors are set to shatter as the smoke is blown away by the wind of reality.

Really though, I'm just sick of me. That's a very difficult place to be since it's virtually imposible to avoid yourself. Fat, lazy, disgusting me.

Here's what I'm NOT doing. I'm not fishing for compliments. Please don't write and say things like 'we all do the best we can'. I'm serious about this, and basically using this post as a prayer. A prayer that God might allow me to witness Him changing me in ways that the fruit produced is so obvious that even the most intense skeptic (me) could not deny its result.

Anyway, seems that 24/7 things are making me sick to my stomach, which makes me want to grab the Pepto Bismal, which makes me think I want to use the system to quench my every discomfort, which makes me think I'm not saved, which makes me sick to my stomach.

You get the picture.

How Do You Spell Pain?

2009-04-21T18:27:00.004-05:00

Today, I spell pain R - E - N - E - E.

I did some major renovations in the garden area yesterday, and today my muscles want to make sure that I do not over-stress them again today. Every time I move, they scream, 'sit yo self down girlfriend'. Of course you can't just stop living because every move you make is painful, but you do have to move a whole lot slower. It makes you consider how you just take for granted that you can bend down and pick something up without any problem, but today I'm like the Tin Man begging someone for my oil can.

This made me consider how slowly my spiritual life is moving, and the reason behind. At regeneration I'd moved like a speeding bullet, and really was exercising spiritual moves where zero training had been implemented. I thought I was golden, and that God was speaking to me in mysterious ways, which He was, but that also left opportunity for the enemy to make me think other, 'not so inspired' options were from God too. I should have known better, because the opportunity which caused my pain appealed straight to my old-man nature. Ever since then I have been moving at a painfully slow pace. Until today I thought that was a bad thing, now I don't.

The reason your muscles get sore when you over exert them is to protect themselves and to remind you not to make further moves which could cause permanent damage. Similarly, the pain caused by the over exertion of incorrect spiritual moves has slowed me so that there is not permanent spiritual damage; i.e. reprobation.

It's an odd thing to say, but I'm grateful for the pain. Good thing too, cause I feel it with every move I make.

Playlist and Hit Counter

2009-04-18T08:37:00.025-05:00

I'm 55 years old, and although I don't know if you'd call me computer illiterate I'm certainly no expert either. That's why this blog changes in appearance so often, because as I learn things, I experiment with them. Recently I added a play list and a hit counter. The first for fun, the second to see if I can tell who has been leaving me a few anonymous comments lately. The former gave me a little insight to the fact that I don't really have a 'favorite' type of music, and the second gave insight to how little I know about the variety of useful tools you can put on a blog.

Setting up the play list was very fun. I have everything from The Beer Barrel Polka, by Lawrence Welk, to Hungarian Dance, by Brahms. (ooo ooo, you guys, I just learned how to underline something. Yeah, doesn't take much to make me happy;-) Although I'm sure most people would think that there wasn't much music to choose from on the music list, I liked listening and choosing some things I'd not heard before.

Lately I like music without words better than I used to. I recently was able to go to the St. Louis Symphony at Powell Hall, and the music was incredible. I'm glad I didn't do anything stupid, like applaud where I shouldn't, or go "Whoop Whoop Whoop" and loudly whistle (Yeah, I can whistle real loud, but that's another story). We probably will never go back, but I'm glad we were able to attended this once.

Anyway, the music won't start when you come into the blog, because I don't like it when I go to other people's blogs and their music starts playing right away. It's distracting. So, if you want to listen to anything on my list you will have to deliberately hit the play button.

The hit counter is self-explanatory, and I'm even boring myself with this post.

One last thing, the best song ever:

Sing unto the LORD a new song,

and his praise from the end of the earth,

ye that go down to the sea,

and all that is therein; the isles,

and the inhabitants thereof.

Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice,

the villages that Kedar doth inhabit:

let the inhabitants of the rock sing, (*)

let them shout from the top of the mountains.

(*) Now THAT'S my kind of rock 'n roll. (Isa 42:10-11)

The Accuser

2009-04-16T22:54:00.014-05:00

There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man. –Polybius

No one can beat me up better than me. Lately the accuser has taken up residence in my mind. I want to send him packing, because I know the accuser's identity, and yet I am grateful for the exercise of my conscience. Trying to search for the good that will result from such attacks I tell myself that at least I know that my conscience is not seared.

Funny, I wrote the above words, and THEN found this verse in the bible, not the other way around....

Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.

Seems that God may be allowing this for exercise. No wonder it's so exhausting. I thought physical exercise was tiring, but this is much more strenuous. At least when you finish physical exercise you may sit down and rest. Mental exercise doesn't stop by sitting down, or lying down for that matter, and dreams can bother you even when asleep.

Another thing that is brought to mind is that I actually prayed for this. I always pray God will humble me by whatever force necessary, even unto death, that life might be gained. Still, although there is pain, I pray it intensify if that's what it takes to mold me into a usable vessel. I pray against me, in that I see how strong a personality I have, and it is a witness to me to watch it slowly (too slowly actually) transform. One part of me hates it just as much as the other part rejoices. I'm gripping the rejoicing part more, because those who accuse me of past offenses (offenses which have already been biblically dealt with) are being used by God to perfect me. Soon accusations will be put to rest, and the accuser shall be destroyed.

Rev 12
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Yeah, 'a short time' is nothing compared to eternity, and it puts things in perspective.

It is good to be humbled. God sent many attacks to Job, and in comparison mine are a picnic with maybe one or two ants, and so how can I do anything except be grateful? I can't. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!

WEEKEND UPDATE....

2009-04-13T15:01:00.009-05:00

We went to look at an Amish farm which is for sale. Although the home seemed to be built well, the out-buildings were in much need of help. I was surprised at how they let everything deteriorate. They were to have an auction, and it seemed any out-building that was actually in decent shape is to be auctioned off. There was a really nice wood stove (not ‘cook stove’), but no trees were growing on the property so I asked the owner where he acquired his wood. He said his father’s saw mill usually has tree tops. He also said that if he would have stayed at this location he was going to ask the neighbor if he could use his downed trees. Then he mentioned I could make an offer for the stove at the auction. I don’t know how the Amish work, but where I come from the heat source for the home usually goes with the home when you sell it. When we sell the home we live in now we won’t say, ‘well, you’re welcome to make an offer on the furnace too. Oh, and those windows will come in handy, so if you’d like them too just let us know’. It seemed they wanted to suck the place dry of any value, and then ask the same price they paid for it when they moved in. That really doesn’t work for our needs.

Then we went to look at a farm which is owned by a Mennonite couple. It looked really nice, from a distance. The spec sheet mentioned the home needed a new roof, and that the basement leaked during heavy rain. Both are understatements. The basement had been so flooded, so often, and for so long that the load bearing beams had rusted, collapsed, and the rusted out portion had been replaced by jacking the beams back up and wedging a block of treated wood in its place. Sure, that sounds reasonable, right? The furnace was rusted out, not that they used it because they cut up the ductwork of the house and used it to rig a wood burning stove through the front room window. That’s normal, right? Not that it wasn’t warm in there, it was real toasty, and I imagine it will be, until the second floor and roof fall on you, and really, after that, what kind of worries could you possibly have? Unless you happen to live through it, and you must pay medical bills for the rest of your crippled life. Also, in one of their out-buildings the door had been broken. Instead of fixing the door, they pried out some of the cinder blocks on the side of it and went through that way. Of course that’s what you should do, right?

OK, maybe it’s just me, but you could tell that both of these homes were nice at one time, and these people could have afforded to fix the problems, but chose to ‘rig’ them instead, and I don’t ‘get’ that way of thinking. I’m funny like that.

I really had no opportunity to speak to the Amish, but I was able to have quite a little visit with Violet, the Mennonite woman. Although people say I talk too much, I promise you that where ever I’ve been, and whomever I’ve met, I can ALWAYS tell you a ton more about the people I meet than they could ever tell you about me. This reminds me; please pray for Violet, she so very much wants to have a child (*). She told me that she has had people pray for her concerning her having children. I told her that she must know that there are people whose prayers God hears, and some not so much. She knows I’m asking you all to pray for her, and given the opportunity she may even check out the BA website. Mennonites do use electricity, so it could happen. Perhaps God’s providence will provide her with children, AND information to bring her and her family closer to Him. I hope and pray it is so.

Then I went to my parents where my family watched some old home movies. It was ‘all right’, and at least there is proof on film that I used to be thin, and able to move a whole lot faster.

Right now I need to go back to work on my garage sale products, I hope you liked my weekend report, and don’t forget about your homework (*). Thank You!

Peace Out.

The Ballad of Little Dixie

2009-04-09T07:39:00.005-05:00

Recently I found out that Herrick Kimball has decided to quit blogging (who knows for how long) at the blog spot titled The Deliberate Agrarian. I have his book, Writings of a Deliberate Agrarian: One Man's Ruminations About Faith, Family & Livin' The Good Life , and I find him to be a very gifted writer. I will miss his daily blog, and was glad to learn that at least he will be doing a monthly update.

While reading the multiple comments on his last blog entry I came across someone named Missouri Rev. Since I'm from Missouri, and we've been contemplating a move lately I decided to click his name and see if I could find out any info. I found that he's from somewhere called 'Little Dixie Region: Missouri'. In looking that up, I found this, and I like it, so I'm putting it here so I won't lose it, and so you might enjoy it too.

The Ballad of Little Dixie

It's the heart of Missouri, blooded of three,

Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

It's a tall spare man on a bluegrass hoss.

It's sugar-cured ham without raisin sauce.

It's coon dog, coon, persimmon tree.

It's son or brother named Robert E. Lee.

It's tiger stalking a jay-hawk bird.

It's the best hog-calling that ever you heard.

It's fiddler fiddlin' you out of your seat,

Fiddler fiddlin' you off your feet.

It's bluebird singing in a hawthorn thicket.

It's vote to a man the Democratic ticket.

It's crisp brown cracklin's and hot corn pone.

It's catfish fried clean off the bone.

It's hominy grits and none of your scrapple.

It's mellow pawpaws and the Jonathan apple.

It's sorghum sweetenin' and belly-warming corn.

It's old Jeff Davis a-blowin' on his horn.

Unreconstructed it rares and bites

At touch of a rein that would curb its rights.

It's come in, stranger, draw up a chair;

There ain't no hurry and we'll all get there.

It's made me consider the history of Missouri. I'm grateful God placed me here, in this place where the state motto is 'Show Me'. I found this on a site when I was trying to find out how the state chose this motto. I found that no one is quite sure where the motto came from. There are many theories, and this is the summary after all the theories have been listed.....

"Regardless of its origin, the nickname has stuck and can be found on Missouri license plates. It has come to represent Missourians as stalwart, perhaps somewhat stubborn and with a dedication to common sense."

Funny, but I know they were looking right at me when they wrote it.

Been Forgiven Much

2009-04-08T14:24:00.013-05:00

It’s not called a mantra, but it is in my head
And it often repeats before I’m in bed
It comes to remind me, so I don’t lose touch
With the fact that I too need forgiveness for much

Been forgiven much….Been forgiven much…..

Lately I've noticed that the things that aggravate and get under my skin the most about other people are the same exact traits I hate in me. I'm very grateful God has shown this to me, and when I start to point my finger at someone else, I notice there are three fingers pointing back at me.

In order that I get through the situation, and in order to make myself look into the mirror that tells me I'm worse, I have started repeating to myself, that I've been forgiven much.

Been forgiven much….Been forgiven much…..

This helps me to block out those thoughts about the other person, and it fills my mind with gratitude toward the one who mercifully took away my guilt and punishment upon Himself. It fills me with hope that I will not end up being among the group that the bible speaks of in James 1:22-24

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

I really don't want to forget what manner of man I was. I never want to think that I'm better than anyone because God allowed me to have light, where He might have denied it to another.

Sometimes it's not so much that I think I'm 'better', but it's anger at people who continually deny truth even though their slightest move would cause them to stumble right over it. Then I remember that the lamp onto my feet was not lit by me. I would have tripped right over that lamp, in the darkness, and never even known it was there.

Been forgiven much….Been forgiven much…..

This person did this - no, it was me

That person did that - no, it was me

Been forgiven much….Been forgiven much…..

Now, I don't repeat this all day long, so don't write to me and say you think I've picked up on some kind of magic spell, or turned Hindu or that I'm practicing Kabala 'cause that's ka-rap. I only do this at times when I know I'm secretly accusing someone of the same sin I either have done in the past or that I should currently ask for forgivenes for. If you thought one of these things about me, maybe you should try this little saying in your head right now......

Been forgiven much….Been forgiven much…..

Combining Excerpts ~ Today It Was Mandatory

2009-04-02T09:20:00.006-05:00

I get e-mail notifications from deepdiscount.com about their ‘specials’, or as they like to call them ‘Deep Book Pick of the Month’. This time I deleted it, like I usually do, but was then compelled to go to my deleted folder and open the e-mail after all.

The featured book was on a topic that had been brought to my attention through a current re-release of the book Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse by James Wesley Rawles. The featured book in the e-mail is titled Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss. I thought, after reading the first chapter, that I might buy it. Then I did a search on books by John Calvin due to the previous post I did on this blog. I read an excerpt from Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin.

Here then are two excepts from the two different books. Why? Because I had to.

I belong to the American generation that believed it was beyond history. Collectively, nothing bad had happened to us like it had to every generation before. Those who came of age in the first twenty years of the century had World War I. The next twenty years were marked by the Great Depression. The following twenty years began with World War II. The next generation inherited Vietnam. And then, from 1980 to the close of the century—nothing. Or at least no war, no national catastrophe, no defining event powerful enough to pull us outside our self-centered, solipsistic world, outside our preoccupation with ourselves and our financial and emotional well-being, outside our comfort zone. But then, swiftly and without warning, it happened. History happened to us. Terrorist attacks. Natural disasters. Domestic crackdowns. Economic collapse.

It is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also—he being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree less defiled delights us as if it were most pure: just as an eye, to which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly white. No, the bodily sense may furnish a still stronger illustration of the extent to which we are deluded in estimating the powers of the mind. If, at mid-day, we either look down to the ground, or on the surrounding objects which lie open to our view, we think ourselves endued with a very strong and piercing eyesight; but when we look up to the sun, and gaze at it unveiled, the sight which did excellently well for the earth is instantly so dazzled and confounded by the refulgence, as to oblige us to confess that our acuteness in discerning terrestrial objects is mere dimness when applied to the sun. Thus, too, it happens in estimating our spiritual qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity. Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates, holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God.

My work here, for today, is done

Oh No You Di-unt

2009-04-01T14:27:00.005-05:00

I went though McDonald's to get an ice coffee. I'd been down this street before. and remembered the John Calvin Presbyterian 'Church' was right next door. At a previous time Greg had checked it out with hope that it might be doctinally correct. After seeing that the 'pastor's' wife ran a 'church' of her own, separately from her husband, that hope burst like a too full balloon. Anyway, I decided to check out their billboard on the way by. Imagine my surprise to see the John Calvin church promoting a Roman Catholic doctrine. Just when you thought maybe it was safe to go back in the water.....bonnup....bonnup, bonnup

Later I returned with my camera to take this picture so I could show it to my husband Greg, and now, to you.

I know it's just a saying, and that it can't be done, but if it could, John Calvin turned over in his grave.

By the way, who are these people praying like if it's not like Jesus? Didn't He give us example of how to pray Matthew 6:9-13 . Again I say, an example of how to pray, not that we pray this as a vain repetition, for we are warned against such prayer. Five bucks says they're doing it though.

I saw a car in the parking lot and part of me wanted to go in and ask them how this could be. How could they acknowledge the Roman Catholic season of lent and yet name their church after someone who spent his life against them? I wanted to let them know I was outraged and in the stead of Calvin I was there to demand they rename their pretend church to something else, like 'Holy Mary We're Nuts', and as tears came to my eyes I remember that I am a woman and I am not called to teach, so I put my car in drive, sped away, all the while praising and thanking God that though I am not worthy to have such knowledge He was pleased to grant it in order that He might display His glory.

The other part of me, upon seeing the sign once more on my way out; was saying, 'Oh no you di-unt'. May God forgive you, for you know not what you do.

Look At It Like You Mean It

2009-03-26T20:12:00.009-05:00

My grandsons visited me from Monday evening (3/23/09) through Wednesday evening (3/25/09). They are boys, 4 and 9 years old, and at our property they get to act like boys, not like some sissified city children. They shoot guns, they play war with sticks, they fight to be the king of the gravel pile, they help build large fires in our rock ring, and they get real, real dirty. They love it almost as much as I love watching them.

On the way home I was discussing with the 9 year old how much I liked watching the trees and flowers at this time of year. I told him that if you didn't pay attention that all of the beauty of spring would be gone in a flash. Most people are so busy rushing around they never even see the wonderful grace God has granted us to witness in the beauty of His creation.

Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

As we drove he started pointing out the trees in bloom for me. He then noticed the yellow leaves of the bushes, and the daffodil sprouting along our long trek to his home. He saw a few purple blossoms along the roadway, and eagerly pointed them out for me. We then passed a field that was absolutely covered with these small blossoms, and it took his breath away. Normally, in his world, he would have sat in the back seat and played a game boy. Or perhaps he would have noticed what kind of trucks or cars were on the road with him. Not today. Today he was looking at God's creation in a new light.

He said, 'You know Grammy, it really is beautiful out here if you look at it like you mean it.'

Now that got me to thinking about how many things in life are just taken for granted by me. It took a little boy to remind me that God's graces surround me each and every moment, regardless of circumstance. He reminded me to look at it......like I mean it.......and I do.

Thank God

Oprahma

2009-03-19T10:53:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I started to post on how I had just had the realization that O'bama and Oprah are twins of different mothers. I had to delete it after I did a search and found out that I am waaaay behind on that revelation.

Anyway, if you happended to see it, that's why I deleted the post. I even found the above photo-shopped picture.

In the old days I would have been upset that I was so behind the times. Now I'm glad that the world doesn't have as much of a hold on my attention as it once did.

I pray you might give God more and more of your full attention too.

Peace out.

The Way of Salvation by A. W. Pink

2009-03-17T20:17:00.002-05:00

What must I do to be saved? Saved from what? What is it you wish to be saved from? Hell? That proves nothing. Nobody wants to go there. The issue between God and man is SIN. Do you wish to be saved from it?

What is sin? Sin is a species of rebellion against God. It is self-pleasing: it is the utter ignoring of God’s claims: being completely indifferent whether my conduct pleases or displeases Him.

Before God saves a man He convicts him of his sinnership. By this I do not mean that he says with everybody else, “O yes we are all sinners, I know that.” Rather do I mean that the Holy Spirit makes me feel in my heart that I have been a life-long rebel against God, and that my sins are so many, so great, so black, that I fear that I have transgressed beyond the reach of Divine mercy.

Have you ever had that experience? Have you seen yourself to be totally unfit for heaven? For the presence of a Holy God? Do you now perceive that there is no good thing in you, nothing good credited to your account, that all the way through you have loved the things God hates and hated the things God loves?

Has the realization of this broken your heart before God? Has it made you mourn that you have so despised His Sabbaths, neglected His Word, and given Him no real place at all in your thoughts, affections and life? If you have not yet seen and felt this personally, then at present there is no hope for you, for God says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” — Luke 13:3. And if you die in your present condition you will be lost forever.

But if you have been brought to the place where sin is your greatest plague, where offending God is your greatest grief, and where your deepest desire is now to please and honor Him; then there is hope for you. “The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost” — Luke 19:10. And He will save you providing you are ready and willing to throw down the weapons of your warfare against Him, bow to His Lordship, and surrender yourself to His control.

His blood can wash the foulest clean. His grace can support and uphold the weakest. His power can deliver the tried and tempted. “Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” — II Corinthians 6:2. Yield yourself to Christ’s claims. Give Him the throne of your heart. Turn over to Him the regulation of your life. Trust in His atoning death. Love Him with all your soul. Obey Him with all your might and He will conduct you to heaven. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” — Acts 16:31.

Of Mice and Men

2009-03-17T08:00:00.006-05:00

The scenerio of the book 'Of Mice and Men' keeps playing out in my mind lately. If you don't know the story, or need a refresher, you can find a short summary here.

I'm starting to feel a lot like Lennie. I'm the mentally slow person whose only desire is to get me a small farm with a rabbit hutch, but I'll never get there before God has to shoot me in the back of the head because I'm too stupid and slow, never learning any of the lessons he sets before me. I want to learn the lesson but I have a habit of killing them, because I squeeze them too hard before they can flourish. Nothing is more despressing than having a goal, but feeling you'll never get there, or that even if you do it'll be too late in your life. Yeah, I'm a joy to talk to today (please read with the full sarcasm intended)

People like Lennie never suddenly become more intelligent. I am therefore praying for a miracle. If your not too busy, or if God allows you to become so inclined, please keep me in your prayers. In the meantime I'm going to stay away from puppies.

Run Puppy, Hide!

Yummy

2009-03-14T17:54:00.007-05:00

Ok, before I get started, please know that we do not celebrate the pagan holy-day known as Easter (Ishtar). We do not think a bunny can either lay, color, nor hide eggs. We do not believe that a pagan practice, ANY pagan practice for that matter, should be 'christianized' in some kind of perverse attempt to 'win' someone for Christ. OK, maybe you can win someone to the false christ, just not to the real Jesus Christ, the son of God the Father and who is revealed by the Holy Spirit who is the teacher of Christ usward. Don't get me started.

What we do believe is that there is some scrumditillyitious candy out at this time of year that is not usually available. We don't even have 40 days where we can't have it (Lent), and are blessed to be able to even share it with some of our brethren who also know that it's not about the bunny, it's about yummy.

So anyway, if you glimpse me out there buying Ishtar candy, just know that it's not got anything to do with the pagan holy day. If you want, I'll be glad to share some with you while we discuss the true joyful celebration of Passover which Christ told us to do in memory of Him.

In the meantime, burp, excuse me.

Dancing Bear

2009-03-10T19:18:00.004-05:00

Greg, my husband, sent this to me, and well, I just think it's very, I mean 'beary' funny. I needed to learn how to post a video anyway, so enjoy the Dancing Bear (props to Captain Kangaroo)

Humbling Hidden Treasures

2009-03-09T06:19:00.013-05:00

Although some people are angered when you tell them that you have been given divine ability to understand hidden truths within the bible, a true believer joins you in your praise of God. They join you in humility , because the only way one can know their own depravity is if God chooses to show it to them. It's a paradox because you are telling these people God has shown you His truth written in the bible, which mean you've been humbled, but they perceive you to say you are somehow spiritually elite. The sad part is that from that point on they don't hear you any more, they are too busy defending themselves to hear reason, and they especially don't want to hear you quote the bible, because that's the very thing they are truly at war with ~ God.

So anyway, today I go to cultivate the garden, and God has chosen to cultivate the spirit. He has brought me to read Proverbs 2 this morning.

3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

This morning while digging in the dirt I will think about digging for hidden treasure. That also is what a seed really is, a hidden treasure. As this goes through my mind right now, so many things fall into place, and yet these things cannot be written down because it would take a lifetime.

May God grant you humbling hidden treasure this day. May He sow in you one mustard seed. I pray you know what I mean.

Holy War Batman

2009-03-06T14:59:00.005-06:00

The Holy War is a book by John Bunyan. I read it a while back, and lately it's been more and more on my mind. First, because I feel a spiritual anxiousness. I used to call it a 'pit' because it felt like there was a hole inside me crying to be filled, I had no clue with what. Or it would feel like something was going to happen, and again; I had no idea 'what' that something might be. Nowadays I think these feelings are more of a battle in the spiritual. A manifestation in the flesh of a battle going on in a different dimension, a spiritual dimension, which leaves me knowing it's going on, but not knowing what to do about it, other than pray, which of course is always good regardless. (Did you think that sentence was never going to end? Yeah, me too;-)

So these are the reasons the book has been on my mind. Then, when I went to hyperlink it (the book) I looked at the first line of the first Chapter:

~ In my travels, as I walked through many regions and countries, it was my chance to happen into that famous continent of Universe. ~

...and I was like, hey, wait a minute, isn't that what one of the people who commented on my blog called it......my own little corner of the universe. That's odd, because I had already written up a post which said I was just going to give up this blog, that it had thus far caused me a few problems, what with calumny comments and e-mails being written about me behind my back. What do I need that kind of stuff for when I can just write to myself within a Word document and nobody will be able to say a word about it? Yeah, that's where it truly would be my own little corner of the universe, not out here, not in public, not where everybody can see, not in the light. And that's when it hit me, it does need to stay in the light.

Light is good.

Light is life.

Light is growth.

Light is Christ.

Anyway, guess I won't be giving up writing after all. Not that YOU have to read it.

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four

2009-03-01T23:37:00.016-06:00

Last year we planted potatoes for the first time. To say it was a disappointment is putting it mildly. We got a few potatoes, but they were smaller than the seed potatoes we planted in the first place. I couldn't bear to just throw them away, and they weren't big enough to eat, so I threw them in a stainless steel bowl that I have on the counter with my seed packets. When I went to look through my seeds for the spring garden I noticed that the potatoes were growing. I quickly found some small pots and put them in some potting soil in the bedroom window. I also planted four tomato seeds, and they are showing signs of breaking though the soil. The tomato seeds were saved from a plant that just started growing out of nowhere in our garden. Perhaps it traveled to our house via bird droppings, but it produced better tomatoes than the plants we put there on purpose.

So, let's review. We never meant to use the potatoes we harvested as seed potatoes, yet there they are. We never planted the tomato plant that has provided us with seeds for this year’s crop, yet there they are. God has graciously supplied all our needs! Amazing.

In a side rant, people use the word 'amazing' much too often these days. So much so that it is in perilous danger of losing its meaning. Many of the things people label 'amazing' most certainly are not. Usually they're just ordinary. So do me a favor, next time you hear someone use the word amazing, and it’s not called for, or is contrary to the following definition....

AMA'ZING, ppr.

1. Confounding with fear, surprise or wonder.
2. a. Very wonderful; exciting astonishment, or perplexit

....nip it in the bud for me please, and thank you.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

So, these little potato plants are very fun to watch. I can turn them, and they completely turn in less than a day. They reach for the light, just as we should reach toward the light of life.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. ~ John 8:12

The plants are teaching me lessons which feed my spirit, and their fruit will feed my body after their spiritual lessons have been learned.

TRULY AMAZING!

Ash Woe-dnesday

2009-02-27T16:08:00.010-06:00

Don't stop me now, I'm on a 'woe'-el .

I was thinking about the abomination that was performed last Wednesday, the chrisitanized pagan holy-day known as 'Ash Wednesday', where one goes into the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and gets some pagan priest to mark a cross in ashes right in the middle of their forehead.
Yeah, that's what you want, to walk around all day with your face marked up in order to announce to the world that you are going to go into your fasting mode (Lent) for 40 days. Never mind Christ said not to mark your face to publicly show you were fasting:

Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Never mind that the priest performing this ritual is forbidden to marry, and that Lent requires one to abstain from eating meat, and the bible warns us of these doctrines of devils:

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

Never mind that a mark of ashes on the forehead is a Hindu thing, not Christian, and that God's people covered themselves with ashes when showing deep grief and repentance.

Never mind any of that, because their magical mystery tour has changed the Word of God into their own traditions so who needs all that pesky hard to understand biblical stuff anyway?

Imagine this, a cursory search for info turned this up:

The name 'Day of Ashes' comes from "Dies Cinerum" in the Roman Missal and is found in the earliest existing copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary. The concept originated by the RCC somewhere in the 6th century. Though the exact origin of the day is not clear, the custom of marking the head with ashes on this Day is said to have originated during the papacy of Gregory the Great (590-604).

Yeah, traditions of men are something Christ urged us to subscribe to......ok, that would be sarcasm. He never did. Look it up. (I was going to list a bunch of verses, but I said 'look it up' and I mean it, so no, no I'm not going to list them)

Anyway, I think the day should be more aptly named Ash Woe-dnesday, because there is much Woe unto them who participate, but I bet they won't change it. Ironically, even if they did, it wouldn't change anything much, but it just might pull a few from the fire. Regardless, to God be the glory - and come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Secret Idols

2009-02-26T19:26:00.009-06:00

How far away from God Amerika has traveled. It's amazing how they openly show that they have idols, and then these chosen idols sometimes sing songs demanding that God bless them. Although, it makes it much easier to identify idolaters when they actually have the decency to put the word 'idol' in their title. These are much easier to avoid, it's the secret idols that'll trip you up, and lately I've noticed that they are secretly conspiring against me.

Now, right away my mind starts to desperately search for reasons that none of this is my fault, so I'm just going to have to nip that, straight up. The choices I've made resulted in these secret idols being sucessful against me, so there are 'reasons', not 'excuses' for why I find myself in my current situation. This 'current situation' is lack of growth and forward motion in a spiritual sense. I find myself sayin, 'just one more hearts games won't hurt', 'I can do that reading later 'cause I need to go pick up a few things from the store' or so on and so on.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think all people who play internet hearts, or shop at stores are headed for hell. That would certainly not be the point. The point IS what one puts first is what one loves. Again I say, don't get me wrong, there are things one needs in order to live, and seeking these things isn't what I'm talking about.

Matthew 6 (reading it in full is highly recommended)

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

So, where was I before you so rudely interupted me? Oh yeah, we all have our own secret idols that are being used by our enemy to conspire against us. The important thing is that we are aware of this device for our detriment and that we don't allow it to overcome us.

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. ~ Rev 3:5

Well that's all for now, except for this.......Simon, go to your room.

Pulling My Hair Out

2009-02-25T16:49:00.011-06:00

It's my own fault of course, but most days I just feel like pulling my hair out. I'm so sick to death of stupid people, living stupid empty lives, and having no clue what is going on all around them. Mostly, talking to the wall results in a more intelligent response than speaking to the average Joe. Unless, of course, all you want to talk about who is doing what on Survivor.

This actually happened to me, no joke, while speaking to a woman I used to work with. I was telling her about how we (in Amerika) could so easily be compared to Rome. That we should see our own 'fall' coming just around the next corner. That if people would pay attention to bible history, and to secular history it would give them more than enough information to live Godly and generally successful, peaceful lives. No one wants to hear that though, I said, they'd rather hear about who's winning on Survivor. She never blinked, she just started talking to me about the Survivor Show. I was stunned, but managed to play it off, shaking my head as I walked away.

I turn on the TV (I know~big mistake), and there is the new President. New, not improved, President. He's talking like he has the power to cure cancer, and that now that he as that checked off the list, he can move on to curing our other "woes". I say to myself, "Whoa". Then I think of a biblical "woe"......

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. "Woe" to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Whoa, I am so grateful to my Lord for allowing me to be aware of the current/future woes, but trying to warn others sometimes makes me want to pull my hair out.....Whoa.

Know No Nothing

2009-02-21T23:53:00.002-06:00

Whenever my son David and I discuss something biblical, I know in my heart he doesn't 'get it'. At this point I become too hopeful that this may be the moment that he does 'get it', and then I ramble on in hopes of some glimmer of recognition of the truth, until he finally utters the line, 'I don't know no nothing'. This usually stops the conversation, as that has become the point in which I know, for sure, he doesn't get it, and further rhetoric will fall on even (were it possible) more deaf ears. Now I know this is incorrect speech, and if that were really true, it would mean he knew everything, because two negatives make a positive, which oddly gives me hope that he will, someday, know, in a spiritual sense, everything, yet nothing.

My other son, Brian, has just shut me out. He thinks I'm nuts, and to his eyes, it's true. I changed totally, his mother, the mother he knew, is dead, and this woman, who 'looks' like his mother, but isn't, was left in her place. He's so sad, and really, so am I, that we don't know each other any more. I love him, and because I love him I want nothing more than for him to come to a knowledge of the truth, but to him this love is construed as hate.

Never mind, I have to go now. You really can't type through tears. Besides, I don't know no nothing.

No Rings For My Fingers Epsom Salt For My Toes

2009-02-14T12:23:00.014-06:00

It's another paganfest out there folks, and I'd say none of the people out there buying their Valentine's Day paraphenalia have a clue why they're doing what they're doing, other than they don't want to get in trouble with their girl/woman/or he-she partner. Ok, it really IS too late for the latter category, but they're so prevalent it's difficult to ignore.

Anyway, I went to Walgreens to pick up some Epsom Salt. I had ingrown toenails removed, and I am required to soak them in Epsom Salt Solution twice daily. While I was in Walgreens I noticed the parking lot was much more crowded than normal. I remembered why after I got out of the car, because there was a long line of people coming out of the store with heart balloons trailing after them.

Oh crud, I said to myself (OK, I said something totally different than that, but it amounts to the same meaning :-) I used to be just like them, therefore there's no sense saying anything to any of them. Yeah, in the past I was so stupid as to actually try to convince people that what they were doing was pagan, and that they should reconsider their position. I know, it was crazy, but babes in the Word are like that. They know just enough to be dangerous. That was me for ya. Anyway, I'm over it now. Not that I would ignore the Holy Spirit if He should lead me to say something to one of them, I just wouldn't pull up a soap box and shout to the crowd about it. You probably think I'm exagerating, but trust me, I'm not. Also, I'm not saying this in the aspect of my being better than them. I do know better now, but it's not because of ME that I know. I get zero credit, and am pleased God is glorified in His having revealed the Truth to His vessel of clay. Anyway, I digress.

Seems every pagan holy-day can be traced back to Rome, and the anti-christ pope. This one is Lupercalia which was revamped by Pope Gelasius at the end of the fifth century. Yet another pagan holy-day being 'christianized' by the false christianity of the Roman Catholic Church. It's a mess, but it's all there for the finding if you want to take the time.

In my head I could hear that nursery rhyme, rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes. I was thinking how in the past I would have expected a ring, or bells, or music on this day. Now I don't want any part of it.

No rings for my fingers
Epsom salt for my toes
Live a life like Lord Jesus
From whom all blessing flows

May God grant you wisdom, discernment, obedience, a life of peace and joy regardless of your circumstance. Better gifts don't exist.

PULLING WEEDS

2009-02-09T07:42:00.010-06:00

This morning while reading Proverbs 2 the verses 20 - 22 struck me as a perfect example of the agrarian nature in which God has chosen to relay His wisdom to us.

Proverbs 2:20-22 (King James Version)
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

When one has a garden he wishes to reap the fruit from his labor. He plants his seed, and will water and tend to it. One of the main things required to produce a good crop is to pull the weeds so that they do not steal and snuff out the perfect plants. Another requirement for the plant to be considered 'good' is that it is 'upright' and unshaded so that the sun may make it flourish. Even vines which grow horizontally must be tended so that they may be nourished by the sun.

God sets this example for us in order that we may understand that He shall retain those in His eternal presense those who have grown toward the Son in uprightness and perfection. All the rest are cut down and pulled out, like weeds, to be destroyed.

It's ALL over the bible, and even those without a grand education can easily see it. You go finds some. It won't take long. Linger on it, like a plant in the nourishing water of life.

PS (Yes, that clip art looks suspitiously like me, and I haven't seen a single royalty check yet! ;-)

White Distilled Vinegar and Gardening

2009-02-08T10:54:00.000-06:00

While I was looking for tips on cleaning with white distilled vinegar I came across some tips on how to garden with it. Who knew? Anyway, the site said: Try these gardening tips (which I haven't yet), and share them with your friends (which I'm sharing here with you ;-)

Oh, and just so they get their props, here's the website: http://www.vinegartips.com/

Kill weeds and grass growing in unwanted places by pouring full-strength white distilled vinegar on them. This works especially well in crevices and cracks of walkways and driveways.
Give acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and gardenias a little help by watering them with a white distilled vinegar solution now and again. A cup of white distilled vinegar to a gallon of tap water is a good mixture.
Stop ants from congregating by pouring white distilled vinegar on the area.
Discourage cats from getting into the kids’ sandbox with white distilled vinegar.
Preserve cut flowers and liven droopy ones by adding 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar to a quart of water in a vase.
Get rid of the water line in a flower vase by filling it with a solution of half water and half white distilled vinegar, or by soaking a paper towel in white distilled vinegar and stuffing it into the vase so that it is in contact with the water line.
Clean out stains and white mineral crusts in clay, glazed and plastic pots by soaking them for an hour or longer in a sink filled with a solution of half water and half white distilled vinegar.
Remove crusty rim deposits on house planters or attached saucers by soaking them for several hours in an inch of full-strength white distilled vinegar.
Clean a birdbath by scrubbing it often with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Rinse well.
Get rid of rust on spigots, tools, screws or bolts by soaking the items overnight or for several days in undiluted white distilled vinegar.
Neutralize garden lime by adding white distilled vinegar to the area.
Avoid skin problems after working in the garden by rinsing your hands in white distilled vinegar.
Increase the acidity of soil by adding white distilled vinegar to your watering can.
Eliminate anthills by pouring in white distilled vinegar.
Cure a cement pond before adding fish and plants by adding one gallon of white distilled vinegar to every 200 gallons of water. Let sit three days. Empty and rinse thoroughly.
Sanitize outdoor furniture and picnic tables with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar.
Kill slugs by spraying them with a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part white distilled vinegar.
To catch moths use a mixture of 2 parts white distilled vinegar and 1 part molasses. Place mixture in tin can and hang in a tree.
Keep rabbits from eating your plants. Put cotton balls soaked in white distilled vinegar in a 35mm film container. Poke a hole in the top and place in the garden.
Remove berry stains on your hands by rubbing them with white distilled vinegar.
Clean plastic patio furniture with a solution of 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar to 1 gallon of water.
Wash fresh vegetables with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar in 1 ½ quarts of water.
When cleaning an outdoor fountain, soak the pump in white distilled vinegar to remove any mineral deposits.
Clean a hummingbird feeder with white distilled vinegar—soap or detergent can leave behind harmful residue.
Remove mold from terra cotta pots by soaking in a solution of 1 cup white distilled vinegar, 1 cup chlorine bleach, and 1 gallon of warm water before scrubbing with a steel wool pad.

Several of these will never be tested by me, but I listed them all, regardless. Several will be tried, and hopefully they will work. If they don't it's not like putting those harmful chemicals out there, and I just won't use it again.

Genesis 2:15 (King James Version)

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Tending the garden. Sounds like we're on a mission from God.

The 'god' of Your Own Mind

2009-02-06T22:01:00.000-06:00

Neither you or I can define the God of the universe.

Isaiah 55:7-9 (King James Version) 7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If the god you worship can be fully understood by your finite mind, then it is not the God of the Bible. He reveals Himself within the pages of the Bible on a scale of what we can wrap our little imperfect minds around. This scale does not allow for you, or anyone else, to pick through it as if it were some kind of Scripture buffet, where you may take the parts you like, and leave the rest alone. It’s all or nothing in this quest, my dear, and you can like it, or not, it doesn’t make one iota of difference in the whole scheme of things.

When people say things to me like, “Well, that’s what you think, but I think God is like such and such”, it makes me want to scream! I want to scream. “Have mercy on them Lord, for they know not what they say.” They think God will not judge the ‘good’ people that they know. REALLY? You know good people? That’s odd, because my Bible states there are none good, no, not one.

Romans 3:11-13 (King James Version) 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips

Perhaps, I may be able to buy the idea that men judge each other better or worse than another, but God judges us all sinners, all rebels against Him and His holy Word from day one. You are born a little reprobate, and an enemy of God. This is due to your earthly father, Adam. Therefore, in order to be saved you must be ‘reborn’ with a heavenly father, byway of Christ.

Romans 5:11-13 (King James Version) 11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

Romans 5:16-18 (King James Version) 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Ewww, there’s a novel approach…use Scripture to back up what you think, and WHY you think it. Everyone wants to make up a god that they can fit nice and neatly into a little box, and put him on the shelf until something goes wrong in their life. Then they conveniently want to pull him out to answer all their ‘me, me, me’ prayers when, or if, the occasion arises. The god of their own mind makes the same decisions they would make, he is controlled by them, and above all he knows how good they really are. Let me know how that worked out for ya on judgment day. I’m gonna go ahead and guess……not very well. You want a Jesus genie, go ahead and have one. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:14-16 (King James Version) 14Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 16And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods…..

…the ‘other gods’ of their own mind.

May God have mercy on those who think they are able to define or fully understand Him. May He see fit to open their eyes from darkness unto light. May they study the Scriptures to show themselves approved. May wisdom, discernment and the truth be the armor they use to battle the evil one. These things are what I will keep in my prayers for all the unsaved. In the meantime, sometimes, I just might scream!

Really Believe

2009-02-02T11:14:00.000-06:00

Today I am recalling when regeneration (or at least I pray it was) first lifted the scales and allowed vision to see the world as it truly is. I am recalling that it wasn't even possible to look at the TV, much less rent a movie or watch an entire show. I am also recalling going to a bar (a regular hangout with past friends), and not even being able to sit still because the music vexed me so. As I am recalling these things it causes concern.....deep concern......because that is not the way things are NOW.

The things that were happening were not from me, it was an outside force, a knowing, a revelation, a gift. A gift which glorified God, brought Him honor and praise. A gift that was evidence of the mercy of God to those in the heavenly realm. This is the only purpose for men, to bring glory to God, an amazing grace indeed.

Now most people who attest to belief in God don't really know God. Well, they know 'a' god, but it's not the one of the bible. Or, even if they know the God of the bible, they don't really know him (as in when Jesus replies to them in Mat 7:23 ~ 'Depart from me ye who work iniquity, I never knew you') they just have an intellectual assent to His being.

I only know this because I've been allowed to experience the difference, and let's face it, the only way to know anything is to have experienced it. I saw this once in a film called 'Dimensions of Space Time' where the brother asks you to try to imagine seeing all all the sides of a die at the same time. You know dice have six sides, your sure of it, you've seen them, but you can't see them all at the same time. You can't even imagine seeing them all at the same time, because you've never experienced the situation. Therefore, through this example, you can see that I can tell you I know this, but I can't explain it to you, unless you too have experienced revelation from the Holy Spirit. This doesn't make me better than you, because you can check out in the bible that God gave revelation to a dumb ass once too (Num 22:28, 2Pet 2:16)

Anyway, I do know the difference, and my prayer is that true belief would not depart from me.

Dear Lord, I beg the for this good gift to return to me in full force. I would trade all I have, EVERYTHING, if you would allow me to KNOW I'd surely been given this good gift from you........that good gift to REALLY BELIEVE.

Amen

Reforming Renée

2009-01-16T15:14:00.000-06:00

The Lord is good, and patient, which is very beneficial for me. Had God been without lovingkindness or longsuffering this blog would most certainly not exist.

Actually, I have no clue what I'm doing, blog-wise, but since I've maintained a blog on someone elses site for some time, I thought I would try to figure out how to have my own. This is 'just in case' the person who presently allows my blog to exist on his site should decide to eliminate his site, and thus, my blog.

The intention of this blog is really more of a way for me to listen to me, and to gage if there is progress (read Pilgrim's Progress) in this perilous journey. If I am void of progress, at least it will not go unnoticed, and Lord willing, intense prayer will bring it back into line with His commandment for His creation to bring Him glory. After all, that's all we were created to do.

It makes me laugh when I think about all the times in the past, and even now for that matter, in which people question and wonder 'why?'. Why are we here? I'll tell you why, matter of fact, God has told you why, we are here to bring glory to the creator God at His good pleasure. Not for 'your' pleasure, not for 'my' pleasure, but for HIS good pleasure. Most people don't want to hear that. That's because it puts them right out of the picture, and in this 'it's all about me' 'what's in it for me' society, that's not too popular to bring up.

This blog is also a small attempt to glorify God, in that, those who knew me prior to five years ago, would never have believed that any of this is coming out of my mouth. Tell you the truth, I would never have believed it either. This is a testimony to the mercy of God. A testament to His amazing grace whereby He has chosen to glorify Himself byway of an underserving vessel of clay. Who knew? Who could have guessed? Certainly not me, and I thank Him continually for His grace.

As you may have guessed, my name is Renée, and the point of this blog is my quest in the process of reforming to God the Father's Word, and to become more toward the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ, through the comforter (for me) and communicator (unto Him), the Holy Spirit.

Anyway, I'm rambling. You're going to get that a lot, so either get used to it, or keep moving. Oh yeah, there will be tinges of sarcasm scattered here and there, don't let that bother you, or do, won't change it.

Moving on..............