Tuesday, September 4, 2018
A Gift of a Day
We had planned to go camping. It's Labor Day weekend, and Fort Ridgely beckoned. I haven't camped since Ed was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago.
But storms were forecast, and we just didn't have the gumption to set up a tent in pouring rain.
Instead we drove to Fort Ridgely, had a picnic with my in-laws, hiked with Corwyn up and down the steep valley of the Minnesota river and got back in the truck the minute the deluge began!
We drove home in rain, and went to bed early.
I had my first substitute call while I was away, and since I couldn't respond I missed the job. Today is the first day of school. I don't have any real regret, as I needed a day at home.
There are so many things happening----Cross Country, the deli closing, projects, cleaning, pets to care for, people to help, schedules to manage! SCHOOL!
I have a friend who is going through a terrible trial right now. Please pray for her.
Hummingbirds are being driven away from their feeders by honeybees. I couldn't believe all the Monarch butterflies I saw at Fort Ridgely. It was impressive. Honeybees, too. They were all feasting on Goldenrod.
I expect the hummers and butterflies to depart soon. There is nothing so amazing as the migration of creatures in the animal world. It is always so astoundingly complex and next to impossible!
Psalm 50:11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
That verse comforts me. The NIV says insects, not wild beasts. They are included, for sure.
God takes care of His animal kind.
Mankind is the reason for the terrible mass death among different species all over the earth---ocean life, birds, insects! Sin affected the animal kingdom as surely as it affected humans. I am so thankful that God will redeem the earth and its animal kind as well as those of us who love and serve Him! The promise is there, in Scripture. I don't curl up and weep when I see the devastation. I hate it, but I know there is hope.
We are called to be stewards and we obey God in all His goodness. But we are realists, knowing that the earth is suffering from sin.
Today I need to steward my time. Laundry, organizing, and maybe a bike ride or swim later on.
Family is visiting from the east coast, so I want to be free for fun and games too!
A day is a gift. I think we substitute teachers get this on a whole different level!
And so the school year begins...
But storms were forecast, and we just didn't have the gumption to set up a tent in pouring rain.
Instead we drove to Fort Ridgely, had a picnic with my in-laws, hiked with Corwyn up and down the steep valley of the Minnesota river and got back in the truck the minute the deluge began!
We drove home in rain, and went to bed early.
I had my first substitute call while I was away, and since I couldn't respond I missed the job. Today is the first day of school. I don't have any real regret, as I needed a day at home.
There are so many things happening----Cross Country, the deli closing, projects, cleaning, pets to care for, people to help, schedules to manage! SCHOOL!
I have a friend who is going through a terrible trial right now. Please pray for her.
Hummingbirds are being driven away from their feeders by honeybees. I couldn't believe all the Monarch butterflies I saw at Fort Ridgely. It was impressive. Honeybees, too. They were all feasting on Goldenrod.
I expect the hummers and butterflies to depart soon. There is nothing so amazing as the migration of creatures in the animal world. It is always so astoundingly complex and next to impossible!
Psalm 50:11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
That verse comforts me. The NIV says insects, not wild beasts. They are included, for sure.
God takes care of His animal kind.
Mankind is the reason for the terrible mass death among different species all over the earth---ocean life, birds, insects! Sin affected the animal kingdom as surely as it affected humans. I am so thankful that God will redeem the earth and its animal kind as well as those of us who love and serve Him! The promise is there, in Scripture. I don't curl up and weep when I see the devastation. I hate it, but I know there is hope.
We are called to be stewards and we obey God in all His goodness. But we are realists, knowing that the earth is suffering from sin.
Today I need to steward my time. Laundry, organizing, and maybe a bike ride or swim later on.
Family is visiting from the east coast, so I want to be free for fun and games too!
A day is a gift. I think we substitute teachers get this on a whole different level!
And so the school year begins...
The Genesis 6 Conspiracy
I'm reading a fascinating and fully researched book by Gary Wayne.
I don't feel like I can believe everything he writes in the book, but there are some interesting ideas!
I'm thoughtfully considering his information.
Here's something that makes sense that I had not considered before:
Fallen angels are not demons. Demons are the disembodied spirits of the offspring of the creatures mentioned in Genesis six. They are constantly looking for something to indwell, they are spiritual entities that can torment, abuse, and hurt. There are also ranks of angelic beings, too. Satan/Lucifer was a Seraph. Seraph has links to Serpent in the Hebrew.
Do you believe in the supernatural? Do you believe in the spiritual?
There is far more to it than we can even imagine.
What do you think of that?
I don't feel like I can believe everything he writes in the book, but there are some interesting ideas!
I'm thoughtfully considering his information.
Here's something that makes sense that I had not considered before:
Fallen angels are not demons. Demons are the disembodied spirits of the offspring of the creatures mentioned in Genesis six. They are constantly looking for something to indwell, they are spiritual entities that can torment, abuse, and hurt. There are also ranks of angelic beings, too. Satan/Lucifer was a Seraph. Seraph has links to Serpent in the Hebrew.
Do you believe in the supernatural? Do you believe in the spiritual?
There is far more to it than we can even imagine.
What do you think of that?
Blog Readers:
It's fun to find out who is reading my blog. I just see counts, not who, but I will mention things and there are certain people who perk right up and say "I know, I read that---"
And there are others, who you'd think MIGHT actually be interested.....who have no clue what I am writing.
It lends itself to being a bit more open about things.
As you know, I am extremely careful about names and places. I try to be vague when it comes to certain things that may reveal identities or specifics.
General things like cities or parks are fair game, or politicians. But I try to protect my own people.
I do not plan to reveal any specifics, but I do feel a greater sense of freedom about what I can write here. People that have had an impact on me in my life are truly fair game!
(I won't mention names!)
Sometimes there are negatives, and those shape our worlds more often than positives!
In any book there is a protagonist and an antagonist. Antagonists are interesting and necessary.
Cherie and I were discussing "Emma" by Jane Austen. Jane Fairfax is an interesting "antagonist." She is disliked openly by the heroine of the story, yet the reader feels that the author is definitely on her side.
It's a twist of literature that lends to the interest of the story.
Perhaps I can present "antagonists" in the same way---because I truly care about many "antagonists" in my life.
It's an interesting time to identify your antagonists. Politics is polarizing, and over the horrid Obama years I felt that people still interested themselves in ongoing friendships and relationships.
Trump became president and all the pretense came down. Leftists don't just hate Trump. They hate anyone who can see the good of what he is doing! The masks of civility came off.
People who once were interesting acquaintances, family, even friends are alien since the election.
It is a loss we will have to bear.
Perhaps it is a gift from the LORD, a way to cull the people of influence in life, those that don't or should not merit your interest or time.
WE are called to preach the gospel. That is a command to keep from Christ Himself. If people don't respond to that we are COMMANDED to leave. Shake the dust off your feet.
YES there is grief, yes, there is loss! Losing relationship is always painful, and should be! God knows this!
But there is also a command to go on, and follow the LORD.
Trump gave an interesting prophecy to evangelical leaders a week ago. It was supposed to be private, but someone recorded him. He warned the Christians that the attacks that have been so merciless on him will transfer to evangelical Christians if leftists regain any political power.
Fascinating. We are to prepare for persecution on a whole new level!
Persecution for believers is a given. We should expect it, and bring it to Christ. He understands and He will give the grace and strength to get through it.
We true believers hold the Rapture to be the Blessed HOPE that will whisk us away from such hardship, but the Rapture actually whisks us away to a marriage supper with Christ, the Bridegroom! It preserves us from the wrath of God that will fall on the earth before Christ and His bride return at the Second Coming to begin a 1,000-year reign on earth, where Christ Himself walks and rules.
It's in the Bible.
Simple, plain reading of the text will take you to this interpretation. One female pastor (I know, a travesty!) asked me "What's Plain reading?'
It's when YOU read the text and YOU see the words, and YOU get the message from the text. You are not filtering it through some theologian, some scholar, some powerful personality.
It's YOU reading it. Don't be so afraid to READ the BIBLE, and ask God to HELP YOU understand it.
Trust God! The Bible is His word, His message to you!
Read it Genesis to Revelation and receive a special blessing. I try to read it through every year, and GOD HAS BLESSED ME!
God directs each facet of my entire life! He convicts me of my sin, He helps me overcome. He provides for me lavishly, things I could never have even hoped for! He is a generous Provider!
He requires my obedience, and He blesses me. Salvation is just the beginning of His great blessing on my life. I have eternity to look forward to, but the blessings are happening right now! Praise GOD!
Do you think my life is easy? Do you think I have no trouble? I hope that after reading this blog for years now you have seen the trials and tribulations of my insignificant life. I'm insignificant on this earth, but not to my LORD and savior. He loves me.
He's preparing me to be with Him, and that is the single most significant thing in my life. Everything else is just "gravy."
So come with me. Don't look back! Look up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! Don't worry about the unbelievers and their politics, their trouble with the world! It doesn't matter!
Love them, serve them, be kind to them, but let them go! OH, have you shared Christ with them? Have they ever heard the plan of salvation? Do they show evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives?
The fellowship of true saints is a beautiful thing, and it unites souls all around the entire earth! It's amazing.
If you are reading this and you have not humbled yourself and repented before your Maker, please do. So much awaits you as His child.
Don't wait. Follow Christ today. He is the LORD GOD, Maker of Heaven and Earth! He is worthy of your adoration and your obedience. He is the reason for everything, and the only true reason for life.
Don't let Satan trick you out of eternal joy.
And there are others, who you'd think MIGHT actually be interested.....who have no clue what I am writing.
It lends itself to being a bit more open about things.
As you know, I am extremely careful about names and places. I try to be vague when it comes to certain things that may reveal identities or specifics.
General things like cities or parks are fair game, or politicians. But I try to protect my own people.
I do not plan to reveal any specifics, but I do feel a greater sense of freedom about what I can write here. People that have had an impact on me in my life are truly fair game!
(I won't mention names!)
Sometimes there are negatives, and those shape our worlds more often than positives!
In any book there is a protagonist and an antagonist. Antagonists are interesting and necessary.
Cherie and I were discussing "Emma" by Jane Austen. Jane Fairfax is an interesting "antagonist." She is disliked openly by the heroine of the story, yet the reader feels that the author is definitely on her side.
It's a twist of literature that lends to the interest of the story.
Perhaps I can present "antagonists" in the same way---because I truly care about many "antagonists" in my life.
It's an interesting time to identify your antagonists. Politics is polarizing, and over the horrid Obama years I felt that people still interested themselves in ongoing friendships and relationships.
Trump became president and all the pretense came down. Leftists don't just hate Trump. They hate anyone who can see the good of what he is doing! The masks of civility came off.
People who once were interesting acquaintances, family, even friends are alien since the election.
It is a loss we will have to bear.
Perhaps it is a gift from the LORD, a way to cull the people of influence in life, those that don't or should not merit your interest or time.
WE are called to preach the gospel. That is a command to keep from Christ Himself. If people don't respond to that we are COMMANDED to leave. Shake the dust off your feet.
YES there is grief, yes, there is loss! Losing relationship is always painful, and should be! God knows this!
But there is also a command to go on, and follow the LORD.
Trump gave an interesting prophecy to evangelical leaders a week ago. It was supposed to be private, but someone recorded him. He warned the Christians that the attacks that have been so merciless on him will transfer to evangelical Christians if leftists regain any political power.
Fascinating. We are to prepare for persecution on a whole new level!
Persecution for believers is a given. We should expect it, and bring it to Christ. He understands and He will give the grace and strength to get through it.
We true believers hold the Rapture to be the Blessed HOPE that will whisk us away from such hardship, but the Rapture actually whisks us away to a marriage supper with Christ, the Bridegroom! It preserves us from the wrath of God that will fall on the earth before Christ and His bride return at the Second Coming to begin a 1,000-year reign on earth, where Christ Himself walks and rules.
It's in the Bible.
Simple, plain reading of the text will take you to this interpretation. One female pastor (I know, a travesty!) asked me "What's Plain reading?'
It's when YOU read the text and YOU see the words, and YOU get the message from the text. You are not filtering it through some theologian, some scholar, some powerful personality.
It's YOU reading it. Don't be so afraid to READ the BIBLE, and ask God to HELP YOU understand it.
Trust God! The Bible is His word, His message to you!
Read it Genesis to Revelation and receive a special blessing. I try to read it through every year, and GOD HAS BLESSED ME!
God directs each facet of my entire life! He convicts me of my sin, He helps me overcome. He provides for me lavishly, things I could never have even hoped for! He is a generous Provider!
He requires my obedience, and He blesses me. Salvation is just the beginning of His great blessing on my life. I have eternity to look forward to, but the blessings are happening right now! Praise GOD!
Do you think my life is easy? Do you think I have no trouble? I hope that after reading this blog for years now you have seen the trials and tribulations of my insignificant life. I'm insignificant on this earth, but not to my LORD and savior. He loves me.
He's preparing me to be with Him, and that is the single most significant thing in my life. Everything else is just "gravy."
So come with me. Don't look back! Look up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! Don't worry about the unbelievers and their politics, their trouble with the world! It doesn't matter!
Love them, serve them, be kind to them, but let them go! OH, have you shared Christ with them? Have they ever heard the plan of salvation? Do they show evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives?
The fellowship of true saints is a beautiful thing, and it unites souls all around the entire earth! It's amazing.
If you are reading this and you have not humbled yourself and repented before your Maker, please do. So much awaits you as His child.
Don't wait. Follow Christ today. He is the LORD GOD, Maker of Heaven and Earth! He is worthy of your adoration and your obedience. He is the reason for everything, and the only true reason for life.
Don't let Satan trick you out of eternal joy.
Monday, September 3, 2018
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Why There are No Aliens
I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:
This video explains why we cannot go faster than light - http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170228-why-cant-we-go-faster-than-light
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