I need to talk about this some more.
This morning when I woke up, I was in a foul mood. I cannot even begin to speculate what caused it. Maybe I just did not sleep well and I was tired, but I was most definitely depressed. I really did want to cry. I have felt that way many times in the past, but usually I notice it building up. I have never just woken up out of a sound sleep and felt that bad. It felt just like someone close to me had died. I felt irreparable loss. Or maybe like someone had told me I would never walk again. I suppose I could have been coming off a bad dream that I did not remember.
It was probably just bad brain chemistry caused by something I ate. I've been eating a lot of rainbow sherbet lately...stop laughing...maybe that was it. Whatever.
Church seems to have fixed it, or maybe the Holy Spirit. He does me some favors sometimes that I actually notice. I say that because most of His work is behind the scenes in my life. I don't notice it until I look back. I appreciate that Lord. Thanks.
I should probably go to bed now. I have to go back to work tomorrow. I am dreading it. Cooped up in a cube farm with two 50 something, menopausal women that hate each other, one 70 year old black woman that will not retire and a gay guy we got from Newark. He's OK. Good worker. I'm not complaining. If he wasn't there, I would never get any vacation and he's the only one in the office that seems to be really happy all the time. Kind of puts the gay back into Gay if you know what I mean. Truth is, he's probably the only one in the office getting any....did I say that? Sorry.
My boss is in St Louis. He hears about our office drama, but he has no clue what it's like to be trapped there day in and day out in that box among the cubes. I swear there are undeclared contests to see who can be last to answer the phone. It really pisses me off.
The best days I have at work is when I am the only one there. I always know everything that is going on with everything. There is no failure to share important information. No one drops the ball. The phone gets answered on the 2nd ring every time and no one argues with my decisions.
It's heaven.
I used to work in our office in the eastern part of the state. It was a two person operation. I would share 30 minutes every day with the other employee and we worked together to get everything done. That office is now down to one person and it still operates perfectly because we carry some of there load in our office.
I like working alone. I suppose if the others read this, I will get to do that sooner than I care to.
Whatever...I'm saying that a lot lately.
Maybe I will wake up with something relevant to write about tomorrow.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Dogs and Miscreants In Flathead County Are At It Again
From the Flathead County Beacon in Flathead County Montana...Chickens are dying and no one is doing anything about it! Excerpts from the Policeblotter! The call at 4:09 would indicate that Bruce Jenner is in the vicinity.
8:03 a.m. An irritable dog with a reputation of bad behavior was on the run and threatening the welfare of child-sized residents on Willow Drive.
8:56 a.m. Five chickens lost their lives to an ambitious husky on Lore Lake Road.
10:14 a.m. A woman on Cooperative Lane reported that someone left her sister’s stolen backpack on porch with a creepy note that read “you are pretty… call alone.”
10:30 a.m. Six dogs were barking on East Cottonwood Drive.
11:06 a.m. A resident on Highway 93 South reported that someone dumped lawn chairs and other trash in his garage last night.
11:52 a.m. A resident on East Cottonwood Drive reported that the neighbor man threatened to harm his dogs. Apparently, he was upset over their barking problems.
12:30 p.m. A Kalispell man reported that his wife was “taken” by her mother yesterday.
1:11 p.m. A Kalispell man complained that he couldn’t work out in his yard because of the neighbor’s dog and its intense interest in his activities
.
2:13 p.m. Hundreds of fluorescent light bulbs were found in a ditch along Mcmannamy Draw.
2:33 p.m. An eight-year-old boy was seen driving a red Toyota down Main Street. Apparently, he was not doing a good job.
4:09 p.m. A woman called from Evergreen to report that a man carrying a purse was walking along Highway 2 East screaming profanity into his phone.
8:24 p.m. A Columbia Falls man complained that the neighbor’s dogs frequently enter
his house through the doggy door and help themselves to his dog’s food.
Apparently, they also visit his in-law’s house via their doggy doors.
8:03 a.m. An irritable dog with a reputation of bad behavior was on the run and threatening the welfare of child-sized residents on Willow Drive.
8:56 a.m. Five chickens lost their lives to an ambitious husky on Lore Lake Road.
10:14 a.m. A woman on Cooperative Lane reported that someone left her sister’s stolen backpack on porch with a creepy note that read “you are pretty… call alone.”
10:30 a.m. Six dogs were barking on East Cottonwood Drive.
11:06 a.m. A resident on Highway 93 South reported that someone dumped lawn chairs and other trash in his garage last night.
11:52 a.m. A resident on East Cottonwood Drive reported that the neighbor man threatened to harm his dogs. Apparently, he was upset over their barking problems.
12:30 p.m. A Kalispell man reported that his wife was “taken” by her mother yesterday.
1:11 p.m. A Kalispell man complained that he couldn’t work out in his yard because of the neighbor’s dog and its intense interest in his activities
.2:13 p.m. Hundreds of fluorescent light bulbs were found in a ditch along Mcmannamy Draw.
2:33 p.m. An eight-year-old boy was seen driving a red Toyota
down Main Street. Apparently, he was not doing a good job.4:09 p.m. A woman called from Evergreen to report that a man carrying a purse was walking along Highway 2 East screaming profanity into his phone
.8:24 p.m. A Columbia Falls man complained that the neighbor’s dogs frequently enter
his house through the doggy door and help themselves to his dog’s food.
Apparently, they also visit his in-law’s house via their doggy doors.I Can't Quit
About 5 minutes after I said I was signing off for awhile, I began to feel bad. I think I may have some kind of electronics addiction. Whatever it was, I am feeling better now, but it was almost like someone had died this morning when I got out of bed. I was seriously depressed, crabby and sad and I wanted to cry.
I know. Why should today be any different? Right?
Seriously though, I feel much better.
Going to church helped immensely. The fellowship of the two Classes I taught today and the uplifting service did much to raise my mood. Maybe it was just seeing and sharing with friends, but I do feel better now. I am also blogging again so the combination of the two should be enough for me to be ready to go back to work tomorrow.
There will be some people that will be PO'd too. I just decoupled the blog from Google+ and so they will have to find me all over again. I apologize, but I think Google+ was skewing my numbers. If I lose page views after dumping them, I will know for sure. I was getting page views from Linux operating systems. These are usually corporate or government computers. They would sweep the blog posts with their scan. At 0700 in the AM, I would get 40 page views all at once. It was just weird. I do not know who would do this or why, but I hope that dumping Google+ will help that. Blogger is also a Google platform, so the issue may persist. We will see. I may have to move the blog.
Anyway, for good or ill, I am back. Can't seem to quit. It's like nicotine addiction with less deleterious effects. I just can't quit.
I know. Why should today be any different? Right?
Seriously though, I feel much better.
Going to church helped immensely. The fellowship of the two Classes I taught today and the uplifting service did much to raise my mood. Maybe it was just seeing and sharing with friends, but I do feel better now. I am also blogging again so the combination of the two should be enough for me to be ready to go back to work tomorrow.
There will be some people that will be PO'd too. I just decoupled the blog from Google+ and so they will have to find me all over again. I apologize, but I think Google+ was skewing my numbers. If I lose page views after dumping them, I will know for sure. I was getting page views from Linux operating systems. These are usually corporate or government computers. They would sweep the blog posts with their scan. At 0700 in the AM, I would get 40 page views all at once. It was just weird. I do not know who would do this or why, but I hope that dumping Google+ will help that. Blogger is also a Google platform, so the issue may persist. We will see. I may have to move the blog.
Anyway, for good or ill, I am back. Can't seem to quit. It's like nicotine addiction with less deleterious effects. I just can't quit.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
I Quit
I'm done blogging for awhile. I will be back soon I'm sure. I am behind in many things. Got to get them caught up. See Ya Soon!
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Dad's Having An Episode
Dad is really out it of it tonight. He thinks that the people on TV are in the house. He says he recognizes them. They are the "Cleanse Aid guys" from the dairy. He has been all over the upstairs and downstairs looking for them. He went outside with his flashlight and the dog to look for them. I let him go and advised him to report back. When he came back in, I asked him if he found anything. He said, "are you trying to make a fool of me?". I said "no" and told him it was his disease. He has finally settled down and the dog is back in the house. If he goes to sleep, I think I will go to bed.
He also said several times tonight that he was going to go home. Each time I had to break the news that he was already home. He was definitely going somewhere. He took all the stuff off his coffee table and put it in a box. I think he may have been talking about going to Grandma and Grandpa's place. If he ever found his way there, it would be quite a surprise. It's gone. It was just last week that he asked me if either of them were still alive. It's been 15 years since Grandpa died and 16 for Grandma.
He did not go out into the garage or try to drive anywhere. And I do have an advantage in that he wears out easily. I think he finally went to sleep.
When he went out and got on the mower today, he did an excellent job mowing. You would not think that anyone that could mow like that was bat shit crazy, but he is. Alzheimer's is the weirdest disease. Tomorrow he will not remember any of this and he will wonder why all his stuff is in a box.
Lord, you need to take him home. He misses Mom so much. He goes to the graveyard every Sunday. He does not deserve this. He did the best he could with what you gave him for all of his life. Please at least calm his mind. I hope he does not sense what is happening to him. He needs your help Lord. There is only so much I can do for him. Please help. We both need you right now. I love you. In Your Name, Amen.
He also said several times tonight that he was going to go home. Each time I had to break the news that he was already home. He was definitely going somewhere. He took all the stuff off his coffee table and put it in a box. I think he may have been talking about going to Grandma and Grandpa's place. If he ever found his way there, it would be quite a surprise. It's gone. It was just last week that he asked me if either of them were still alive. It's been 15 years since Grandpa died and 16 for Grandma.
He did not go out into the garage or try to drive anywhere. And I do have an advantage in that he wears out easily. I think he finally went to sleep.
When he went out and got on the mower today, he did an excellent job mowing. You would not think that anyone that could mow like that was bat shit crazy, but he is. Alzheimer's is the weirdest disease. Tomorrow he will not remember any of this and he will wonder why all his stuff is in a box.
Lord, you need to take him home. He misses Mom so much. He goes to the graveyard every Sunday. He does not deserve this. He did the best he could with what you gave him for all of his life. Please at least calm his mind. I hope he does not sense what is happening to him. He needs your help Lord. There is only so much I can do for him. Please help. We both need you right now. I love you. In Your Name, Amen.
I Feel So Used
I am supposed to be on vacation. I had to go to work yesterday. It was not for very long, about an hour and a half, but it's just the idea. I was thinking, what would they have done if I had been 1000 miles away? What will they do when I'm not there at all and the company does not replace me?
It's nice to be indispensable, but it can get on your nerves after awhile. Everyone in my office is of an age where family emergencies and frequent doctor appointments are more than common. I am not exempt from either of those, but I always try to communicate what is going on if I have to leave. I recognize that the world does not revolve around me - (unless you know me and think, "he thinks the world revolves around him").
I suppose it's OK. I will get over it. Uninterrupted vacation is nice, but I will take what I can get. It's better than last year.
I believe I will go fishing again today. I might take some live bait with me this time. My shoulders hurt from casting the artificial stuff repeatedly. Carrying a minnow bucket will not help that though I guess. I do like getting some sun, even with the burn, it feels good on this old body.
At some point, I am going to have to get out the work laptop and go through my emails before I return. I also need to write some reviews for the employees. They will be blessed. I am in a good mood. I seem to care about them. Hard to imagine, but I do.
I actually care about many things, some I should not. I have a concern about what others think of me. Up to a point, that's important, but there are times when that should not be relevant, even when you love the people involved. There are things they need to know and sometimes there is no nice way of saying them. Perhaps "nice" is not the proper word. How about delicate? OK. Sometimes I spend way too much time trying to be politically correct, both at work and at church.
Getting to the point is sometimes appreciated, sometimes not.
When people have agendas or are impulsive, sometimes they cannot be stopped with anything less than blunt, brute force resistance. That may actually be what they are throwing back at you. So be it. In their face it will be.
As a friend would say, it is what it is.
-------
I just read this to myself and I seem to be all over the board this morning. Undisciplined random thoughts. I think that means I am too relaxed. That's what I need! Some stress to make me organize my brain before it becomes a mass of oozing, emotional jellies that vacillate from subject to subject without proper conclusions.
Nah...
I'm going fishing.
It's nice to be indispensable, but it can get on your nerves after awhile. Everyone in my office is of an age where family emergencies and frequent doctor appointments are more than common. I am not exempt from either of those, but I always try to communicate what is going on if I have to leave. I recognize that the world does not revolve around me - (unless you know me and think, "he thinks the world revolves around him").
I suppose it's OK. I will get over it. Uninterrupted vacation is nice, but I will take what I can get. It's better than last year.
I believe I will go fishing again today. I might take some live bait with me this time. My shoulders hurt from casting the artificial stuff repeatedly. Carrying a minnow bucket will not help that though I guess. I do like getting some sun, even with the burn, it feels good on this old body.
At some point, I am going to have to get out the work laptop and go through my emails before I return. I also need to write some reviews for the employees. They will be blessed. I am in a good mood. I seem to care about them. Hard to imagine, but I do.
I actually care about many things, some I should not. I have a concern about what others think of me. Up to a point, that's important, but there are times when that should not be relevant, even when you love the people involved. There are things they need to know and sometimes there is no nice way of saying them. Perhaps "nice" is not the proper word. How about delicate? OK. Sometimes I spend way too much time trying to be politically correct, both at work and at church.
Getting to the point is sometimes appreciated, sometimes not.
When people have agendas or are impulsive, sometimes they cannot be stopped with anything less than blunt, brute force resistance. That may actually be what they are throwing back at you. So be it. In their face it will be.
As a friend would say, it is what it is.
-------
I just read this to myself and I seem to be all over the board this morning. Undisciplined random thoughts. I think that means I am too relaxed. That's what I need! Some stress to make me organize my brain before it becomes a mass of oozing, emotional jellies that vacillate from subject to subject without proper conclusions.
Nah...
I'm going fishing.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Life in the Slow Lane
Just some random thoughts from the last two days.
I've been enjoying my time off. Next Monday it will be back to work though. I am not looking forward to it. I think it might be time for me to pack it in and find something that takes less out of my day. I have things I would rather be doing and who knows how much time left to do them.
Going fishing for a while again this morning.
Sunday was fun. I got to teach two different classes. My regular 8:00 class was enjoyable as always. Then, after church, I taught another class. I thought it went well despite the fact that many showed late and some did not show at all. I guess they thought the substitute would not be worth the trip. I understand that mindset, nonetheless, many came and we had discussion. It's tough to get people to talk and think when they are used to being spoon fed. How to get people out of that pattern is a challenge. There are some teachers that do not like a lot of discussion. Their approach is to say, "here is what you should think. Please do not depart from it and you will be all right." For myself, I like to challenge the class to think; to talk about their spiritual journeys, the victories and the not so victorious moments. This kind of thing brings healing to the soul and creates a kind of purposeful, practical kind of fellowship within the body. A liver cleanse for the soul. If you don't know what that is, that's OK. Just consider it an enema for your liver. I will not say more.... You are welcome!
Teaching someone else's class is like riding someone else's bicycle. It takes some getting used to. You have to learn the quirks of the bike and you have to be more prepared for surprises. I imagine the class felt the same way about their replacement teacher. I did very much enjoy doing it though. It was a new group of people that really don't know me all that well and so it was a good interaction in that sense.
Church was very good yesterday. There was a girl that recited the entire 12th chapter of Romans. I admire her discipline. We will need people like that when the Bible is illegal. The best part is that she recited it in such a way that you could capture the meaning of Paul's words. It was not boring.
The sermon was excellent. We are fortunate to have a Spirit driven preacher that is not above educating us or rethinking old patterns of belief. He is refreshing to listen to. I look forward to hearing more about not conforming to the world and being transformed. This is what the Church in general needs. Transformation. We are coming into a new age in the outside world that will not tolerate us. We will need to change, to transform our approach to survive the coming persecution. Church as usual will not be in the offing. I know Paul was talking more about transformation of our individual spiritual characters, but really, so am I. I could go on about this, but I want to go fishing now. Try to have a good Monday.
I've been enjoying my time off. Next Monday it will be back to work though. I am not looking forward to it. I think it might be time for me to pack it in and find something that takes less out of my day. I have things I would rather be doing and who knows how much time left to do them.
Going fishing for a while again this morning.
Sunday was fun. I got to teach two different classes. My regular 8:00 class was enjoyable as always. Then, after church, I taught another class. I thought it went well despite the fact that many showed late and some did not show at all. I guess they thought the substitute would not be worth the trip. I understand that mindset, nonetheless, many came and we had discussion. It's tough to get people to talk and think when they are used to being spoon fed. How to get people out of that pattern is a challenge. There are some teachers that do not like a lot of discussion. Their approach is to say, "here is what you should think. Please do not depart from it and you will be all right." For myself, I like to challenge the class to think; to talk about their spiritual journeys, the victories and the not so victorious moments. This kind of thing brings healing to the soul and creates a kind of purposeful, practical kind of fellowship within the body. A liver cleanse for the soul. If you don't know what that is, that's OK. Just consider it an enema for your liver. I will not say more.... You are welcome!
Teaching someone else's class is like riding someone else's bicycle. It takes some getting used to. You have to learn the quirks of the bike and you have to be more prepared for surprises. I imagine the class felt the same way about their replacement teacher. I did very much enjoy doing it though. It was a new group of people that really don't know me all that well and so it was a good interaction in that sense.
Church was very good yesterday. There was a girl that recited the entire 12th chapter of Romans. I admire her discipline. We will need people like that when the Bible is illegal. The best part is that she recited it in such a way that you could capture the meaning of Paul's words. It was not boring.
The sermon was excellent. We are fortunate to have a Spirit driven preacher that is not above educating us or rethinking old patterns of belief. He is refreshing to listen to. I look forward to hearing more about not conforming to the world and being transformed. This is what the Church in general needs. Transformation. We are coming into a new age in the outside world that will not tolerate us. We will need to change, to transform our approach to survive the coming persecution. Church as usual will not be in the offing. I know Paul was talking more about transformation of our individual spiritual characters, but really, so am I. I could go on about this, but I want to go fishing now. Try to have a good Monday.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Rest
I am tired. I am not physically tired, but I am tired nonetheless. I am mentally and spiritually drained. I'm exhausted. That's why when I was studying the Scripture for tomorrow's lesson, I ended up in tears.
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says this:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus is the only thing that really brings me comfort, peace and rest right now. For the Christian, I know that this is the way it should be all the time and maybe that's what He is trying to bring me to. I have to say that it is not always that way for me. I am not always at peace, I do not always feel the sense of rest. The burden's of life just bog me down sometimes. I forget from whence my real rest comes.
The really odd thing about this passage is that just as He says He will give me rest, he advises that I should take His yoke. He says it's easy and not so burdensome. I apparently do not understand what real burden is. Either that or I'm just not doing it right. There is always that possibility. When you're wearing a yoke, you are supposed to be under the control of the one doing the farming. Sometimes I resist the controls built into my voluntary yoke. I guess when I do that, I should expect pain to be the result.
Giving up control is hard if you are still a bit wild and undomesticated. I am not your average old ox. I kick against the goads frequently. Hence the pain.
What do I need to do to plow a straight furrow? I don't want to think about it. (There's a joke there if you know me.)
What I think is that I should go to bed. Some physical rest couldn't hurt.
I also need to re-access my yoke situation and proceed from there. Maybe I'm not wearing it correctly. I don't know. He makes it sound easy. It all feels more like taking up my cross. That makes more sense with regard to the pain. It also leads to death.
Oh well. I was looking for a life when I got this one. If I lose it for the right reasons, maybe I will find another one that has some rest in it and a properly fitting yoke?
That might be the point; dying to live for Him and finding rest in that.
Knowing a thing and doing it are quite different.
Just thinking out loud here. Have I lost you yet? Probably. It's okay. You are not broken like I am, so you would not understand. Ignorance can be bliss.
Did you know that once you get your yoke you can't take it back? If you do, there is hell to pay and I mean that literally.
Another good reason to get to plowin'.
Tomorrow is Sunday. Another day to act all normal and ok and keep up appearances.
I need to rest. Good night.
In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says this:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus is the only thing that really brings me comfort, peace and rest right now. For the Christian, I know that this is the way it should be all the time and maybe that's what He is trying to bring me to. I have to say that it is not always that way for me. I am not always at peace, I do not always feel the sense of rest. The burden's of life just bog me down sometimes. I forget from whence my real rest comes.
The really odd thing about this passage is that just as He says He will give me rest, he advises that I should take His yoke. He says it's easy and not so burdensome. I apparently do not understand what real burden is. Either that or I'm just not doing it right. There is always that possibility. When you're wearing a yoke, you are supposed to be under the control of the one doing the farming. Sometimes I resist the controls built into my voluntary yoke. I guess when I do that, I should expect pain to be the result.
Giving up control is hard if you are still a bit wild and undomesticated. I am not your average old ox. I kick against the goads frequently. Hence the pain.
What do I need to do to plow a straight furrow? I don't want to think about it. (There's a joke there if you know me.)
What I think is that I should go to bed. Some physical rest couldn't hurt.
I also need to re-access my yoke situation and proceed from there. Maybe I'm not wearing it correctly. I don't know. He makes it sound easy. It all feels more like taking up my cross. That makes more sense with regard to the pain. It also leads to death.
Oh well. I was looking for a life when I got this one. If I lose it for the right reasons, maybe I will find another one that has some rest in it and a properly fitting yoke?
That might be the point; dying to live for Him and finding rest in that.
Knowing a thing and doing it are quite different.
Just thinking out loud here. Have I lost you yet? Probably. It's okay. You are not broken like I am, so you would not understand. Ignorance can be bliss.
Did you know that once you get your yoke you can't take it back? If you do, there is hell to pay and I mean that literally.
Another good reason to get to plowin'.
Tomorrow is Sunday. Another day to act all normal and ok and keep up appearances.
I need to rest. Good night.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
The Prince of Peace
You can run, but you cannot hide. You cannot escape Jesus when He is in full pursuit of your soul. He does not settle for a separate peace on your terms. He wants it all, and there is no real peace until He gets what He wants. He did not come to bring peace anyway. He is at war with the powers of this dark world and in that fight, you are either for Him or against him. There is no mediated middle ground or safe place from which you can watch. In Matthew 10:34-39, He explains his purpose and it is not a position of unity. It is divisive and decisive.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
37 “Anyone
who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;
anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
In ancient Hebrew society, family, faith and politics was everything. If you stepped out of any of those areas in any rebellious way, it was a major problem for everyone involved. If you refused to return to the positions of your people, the family would hold a funeral for you and you would become dead to them. There were no options. Submit or lose everything.
Jesus asked those that would be His disciples to risk this kind of loss. Faith in Him would require much in terms of personal behavior. Those things once considered important and all powerful in this life would be set aside for the cause of Christ. This would and did bring division wherever the Gospel was preached. It brought persecution. It could even bring death.
What Jesus said in verse 38 about failure to take up the cross, burns through history as the ultimate sign of commitment. In the 21st century we look back at those times like it was some kind of movie make believe. It was anything but make believe. We adorn our rear view mirrors with crosses. We hang them around our necks and wear them on our wrists, we even tattoo them on our bodies, but we do not really understand what it is we do.
The cross is not, correctly speaking, a symbol of Christianity. It is an ancient execution device that the Romans, in their time, used to great effect to curb crime and rebellion against the state. It was both a symbol of shame and a symbol of fear. To take up your cross in the Roman world, meant certain death. You were only.going to one place if you had a cross on your shoulder and you would never be coming back from that place.
Unless you were Jesus!
This is the kind of commitment that Jesus requires of those that would be genuine disciples. It's a commitment to accepting a life of suffering and violence if need be. It is choosing Him over family and friends and personal political viewpoints. It is a way of life.
Do we really get that as His Church today? Are we the 'June Cleaver' bride that works quietly in the home, doing the hoovering in high heels and pearls? Or are we the bride that works side by side with her husband, getting dirty and sweaty and making sure that the kids know Him too in a way that will last a life time?
Where is your cross? Is it around your neck done tastefully in gold, or is it on your shoulder for all to see?
You see what I'm getting at Christian? Jesus was not playing games. We should not be doing so either.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c]
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c]
In ancient Hebrew society, family, faith and politics was everything. If you stepped out of any of those areas in any rebellious way, it was a major problem for everyone involved. If you refused to return to the positions of your people, the family would hold a funeral for you and you would become dead to them. There were no options. Submit or lose everything.
Jesus asked those that would be His disciples to risk this kind of loss. Faith in Him would require much in terms of personal behavior. Those things once considered important and all powerful in this life would be set aside for the cause of Christ. This would and did bring division wherever the Gospel was preached. It brought persecution. It could even bring death.
What Jesus said in verse 38 about failure to take up the cross, burns through history as the ultimate sign of commitment. In the 21st century we look back at those times like it was some kind of movie make believe. It was anything but make believe. We adorn our rear view mirrors with crosses. We hang them around our necks and wear them on our wrists, we even tattoo them on our bodies, but we do not really understand what it is we do.
The cross is not, correctly speaking, a symbol of Christianity. It is an ancient execution device that the Romans, in their time, used to great effect to curb crime and rebellion against the state. It was both a symbol of shame and a symbol of fear. To take up your cross in the Roman world, meant certain death. You were only.going to one place if you had a cross on your shoulder and you would never be coming back from that place.
Unless you were Jesus!
This is the kind of commitment that Jesus requires of those that would be genuine disciples. It's a commitment to accepting a life of suffering and violence if need be. It is choosing Him over family and friends and personal political viewpoints. It is a way of life.
Do we really get that as His Church today? Are we the 'June Cleaver' bride that works quietly in the home, doing the hoovering in high heels and pearls? Or are we the bride that works side by side with her husband, getting dirty and sweaty and making sure that the kids know Him too in a way that will last a life time?
Where is your cross? Is it around your neck done tastefully in gold, or is it on your shoulder for all to see?
You see what I'm getting at Christian? Jesus was not playing games. We should not be doing so either.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
A Busy Week
It's been a busy week at The Daily Ground Hog. It seems that the whole world is watching. I just wanted to say thanks for coming.
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David's Psalm - The Imperials
I cannot get this song out of my head. It just keeps
repeating over and and over again. The truth of it impales me on the
sword of the Lord. Whom shall I fear? No one.
Give it a listen. It's a little old fashioned, but it is pure truth.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
It's Thursday
I suppose you already knew that. I wish it was Friday at about 8 PM. If it was, I would be ramping up to two weeks off. It will eat up the last of my vacation if all goes well. There are things at work that could interrupt it. Office workers that do not play well together when the boss is away. New business. Old business. And so it goes. This is my life.
I want to get some fishing in before winter. I don't need a lot, unless of course I do, in which case I will. I want to wrap up the yard work which I ignored all summer. I want to get Dad's lawnmower running for the few last mows. And I need to study and write in further preparation for the Storm that I sense is coming. I can't elaborate on that. My sky may clear. My personal weather becalmed. I hope so. The Lord of personal storms is with me. Whom shall I fear?
I have a sense of anticipation for some reason. Something good is going to happen. It may not be for me; that too remains to be seen. I am, as my friend Gary says, morose, having a sullen and gloomy disposition. This too will pass. It is being worked out, probably in more writing here.
Despite my morosity, I will be victorious. My spirit is currently under guard. He is with me. What more can I say. I need to go to work.
I want to get some fishing in before winter. I don't need a lot, unless of course I do, in which case I will. I want to wrap up the yard work which I ignored all summer. I want to get Dad's lawnmower running for the few last mows. And I need to study and write in further preparation for the Storm that I sense is coming. I can't elaborate on that. My sky may clear. My personal weather becalmed. I hope so. The Lord of personal storms is with me. Whom shall I fear?
I have a sense of anticipation for some reason. Something good is going to happen. It may not be for me; that too remains to be seen. I am, as my friend Gary says, morose, having a sullen and gloomy disposition. This too will pass. It is being worked out, probably in more writing here.
Despite my morosity, I will be victorious. My spirit is currently under guard. He is with me. What more can I say. I need to go to work.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
A Psalm of Thanksgiving
You have overshadowed my life with your Spirit
You have insulated me from disaster
You have strengthened my spirit through trials
You have brought peace in the midst of my humiliation
I have felt your nearness though your home is beyond the stars
You walk with me though I do not see you
You help to bear a load that I could never have carried alone
Without you I am nothing and yet you love me just the same
You take up the prayers of those that love me
And answer them by protecting me
You have saved me from myself more times than I can count
My debt to you I cannot repay except in love and loyalty
You are my Lord and my God, my Savior and my friend
I thank you and praise Your Name for caring about me
I love you and fear you and I am fascinated by you
I would know your mind if I could do so and still live
Your peace is like no other
In the midst of turmoil and discontent you make me think
In the midst of fear and doubt you bring me calm
I know that I do not walk alone
There are times I swear I can hear your voice
You soothe me with words I cannot repeat
You send me dreams and fantastic thoughts
You put words in my mind so I can write them down
Your breath in my mind is subtle and sweet
It brings tears of joy and release and salvation
To know that I am yours
To know there is nothing and no one that can change that
This is why I never want to be free of you
Long ago you demolished my soul
You rebuilt me from the rubble
I am stronger now, though weaker of will
And my weakness brings your grace and your power
My strength you use to the benefit of others
As it should be
I am your child
I love you Lord
I will see you when I get home
You have insulated me from disaster
You have strengthened my spirit through trials
You have brought peace in the midst of my humiliation
I have felt your nearness though your home is beyond the stars
You walk with me though I do not see you
You help to bear a load that I could never have carried alone
Without you I am nothing and yet you love me just the same
You take up the prayers of those that love me
And answer them by protecting me
You have saved me from myself more times than I can count
My debt to you I cannot repay except in love and loyalty
You are my Lord and my God, my Savior and my friend
I thank you and praise Your Name for caring about me
I love you and fear you and I am fascinated by you
I would know your mind if I could do so and still live
Your peace is like no other
In the midst of turmoil and discontent you make me think
In the midst of fear and doubt you bring me calm
I know that I do not walk alone
There are times I swear I can hear your voice
You soothe me with words I cannot repeat
You send me dreams and fantastic thoughts
You put words in my mind so I can write them down
Your breath in my mind is subtle and sweet
It brings tears of joy and release and salvation
To know that I am yours
To know there is nothing and no one that can change that
This is why I never want to be free of you
Long ago you demolished my soul
You rebuilt me from the rubble
I am stronger now, though weaker of will
And my weakness brings your grace and your power
My strength you use to the benefit of others
As it should be
I am your child
I love you Lord
I will see you when I get home
Monday, September 28, 2015
Ode To My Physician
I went off to the doctor, I'd not seen him in awhile
A prescription I was needing to maintain my lifestyle
He said, "so what else is there, that I can do for you?"
Then I went complainimg; You could see I wasn't through
"There's pain in my neck; it's getting worse as you can see "
So I asked the doctor, 'Doc, what ever can it be?'
He said that it was 'Arthur' if you know what I mean
I said 'I really hate him, is he some kind of fiend?'
He said, "you see it is old age, that stiffening condition
Who knows now why it happens, I have no premonition
But I know this from git-go; there is nothing you can do
Just take a couple aspirin; some at 1, and some when due."
Doc then said, "you are fat both inside and out.
You need some statin pills so you will not stroke out"
I said, 'Now do I really? How can this ever be?"
"I think that I am fine; so depart you wretch from me"
These words did not please him, not one little bit
He looked at me in anger; I thought that he would spit
He threatened me with death from my fattened condition,
And advised me to give up on my rotten disposition
I said, "but all these pills, they will cause me much more pain
In my joints and in my muscles, the pain will be insane.
My memories will die; I will forget my life is hard
I surely will be like some kind of geriatric tard"
"I have read upon the Net that the cure, it is much worse
That the statins they are wicked and the lipids not a curse.
How is it you can prescribe all these pills for me?
Can I just remain from these pills, remain completely free?"
The good doctor grinned and said, "now here, you must take these,
One every day at morn with the lowest dose now please
It should drop your lipids quick; and soon you'll surely see
Just how happy it will make us both; both you and me"
"You will live much longer now with no heart attacks
For it is my job do this; It is I that sees to that
You may have pain for real in your muscles and your joints
But you will live much longer, will that not bring me points?"
I said, "Doc, is there nothing here but this that I can do?
Like a decent high carb diet and some low fat foods?
Maybe exercise in bits would surely not kill me
I could walk and I could run to slow all this you say will be"
But the MD said that this regime would not be enough
That only statin pills could prevent all this bad stuff
So now I'm in a quandry. I don't want to obey
But if I do not do it I receive all his dismay
With death at my door, I took up his prescription
He smiled and said "now son you're making good decisions"
I smiled back so kindly, but in my mind I sure did not,
Think that I'd be taking any of his miserable lot
To cure this that's no bother does not seem right to me
It's crazy, lame and silly, but I just can't make him see
If it's not broke, please don't fix it, it should be left to be
Can he not just let it go and then go and have some tea?
My neck is what hurting and he doesn't seem to care
But he'd have me take these meds that my body cannot bear
For my pain he says there's nothing at all that he can do
But for phantasmic lipids, he can make me come unscrewed
These meds that he gives me, they are what is called statins
I'm sure that they are all quite heavily in patent
Money they will make for the huge drug companies
Still people will drop dead while attending symphony
His pound of prevention pills, it just staves off the cure
I'm not gonna take them, and of that you can be sure.
You ask, do I choose death? Am I taking a big gamble?
I say, then it's off to heaven, that I'll sure be soon amble
So does it mean anything? My life's quality?
You can bet your statins and your medical degree
I will lose some weight my friend. I surely will do that
But you can take your pills and you can feed them to your cat
I will move my LDL on to the lower numbers
So he can't make a case for death become my slumber
Then I will say to him, "you see I did not die,
I'll die in my own time and this is not a lie"
He will say that if I took the pills that he did so prescribe
I would live much longer, this would be his diatribe
I know you cannot argue with a doctor I have tried
He wants to push his pills and to also keep his pride
So I will let him think that I took all of his pills
Deceit will be my plan while I try to cure my ills
It is said that when a man tries to be his own MD
He has a fool for patient; I guess that would be me
A prescription I was needing to maintain my lifestyle
He said, "so what else is there, that I can do for you?"
Then I went complainimg; You could see I wasn't through
"There's pain in my neck; it's getting worse as you can see "
So I asked the doctor, 'Doc, what ever can it be?'
He said that it was 'Arthur' if you know what I mean
I said 'I really hate him, is he some kind of fiend?'
He said, "you see it is old age, that stiffening condition
Who knows now why it happens, I have no premonition
But I know this from git-go; there is nothing you can do
Just take a couple aspirin; some at 1, and some when due."
Doc then said, "you are fat both inside and out.
You need some statin pills so you will not stroke out"
I said, 'Now do I really? How can this ever be?"
"I think that I am fine; so depart you wretch from me"
These words did not please him, not one little bit
He looked at me in anger; I thought that he would spit
He threatened me with death from my fattened condition,
And advised me to give up on my rotten disposition
I said, "but all these pills, they will cause me much more pain
In my joints and in my muscles, the pain will be insane.
My memories will die; I will forget my life is hard
I surely will be like some kind of geriatric tard"
"I have read upon the Net that the cure, it is much worse
That the statins they are wicked and the lipids not a curse.
How is it you can prescribe all these pills for me?
Can I just remain from these pills, remain completely free?"
The good doctor grinned and said, "now here, you must take these,
One every day at morn with the lowest dose now please
It should drop your lipids quick; and soon you'll surely see
Just how happy it will make us both; both you and me"
"You will live much longer now with no heart attacks
For it is my job do this; It is I that sees to that
You may have pain for real in your muscles and your joints
But you will live much longer, will that not bring me points?"
I said, "Doc, is there nothing here but this that I can do?
Like a decent high carb diet and some low fat foods?
Maybe exercise in bits would surely not kill me
I could walk and I could run to slow all this you say will be"
But the MD said that this regime would not be enough
That only statin pills could prevent all this bad stuff
So now I'm in a quandry. I don't want to obey
But if I do not do it I receive all his dismay
With death at my door, I took up his prescription
He smiled and said "now son you're making good decisions"
I smiled back so kindly, but in my mind I sure did not,
Think that I'd be taking any of his miserable lot
To cure this that's no bother does not seem right to me
It's crazy, lame and silly, but I just can't make him see
If it's not broke, please don't fix it, it should be left to be
Can he not just let it go and then go and have some tea?
My neck is what hurting and he doesn't seem to care
But he'd have me take these meds that my body cannot bear
For my pain he says there's nothing at all that he can do
But for phantasmic lipids, he can make me come unscrewed
These meds that he gives me, they are what is called statins
I'm sure that they are all quite heavily in patent
Money they will make for the huge drug companies
Still people will drop dead while attending symphony
His pound of prevention pills, it just staves off the cure
I'm not gonna take them, and of that you can be sure.
You ask, do I choose death? Am I taking a big gamble?
I say, then it's off to heaven, that I'll sure be soon amble
So does it mean anything? My life's quality?
You can bet your statins and your medical degree
I will lose some weight my friend. I surely will do that
But you can take your pills and you can feed them to your cat
I will move my LDL on to the lower numbers
So he can't make a case for death become my slumber
Then I will say to him, "you see I did not die,
I'll die in my own time and this is not a lie"
He will say that if I took the pills that he did so prescribe
I would live much longer, this would be his diatribe
I know you cannot argue with a doctor I have tried
He wants to push his pills and to also keep his pride
So I will let him think that I took all of his pills
Deceit will be my plan while I try to cure my ills
It is said that when a man tries to be his own MD
He has a fool for patient; I guess that would be me
Friday, September 25, 2015
Our Long National Nightmare Is Over
From the New York Times:
WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner, under intense pressure from conservatives in his party, will resign one of the most powerful positions in government and give up his House seat at the end of October, throwing Congress into chaos as it tries to avert a government shutdown.
Johnny Boy has betrayed his party, his government and the people of the United States. He has sold us out time and time again to the very interests that would destroy our nation. It is long past time that he take his toys and go home. He is a traitor and should be tried...or maybe sent to Guantanamo. He has done us more damage than the Taliban. In a less civilized time, the tar and feathers would be at the ready.
John, why don't you leave early, like now. I long for the wheels of government to come to a screeching halt. Stop the presses, pull the plug and throw the wooden shoes into the machinery (sabu). Shut the government down. See if anyone notices. I bet they don't. We don't need you John. Go Home.
WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner, under intense pressure from conservatives in his party, will resign one of the most powerful positions in government and give up his House seat at the end of October, throwing Congress into chaos as it tries to avert a government shutdown.
Johnny Boy has betrayed his party, his government and the people of the United States. He has sold us out time and time again to the very interests that would destroy our nation. It is long past time that he take his toys and go home. He is a traitor and should be tried...or maybe sent to Guantanamo. He has done us more damage than the Taliban. In a less civilized time, the tar and feathers would be at the ready.
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| It's my Party and I'll cry if I want to... |
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
The Horned One
I would say it's just a coincidence, but it happens frequently and perhaps it's intended to be subliminal. Whatever the case, I've believed it was true since 2008.
It's possible, and I know the guy in white in the first pic is probably the false prophet. They sort of go together. We will know for sure next year. If he declares martial law and cancels the elections in 2016, I think we can call it. And who could blame him considering the slate of available candidates?
The devil is always in the details.
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| "Please allow me to introduce myself..." |
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| I'm not feeling the sympathy |
The devil is always in the details.
The Day of the Lord
Today is September 23rd, 2015. For many evangelical nut jobs and preppers, today marks the end of the world or at least the beginning of the end. Sunday night, September 27th will mark the 4th blood moon in an unusual tetrad that is occurring during the Jewish high holidays. I will let you Google all of that if you don't know what I'm, talking about and if you don't want to know, who can blame you.
Lest I come off as a scoffer, just let me say that if Jesus comes back today or on a day of absolutely no historical significance, it makes no difference to me. I will ascend to my place either way.
Having said that, there is what will really happen today according to Cultured Vultures.
What will really happen on September 23rd? Here are some things we can be fairly certain of:
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Pope will perform an afternoon mass after meeting Obama and parading around in his ‘Pope mobile’.
MAUI, HAWAII: The film Pixels will be aired at Maui Megaplex cinema. That ought to be tragic, for sure.
SIMA KADE, SOUTH AFRICA: SkyFest will begin. People will do yoga and celebrate their spring equinox.
MILLVILLE, NEW JERSEY: It’s ‘Art and Wine Night’ at Southwind Vineyard. I like your style, Millville!
HURGHADA, EGYPT: Eid El-Adha celebrations will take place at Soma Bay beach.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: James Bay will be performing at the O2 Apollo.
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA: Cat Mojo at the Jorge Eliecer Gaitan theatre. Learn the innermost workings of the mind of a cat. I feel like many people would be gutted to miss that.
SITGES, SPAIN: You’d be forgiven for thinking the world was ending here as the deafening Santa Tecla festival takes place with drums, fireworks and streets packed with people.
TOKYO, JAPAN: Autumn equinox celebrations. I predict a swift rise in rates of sake consumption.
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND: Scotland will face Japan in the Rugby World Cup. More sake, anyone?
What will not happen on September 23rd?
The apocalypse. Sorry.
Now I will give you the fact that the Pope is in the US, at the White House no less, and this a bit concerning, but really, why would he come here for the end of the world? Better bomb shelters? I don't know. If it happens, it happens.
The real question is, are you prepared to meet Jesus Christ when He does arrive? Keep in mind, He will be returning as a judge on the great and terrible day and not the Prince of Peace. Time will be up. You say you don't believe? OK, but I think you need to be sure. That's all I am saying. Peace to you my friends. Maranatha!!!
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Monday, September 21, 2015
The Biggest Secret of the Afghan War - Did You Know This???
From the New York Times, Joseph Goldstein
"Rampant sexual abuse of children has long been a problem in Afghanistan, particularly among armed commanders who dominate much of the rural landscape and can bully the population. The practice is called bacha bazi, literally “boy play,” and American soldiers and Marines have been instructed not to intervene — in some cases, not even when their Afghan allies have abused boys on military bases, according to interviews and court records.
The policy has endured as American forces have recruited and organized Afghan militias to help hold territory against the Taliban. But soldiers and Marines have been increasingly troubled that instead of weeding out pedophiles, the American military was arming them in some cases and placing them as the commanders of villages — and doing little when they began abusing children.
“The reason we were here is because we heard the terrible things the Taliban were doing to people, how they were taking away human rights,” said Dan Quinn, a former Special Forces captain who beat up an American-backed militia commander for keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave. “But we were putting people into power who would do things that were worse than the Taliban did — that was something village elders voiced to me.”
The policy of instructing soldiers to ignore child sexual abuse by their Afghan allies is coming under new scrutiny, particularly as it emerges that service members like Captain Quinn have faced discipline, even career ruin, for disobeying it."
Forgive me, but my first thought is "WTF".
This is unbelievable. Child molestation in Afghanistan is OK because it's a cultural thing? We should leave them alone? Look the other way?
First, I do not know how this kind of behavior becomes cultural or pervasive in a given society and I do not care. If there are worse things than say abortion in this world, then this has to be it. Our troops have to be the closest thing to law and order in that country right now and they are not even allowed to help the helpless? There will be literal hell to pay for this kind of moral failure on judgement day and I am not talking about the molesters (though it won't be so good for them either). We are in a position to stop and even change this behavior and we do nothing. We let it happen. We can save the Afghans from the Taliban, but we cannot save their children from their adults.
This is incredible to me. I do not know how the Afghans can live this way, allowing this sort of thing to happen, but neither do I understand how the US military can let it go on. Looking the other way is the same as approval in my book. Y'all are going to hell. I hope you know that.
I hate our government. Go read the entire article.
"Rampant sexual abuse of children has long been a problem in Afghanistan, particularly among armed commanders who dominate much of the rural landscape and can bully the population. The practice is called bacha bazi, literally “boy play,” and American soldiers and Marines have been instructed not to intervene — in some cases, not even when their Afghan allies have abused boys on military bases, according to interviews and court records.
The policy has endured as American forces have recruited and organized Afghan militias to help hold territory against the Taliban. But soldiers and Marines have been increasingly troubled that instead of weeding out pedophiles, the American military was arming them in some cases and placing them as the commanders of villages — and doing little when they began abusing children.
“The reason we were here is because we heard the terrible things the Taliban were doing to people, how they were taking away human rights,” said Dan Quinn, a former Special Forces captain who beat up an American-backed militia commander for keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave. “But we were putting people into power who would do things that were worse than the Taliban did — that was something village elders voiced to me.”
The policy of instructing soldiers to ignore child sexual abuse by their Afghan allies is coming under new scrutiny, particularly as it emerges that service members like Captain Quinn have faced discipline, even career ruin, for disobeying it."
Forgive me, but my first thought is "WTF".
This is unbelievable. Child molestation in Afghanistan is OK because it's a cultural thing? We should leave them alone? Look the other way?
First, I do not know how this kind of behavior becomes cultural or pervasive in a given society and I do not care. If there are worse things than say abortion in this world, then this has to be it. Our troops have to be the closest thing to law and order in that country right now and they are not even allowed to help the helpless? There will be literal hell to pay for this kind of moral failure on judgement day and I am not talking about the molesters (though it won't be so good for them either). We are in a position to stop and even change this behavior and we do nothing. We let it happen. We can save the Afghans from the Taliban, but we cannot save their children from their adults.
This is incredible to me. I do not know how the Afghans can live this way, allowing this sort of thing to happen, but neither do I understand how the US military can let it go on. Looking the other way is the same as approval in my book. Y'all are going to hell. I hope you know that.
I hate our government. Go read the entire article.
Friday, September 18, 2015
58
It is the day of my nativity.
On September 18, 1957 at about 3 AM a star appeared in the east, my mother was in Mercy hospital in Des Moines, Iowa completely sedated, and I was pulled from her womb the hard way, screaming bloody murder and demanding to know why I had been disturbed.
The doctor said, "we thought you were a tumor. How long have you been in there?
Baby Ghog said, "9 months plus two and a half weeks. I think I should be done now."
Daddy Ghog said, "If it's not tumor, I'm going back to work while you figure out what to do with that thing"
And things went down hill from there. I know what you're thinking. How could I possibly remember that right? I'm sure it went down something like that. There is nothing wrong with exaggeration for illustration purposes. Ask any preacher.
Anyhow...I am 50 flippin 8 years old. Unbelievable. I never thought I'd make it past 30. It's been a long, strange trip as I have said before. I have been so many things since that fateful day that God let me take the air for the first time. for instance, if you look at me now, you would never believe I had ever been a baby. Or a farm hand. Or a window washer. Or a Pharisee. Or a pothead. Or a nursing home orderly (that one is believable). Or a convenience store clerk. Or a gas station attendant. Or a census taker. Or a parking lot attendant. Or a truck driver. Or even an air freight forwarder....but I have been all those things.
On top of all that, I think God has finally managed to save my soul. Who would have thought that was going to happen?
And you know what else?
I have never been unemployed. I pay my taxes. My credit rating is over 800. I own property in two counties.
How can anyone say I am a failure?
Yet there are those that expected more. I am sorry, but I am quite happy with the way things turned out. It was a bit touch and go there for awhile when I was 24, but not anymore. I am outstanding in my field.
So Happy Birthday Ghog!
Should be an interesting year. Do you think I'm too old for a career change? Should I grow a pony tail or maybe get a tattoo? There are so many possibilities and so little time. I better get to work!
On September 18, 1957 at about 3 AM a star appeared in the east, my mother was in Mercy hospital in Des Moines, Iowa completely sedated, and I was pulled from her womb the hard way, screaming bloody murder and demanding to know why I had been disturbed.
The doctor said, "we thought you were a tumor. How long have you been in there?
Baby Ghog said, "9 months plus two and a half weeks. I think I should be done now."
Daddy Ghog said, "If it's not tumor, I'm going back to work while you figure out what to do with that thing"
And things went down hill from there. I know what you're thinking. How could I possibly remember that right? I'm sure it went down something like that. There is nothing wrong with exaggeration for illustration purposes. Ask any preacher.
Anyhow...I am 50 flippin 8 years old. Unbelievable. I never thought I'd make it past 30. It's been a long, strange trip as I have said before. I have been so many things since that fateful day that God let me take the air for the first time. for instance, if you look at me now, you would never believe I had ever been a baby. Or a farm hand. Or a window washer. Or a Pharisee. Or a pothead. Or a nursing home orderly (that one is believable). Or a convenience store clerk. Or a gas station attendant. Or a census taker. Or a parking lot attendant. Or a truck driver. Or even an air freight forwarder....but I have been all those things.
On top of all that, I think God has finally managed to save my soul. Who would have thought that was going to happen?
And you know what else?
I have never been unemployed. I pay my taxes. My credit rating is over 800. I own property in two counties.
How can anyone say I am a failure?
Yet there are those that expected more. I am sorry, but I am quite happy with the way things turned out. It was a bit touch and go there for awhile when I was 24, but not anymore. I am outstanding in my field.
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