I have not blogged in a few days. I have had a complete mind full. You know that feeling, where so many competing things are happening in your head, and you cannot break them down into groups or keep them straight? Well, that is what happens to me when I let life overwhelm me.
So, with a mind full, the only real cure is to get it out. So, this is going to be a series of quick hits. I know if you read this often, you are thinking, "yeah, right." We'll see.
The first is kind of a hot topic for me. The 49'er guy that won't stand for the National Anthem. I won't even type his name. I personally think everyone has the right to their own opinion. If that is honestly his position, more power to him. But, as I am also entitled to my own position, I will not partake of any endeavor he is associated with. I won't watch the game if he plays. I won't buy the products they advertise while he plays. I just will not participate in gaining him more financial reward to be so wholly wrong.
And, I don't even mean about his premise. I am not black, at least I am not any more black than he is, and I have not had the experience of being black in America. I have my own opinions about the whole subject. But, for the sake of argument, even if I concede he is right, that is still no reason not to show respect for the flag and for those who have defended it. The flag waving at Ft. McHenry, the flag going up San Juan Hill, the flag streaming over Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima, that flag, and those sacrifices made to take that flag there deserve the respect of every American.
If you are rich enough to live in a land that allows your opinion, allows your idiocy in support of that opinion, indulges your bias and allows your error, you are rich enough to support the men and women that have given you that gift. It is not about the color of your skin, or your station in life. But, if you are a young black man, earning HUNDREDS of millions of dollars, to play a game, with all the advantage and benefit that life brings, YOU SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY RESPECTFUL.
Had those men and women not stood, for you, all through these 240 years, you would not be where you are. Had others not taken the promise and premise of that flag to heart, and given their last ounce of life to defend it, to protect it, you would not be where you are. Had others not cared more for the magnificent whole, than they focused on the despicable few, you would not be where you are. Had you even an instant of clarity outside of yourself, and the mistaken and egregious lies you have been filled with, you would understand exactly where you are. And, you would think God for the blessing of living in this land of the free, protected and provided by the brave.
That is what sitting on your overpaid, unappreciative, and just flat wrong ass, during the salute to that flag and all that she stands for, means. You ignore the blessings provided and protected by the brave that have gone before you. It is not a black or white thing, honoring that ensign. If it was, then you ignore all the valor of the many men and women of color that have defended and supported that flag. If you look at that flag through the prism of race, you miss the damn point, and I have no significance to attach to you.
Stand and deliver means something to some of us. Not about a classroom. Not about math. It means something about brothers and sisters lost. It means something about an idea and a vision precious enough to risk your very life over and for. It means something for the dedication of those who have, who are, and who will serve. To utilize your pitiful platform of entitlement and favor, to do something that denigrates those that stood and delivered, is simple unacceptable.
I know no one in your life has ever made the world about something outside of you. Unfortunately, for millions of us, the world is very much always about something outside of us, and we do not have the luxury nor the inclination to focus on the singular. There is something broken and miserable in you. You, your background, your history and your success are a joke. The 19 year old kid that wished he had the ability to play well enough to go to college, but instead ended up on a firing line in Afghanistan, paying the ultimate price in defense of our freedom to be watching 16 games in HD, he is who deserves notice and respect.
You deserve an butt whipping, the kind you should have gotten as a spoiled 10 year old, who acts more generously than you do. I would do it myself, but I doubt I am physically able anymore. See after 21 years of rolling out on steel decks and vertical ladders, my knees and feet don't work like they used to, sadly. On second thought, if I had the opportunity, I am pretty certain I could get it done, you pansy, crybaby bitch. You don't have an ounce of my dedication and integrity, and I am a poor example compared to all the rest of my brothers and sisters in the whole long history of this great nation. You aren't a pimple on a good man's butt.
So, keep your seat, you ungrateful, ignorant and arrogant little shite. I don't want it. How that makes life better for anyone, showing disrespect while being in a position granted solely by luck and providence, that is not available anywhere else in the world, I do not fathom. You are pitiful, but you won't get any of my pity. You get only my disdain and my disgust. Those around you that enable your display of petulance, they earn it too. The owners, the sponsors, the league, the players, they are all tainted by you and your smallness. And you are too ignorant to understand even that. Sadly, they are as well, which is why there is silence among them.
Piss off you little, pitiful, spoiled and petulant manchild. I don't hope you get hurt. I don't hope you have something evil befall you. Were I able to, face to face, I would show you what I think. Since I am not, I won't make any wishes or curses for your future. I hope you live a long life, and in that life, you daily meet someone without an arm, or leg, or eye, that gave them in defense of your nation. For it is your nation too, you little baby. Sadly, it is as much yours as mine. It is my hope the team, whatever teams you play for, hire disable veterans to stand, or sit (because their legs are gone) at attention every time the anthem is played, RIGHT BESIDE YOUR DISGUSTING LITTLE ASS.
I would like the world to see heroes on that great stage, and put in perspective just how small and trivial you are. Bastard, just an unmitigated bastard. I hope it is a long and blessed life, that you can never take satisfaction from, because you just are not capable of seeing the majesty around you. Piece of shit.
I was wrong, that really was the only thing I needed to get off my chest. Can't express how much that disgusts me. Disgusts me more that there is not more anger over it. We just ignore it, because we are afraid someone will think we are racist for calling out the little bitch for what he is. It is not about black and white, though he thinks it is. It is about right and wrong, for something that is more than black or white. And, if you don't comprehend that, I got nothing for you. Move along and take a seat on the bench next to that other fricking loser a**hole.
JOE
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
2 Party Issues
A friend posted their view on why they were voting for Gary Johnson, and the response was pretty heated. See, my friend made the mistake of just being honest. And, that is almost completely forbidden in our politics today.
Let me follow up. It is dishonest in America today, to be an abortion voter. If you are anti-abortion, you are not going to ever see it outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. If you are pro-abortion, you are not going to ever see it outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. So, casting your vote based on this opinion is as ridiculous as casting your vote based on whether you think we should have gone to war in Vietnam. It is over, done with, and no one or no thing you can vote for will change that. There are not any judges that you are going to get confirmed, that are going to change that.
It is dishonest in America today to be a gay rights voter. If you are anti-gay rights, you are not going to see them outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. If you are pro-gay rights, you are not going to see them outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. So, casting your vote based on this opinion is as ridiculous as casting your vote based on whether you think 18 year olds should have the right to vote. It is over, done with, and no one or no thing you can vote for will change that. There are not any judges that you are going to get confirmed, that are going to change that.
The phantom of Supreme Court justices is a typical ploy used by both parties. The reality is that the likelihood of getting a judge that is partial, in this day and age, is nearly impossible. That is not how the system works. And, you can be as indignant and honorable as you want, and just waste your vote and your time.
Want proof? Look at the Voting Rights Act. That law got gutted by the Supreme Court. Think the system is not rigged to keep these two parties in power? That only happened because it was good for both parties. They know they will get back in power, and redraw the lines, whichever party is out of power at the moment. They know the gravy train keeps rolling. If you think the Supreme Court is impartial, the same right wing court that gutted the Voting Rights Act, which should not be partisan, upheld abortion rights five times and gay right three time. You explain it any other way. Comments below, I would love to be educated.
But, what your vote could do, is to dislodge the power of the two parties. You could rock their strangle hold on America, and crack their code. Their code is incumbency and structure. No matter what, they don't fear losing control of the Congress or the White House, it will come back. That is because they know they are the only two tickets to the dance. And, business and whack job money flows to whoever has the tickets to the dance. Without a guarantee that they maintain those key entry points to the system, they lose their vice grip on our nation that has resulted in the country we have today.
Want an illustration? There are riots, and parts of cities being burned down over police shooting a convicted felon, that had a gun pointed at police, and was wanted. This is simply because he was a black man. He was shot by a black police officer. Yet, we poisoned thousands and thousands of poor children in Flint Michigan, and the most we see are people wondering if the governor, a good Republican, will apologize.
That is how screwed up our 2 party system is. The municipal system, and the changes that allowed Flint to occur were passed by the legislature and approved by the governor. Want to know how come I can tell you there were Democrat votes involved? There is no hue and cry, not even a Sharpton sighting to fight this. The parties did it, so it is being covered over and contained. The police are apolitical. They can't be Democrat or Republican, so they are a safe tool to throw to the public and allow them to be angry over that.
We are played every day by the corrupt 2 party system and the media that perpetuates it. The only way out, is to break the deadlock and vice grip the system has on our lives. Any other election, and I would tell you it is better to vote for one of the 2 party candidates, than a 3rd party candidate. But, this year, we actually have seasoned executives, with track records that look like the America we want to see. (Not Jill Stein, no, not now, not ever.)
Want to know why I know they are capable and experienced? Because every time the media discusses them, and their position, which is rarely, it finishes the piece talking about weed. Let's make sure we throw in there that Gary Johnson smoked weed, and is for legalization. That ought to get at least a third of the nation against him.
Weed is the most available illegal substance in the world. It is harder to buy fertilizer than it is to buy weed. I am not a proponent of weed, have never smoked it in my life. But, if you want to know what I am scared of, it is not weed. It is the continued purchase of our government by large corporate interests. Warren Buffet, campaigning for Clinton ought to tell you that it is not about party, it is about control. Weed is not the red herring we have made it out to be. If you made it legal tomorrow, you would not see a sky rocket of issues, just way less arrests and life issues for people not hurting anyone. And it is already legal in a whole bunch of places, and those smart citizens are making tax money off of it, and not jailing teenagers for no reason.
My point is, if you are looking at this election through the prism of abortion, gay rights, legalization of marijuana, you are going to lose, no matter who you vote for or who wins. If you look at it as the opportunity to decouple the party system from our immediate future, you can vote for who you think will do the best job as President. Who has the right record and the right background, with the right plans for America. If you can find either Clinton or Trump to meet that bar, I can't help you.
But, if you are like a lot of the rest of us, and just completely disgusted by the choices given you by these two parties, take the other option. Vote for something that will change America. Vote for something that you will not have to explain to your children in 20 years, or lie to them about it. Vote for Johnson and Weld, in the words of the fake spray tan clown, "What the hell do you have to lose?"
And, if you are worried about abortion and gay rights and weed, there are thousands of community organizations to get involved in, that actually work on the ground, in your neighborhood, helping people deal real time with those issues. It is how we used to be activist in this nation, we went and helped our neighbors, and did not rely on the government. If you do that, it is really not that urgent to deal with at the Presidential and Congressional level. If your only contribution is your vote, at least consider voting for the overall picture, not just one or two issues that are not going to change. I beg of you.
And, by all means, if you have some reason you think Clinton or Trump are actually going to be good for America, there is a comment section below. I would love to learn how, because for the life of me, I cannot see it.
Peace brothers and sisters. GLYASDI
Let me follow up. It is dishonest in America today, to be an abortion voter. If you are anti-abortion, you are not going to ever see it outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. If you are pro-abortion, you are not going to ever see it outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. So, casting your vote based on this opinion is as ridiculous as casting your vote based on whether you think we should have gone to war in Vietnam. It is over, done with, and no one or no thing you can vote for will change that. There are not any judges that you are going to get confirmed, that are going to change that.
It is dishonest in America today to be a gay rights voter. If you are anti-gay rights, you are not going to see them outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. If you are pro-gay rights, you are not going to see them outlawed, it is not going to happen, and you know it. So, casting your vote based on this opinion is as ridiculous as casting your vote based on whether you think 18 year olds should have the right to vote. It is over, done with, and no one or no thing you can vote for will change that. There are not any judges that you are going to get confirmed, that are going to change that.
The phantom of Supreme Court justices is a typical ploy used by both parties. The reality is that the likelihood of getting a judge that is partial, in this day and age, is nearly impossible. That is not how the system works. And, you can be as indignant and honorable as you want, and just waste your vote and your time.
Want proof? Look at the Voting Rights Act. That law got gutted by the Supreme Court. Think the system is not rigged to keep these two parties in power? That only happened because it was good for both parties. They know they will get back in power, and redraw the lines, whichever party is out of power at the moment. They know the gravy train keeps rolling. If you think the Supreme Court is impartial, the same right wing court that gutted the Voting Rights Act, which should not be partisan, upheld abortion rights five times and gay right three time. You explain it any other way. Comments below, I would love to be educated.
But, what your vote could do, is to dislodge the power of the two parties. You could rock their strangle hold on America, and crack their code. Their code is incumbency and structure. No matter what, they don't fear losing control of the Congress or the White House, it will come back. That is because they know they are the only two tickets to the dance. And, business and whack job money flows to whoever has the tickets to the dance. Without a guarantee that they maintain those key entry points to the system, they lose their vice grip on our nation that has resulted in the country we have today.
Want an illustration? There are riots, and parts of cities being burned down over police shooting a convicted felon, that had a gun pointed at police, and was wanted. This is simply because he was a black man. He was shot by a black police officer. Yet, we poisoned thousands and thousands of poor children in Flint Michigan, and the most we see are people wondering if the governor, a good Republican, will apologize.
That is how screwed up our 2 party system is. The municipal system, and the changes that allowed Flint to occur were passed by the legislature and approved by the governor. Want to know how come I can tell you there were Democrat votes involved? There is no hue and cry, not even a Sharpton sighting to fight this. The parties did it, so it is being covered over and contained. The police are apolitical. They can't be Democrat or Republican, so they are a safe tool to throw to the public and allow them to be angry over that.
We are played every day by the corrupt 2 party system and the media that perpetuates it. The only way out, is to break the deadlock and vice grip the system has on our lives. Any other election, and I would tell you it is better to vote for one of the 2 party candidates, than a 3rd party candidate. But, this year, we actually have seasoned executives, with track records that look like the America we want to see. (Not Jill Stein, no, not now, not ever.)
Want to know why I know they are capable and experienced? Because every time the media discusses them, and their position, which is rarely, it finishes the piece talking about weed. Let's make sure we throw in there that Gary Johnson smoked weed, and is for legalization. That ought to get at least a third of the nation against him.
Weed is the most available illegal substance in the world. It is harder to buy fertilizer than it is to buy weed. I am not a proponent of weed, have never smoked it in my life. But, if you want to know what I am scared of, it is not weed. It is the continued purchase of our government by large corporate interests. Warren Buffet, campaigning for Clinton ought to tell you that it is not about party, it is about control. Weed is not the red herring we have made it out to be. If you made it legal tomorrow, you would not see a sky rocket of issues, just way less arrests and life issues for people not hurting anyone. And it is already legal in a whole bunch of places, and those smart citizens are making tax money off of it, and not jailing teenagers for no reason.
My point is, if you are looking at this election through the prism of abortion, gay rights, legalization of marijuana, you are going to lose, no matter who you vote for or who wins. If you look at it as the opportunity to decouple the party system from our immediate future, you can vote for who you think will do the best job as President. Who has the right record and the right background, with the right plans for America. If you can find either Clinton or Trump to meet that bar, I can't help you.
But, if you are like a lot of the rest of us, and just completely disgusted by the choices given you by these two parties, take the other option. Vote for something that will change America. Vote for something that you will not have to explain to your children in 20 years, or lie to them about it. Vote for Johnson and Weld, in the words of the fake spray tan clown, "What the hell do you have to lose?"
And, if you are worried about abortion and gay rights and weed, there are thousands of community organizations to get involved in, that actually work on the ground, in your neighborhood, helping people deal real time with those issues. It is how we used to be activist in this nation, we went and helped our neighbors, and did not rely on the government. If you do that, it is really not that urgent to deal with at the Presidential and Congressional level. If your only contribution is your vote, at least consider voting for the overall picture, not just one or two issues that are not going to change. I beg of you.
And, by all means, if you have some reason you think Clinton or Trump are actually going to be good for America, there is a comment section below. I would love to learn how, because for the life of me, I cannot see it.
Peace brothers and sisters. GLYASDI
Saturday, August 13, 2016
On My Mind
When I woke up this morning, this was the first thing I saw as I scrolled through stuff, trying to wait for the coffee to make a full cup. It rang some bells in my head, I think this had something to do with something I was dreaming last night. I do not remember dreams very frequently, but I get those feelings that this is somehow related.
I actually saw it on an advertisement for a challenge coin. Funny how God finds places to put his message before you. It is this passage in Ephesians. 6:10-13 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefor, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
This is one of those passages in the Bible I always considered to be kind of trippy and paranoid. Because after it, comes all this allegory about bucklers and belts of truth and such. Kind of sounds like Dungeons and Dragons. And we dismiss this kind of allegorical prose as somehow lacking in modern standing. Because we are working hard on confusing ourselves all the time.
We are constantly working on confusing ourselves about how much we understand and can quantify this world. As we advance in science and understanding, it becomes more and more acceptable to read passages like this, and the entire book of Revelations, or Song of Solomon, and conclude that it is just poetic license for some high minded spiritual mumbo jumbo.
We assume that because we have harnessed the atom and contend that we know the physical dimensions of the smallest particles of matter, that there is no longer a veil beyond which we cannot see. We assume that the potential that there are entities that we cannot perceive physically, is completely extinct. We can even 3D image the insides of the human body. We can see at the nanoscopic level with electron scanning microscopes. We can date things, based on carbon decay dating, that are millenia older than we interpret the Bible to age Earth.
We continue to have science lies fed to us, that allow us to continue to shake the confines of our faith. We assume that there cannot continue to be planes beyond our knowing, because we now know so much. To that I reply 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, as I have been fully known.
I am not suggesting that science is a lie. Xrays are real science. Chemistry is real science. And there is nothing evil in science, except the use we make of it. However, the assumption that we know fully is a lie. It is a lie that would be called a lie by responsible scientists. We know so little of the universe, and the rules and rhythms behind it, that we barely can quantify how great the gap in our knowledge is. This wonderful universe that we live in, is so complex, interrelated and mysterious, that is will consume all lifetimes for eternity and still not be defined and completely understood.
But, science is becoming a basis for lies that we tell ourselves. We are almost completely consumed with the notion that there is a physical and tangible reason behind every single thing that occurs. And, that we can quantify and understand that reason with our intellect. I would say there is a tangible reason behind everything, but much of it will never be quantified by our intellect.
Things happen for the reasons that God lays out. His actions do not necessarily invalidate or happen outside of the laws we understand. But, there are components that we have not figured out. There are forces and capabilities that we do not have scales or measures for. How can I strongly assert that science is fundamental and good, and still believe in a Satan that opposes us and is a force strongly working for evil? Because, I know there is a God that shapes us for good. I know that there is a capacity to sin, against all we know better, against all we hold dear, that comes in our choice. It is not a stretch to imagine that there is the same capacity in other beings that have choice.
Those beings are real. They have powers and abilities, just as we do. That does not mean that I think someone with brain chemistry issues is possessed by demons. But, I do accept that we can consort with, and fall victim to manipulation and control by these fallen creatures. The one does not cancel the other. I think that possession is real, but mental illness is much more common and needs to be aggressively researched and treated.
I think that there are realms and powers and principalities that we cannot all see. I do think that some of us are given sight for some of these things, purposely by God. Some we call prophets. Some we call medium or seers. Some we call crazy. It is all a disservice to the talent. Imagine having to live in this world, bound by its strictures and yet be able to see beyond that, to comprehend the incomprehensible. That struggle would challenge the strongest of us. Yet, we discount them. We call them insane, or deluded, or possessed. We do that because they display many of our own lies to scrutiny. They tell us how much we don't know, and we, all people, despise that.
We, therefore, do not look for an armor that provides protection against these unseen, and misunderstood forces. We do not accept that we have to be powerful in spirit and faith just to survive this life we lead. We do not acknowledge the power of evil in this world, and all the ways we serve that evil.
This mirror in which we see dimly, only shows us, us. That is a difficult picture to take in. We know our base intentions. Sometimes, they are misunderstood and for good, and we feel persecuted when they are taken the wrong way. Sometimes, they are completely understood and we feel angry when they are taken for what they are. We are none of us all evil or all good. We are just poorly educated in all the universe holds, and resistant to the teaching that would protect us from that.
If you consort with these powers, if you ask them into your life, if you ignore their presence and refuse to believe they exist, you play a dangerous game. It required Christ to overcome their power. His power is great enough to protect you, but it is like armor. YOU have to choose to don it, use it, be protected by it. That is the power that should be invited into your life, that you should consort with always. In that light, no darkness survives.
I don't know what started my mind going down this road. But, this is very real, and a daily battle happening all over the world. I do know that we never offer messages that do not have purpose. And, I hope whoever needs this message, gets it today. For all the rest of whoever may read this, please don't just shake your head and dismiss me as some kind of religious nutjob. It is easy to do. But, that voice whispering in all of our heads, that usually suggests the worst side of our behavior is not just some whiff of brain chemicals. It comes from somewhere. It is real, and listening to it has enormous consequences that impact you and everyone you love.
As for me? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15. That is the real armor of God. Live in his house. And surely goodness and mercy will follow you all of your days. The Lord is a lamp to your feet, and the rock of your protection. You can ascend as on wings of eagles, and be carried in His mighty right hand. Do all those verses start to explain a very real meaning?
I don't see clearly, but dimly, as in a mirror. But, I know enough to know I don't know enough. Prayer, desire for God and repentance, those the evil of the world cannot ever overcome. And they are where we are meant to be, and meant to be most curious about.
GLYASDI
I actually saw it on an advertisement for a challenge coin. Funny how God finds places to put his message before you. It is this passage in Ephesians. 6:10-13 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefor, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
This is one of those passages in the Bible I always considered to be kind of trippy and paranoid. Because after it, comes all this allegory about bucklers and belts of truth and such. Kind of sounds like Dungeons and Dragons. And we dismiss this kind of allegorical prose as somehow lacking in modern standing. Because we are working hard on confusing ourselves all the time.
We are constantly working on confusing ourselves about how much we understand and can quantify this world. As we advance in science and understanding, it becomes more and more acceptable to read passages like this, and the entire book of Revelations, or Song of Solomon, and conclude that it is just poetic license for some high minded spiritual mumbo jumbo.
We assume that because we have harnessed the atom and contend that we know the physical dimensions of the smallest particles of matter, that there is no longer a veil beyond which we cannot see. We assume that the potential that there are entities that we cannot perceive physically, is completely extinct. We can even 3D image the insides of the human body. We can see at the nanoscopic level with electron scanning microscopes. We can date things, based on carbon decay dating, that are millenia older than we interpret the Bible to age Earth.
We continue to have science lies fed to us, that allow us to continue to shake the confines of our faith. We assume that there cannot continue to be planes beyond our knowing, because we now know so much. To that I reply 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, as I have been fully known.
I am not suggesting that science is a lie. Xrays are real science. Chemistry is real science. And there is nothing evil in science, except the use we make of it. However, the assumption that we know fully is a lie. It is a lie that would be called a lie by responsible scientists. We know so little of the universe, and the rules and rhythms behind it, that we barely can quantify how great the gap in our knowledge is. This wonderful universe that we live in, is so complex, interrelated and mysterious, that is will consume all lifetimes for eternity and still not be defined and completely understood.
But, science is becoming a basis for lies that we tell ourselves. We are almost completely consumed with the notion that there is a physical and tangible reason behind every single thing that occurs. And, that we can quantify and understand that reason with our intellect. I would say there is a tangible reason behind everything, but much of it will never be quantified by our intellect.
Things happen for the reasons that God lays out. His actions do not necessarily invalidate or happen outside of the laws we understand. But, there are components that we have not figured out. There are forces and capabilities that we do not have scales or measures for. How can I strongly assert that science is fundamental and good, and still believe in a Satan that opposes us and is a force strongly working for evil? Because, I know there is a God that shapes us for good. I know that there is a capacity to sin, against all we know better, against all we hold dear, that comes in our choice. It is not a stretch to imagine that there is the same capacity in other beings that have choice.
Those beings are real. They have powers and abilities, just as we do. That does not mean that I think someone with brain chemistry issues is possessed by demons. But, I do accept that we can consort with, and fall victim to manipulation and control by these fallen creatures. The one does not cancel the other. I think that possession is real, but mental illness is much more common and needs to be aggressively researched and treated.
I think that there are realms and powers and principalities that we cannot all see. I do think that some of us are given sight for some of these things, purposely by God. Some we call prophets. Some we call medium or seers. Some we call crazy. It is all a disservice to the talent. Imagine having to live in this world, bound by its strictures and yet be able to see beyond that, to comprehend the incomprehensible. That struggle would challenge the strongest of us. Yet, we discount them. We call them insane, or deluded, or possessed. We do that because they display many of our own lies to scrutiny. They tell us how much we don't know, and we, all people, despise that.
We, therefore, do not look for an armor that provides protection against these unseen, and misunderstood forces. We do not accept that we have to be powerful in spirit and faith just to survive this life we lead. We do not acknowledge the power of evil in this world, and all the ways we serve that evil.
This mirror in which we see dimly, only shows us, us. That is a difficult picture to take in. We know our base intentions. Sometimes, they are misunderstood and for good, and we feel persecuted when they are taken the wrong way. Sometimes, they are completely understood and we feel angry when they are taken for what they are. We are none of us all evil or all good. We are just poorly educated in all the universe holds, and resistant to the teaching that would protect us from that.
If you consort with these powers, if you ask them into your life, if you ignore their presence and refuse to believe they exist, you play a dangerous game. It required Christ to overcome their power. His power is great enough to protect you, but it is like armor. YOU have to choose to don it, use it, be protected by it. That is the power that should be invited into your life, that you should consort with always. In that light, no darkness survives.
I don't know what started my mind going down this road. But, this is very real, and a daily battle happening all over the world. I do know that we never offer messages that do not have purpose. And, I hope whoever needs this message, gets it today. For all the rest of whoever may read this, please don't just shake your head and dismiss me as some kind of religious nutjob. It is easy to do. But, that voice whispering in all of our heads, that usually suggests the worst side of our behavior is not just some whiff of brain chemicals. It comes from somewhere. It is real, and listening to it has enormous consequences that impact you and everyone you love.
As for me? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15. That is the real armor of God. Live in his house. And surely goodness and mercy will follow you all of your days. The Lord is a lamp to your feet, and the rock of your protection. You can ascend as on wings of eagles, and be carried in His mighty right hand. Do all those verses start to explain a very real meaning?
I don't see clearly, but dimly, as in a mirror. But, I know enough to know I don't know enough. Prayer, desire for God and repentance, those the evil of the world cannot ever overcome. And they are where we are meant to be, and meant to be most curious about.
GLYASDI
Friday, August 12, 2016
Now What?
Getting up and getting going is one of my talents. I am a morning person, always have been. I do best early in the day. I guess the craziness in my head when I am dreaming gets me motivated to make sense out of thoughts.
I am not sure what the difference the last few days have been about getting up when I am on vacation, and getting up when I am facing all the rest of my time. But, there is a difference. Now what? What am I getting up for? What am I taming the mental chaos to clarity for? What is the next priority?
Most people do not need to order their priorities into groupings based on urgency. I am trained from the time I was 19, that not only should I, but we very well may face nuclear armageddon if I do not. Maybe that won't happen, but for your sake and mine, I just get things sorted out right quick.
So, what are the priorities now? Kids are grown and stable, as much as any of us are. House is going to close and move on to a new family that needs the size and the location. Job has been deposited off of me, and hopefully onto someone full of talent and drive to take the whole team to the next level.
When I was a young man, I kept a list of things that others told me I could not do. It was my never ending source of inspiration. I used it as my axe to grind, and I ground that axe down to a fillet knife. But, you better believe, I lined them all up and knocked them off one by one.
I was talking to a friend about that, even showed him the list. He smiled, and looked at me and said, you will never be able to be six foot tall. That was all he said in that discussion. I didn't speak much, just kind of let that sink in.
First, it is a true douchebag thing to say to someone. Second, he was absolutely and positively right. Third, nothing I would do would ever make me six feet, without cheating, and I would know I was cheating. Fourth, it kind of made the whole list of grievances paid thing look kind of douchey too.
One of those chance conversations to pass time underway, and it really kind of torpedoed my whole approach to life. I never explained to him how much it rocked me. It really kind of screwed me up Brad. But, God planted that seed there. Within 6 months I would retire from the Navy, because I did not like the life choices the Navy left me and my family.
I have spent the last 10 years doing something I loved. I really loved making things better at that facility. But, that too came to a close. Now, we are ready to move, hopefully for the last time, and start this next part of my life.
I don't have a list of things people told me I can't do anymore. I don't know what I will find to do that I love. But, I know that I will keep looking until I find that thing. Kind of came real yesterday as we were packing stuff up. This is really happening. And, for the first time since I was 16, I don't know what I will be doing in the immediate, short term, medium and long term future.
If you are a bit of a control freak, that prospect really could just kind of drive you batty. Honestly, the thought of that kind of instability even two years ago would probably have had me mostly catatonic. This morning, I am looking around at the packing I don't want to do...but not concerned that there is not a chiseled path in the stone of the world for me to follow.
I have an amazing life. I am saved and redeemed. I have family that loves me. I have all my needs met. And, I am content just waiting for the path God shows me. I am much too young to not do something else. But, I don't know what that something is. Instead of being worried, I am content with where we are.
Content is a special thing. It does not mean nothing new will come, it is an ever present state. It could change in an instant. But, it is a state that is in every way due to God's blessings. Now what? I am going to thank God for all that I have done.
I sifted through time and memories yesterday, the chief danger of packing. You find stuff and nostalgia hits you and is nearly impossible to ignore. Pictures of beautiful babies, friends that you haven't seen in 30+ years, moments of memory that are suddenly crystal clear and present. I have had a wonderful life. I have had amazing friends, unbelievable family, and experiences that few others in the world get to enjoy.
Now what? I am thankful. I don't know what comes next, but I know that the present is going to pass while I am giving thanks. Whatever new chapter opens, if it opens in thankfulness, it cannot be a bad path. The glory belongs to the glorious, and the thanks should be given by those that are thankful. We should all be thankful.
Tomorrows dawn bright and clear when you wake giving thanks for yesterday. It allows for God's peace to overtake your life. John 14:27 Peace I leave you with; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
We were made to be happy. We were made to take comfort in, and depend upon the Lord. We were not created to solve our own mystery. We were not created to be triumphant individually. We were created to be in communion continually with God. That is the source of happiness, peace, goodness, mercy. It is not in a job, or a relationship with another, or in some mantra, or in some new method for riches. The source is singularly and only in God.
Now what? I am going to be happier today than I have ever been. Because if today is my last day, I do not want God thinking I did not understand and appreciate just exactly what He has done for me. And, none of it has a price tag. Those things are temporal and temporary and they should cause us no pause. God have given me the ability to discharge my debts, maintain my family and bless others where and when I can. If I fell short, it is not because God did not provide, it is because I did not trust.
For those moments, I am sorry. For the rest, the overwhelming number of moments that are the rest of my life, I am thankful. That is NOW. God provides peace, love and support. That is WHAT. The rest, has always been, is now, and will always be in God's hands. The less I touch the steering wheel, the straighter the road is.
God loves you and so do I. And, God loves me. Now what? Get ready for amazing, cause that is what is coming. Beautiful morning, wherever it is morning, you know.
I am not sure what the difference the last few days have been about getting up when I am on vacation, and getting up when I am facing all the rest of my time. But, there is a difference. Now what? What am I getting up for? What am I taming the mental chaos to clarity for? What is the next priority?
Most people do not need to order their priorities into groupings based on urgency. I am trained from the time I was 19, that not only should I, but we very well may face nuclear armageddon if I do not. Maybe that won't happen, but for your sake and mine, I just get things sorted out right quick.
So, what are the priorities now? Kids are grown and stable, as much as any of us are. House is going to close and move on to a new family that needs the size and the location. Job has been deposited off of me, and hopefully onto someone full of talent and drive to take the whole team to the next level.
When I was a young man, I kept a list of things that others told me I could not do. It was my never ending source of inspiration. I used it as my axe to grind, and I ground that axe down to a fillet knife. But, you better believe, I lined them all up and knocked them off one by one.
I was talking to a friend about that, even showed him the list. He smiled, and looked at me and said, you will never be able to be six foot tall. That was all he said in that discussion. I didn't speak much, just kind of let that sink in.
First, it is a true douchebag thing to say to someone. Second, he was absolutely and positively right. Third, nothing I would do would ever make me six feet, without cheating, and I would know I was cheating. Fourth, it kind of made the whole list of grievances paid thing look kind of douchey too.
One of those chance conversations to pass time underway, and it really kind of torpedoed my whole approach to life. I never explained to him how much it rocked me. It really kind of screwed me up Brad. But, God planted that seed there. Within 6 months I would retire from the Navy, because I did not like the life choices the Navy left me and my family.
I have spent the last 10 years doing something I loved. I really loved making things better at that facility. But, that too came to a close. Now, we are ready to move, hopefully for the last time, and start this next part of my life.
I don't have a list of things people told me I can't do anymore. I don't know what I will find to do that I love. But, I know that I will keep looking until I find that thing. Kind of came real yesterday as we were packing stuff up. This is really happening. And, for the first time since I was 16, I don't know what I will be doing in the immediate, short term, medium and long term future.
If you are a bit of a control freak, that prospect really could just kind of drive you batty. Honestly, the thought of that kind of instability even two years ago would probably have had me mostly catatonic. This morning, I am looking around at the packing I don't want to do...but not concerned that there is not a chiseled path in the stone of the world for me to follow.
I have an amazing life. I am saved and redeemed. I have family that loves me. I have all my needs met. And, I am content just waiting for the path God shows me. I am much too young to not do something else. But, I don't know what that something is. Instead of being worried, I am content with where we are.
Content is a special thing. It does not mean nothing new will come, it is an ever present state. It could change in an instant. But, it is a state that is in every way due to God's blessings. Now what? I am going to thank God for all that I have done.
I sifted through time and memories yesterday, the chief danger of packing. You find stuff and nostalgia hits you and is nearly impossible to ignore. Pictures of beautiful babies, friends that you haven't seen in 30+ years, moments of memory that are suddenly crystal clear and present. I have had a wonderful life. I have had amazing friends, unbelievable family, and experiences that few others in the world get to enjoy.
Now what? I am thankful. I don't know what comes next, but I know that the present is going to pass while I am giving thanks. Whatever new chapter opens, if it opens in thankfulness, it cannot be a bad path. The glory belongs to the glorious, and the thanks should be given by those that are thankful. We should all be thankful.
Tomorrows dawn bright and clear when you wake giving thanks for yesterday. It allows for God's peace to overtake your life. John 14:27 Peace I leave you with; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
We were made to be happy. We were made to take comfort in, and depend upon the Lord. We were not created to solve our own mystery. We were not created to be triumphant individually. We were created to be in communion continually with God. That is the source of happiness, peace, goodness, mercy. It is not in a job, or a relationship with another, or in some mantra, or in some new method for riches. The source is singularly and only in God.
Now what? I am going to be happier today than I have ever been. Because if today is my last day, I do not want God thinking I did not understand and appreciate just exactly what He has done for me. And, none of it has a price tag. Those things are temporal and temporary and they should cause us no pause. God have given me the ability to discharge my debts, maintain my family and bless others where and when I can. If I fell short, it is not because God did not provide, it is because I did not trust.
For those moments, I am sorry. For the rest, the overwhelming number of moments that are the rest of my life, I am thankful. That is NOW. God provides peace, love and support. That is WHAT. The rest, has always been, is now, and will always be in God's hands. The less I touch the steering wheel, the straighter the road is.
God loves you and so do I. And, God loves me. Now what? Get ready for amazing, cause that is what is coming. Beautiful morning, wherever it is morning, you know.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Monday at the beach
Firsts are not necessarily new normals. I have to keep that firmly in mind. My new normal is not established yet. But, I have been sitting here listening to the sound of the breakers on the sand, smelling the sea air, and knowing I was still an hour from low tide.
This is not a new normal. I grew up knowing the time of the tides. I spent most of my adult life living in the sea air. The sound of waves was familiar to me, a soothing and welcome sound to my soul.
I am, and have always been, a son of the tides and the breeze. I grew up at the mouth of the Chesapeake. I still miss the roll of the deck under my feet, though not the work that underway time was. I don't have any illusions about the sea, it cares nothing for me. But, I love her.
I worry about all the things that could be. I don't know the whole path ahead of me yet. I suppose there are more pitfalls that I have not considered. But in these quiet hours during a life change, I have considered a whole bunch of them. I am the planner, the tactician. There are steps and stages at each turn that have to be charted and understood and undertaken with the right tools and approach. That is how you get through life successfully.
I was told recently that I had horribly mishandled my situation. Kind of a sad comment when I heard it, because it told me exactly what I needed to know. There would be no understanding, nor would there be any way of educating that I could bring to bear. I would continue to be the cause of wasting a stupid amount of time, and taking the low road, both explicit and implied about my situation.
I don't know that I handled my situation brilliantly. Time will tell. But, I am sure that I did what God had in His plan. I probably did not do it exactly as He would have wanted me to...but I am not a cause for wasting a stupid amount of time, for anyone, any longer.
What I am, is free to detox my system. I had a pretty good boil of anger and resentment, because I let the situation go on longer than necessary. I did not do the right things for me, at the right times. I did not address my issues in the right time frame. And, I did not pay heed to the signs and signals that accompanied that growing frustration and concern.
If there is any learning I have already internalized, it is that you cannot allow your timeline to be compromised for anyone else's comfort. I could be angry at those around me, especially those that I worked closely for, but the frustration and concern was not coming from them. It was coming from me. I was the source, because I saw things through an entirely different prism than others. And that prism was not going to be shared by others. Someone needed to change their prism, or the someone's needed to be changed. I chose to be the someone that was changed.
I have to figure out what is next. Next is always informed by what was, but should never be framed by it. The past is prologue, except that we have free will, and are able to make a change at any point that alters the path to a new outcome. If you do not believe in the Christian faith, you could call that self determination. I am a believer in Christ, and I call that Amazing Grace. And it is a sweet sound that saves a wretch like me. You can't be lost, when you are always found. And you can't remain blind when God says see.
Enough song lyrics. The point is, we get so wrapped up in the concerns of the temporal, taxes, mortgages, this, that and everything defined by monetary value, that we lose sight of what God calls us to be. Mark 6:11 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place as a testimony against them. Actually pertinent in our lives today, though we do not heed it often enough.
So, if you continually talk about dangers and pitfalls, and your words are not welcomed or listened to, that is a part of the message God is giving you. It is not always about the others. Sometimes that is happening because you are not the right person to deliver the message. It happens.
What we, or at least I, most often do, is assume it is about the rest of the group. Of course, I am right, how dare they not listen? Well, I could be wrong, maybe. I could be delivering the message wrong, likely. I could be ready to just do something different and this is what God is using to make me see, true regardless.
So, the assumption is that I was just not the right person. Just not the right messenger. It is my fervent hope that they find a better messenger, because they need the message. But, my sandals are clean at this point. I am not sure what took me so long to understand what God was saying. But, I am not a cause for wasting a stupid amount of time, and I am not traveling the low road.
It kind of just really sucked. And it is not supposed to. Matt 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. That is what God says life should be.
If you find that what you do is frustrating, chewing you up inside, making you feel worse and not better about yourself, you have some sandal shaking and yoke taking to do. There are all kinds of verses about sparrows and lilies of the field, that God cares enough for them, and how much more for you. Do you think He is calling you to a life of angry and frustrated? Or are you feeling that because you are not welcomed and not listened to?
We take a lot of suffering and struggle because we are unwilling to let go and let God. We say we trust in Him, but that is usually when the numbers in the bank account are good, and the kids are doing alright. When times are lean, we assume God is punishing us, and keep putting up with it, you know, doing the right thing. We get more and more afraid, and more and more frustrated. Simply because we don't trust in God.
Usually, angry is not a product of a good place for you. I don't mean frustrated with traffic angry, but more the kind of angry that comes with being ignored and overlooked. Usually, that feeling is not because you can't do something, it is because you shouldn't do something.
If your yoke is heavy, you are not wearing a yoke from Christ. There is another source of yokes, and he is a liar, and a prowler and is absolutely interested in your defeat. That is not to say that a bad boss is from Satan, nor that a bad boss is a signal that Christ is not with you in your work. Sometimes, a bad boss is a bad boss, but the organization is great and that lightens the yoke. When you look around and you can't find anything that lightens the yoke, the time has passed to try to change the organization, it is time to change you.
That could mean a change in situation, might be time to move on. Or it could mean a change in expectations, yours may be wrong. It could even be that a change is coming an you need to wait out the timing. But, if the situation is wrong, the expectations can't be lined up and changes coming never seem to include you, there is not much more God can do to communicate with you.
I waited, and waited, and waited. I got more an more frustrated. I got more and more angry. I got more and more scared about what was coming. It got way too heavy, that yoke. So, I shook sandals and beat feet.
Here I sit, trying to put it all in perspective. I can't guarantee I did the right thing, but I can guarantee that God will work it right out. I don't worry about that. I am vain enough to worry about all the rest of the organization, because I am not there, pushing the things I pushed. That is just pride. God will work that out as well. We are all lilies of the field and sparrows in the hand of the Lord.
Last Thursday, both times I drove to the building I used to work in, that Jason Grey song, Sparrows, was playing. You know, kind of a reminder that we were created to run in fields of forever singing songs to our Savior and King. You can't do that when you are carrying a heavy yoke. Throw it off.
It never feels comfortable, but it always feels right, when you get yourself back on God's path. We are comfortable in sin and strife, not cradled in love and care. Instead of trusting in God, we put our faith in ourselves. And, that is always a bad investment. I am going to invest in God.
That is my rumination today. Hope it gives you a blessing, or helps ease your mind.
GLYASDI
This is not a new normal. I grew up knowing the time of the tides. I spent most of my adult life living in the sea air. The sound of waves was familiar to me, a soothing and welcome sound to my soul.
I am, and have always been, a son of the tides and the breeze. I grew up at the mouth of the Chesapeake. I still miss the roll of the deck under my feet, though not the work that underway time was. I don't have any illusions about the sea, it cares nothing for me. But, I love her.
I worry about all the things that could be. I don't know the whole path ahead of me yet. I suppose there are more pitfalls that I have not considered. But in these quiet hours during a life change, I have considered a whole bunch of them. I am the planner, the tactician. There are steps and stages at each turn that have to be charted and understood and undertaken with the right tools and approach. That is how you get through life successfully.
I was told recently that I had horribly mishandled my situation. Kind of a sad comment when I heard it, because it told me exactly what I needed to know. There would be no understanding, nor would there be any way of educating that I could bring to bear. I would continue to be the cause of wasting a stupid amount of time, and taking the low road, both explicit and implied about my situation.
I don't know that I handled my situation brilliantly. Time will tell. But, I am sure that I did what God had in His plan. I probably did not do it exactly as He would have wanted me to...but I am not a cause for wasting a stupid amount of time, for anyone, any longer.
What I am, is free to detox my system. I had a pretty good boil of anger and resentment, because I let the situation go on longer than necessary. I did not do the right things for me, at the right times. I did not address my issues in the right time frame. And, I did not pay heed to the signs and signals that accompanied that growing frustration and concern.
If there is any learning I have already internalized, it is that you cannot allow your timeline to be compromised for anyone else's comfort. I could be angry at those around me, especially those that I worked closely for, but the frustration and concern was not coming from them. It was coming from me. I was the source, because I saw things through an entirely different prism than others. And that prism was not going to be shared by others. Someone needed to change their prism, or the someone's needed to be changed. I chose to be the someone that was changed.
I have to figure out what is next. Next is always informed by what was, but should never be framed by it. The past is prologue, except that we have free will, and are able to make a change at any point that alters the path to a new outcome. If you do not believe in the Christian faith, you could call that self determination. I am a believer in Christ, and I call that Amazing Grace. And it is a sweet sound that saves a wretch like me. You can't be lost, when you are always found. And you can't remain blind when God says see.
Enough song lyrics. The point is, we get so wrapped up in the concerns of the temporal, taxes, mortgages, this, that and everything defined by monetary value, that we lose sight of what God calls us to be. Mark 6:11 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place as a testimony against them. Actually pertinent in our lives today, though we do not heed it often enough.
So, if you continually talk about dangers and pitfalls, and your words are not welcomed or listened to, that is a part of the message God is giving you. It is not always about the others. Sometimes that is happening because you are not the right person to deliver the message. It happens.
What we, or at least I, most often do, is assume it is about the rest of the group. Of course, I am right, how dare they not listen? Well, I could be wrong, maybe. I could be delivering the message wrong, likely. I could be ready to just do something different and this is what God is using to make me see, true regardless.
So, the assumption is that I was just not the right person. Just not the right messenger. It is my fervent hope that they find a better messenger, because they need the message. But, my sandals are clean at this point. I am not sure what took me so long to understand what God was saying. But, I am not a cause for wasting a stupid amount of time, and I am not traveling the low road.
It kind of just really sucked. And it is not supposed to. Matt 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. That is what God says life should be.
If you find that what you do is frustrating, chewing you up inside, making you feel worse and not better about yourself, you have some sandal shaking and yoke taking to do. There are all kinds of verses about sparrows and lilies of the field, that God cares enough for them, and how much more for you. Do you think He is calling you to a life of angry and frustrated? Or are you feeling that because you are not welcomed and not listened to?
We take a lot of suffering and struggle because we are unwilling to let go and let God. We say we trust in Him, but that is usually when the numbers in the bank account are good, and the kids are doing alright. When times are lean, we assume God is punishing us, and keep putting up with it, you know, doing the right thing. We get more and more afraid, and more and more frustrated. Simply because we don't trust in God.
Usually, angry is not a product of a good place for you. I don't mean frustrated with traffic angry, but more the kind of angry that comes with being ignored and overlooked. Usually, that feeling is not because you can't do something, it is because you shouldn't do something.
If your yoke is heavy, you are not wearing a yoke from Christ. There is another source of yokes, and he is a liar, and a prowler and is absolutely interested in your defeat. That is not to say that a bad boss is from Satan, nor that a bad boss is a signal that Christ is not with you in your work. Sometimes, a bad boss is a bad boss, but the organization is great and that lightens the yoke. When you look around and you can't find anything that lightens the yoke, the time has passed to try to change the organization, it is time to change you.
That could mean a change in situation, might be time to move on. Or it could mean a change in expectations, yours may be wrong. It could even be that a change is coming an you need to wait out the timing. But, if the situation is wrong, the expectations can't be lined up and changes coming never seem to include you, there is not much more God can do to communicate with you.
I waited, and waited, and waited. I got more an more frustrated. I got more and more angry. I got more and more scared about what was coming. It got way too heavy, that yoke. So, I shook sandals and beat feet.
Here I sit, trying to put it all in perspective. I can't guarantee I did the right thing, but I can guarantee that God will work it right out. I don't worry about that. I am vain enough to worry about all the rest of the organization, because I am not there, pushing the things I pushed. That is just pride. God will work that out as well. We are all lilies of the field and sparrows in the hand of the Lord.
Last Thursday, both times I drove to the building I used to work in, that Jason Grey song, Sparrows, was playing. You know, kind of a reminder that we were created to run in fields of forever singing songs to our Savior and King. You can't do that when you are carrying a heavy yoke. Throw it off.
It never feels comfortable, but it always feels right, when you get yourself back on God's path. We are comfortable in sin and strife, not cradled in love and care. Instead of trusting in God, we put our faith in ourselves. And, that is always a bad investment. I am going to invest in God.
That is my rumination today. Hope it gives you a blessing, or helps ease your mind.
GLYASDI
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
What God Wants
How do we understand what God wants? How do we interpret what God is telling us? Sometimes, the question is moot, because it is ultimately clear. We get to choose to listen and obey, or disobey and suffer the consequences.
But, most other times, God speaks clearly, but we hear dimly. I say it that way, because in hindsight, I am always surprised at how clearly God was speaking to me, and how poorly I listened. The signs are all there, the words are clear. My attention and my understanding was lacking.
Usually, that is most often the case when I am pushing the hardest to hear God clearly. When I need the most surety, is when I hear the least clearly. I am of the opinion that that is all in my mind and heart.
I don't know about you, but when I am most stressed, when I am most hurt and most irritated, that is when I have the most concrete desire. Instead of listening to the desire of God for my life, I project my desire and my vision onto God. I am really not listening to God. I am hoping to hear an echo of what I am saying to God.
Thankfully, God does not necessarily pay much attention to my desires. Sometimes, they are way off base. God has His own plan and His own timeline. I can't mess it up. I still, continually, try to get in the way. I see such a short distance ahead, and try to drive based on that limited vision, instead of relying on the driver that sees all.
It is good that God is eternal and all. Otherwise, He would get tired, fighting all of our steering wheel's onto the course He desires. I don't intend to be disobedient or willful. But, when I am most confused or concerned, when my personal feelings are most caught up in the moment, I forget that I am not in control. I am not asking God for direction or leadership, I am asking God for validation.
Thankfully, I rarely get it. Most often, when the things that are painful or most life altering occur, I am the most scared and terrified and confused. I cannot see far enough down the path to see the opening and the clearing. I have to find it in me to throw all of that concern on God, and let go. I have to use the faith I profess, and have so little of, in reality, and let God.
This is most confusing and difficult with money. When it comes to jobs, money, future security, it is very hard to trust the Lord. I don't want to have to live on tuna and mac and cheese. Been there, done that. But, as something my wife posted on Facebook last night reminded me, God is not looking at my bank account to direct my life. He is looking at my faith. He does not care about the money, the security, the contingency that is provided by my bank account.
He knows perfectly well how He will sustain me, profit me, build me. He does not care what is in my bank account, because that will never define me in His eyes. I care about it. I look at my responsibilities, I look at my role in the larger family. I look at my back story and my process, and I am always afraid to step outside of that.
God has no fear, and see nothing of concern in what He has mapped out for me. It is not that there will not be struggles, that there will not be issues, that I will not hit points that concern me and try me. He knows that is coming because I am sinful. He knows what He will do, and the future only holds good in His eyes. I just can't see what He sees.
I need to let go of these strings that are holding me. I need to act on the things that God has placed on my heart. I need to step out in faith. Because the stone stairwell I see under my feet is an illusion. It is a rickety, dry rotted ladder that is about to collapse at any moment. The real stone stairway to heaven is solely in the direction God points. No matter how scary or cloudy or foggy it looks, it gets wider, stronger and more substantial the further you go.
Eventually, if I keep following my own path, I will get to the point I am standing on a ledge that is not as wide as my foot, and I will pitch off, into the black, swirling abyss of my lack of faith, only to immediately land on the stone foundation God built for me, I could not see.
So, this is time to see what happens, to start to order my life to where God is urging, to act on the words and directions God has put on my heart. If I have faith, even as little as a mustard seed, I can move mountains. He can certainly sustain me if I step out in His direction. Honestly, I think the problem for all of us is that faith is one of those crazy qualities that just to develop enough to be as big as a mustard seed, is kind of like shoveling a pile of dirt the size of Mt. Everest. That is all our doing and our issue. Guess it is time to speak boldly and walk confidently. I am sure what will happen, even if I don't know the outcome. Just watch.
GLYASDI
But, most other times, God speaks clearly, but we hear dimly. I say it that way, because in hindsight, I am always surprised at how clearly God was speaking to me, and how poorly I listened. The signs are all there, the words are clear. My attention and my understanding was lacking.
Usually, that is most often the case when I am pushing the hardest to hear God clearly. When I need the most surety, is when I hear the least clearly. I am of the opinion that that is all in my mind and heart.
I don't know about you, but when I am most stressed, when I am most hurt and most irritated, that is when I have the most concrete desire. Instead of listening to the desire of God for my life, I project my desire and my vision onto God. I am really not listening to God. I am hoping to hear an echo of what I am saying to God.
Thankfully, God does not necessarily pay much attention to my desires. Sometimes, they are way off base. God has His own plan and His own timeline. I can't mess it up. I still, continually, try to get in the way. I see such a short distance ahead, and try to drive based on that limited vision, instead of relying on the driver that sees all.
It is good that God is eternal and all. Otherwise, He would get tired, fighting all of our steering wheel's onto the course He desires. I don't intend to be disobedient or willful. But, when I am most confused or concerned, when my personal feelings are most caught up in the moment, I forget that I am not in control. I am not asking God for direction or leadership, I am asking God for validation.
Thankfully, I rarely get it. Most often, when the things that are painful or most life altering occur, I am the most scared and terrified and confused. I cannot see far enough down the path to see the opening and the clearing. I have to find it in me to throw all of that concern on God, and let go. I have to use the faith I profess, and have so little of, in reality, and let God.
This is most confusing and difficult with money. When it comes to jobs, money, future security, it is very hard to trust the Lord. I don't want to have to live on tuna and mac and cheese. Been there, done that. But, as something my wife posted on Facebook last night reminded me, God is not looking at my bank account to direct my life. He is looking at my faith. He does not care about the money, the security, the contingency that is provided by my bank account.
He knows perfectly well how He will sustain me, profit me, build me. He does not care what is in my bank account, because that will never define me in His eyes. I care about it. I look at my responsibilities, I look at my role in the larger family. I look at my back story and my process, and I am always afraid to step outside of that.
God has no fear, and see nothing of concern in what He has mapped out for me. It is not that there will not be struggles, that there will not be issues, that I will not hit points that concern me and try me. He knows that is coming because I am sinful. He knows what He will do, and the future only holds good in His eyes. I just can't see what He sees.
I need to let go of these strings that are holding me. I need to act on the things that God has placed on my heart. I need to step out in faith. Because the stone stairwell I see under my feet is an illusion. It is a rickety, dry rotted ladder that is about to collapse at any moment. The real stone stairway to heaven is solely in the direction God points. No matter how scary or cloudy or foggy it looks, it gets wider, stronger and more substantial the further you go.
Eventually, if I keep following my own path, I will get to the point I am standing on a ledge that is not as wide as my foot, and I will pitch off, into the black, swirling abyss of my lack of faith, only to immediately land on the stone foundation God built for me, I could not see.
So, this is time to see what happens, to start to order my life to where God is urging, to act on the words and directions God has put on my heart. If I have faith, even as little as a mustard seed, I can move mountains. He can certainly sustain me if I step out in His direction. Honestly, I think the problem for all of us is that faith is one of those crazy qualities that just to develop enough to be as big as a mustard seed, is kind of like shoveling a pile of dirt the size of Mt. Everest. That is all our doing and our issue. Guess it is time to speak boldly and walk confidently. I am sure what will happen, even if I don't know the outcome. Just watch.
GLYASDI
Monday, August 1, 2016
Gold Star Mom
For those of you that do not understand, Gold Star families are families that lost sons/daughters/brothers/sisters. It is not a complex club to join, it has no restrictions except that a family member must die in the service of this nation.
Let us all understand, a death has to occur. There is no other way to gain admission. What is not required is any kind of litmus test on religion, or race, or gender, or sexuality.
I spent my time. I did 22 years in the military, all over this globe in defense of America. I also know some of these families, the fathers and mother and brothers and sisters of friends that will never come home, except in one of those grey boxes that process through Dover.
There are none of them perfect. All of them have their own struggles, outside of the devastating loss of one of the closest members of their family they will ever love. Some are unpleasant. Some are uneducated. Some are temperamental. Some are brilliant. Some are just so sad that it consumes them.
One thing, and one thing only, that commends itself as holy is that one man should lay down his life for another. If you are responsible for the birth, raising, development and nurture that creates a person so willing, so noble in comparison to all the rest of the world, you are owed a debt from this nation.
It is not a debt paid in money, nor in treasure, nor in some other material gain. It is a debt that can only be satisfied by respect and honor.
If you are so damaged that you do something disrespectful to these Gold Star families, you are a special kind of warped. If it is because you feel your own feelings are hurt by the truth being told about you, you have nothing to redeem you.
It was simple. He was a hero. The Khan's sacrifice was enormous and my heart breaks for their loss. PERIOD. That was all that needed be said. But, now it is about being attacked viciously, it is about the wife not being allowed to speak, it is about all of this other mess.
A man with that little class, that little empathy, that little sense, that little awareness and that little soul, ought not to be the nominee of a major political party.
I spent a year praying daily for my nephew to come home safely. I am one of the lucky ones, my prayers were answered with his safe return. I cannot imagine what would make you pick a disturbance with a family who's prayers were not answered with the safe return of their loved one.
It is the most disturbing thing I have yet seen in this idiot's carnival that is this election cycle. It is lower than I have seen a candidate stoop in my life time.
If you support this man, if you vote for him, you support demeaning and devaluing the sacrifice made by a family who loved this country enough to immigrate, to build a life and raise children willing to serve all of us, and work to keep all of us safe. You do, you. Not calling this out, not denouncing this, and you condone this.
That is how it is. Not just from my vantage point. This is horrific.
GLYASDI, but even He wouldn't put up with this mess.
Let us all understand, a death has to occur. There is no other way to gain admission. What is not required is any kind of litmus test on religion, or race, or gender, or sexuality.
I spent my time. I did 22 years in the military, all over this globe in defense of America. I also know some of these families, the fathers and mother and brothers and sisters of friends that will never come home, except in one of those grey boxes that process through Dover.
There are none of them perfect. All of them have their own struggles, outside of the devastating loss of one of the closest members of their family they will ever love. Some are unpleasant. Some are uneducated. Some are temperamental. Some are brilliant. Some are just so sad that it consumes them.
One thing, and one thing only, that commends itself as holy is that one man should lay down his life for another. If you are responsible for the birth, raising, development and nurture that creates a person so willing, so noble in comparison to all the rest of the world, you are owed a debt from this nation.
It is not a debt paid in money, nor in treasure, nor in some other material gain. It is a debt that can only be satisfied by respect and honor.
If you are so damaged that you do something disrespectful to these Gold Star families, you are a special kind of warped. If it is because you feel your own feelings are hurt by the truth being told about you, you have nothing to redeem you.
It was simple. He was a hero. The Khan's sacrifice was enormous and my heart breaks for their loss. PERIOD. That was all that needed be said. But, now it is about being attacked viciously, it is about the wife not being allowed to speak, it is about all of this other mess.
A man with that little class, that little empathy, that little sense, that little awareness and that little soul, ought not to be the nominee of a major political party.
I spent a year praying daily for my nephew to come home safely. I am one of the lucky ones, my prayers were answered with his safe return. I cannot imagine what would make you pick a disturbance with a family who's prayers were not answered with the safe return of their loved one.
It is the most disturbing thing I have yet seen in this idiot's carnival that is this election cycle. It is lower than I have seen a candidate stoop in my life time.
If you support this man, if you vote for him, you support demeaning and devaluing the sacrifice made by a family who loved this country enough to immigrate, to build a life and raise children willing to serve all of us, and work to keep all of us safe. You do, you. Not calling this out, not denouncing this, and you condone this.
That is how it is. Not just from my vantage point. This is horrific.
GLYASDI, but even He wouldn't put up with this mess.
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