Bits n Pieces

The wind is howling again today. The very tall poplar just outside the office window is swaying back and forth, back and forth. The wind sounds as if it is roaring in anger at being forced to sweep between the 9 story building and our building once again. This continues to be the windiest January through April (now) that I've experienced here in Kherson. That doesn't mean it's never happened before, it just means it's not happened while we've been here.

After all the wind we had in Colorado from late last summer until the day we left at the end of December... There were times when I prayed that God would keep the aspens from falling on us in the middle of the night. The wind blows in Colorado all the time. I'm just not used to it blowing that hard for days and days on end.

We had rain here yesterday and last night, off and on, but in the early evening it cleared off enough for the the sun to shine brightly on the western faces of the buildings across the way from us. Usually they are just kind of gray 'over there' and I don't pay a whole lot of attention to them. Yesterday evening, however, as we were watching one of the original Star Trek Generations tv programs on the VCR, I glanced out the window and was entranced by what I saw. Such a different aspect of the same ol' same ol' view. I grabbed my camera and missed the end of the program, standing out on the balcony, looking here and there, seeing things I don't usually notice. Sometimes Kherson can be beautiful. I read an article this morning, and then watched a youtube video that came with it, about something that is happening in Malaysia. There is a temple there with many gold Buddha idols. While close to 100 people were recently waiting to meet with one of the head men at the temple, the idols began to move. Some moved their mouths (the YouTube video showed this clearly), others began to move hands/fingers, open their eyes or even to speak. Some emitted bright light.

I was skeptical, so I watched the first video and thought it was just a trick of moving the camera's angle to cause the idol to appear bright and then normal. I only watched a couple minutes of the second video where the idol's mouth began to move. The video is from a cell phone or something and is not good quality, plus other people keep getting in the way with their arms and hands holding up cameras as well. However, there is no doubt - the idols' mouth did begin to move, as if speaking. I watched a few seconds of it, and then refreshed the page to stop the rest of the download.

Several missionary biographies that I have read came to mind. Missionaries reporting that strange things like this did happen in areas where they went, and continued to happen until people became Believers in Jesus Christ. Their reports of the spiritual battles that went on are often poo-pooed by modern conservative Evangelical Americans especially. Yet - it happened by witness of those missionaries and it is still happening today.

The spiritual battle we are in is very real. Of that I have no doubt. None.

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I really need to get busy and finish my Sunday School lesson prep for tomorrow. I know the story from Luke 11 and I have a picture from the internet I'm going to use. The story Jesus told about prayer and borrowing bread from a neighbor late at night.

The book I am supposed to be using has me more than a bit dismayed, however. I do not like this book, but it's the one I was given to teach from. I actually ordered an English copy so that I could really understand what the author was trying to communicate. It's written for very young children.

This last paragraph from tomorrow's lesson illustrates what I do not like about it:
"God will give us all these things if we ask Him, because He has promised to give us whatever is good for us. But we must really, really want to be good." (emphasis in the original)

WHAT????? God will give us what he has promised to give us if we are really, really good??????? AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH. No way am I going to teach that! NO WAY. I don't care if it's at the end of the book and there are other chapters that talk about sin and repentence and Jesus. I will not teach that God will give us whatever we need if we are really, really good. Ei yi yi. I will teach what Jesus taught and not a thought more.
Luke 11:5-13 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’
“Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

This is part of what I'm trying to teach anyone in the Sunday School to watch out for. We need to be very, very careful what materials we use in addition to the Bible. Not all that goes by the name "Christian" is healthy and good. And sometimes heresy is mixed in when we least expect it.

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I'm thrilled to say that my tutor has taken 3 of my scarves. She wears the yellow and black one all the time and it looks really good on her, around her neck and under the v-front of her black coat. I am surprised that she wanted it, but it caughter her attention immediately and she wanted it. :) Yesterday she took 2 more, one of which I had thought seriously about keeping for myself - the Lipstick one. The other was the multi-colored one where I used a white warp and a single verigated bright colored yarn. She was taking them to her cousin who is in the hospital with pancreas problems. It doesn't sound good to me at all, like maybe this cousin has pancreatic cancer or something. Lyudmilla mentioned very, very briefly yesterday that she was concerned, but didn't go any farther than that. Her cousin saw Lyudmilla's yellow and black scarf and commented on how much she liked it. So, Lyudmilla wanted to take her one. I told her she could have which ever one she wanted, in fact, she can give them both away! She also saw the new one I have on the loom and fell in love with the colors. I told her I'd thought of her when I warped the loom and that she can have this one for herself, too, if it looks good when I'm finished. :) I'll post photos of it later. I have barely worked on it at all this week - too busy with that pillow and company!

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All for now. I need to put together a word game of some sort for my lesson!

Lullaby

I had a hard time going to sleep again last night. I know I should not read the news on the internet before I try to go to sleep. So much is happening that in my ownself, in my humanity, in my own strength frightens me and I can't get it out of my mind as I lie there on the bed in the dark.

My country is going to pieces. It is going socialist at an amazing rate. Where did this man get his power? Where did he come from? Who is truly behind him? So many questions and the possible answers frighten me in my own strength.

I read a few Christian blogs and articles on websites last night as well. I told Mel, I knew things were bad in the Church in the States, but I had no idea that it is THIS bad. I am shocked, but not surprised. Does that make sense?

Finally I got up and turned on the computer, thinking I would write a blog post. Guess what? I finally ran out of time on the internet account. Nothing. No connection at all.

Instead I put on a sermon and listened to it. When that one was over, I put on another.

I am so glad I did. When I really could barely keep my eyes open any longer (3:30 am), the sermon was over. I turned off the computer, turned off the little lamp here on the desk by the computer, and went back to bed.

In my mind Handel's Messiah was singing.
(part 53) Worthy is the Lamb
Revelation 5:12, 13
12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13. . . . Blessing, and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.
and (Part 44) Hallelujah
Revelation 19:6
6. Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Revelation 11:15 15. . . the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 19:16 16. . . . KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS.

I went to sleep singing these in my mind, praising God and thanking Him that HE is the one who is in control of everything that is going on, whether it is the collapse of the United States of America, the state of California burning up, or a dragonfly coming in our flat. Jesus Christ Himself said that in the last days many would fall away from the Faith, so why should I be surprised to read of so many false teaching rising up within the Church today and being whole-heartedly accepted?

Again, my prayer is that my family, that I myself, my husband, my good friends who are True Believers - that we would STAND FIRM in our faith until the end. Stand firm, even to the point of dying.

Deception

Sometimes I am a little slow on the uptake. I've read my Bible for years. I've listened to sermons for 55 years. I've had hundreds of conversations over the years dealing with this subject or related subjects. Why, at the age of almost 55, did I suddenly understand what the word 'deception' actually means?

deception by Collins 1) noun, the act of deceiving or the state of being deceived
2) noun, something that deceives; trick
Collins English Electronic Dictionary - Digital Edition: 2008 © HarperCollins Publishers 2008 (bold emphasis mine)

It was in the middle of a conversation with Mel that it finally dawned on me, after all these years, that when a person is deceived they CANNOT understand or believe the truth. It is impossible.

I had always thought that a person could just decide to believe something, to just know that something was a lie or false, that this is right and that is wrong. That faith, in other words, was a matter of chosing to believe the truth rather than a lie.

Duh! I am a Calvinist - what was wrong with my thinking??? Why did it take me so long to understand that? I don't know. Other than the fact that I think if people just had more 'common sense' they wouldn't believe so much garbage that is being put out there today. Now I realize that is not true - it doesn't matter how much common sense a person has. If a person is deceived, they cannot understand the truth until they are no longer deceived.

In some ways it seems a bit circular to me. And I'm sure I could get into a whole bunch of philosophical discussion about all sorts of things, like what is "real", what is "truth", and so forth and so on. But that's not where I'm going here. I am not a philosopher! :)

Christ's words are on my mind right now, and have been for several weeks. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:9-14 (again, bold emphasis mine)

I have been thinking more and more about the idea that false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Coming from a religious background, many of those false prophets are obvious - Jim Jones, Mark and Elizabeth Claire Prophet, Sun Myung Moon, David Koresh, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles Taze Russell and many, many more. There are also other false prophets within the evangelical church and I will name a couple names here: Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland. There are others. And of course, there are the false prophets of major world religions practiced world-wide today. These people I have named deceived people into various religious groups and cults, literally millions of people all over the world.

But there are other forms of deception today as well. One that is very loosely connected is the New Age movement. Maybe it goes by different titles in different areas and at different times, but it's all one and the same.

Living in the Wet Mountain Valley in the mid-90's we saw a lot of New Age stuff. On the west side of the Valley are the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Blood of Christ Mountains), so named by the first Spanish explorers to the area. Nestled in the Valley are two towns, Westcliffe and Silver Cliff. Located up against the eastern foot of the Sangres at the bottom of Horn Peak is Sangre de Cristo Seminary, where Mel attended and graduated from.

On the other side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, to the west, is the San Louis Valley. Nestled at the western base of the Sangres, almost directly on the other side of the mountain from the seminary, is the little town of Crestone. One of the best articles I've read on Crestone is located here: Shambala of the Rockies, The Mythos and Power of Crestone, by Allison Rae and Reprinted with permission of Four Corners Magazine, Sedona, AZ.

I have often wondered at how God leads people and why He puts them in specific places at specific times. There are no accidents with God. He put us right smack dab in the middle of the Wet Mountain Valley at the end of the '80's and through the middle of the '90's. He put us right there in our little mobile home on the west edge of town exactly where He wanted us to live. Mel worked at a little cafe and pastored a church north of town, both exactly where God wanted him to be. I worked at a Christian conference center and later at the public library in town exactly when God wanted me to work at both places.

Those facts are important. There are no accidents in God's plan. We were supposed to experience, to see, to hear, to learn EXACTLY what we experienced, saw, heard and learned - about a variety of things. I have often thought that God wanted us to get a handle on what was going on within the New Age community without actually being IN it.

We heard about the time Shirley McClaine came through the valley, looking for property to buy so she could start a big New Age center of some kind. The story that went around town - I don't know if it was true or not - is that the real estate agent took her and her chauffer to various big ranches that were for sale, they would stop, she would pick up some of the dirt and sniff it or something to determine if this was 'the place' she was supposed to buy. Obviously God had other plans for her because she eventually bought part of the Baca Ranch at Crestone, on the other side of the Sangres. Believe me, when people heard she was thinking about the Wet Mountain Valley, many prayers were said, pleading with God to make her go away. :)

If you read the article I linked to above about Crestone, you will remember that that part of Colorado is considered to be very spiritually alive. Blanca Peak, at the end of the Colorado Sangres (there are more in New Mexico) is considered a sacred mountain by the Navajo and other Southwest tribes. Taos and its' famous hum are just to the south and a bit west a few miles. The San Louis Valley and Costilla County are home to dozens of cattle mutilations, UFO reports (there is even a 'UFO viewing tower' located along one of the main highways), 'black helicopters' and other strange phenomenom. UFO viewing tower, near Hooper, Colorado

Some of those things flowed over into the Wet Mountain Valley. In fact, the Silver Cliff cemetery is famous for it's "ghost lights", with them even being mentioned in a National Geographic magazine article several years ago (also see here w/ great photos of the area). I went out there many times at night and unfortunately never saw them - I really wanted to! Over the years we lived there, more than one person told me they had seen black helicopters or mysterious lights in the sky at night. I remember one rumor of a mutilation. The funny thing is, I often walked at night with only starlight to see by, alone on deserted country roads. Several times Mel and I went for moonlit walks, both in the summer and in the winter. At no time did I ever see any of these things. I now think the reason for that is simply that I don't believe in it and/or God was protecting me from it all.

Not too long before we left the Valley, the population of Westcliffe exploded. Lots of new families and couples and even singles moved into the area. When we moved into our mobile home on the edge of town, there were two or maybe three other mobile homes in the whole park. When we left there were several dozen. We had chosen our slot because it was on the very edge of the park with an incredible view of the mountains out the west windows. I cannot come close to describing how beautiful the view was. When we left, there were 3 more mobile homes parked between us and the view, at right angles to our mobile home.

Now, the one located farthest to the right, on the north side, was just a little trailer. A couple moved in. We discovered very quickly that they were involved in the New Age religion. One night we came home and there was a full sized Indian tipi located at the end of their trailer, between it and the road. We soon learned that they set it up during the full moon most months (at least we thought that was the schedule). One nice warm summer day I had all the windows opened and a nice breeze was blowing through the house. Suddenly I smelled smoke. Since Colorado is almost always in drought and the danger of grass fires is very real, I immediately went looking for smoke and grass fires. I looked out the boys' bedroom window, and there was our neighbor, dressed like an Indian with braids hanging down his back, dancing around his trailer, chanting and waving a burning brand of herbs and grasses. I went out, stopped him and asked him what he was doing. "Cleansing their property" was his answer. What he was holding looked just like this: I complained that the smoke was coming in our windows and that it was very annoying, but he really didn't care. I went back inside, he continued to dance, chant and 'cleanse'. All I could think of was all the evil spirits he was calling down next to us! I immediately went back into the boys' room, watched him and prayed ferverently that God would protect us and our property, and make him stop. He soon did, but I think he was just finished with his ritual.

The battle is very real. People who scoff at the spiritual world and it's influence - well, I firmly believe they themselves are deceived.

There are several other examples of things like this that happened during the years we lived in the Valley. That is just the one I always remember first. That neighbor was no more a Native American than I am - he was white. He was pretending to be an Indian - but more, he was totally deceived into believing the lies of Native religion and New Age religion.

Deceived. Deception. Lies. I could see the truth, I know the Truth - but this man and the woman he lived with could not, would not. They were deceived. I felt the presence of Evil whenever they were around. It was not a pleasant time.

Now, some 14 years later, this religion is permeating the internet, books, movies and television programs in America. A casual skim through YouTube shows proof of this. Hundreds, if not thousands, of videos on 2012 and the coming of Planet X or Nibiru, 2012 and the Awakening that will happen then. Just a skim of titles shows the connection between 2012 and 'chakra' (I think I spelled that right) and enlightenment. The History Channel has done programs on it, Discovery has done programs on it. Books by the hundreds are promoting it, explaining it, talking about it. 2012. We will see.

While we lived in Westcliffe one of the guys who used to come into the cafe where Mel worked went on a pilgramage to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He and more than 35,000,000 (according to one site I looked at) other people from around the world have gone there to see apparitions of Mary, to experience healings, to see the sun 'dance' and change colors, have visions, and special revelations from "The Queen of Peace". I was shocked (why? I shouldn't have been, but I was) to read of how many people have been there to that one place alone. I explored a bit more and discovered that many other places in the world are also having apparitions of Mary. Why did I not know of this? Maybe because we are very insulated here from what is going on within the "Christian" community of the world and because Protestants by and large scoff at such things.

I no longer scoff. I think people really are seeing apparitions of something, that people are healed and see visions and hear prophecies. I am sure they really are seeing a 'beautiful woman' and the sun dance', etc. I also believe it is Satanic in origin. What I am amazed at most, though, is the total deception that is going on with all of this. People are DECEIVED and cannot believe the truth of what is going on.

I return back to the words of Christ above - Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

These things are happening around us. Rather than being fightened or scoffing or ignoring it - knowing and understanding that it is really happening is a reminder to me that I must STAND FIRM in my faith. Stand firm because If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.' Isaiah 7:9b
and
"He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.
Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near." Luke 21:8,9,29

Come quickly, Lord Jesus Christ!

Amazing Joy

Photos of Murdered German Bible School Students
Two German Bible School students were brutally murdered while volunteering at hospital in Yemen this month.

Anita G. and Rita S. were photographed earlier at the Brake Bible School in western Germany. Anita was photographed serving children in Malawi during a missions trip there in 2006.

from CBN News, Friday, June 19, 2009

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What?? Amazing JOY?? Why in the world would I title a post about the murder of these two young women 'Amazing Joy'?

There are a couple of reasons.

Several years ago while Mel and I were living in the Wet Mountain Valley of Colorado, I had a wonderful experience. At the time Colorado was being inundated by people moving in from California. Everything was changing. I was born and raised in Colorado, as were my parents and grandparents. Suddenly here was this whole migration of people moving in. They had 'west coast values' - not mine, and usually not the values of anyone else I knew. They brought their brand of politics, lifestyle and even religion with them. They brought a drug problem to our little valley (oh, the valley already had an alcohol problem, for sure) and along with that, the influence of gangs. Things changed radically. Now, if you didn't live there day in and day out, you may not have seen the difference, but for those of us who did - it was fast and it was often painful in unexpected ways. I was in mourning for what was happening to my home. Houses springing up like mushrooms all over the place, prices increasing, and so forth.

One day while Mel and I were driving in to town I was talking to him about it all and how distressed I was seeing everything change and much being destroyed (you can't rebuild hills and regrow big trees that are gouged, cut down or totally removed for example). After a bit we lapsed into silence. I looked out the window at the Sangre de Cristo mountains on our left, and then out at the hay fields to our right. When I looked back to the north, I had one of the most treasured experiences I've ever had.

In a split second it was there and then it was gone. Then it was there again and just as quickly gone.

I sat stunned. Quiet. Wondering at what I had just seen.

I looked at Mel somewhat hesitantly and said, "Mel, I just saw the New Earth. For just a split second, there it was."

Mel was driving and he is used to me chattering away, wandering in my thoughts far and wide. He didn't say much, just indicated that he'd heard me. I often have wondered - what did he think at that point? Maybe I'm glad I don't know the answer to that! ha ha!

I started to explain what I'd seen. Even now it's very difficult because I saw the same geological formation that I've always seen while driving or riding down that road - only it was perfect, untainted by sin. I had no clear words to describe how it affected me - like an electric shock, like how a SweetTart tastes when you first bite into one... like pure, complete JOY filling every cell in my body, every thought in my head, creating in me a longing that is deep and desperate to BE THERE NOW.

I asked him - is this really possible? Did I really, truly actually SEE for those split seconds the New Earth that God will create for us after Christ's return? Am I going nuts?

And he reassured me that, no, I was not going nuts, and he didn't know what I had just experienced, but yes it was possible (maybe not probable, but definitely possible) that God had given me a vision, a foretaste of what is to come. And to myself I thought - maybe He gave it to me to help me not mourn so deeply, but to "set my mind on things above and not things on the earth."

I have remembered that instant sense of joy many times. Many times. I have thought about the New Earth and the New Heaven oh so very many times, wondering, and dreaming, and praising my God and Father for what He is going to provide for us.

Several years later, here in Kherson, one of the women in the church told us that she had died and been resuscitated 3 times. She was not a believer at the time this happened. She remembers clearly going to heaven and seeing flowers there. One single flower had hundreds of petals and each petal was a different color. She said she's never seen colors like that here on earth. She said she was told she wasn't supposed to be there yet and had to go back. This during communist times, happened to an unbeliever - BUT God had called her to be His before the foundation of the world - she was His already, she just didn't know it yet and was not yet prepared to enter heaven. She longs to return, but it isn't time yet.

I've been thinking a lot about death and dying, about the Second Coming of Christ, about living in the End Times. Lest someone think I'm just being morbid about it all - no, I've just been listening to a series of 80 sermons on The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Some I am relistening to because they are so good, they bring me such comfort and they make me think deeper thoughts than I would otherwise.

In one of the sermons from a passage in one of the last two chapters of The Revelation, Dr. Azurdia makes a statement that one of the things we will experience on the New Earth is JOY, real, deep Joy. And when I heard him say that, I thought of the vision God had given me, and began to weep with longing for the future.

So, I started out this post talking about two young German women who were recently martyred. The Revelation has much to say about martyrs, too - they play a big part in what happens in the future.

But for now, these two women, along with the three Turkish men martyred so viciously in 2007, and thousands of others like them (our Christians brothers and sisters of all nationalities, from all of history) - they live eternally in Amazing Joy.

Come Lord Jesus! Come!
Necati Aydin, Tilman Geske and Ugur Yuksel, (L to R)

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
Revelation 6:9-11

The past few days have been full of news about death. More so than usual, it seems to me. Ed McMahon, Neda Soltan (Iran), Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson. All big names, all died within just a few days of each other.

I was especially struck by the death of Neda Soltan, but not for the reason the world is upset. No, what struck me with great sorrow was the headline: "I'm burning! I'm burning" - her last words before she passed into her eternal state.

I am making the assumption that she was a member of the dominant religion of that country. And if so, then she is burning eternally in hell. Her last words - were they expressing her passage from life into eternity, from this world into the burning fires of hell?

No one will ever know for sure this side of eternity. I've heard stories before, though, of unbelievers crying out about burning and hell and fire at the moment of death.

A beautiful young woman here on earth, but now? As far as humanly known, simply another soul spending eternity in hell fire.

Three other people died and made national and international news. The biggest news, is of course, the "untimely" death of Michael Jackson. I've never been an MJ fan, never. Oh, he might have been a cute kid, but as an adult I found him sickening. His dancing, while talented, was often obscene. He appeared to be mentally ill - always changing his physical appearance. He was accused of being a pedophile.

Yet, here on earth people worshipped him. I watched a couple of his music videos tonight just to get an idea of who this man was. 'Billy Jean' and 'Beat It' - as well as a FoxNews montage of some of his concerts. During those concerts they showed film of girls/women crying and actually being taken out by EMT's. My thoughts while watching that ran along the line of Jesus' words to the Pharisees: "You have your reward here on earth." But now? Again, it is very possible that he, too, burns for eternity.

This is serious stuff. I am not being light-hearted about this at all. No, in fact, the whole idea makes me shudder and feel a very deep, deep sorrow. So much talent these people had, yet - where are they now?

Life is so short. Fleeting. Like a vapor - here one second and gone the next. People are mourned for awhile and then forgotten.

We watched a special (with voice over so it was hard to get details) about Elvis Presley several weeks ago. Another tragic life, cut short by drugs and bad living. Another person who is remembered, yes, but less and less often and in another generation he, too, will be just a note in history.

How thankful I am that God has provided a way to have eternal life, through Jesus Christ, His Son. Oh, thank you, Father! Thank you once again that I am your child. Help me to stand firm in my faith.

The Rich Man and Lazarus
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
Luke 16:19-31

Bits n Pieces

I called my dad on Father's Day to wish him a happy day. Was very good to hear his voice and talk with him. I also talked with my mother. Actually, I talked with her a lot longer than I talked to my dad. :)

While we were talking I mentioned that both my sister, Heidie, and my sister-in-law,Renee, who both live in Fairbanks, told me in recent instant messaging conversations that they had been woken up not long ago by a sharp earthquake jolt. They've also felt a few smaller tremblors, nothing major.

I told my mother that I expected soon they would have a good sized quake up there, or maybe in California. Who knows? I was looking at the earthquake page on the internet while we were talking and I told her that both Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands area and Alaska were having a bunch of small earthquakes - and so was California.

Imagine my smile the next morning when I'm reading the news and I see a headline that the "urban areas" of Alaska had been shaken by a quake. I looked it up. Oh - that wasn't all that big - just a 5.3. I've been in quakes bigger than that in Alaska.

Heidie didn't feel it. I don't know if Renee did. Of course, they live a long way from the epicenter, even if the news did report that it was felt even north of Fairbanks.

~*~*~*~*~
I've been working on my rabbit surrounded by flowers and bugs needlepoint again. Maybe I'll have a finished object to show before too long. I've only been working on this one about 3 years, maybe 4. I'm getting it done a lot faster than I did my Arctic Wildlife cross stitch.

As soon as it's finished, I really need to think about finishing some of the other two dozen or so projects of various kinds I have started. But first things first. I'm in the mood for needlepoint right now. Strike while the iron is hot!

Which reminds me, I need to iron a couple of Mel's shirts....

~*~*~*~*~
Mel put the air conditioner in the window Monday. Oh sweet coolness! It's not working 100%, but seems to be working better than it did last year.

Today is a lot drier, not so much humidity, so the over 90 degree F temp is a bit easier to handle while outside. Still too hot for me, but much, much better than when the humidity is up.

~*~*~*~*~
We have a sad situation going on here with one of the pastors in another city leaving the ministry. He has, from what we understand from what he's written, renounced his faith in God.

This makes my heart weep.

I am reminded once again of Christ's words: "...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8b

And:

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:9-14 (emphasis mine)

Yes, Jesus said that many will turn away from the faith. A young man we thought was standing firm, has turned away. And it breaks our hearts.

The love of many will grow cold - what a horrible thought.

Oh, how those words terrify me! My plea is always, 'Father, do not let me turn away from you! Help me to love you more and more!'

I believe in eternal security, once saved always saved, but I am also very aware of something else Jesus said: ""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matthew 7:21-23

And Paul's words: Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12,13

I am so thankful for that last part of what Paul wrote - it is GOD who works in us to will and to act according to HIS good purpose.

I need to remember that.

If you pray, please pray for this young man and his family. We do not work directly with him and I do not have the freedom to give his name. God knows who you are praying for.

~*~*~*~*~
I did not sleep well last night and have had a sick stomach all day today. I feel 'droopy'. Is one of the Seven Dwarfs named Droopy? or was it Sleepy? I don't remember. I don't feel like a dwarf in a fairy tale, I just feel yucky. :)

~*~*~*~*~
We went shopping at the 'big Oskar' today. It's always nice to go there and push the cart around, even if the cart does want to go in every direction imaginable except straight ahead. I like the big city Safeway, Albertsons, King Soopers, or Piggly Wiggly feel of that particular Oskar.

However - still no almonds anywhere, or leeks, or avocados, or celery, or pine nuts, or peanut butter. But they did have two or three kinds of lettuce! I didn't buy any because I really don't care for it any more, really truly, but I did take note that it was there. As was fresh ginger. And the very last bag of hazelnuts I've seen anywhere. (I bought the last bag of cashews at one Oskar and the last bag of hazelnuts at another Oskar - maybe I should go to one of the two other Oskars in town and see if they have the last bag of almonds or pine nuts....) I keep thinking of things I didn't see. I hope they get leeks in again, and maybe celery, too. That would be nice. Maybe they are available at the outdoor market - but I really, really, really do not like shopping there in crowds of pushing and shoving people, and stinky fish and flies, and when it rains - puddles of water everywhere. The dogs and cats roaming all over don't bother me. The birds that live in and fly around in two of the Oskars don't bother me either - it's kind of nice to see them and hear them chirping - little European sparrows - so long as they don't sit above me. :) :)

~*~*~*~*~
After coming home from Oskar, we splurged and Mel went out into the hot again, over to a little produkti that is now nearby, and bought us some Poltava ice cream bars. Very similar to the Eskimo bars we bought as kids. My first ice cream of the summer. My lunch today. :)

~*~*~*~*~
Ok, all for now. I need to go lie down again.

Thoughts on Our Live Earth and God

The first time I saw a whole rash of earthquakes on the USGS Latest Earthquakes page, I was surprised to find them centered not in California or Alaska, but on and around the little island of Puerto Rico. I don't remember ever hearing before then that Puerto Rico was so seismically active - but it is. As you can see from these two examples today, more than half the earthquakes listed for this past week were in the Puerto Rico area. Several months ago I looked up on the internet and read some articles about what is happening deep beneath the ocean nearby as well as on the island itself. Puerto Rico and the surrounding area move a lot!This area is not far from the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean, the Puerto Rico Trench. The Puerto Rico Trench is an oceanic trench located on the boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The trench is associated with a complex transition between the subduction zone to the south along the Lesser Antilles island arc and the major transform fault zone or plate boundary that extends west between Cuba and Hispaniola through the Cayman Trench to the coast of Central America. Scientific studies have concluded that an earthquake occurring along this fault zone could generate a significant tsunami.[1]

The island of Puerto Rico lies immediately to the south of the fault zone and the trench. The trench is 800 kilometers (500 mi) long and has a maximum a depth of 8,605 meters (28,232 ft) at Milwaukee Deep, which is the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean.

So why do I find this interesting this morning? Well, I'll tell you. :)

Yesterday in Sunday School I taught the second half of the lesson on the Shorter Catechism for Children question and answer: Where is God? God is everywhere. For the first half I taught the story of Paul on Mars Hill and how he told the people there that God is not confined to idols which are only located in one spot. Earlier in the week, Mel had looked up and read portions aloud to me of some historical accounts of Athens and how it was "covered" in idols, and there on the Acropolis and Mars Hill there were more idols than all the rest of Athens (including, we know, the idol to The Unknown God). But is God confined only to an idol of stone or metal? No, God is everywhere.

This week I taught the story of Jonah and how God was there with him every place he happened to be - at home, in Joppa, on the ship, in the sea, in the fish, in the desert, in Ninevah, under the vine. God is everywhere.

This morning I checked the earthquake page and saw that there were 89 earthquakes there in the Puerto Rico area over the past 7 days. Wow. That is a lot of movement! And I remembered the Puerto Rico Trench and how deep it is (not as deep as the Marian Trench in the Pacific Ocean, but pretty deep none-the-less!) I remembered telling the kids that God was with Jonah while he was in the sea. There is no place in heaven or on earth where you can go and be away from God - God is everywhere.

I look at the earthquake page this morning and I see a list of earthquakes, 89 of them in the Puerto Rico area. I see at least 2 things - God is working out His plan for the earth, moving it, changing it however He pleases and we see and feel the evidence of this. And God is there in the depths of the ocean. When little survey submarines go down into that trench, God is there already. He is intimately aware of every creature that lives in the depths - He made them, He sustains their lives. He is intimately aware of the way the earth is moving and changing at that specific spot - His 'hand' guides it.

I look at the earthquake page this morning and I see a list of earthquakes - yes. But I also see the work of God. And once again I am compelled to bow my head in worship and say, "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."
Revelation 4:11

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."

You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?

Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?

Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.

To whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you compare him to?

As for an idol, a craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.

A man too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot.
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not topple.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

"To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40

Is It Time?

So, what have I been thinking about? I almost hesitate to write about it. However, as I told Mel yesterday, the whole subject reminds me of something that happened about 25 or so years ago.

We went to visit good friends in another state. While sitting around talking, I realized that the church these friends attended was really into talking about anti-evolution stuff and how the church needed to be fighting it. Now, I agree - the church needs to teach the truth about this theory at every opportunity. What I was surprised at was that there was no mention at all of what the current false teaching was that was sweeping through the public and to a big extent, through the churches in America. That was the false teachings of New Age religion. (Maybe that dates this conversation better than my memory can date it!) It was like this church, and those in the surrounding area, were living 10 or more years in the past, addressing problems and error that was (and is) 'old news' and totally missing what needed to be addressed at that particular moment.

New Age religion was, and still is, a huge false teaching in the world. Living in Colorado we heard and saw a lot of it. Remember the book, The Celestine Prophecy? And there were dozens more like it. In fact, in the library where I worked just a few years later, we often took in donated books to shelve because the library was so underfunded. One day we got in a box of books, some of the titles were "Becoming Rock" or "Becoming Tree" or some such stuff. All very New Age. The librarian, a Christian, was distressed because she could not just throw the books out into the garbage, but had to shelve at least a couple of them. This was policy - anyone who knows how the modern library system in America works knows that you cannot "censor" books. Right?

Well, I think we are at a similar place right now in the Church in general. There is a very serious 'new' teaching going around like a wildfire and I have not heard a single word about it from any of my Christian acquaintances, in any Christian blogs I read, or in any Christian 'news.' That is the subject of 2012 and what is going to happen in 2012.

Planet X. Nibiru. The Mayan Calendar. December 21, 2012 or maybe December 22, 2012. There is a LOT of stuff out there on the internet about this. On YouTube alone there are some incredibly well done videos available for viewing, all teaching about what is going to happen and how and why, and how to survive it. If I can find it, then junior and senior year high school students are finding it, people in the church are finding it, and unless someone is teaching otherwise - well, it is very well done and very believable and people are gullible. The church needs to be aware of and ready to teach/instruct about this error or it is going to become embedded in the church like evolution and much New Age thinking has become a part of the church's thinking.

This is partly what I wanted to talk to someone about. Someone who would listen without judging, without blowing it off, without thinking I'm "way out there and need to be corralled" or something.

How did this all start in my thinking? It started with the recent election in the States. I have a lot of questions about what happened and why. I mean, really - who ever heard of this guy, O, before he suddenly just appeared? We all knew it was going to be HC and whoever the republicans finally decided on - right? Even she seemed to think it was going to be her. But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere this guy, O, appeared.

I have puzzled so very many times at how this man could say exactly what he believed and was going to do - much of it anti-Biblical and anti-Christian - and yet "Christians" by the hundreds and thousands voted for him. It's like they were totally deceived, like a huge deception swept through our country. We know much of his background - and frankly, I find the man very scary and very, very dangerous.

I don't just accept things that I'm told - I research stuff. In the past, I went to the library and read books and magazines on both sides of the subject. Or I watched videos or television programs. Now I read books (limited due to where I live) and read what's on the internet (there is a lot of junk, but there is informative stuff, too). I read the Bible and listen to sermons, I remembered what I've been taught since childhood. And I evaluate. I study. I think things through. From A to B to C to what may possibly be D or E and so forth. I like to look not at just what was and what is, but what are the possibilities proceeding from what was and what is. There are usually several possible results, some equal while others have more or less probability of occurring.

Why do I do this? Mostly because it's interesting to me alone. Other times - it's because I see something that claims to be good and I happen to think it is not good, or maybe just plain dangerous. In the past I wanted my kids to be able to think things through clearly, to not believe something just because someone tells them it's true (Christians or non-Christians - some of what is taught under the guise of Christianity is pretty scary or simply stupid but Christians lap it up because it comes to them under the guise of being Christian or possibly under the guise of fighting against non-Christian beliefs. THINK people!! Open your eyes!!). I wanted them to discern the truth, learn to discern the truth, not just to be sheep that followed along because everyone else was. Mel also taught them this way.

So, I've asked myself (and Mel) a dozen times - where did this guy come from? How did this happen so fast? How could so many people be so deceived so quickly? How does this relate to what the Bible tells us, what it teaches us? What are we to do with it? And many more questions.

I've said it before, and it's true - I revert back automatically to the way I was raised. And End Times comes to mind immediately. The Great Deception. A one world religion (which I happen to now call Global Warming/Climate Change and the current high priest of this new world religion is named Al Gore). An anti-Christ - name unknown, but proto-types abound.

But talking about End Times has almost become an anathema with many people I know. People got burned out by the 60's and 70's when it was preached all the time from pulpits all over America. Charts and diagrams up the Wazoo. World events at that time seemed to indicate to many that the Second Coming was just an instant away. But Christ didn't come back then. And then some guy went weird with "88 Reasons Christ will return in '88" and of course, He didn't. And Jonestown happened. And a bunch of weird people in California decided to commit suicide together. And a group of weird people moved to our part of Colorado and declared that they were 'pod people' and that the mother ship was returning soon to get them. And people in Taos started hearing a weird noise that could not be picked up on recordings. And cattle and other critters were mutilated (including our neighbor's dog) in bizarre ways. And it seemed it was one thing after another. And no one in the church wanted to talk about Christ's Return, the Second Coming, the Apocalypse (except for scary movies) and so forth. It's like His Second Coming is hush hush or something.

I did not have good success trying to talk to someone about this all, no, my attempt backfired badly. I need to be able to bounce my thoughts off another person to make sure I'm not getting myself into my own weird stuff, but am rationally and carefully thinking it through. I needed someone to say - hold that thought and let's explore it a bit more and see where else it could go. And more than anything, I needed someone who knows the scripture well and can keep me firmly grounded in God's Holy Word.

Thus, not only did I talk with Mel about this, but I also looked up Last Days from a Reformed point of view on the internet, specifically looking for sermons I could listen to.

You can have no idea how relieved I felt when I found a series of sermons, preached from a very Reformed, Presbyterian, Godly point of view. Preached without lots of charts and diagrams. Preached taking what is happening in the world today in mind. And finding that this man, in most points, agrees with what I am seeing and thinking. (Not once did I hear him preach "Oh, Martin Luther thought Christ was returning during his time, too - but He didn't. Every age in the history of the Church thought Christ was coming back during their life time. Don't think about it." or even worse: "Don't worry about it." or "Don't get so excited/upset about it." grrr)

Now I did not choose this man because I knew he agreed with me! No, I had no idea what he thought before I started listening to his sermons, other than the fact that he was indeed Reformed and Presbyterian (that mattered to me for a couple reasons). In fact, it was not easy to find very much preaching on this subject from the Reformed point of view. And in fact, I did not expect this man to agree with my thinking. (Note - I've never met him, probably never will and we probably do not look at everything the same. I'm not saying I liked hearing him because he agreed with me, I'm saying I liked him because he is preaching about it right NOW and that he sees a lot of the same things I'm seeing. He is not ignoring the subject, or making more or less of it than he should. I hope that makes sense!)

I believe our time here on earth is very short. I'll not say it's going to happen in 2012 - good grief! But I do think that Christians, true Believers in Jesus Christ, need to carefully evaluate what is happening in the world, live like Christ can return at any second and LOOK for Him!

I'll write more about this later. This post is getting too long. :)

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[d]is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation[e] will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matthew 24:32-35,42-44

Thoughts on a Gamma Ray Burst Star

I received notification this morning that NASA had published an article titled: Remarkable Flare Star Attracts Attention. NASA Science News for February 10, 2009
A gamma-ray flare star 30,000 light years from Earth is putting on a remarkable show for NASA spacecraft. Highlights include ghostly x-ray "light halos" and eruptions packing more total energy than the Sun puts out in 20 years.

I almost didn't click on it because I'd read a previous article about a gamma-ray star flare and although it was interesting, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend time on that again this morning. I changed my mind, however, when I thought about the "remarkable show" this one is putting on. Maybe there would be pictures or video or something and I love that kind of stuff. :) :) I was destined for disappointment, though, because for some reason the video won't play. Bummer.

However, I did find this paragraph very interesting: "At times, this remarkable object has erupted with more than a hundred flares in as little as 20 minutes," said Loredana Vetere, who is coordinating the Swift observations at Pennsylvania State University. "The most intense flares emitted more total energy than the sun does in 20 years."

I thought about how hot the sun was on our backs as Mel and I walked down the street on Monday in sunshine! and I thought about how intense the sun shine is in summer. My very first thought, though, was - "Wow! I bet that purifies everything around that star, kind of like God doing housework, 'cleaning up space a bit.'

I know from reading the other article I mentioned that gamma-ray bursts from distant stars can cause problems here on earth. That fact was mentioned again: In 2004, a giant flare from another soft-gamma-ray repeater was so intense it ionized Earth's upper atmosphere from 50,000 light-years away: more.

And I thought about the materials I'm working on for the Sunday School. I confess, I find these materials extremely boring and I refuse to inflict them as they are on kids who should not be bored by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (I can hear people being disgruntled at me for putting these materials down - waves of disgruntlement sweeping through the thought vibes of the universe...I can take it!) I've spent hours and hours over the past couple of weeks upgrading, adding to, making them better. All in double and triplicate, the extras put away in appropriately labeled files so some Sunday School teacher of the future can do whatever he/she wants to with them. Hopefully at least some of it will be used...

I've been finding additional interesting visuals, mazes, games and word games (I just take the idea from a game and then use it with Russian words). One of the things I've been doing is making visuals for reviewing the memory verses. In a couple weeks I'll be teaching this verse that I was working on last night: Может ли человек скрыться в тайное место, где Я не видел бы его? говорит Господь. Не наполняю ли Я небо и землю? говорит Господь. or maybe this is easier to read AND understand:
Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the LORD.
"Do not I fill heaven and earth?"
declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:24

When I read that article about gamma-ray bursts, I thought of this verse. I thought about:he who made the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns blackness into dawn
and darkens day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the LORD is his name.
Amos 5:8

Millions and millions of miles out in space a neutron star is sending out bursts of gamma-rays that could literally destroy the earth. Yet, that star was created far enough away from us that we can sit back and 'enjoy the view,' so to speak. Even so, even that far away, it could have negative effects on our earth.

God created that star with a word. A simple word, spoken in an instant of what we now call time (or was there "time" as we know it now when God was creating the earth? God is eternal and does things outside of "time." When did "time" begin? - Ah, but that is for other posts and other mornings of contemplation!) God created it and He said it was good. Somehow, in the scheme of how our universe works, stars bursting gamma-rays out into space are part of that 'good' creation.

A hundred years ago, or maybe 150 years ago, man would never have known that star was out there. I think of that often when I hear of or read articles like this. I also think of Jesus words:
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:36-42

Now those verses bring up a whole 'nother subject that I won't go into here. I want to think a bit about "As it was in the days of Noah." I've always been taught and I've always thought that the 'as it was' refered to sin and how horribly sinful man was at that time. If we open our minds to the fact that we are NOT evolving better and better in every way every day from cave man to our next evolutionary step, but that in fact we are falling farther and farther away from our created perfectly in everyway father, Adam - well, that opens the door to the idea that maybe, just maybe "as it was in the days of Noah" could refer to knowledge as well as sin. Even after the Flood, this happened:
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth. Genesis 11:5-7

What did ancient man know before the Flood? If he could do and build things like that, what was he really like before the Flood? Did he study the stars with eyes that could see much better and farther than ours can? Did he have instruments, lost in flood and world upheaval at that time, that we are only now beginning to replicate? We don't know! Much was lost and destroyed in the Flood, possibly including a whole continent. (Atlantis). Maybe ancient man knew and understood gamma-ray bursts. It seems to me that as our world communicates more and more in one language (English) we are in knowledge becoming more and more like those people at the Tower of Babel and possibly more like those who lived before the Flood.

So many maybes. So many things to think about and wonder about.

I've been criticized for thinking about things like this, criticized by people who live in the 'here and now' and 'just the facts, ma'am' and 'why wonder about what might have been and just think about what is'. I find that sad. And close minded. And lacking in imagination. And lacking in worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who created it all, thinking smaller of Him by ignoring or discounting the amazing work of creation that He did.

Oh, I want to know Him better! And when I think of His creation - created just for me!! - and how little I understand or know it or CAN know it - I have no words. I am humbled. And I bow before the Creator of the universe and sing with the twenty-four elders:
"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."
Revelation 4:11
A Dying Star Shrouded by a Blanket of Hailstones Forms the Bug Nebula (NGC 6302)

"... And It Was Good."

God saw all that he had made,
and it was very good.
And there was evening,
and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31

Click on the photo for a larger view.

photo from:
The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
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Pursuing the Road

After reading The Hobbit again earlier this year, and after watching The Lord of the Rings series again this fall, I wanted to actually read again how the series was written by J. R. R. Tolkien. I don't have the books here, so I borrowed them.

I also looked Tolkien up on the internet and read several articles about him. Was he a true Believer? Some indicate yes and some are not so clear. He was Catholic, a very devout Catholic, and as with everyone else who has lived and died, we will know for sure when we get to heaven.

As I am with music, only more so, I am not a big poetry fan. In fact, if there is poetry in a story I skip it 99.9% of the time. Poetry drives me nuts. Just say what you want to say! Don't beat around the bush getting to the main point! And why make it so complicated? I don't get it.

Strange. Me - who likes to write in metaphors - complaining about poetry in that way. But I always disliked it in school, I really disliked reading it aloud (getting the cadence going - blah) and I confess, listening to poetry in Russian is like listening to the same sounds over and over and over and over again. (This is because the language is gender based and the words end with the same letters - adjectives and nouns - thus mya bolshaya beliya starshaya mashina - all ending with the ya or a sound is an example. Sigh. BORING. I know, I know - it's just me!)

So, when I got out The Fellowship of the Ring and started reading it I very quickly remembered that "Oh yes, there is a bunch of poetry in this series. Oh no." And I decided then and there that I would actually read it this time.

Wow! Read large sections of these books that I totally skipped last time I read the series? Yep. I actually remember sitting in the library in high school, turning the pages while skipping those sections.

Imagine my surprise when I found out I actually enjoyed parts of the poetry in The Fellowship of the Ring. Not all of it, granted, some of it just did not 'speak' to me at all, but some of it is very good (not the poetry itself maybe, but what it says).

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

~*~*~*~
Mel and I were talking yesterday and I'm not sure he understood exactly what I was talking about, but I'm going to try here and put it into better words. Sometimes it seems that I can write my thoughts a lot better than speak them aloud.

When I was young it seemed that the whole world was wide open to me. As a child I learned more and more, and the world grew bigger and the possibilities of the future seemed endless. As a young woman each stage was new and exciting. Graduation from high school, working a full-time job, traveling by myself or with friends - even all the way to Alaska, going to Bible college, getting married, having my first child, and so forth and so on. It was all new. Everything was a learning process that I loved.

And always, in the back of my mind was the idea that if 'this' or 'that' didn't work out the way I liked, well, I could always change something, tweak it, work on it until it was the way I wanted. Now I had no thought ever of giving up my husband! But, when we had conflicts or troubles we could work on them, I could change, he could change, we could change and grow together. Same with the kids. And if we didn't like where we were living, the jobs that we had - well, we could get new jobs or move or start over.

But something happened along the way.
I grew older.
And the possibilities for the future became less.
Not less in importance, but less in number.

Oh, Mel and I still have to work to stay happily married. With age comes new challenges - health, available energy and so on. But we have also come to a very comfortable place with each other in many ways. Does that mean we know all there is to know about each other? Absolutely not! It just means that we have to be careful not to take each other for granted and we need to look for those new little gems. To be frank, Mel often surprises me, even after almost 33 years of marriage. And I love him more every day. That is a gift from God!

We could decide that God is calling us to a new job and place to live. That is not as simple as it was even a few years ago, but it is still very do-able.

The greatest differences are in what I know I can possibly do as opposed to what I think I can possibly do. Or be. Or become.

I know I can possibly hike in Lost Creek Wilderness Area next time we are home. But is it possible to walk a whole trail and spend a night camping out? I don't know. I doubt it. Maybe that possibility is gone forever??

I know I can still learn and study. Is is possible to go back to college? Yes. But is it realistic to think that I could have a new career in something I am very interested in? Most likely not. Maybe that possibility is gone forever??

I love working with kids and I'm glad I had my own kids and I'm glad I taught Sunday School for so many years and am doing so again. But is it possible to have another child live with us again? Maybe. But oh it would be so very different now! My energy level is so much lower, my health not what it was 30 years ago, my desire to do so is gone (unless for some reason it was my own grandchild or niece or nephew and then family takes precedence over all sorts of things!). I now truly understand what people always say: It's great to be a grandparent because then you can send the kid home after awhile. :) :)

So, as I grow older I realize that my life does not have the possibilities it once had.

This is a bit scary. It is uncomfortable. Maybe this is why guys have "mid-life crisis?" Always before if something was a disappointment, then I could go on and try something else. But it is getting to the time of life when the end of that is coming into sight.

Something to think about. Something I have been thinking about.

I wish I had a thousand lives to live so I could do and go and be all that I have thought of and dreamed of doing and going and being.

~*~*~*~
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

(note that the first and last poems are not exactly alike. Tolkien wrote them both.)

~*~*~*~
And so, in many ways, Tolkien sums up better than I can:
Upon the hearth the fire is red,
Beneath the roof there is a bed,
But not yet weary are our feet,
Still round the corner we may meet:
A sudden tree or standing stone
That none have seen but we alone.

Tree and flower and leaf and grass,
Let them pass! Let them pass!
Hill and water under sky,
Pass them by! Pass them by!

Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate
And though we pass them by today
Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run
Towards the Moon or to the Sun.

Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe,
Let them go! Let them go!
Sand and stone and pool and dell,
Fare you well! Fare you well!

Home is behind, the world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead
We'll wander back to home and bed.

Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!
Fire and lamp, and meat and bread,
And then to bed! And then to bed!

~*~*~*~
I love my life. I love the way God has led me over the years. Oh, it has not always been easy - sometimes I have been very frustrated, or angry, or disappointed. But looking back on almost 55 years, well, I love my life and I'm glad it has been the way it's been.

But I also look forward to the future, when I am "young" again in my perfect body and perfect home, forever with my Lord and Savior.

Promise from Jesus Christ:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."
John 14:1-4

Tell Me a Story!

Note: The name of this blog is My Thoughts and that is what I post here - my thoughts. I explore all sorts of things, I blog about all sorts of things, I wrestle with all sorts of things. My blog is not a place where I am asking anyone to argue with me. If you want to read my blog, please feel free. Please don't jump to conclusions and take things out of context. A lot of different people read this. If you don't like what I write - please stop reading it! :):)
*~*~*~*~*~*

I was in a meeting all day today, as were all of my team mates here in our city. Sometime during our meeting, I realized something. Something very sad to me.

Sometime in the past few years the Bible has become boring to me.

I ask myself: What? How could this happen? What is going on? Oh no!

And I realize that somehow it has become a book, oh a very important book, yes! but just a book where you go to find the answer to a list of questions. In fact, knowing the list has somehow become more important than knowing the Bible. Except, I rebel at learning the list and feel like a complete failure.

Some guys a bunch of years ago sat around in a big meeting that lasted several years and decided that everything that the Bible is and contains can be summed up in a list of questions and answers. Rules. The New Law for "Good Christians" to memorize and follow. Know this and you'll know all you need to know.

I did not grow up in that kind of church. Instead, I grew up in a church that emphasized End Times. End Times until everyone in my family was sick to death of charts, the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation. I could draw charts and give sequences of events with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.

BUT - that church was very good in one area. I grew up knowing my Bible very well. I could find verses at the drop of a hat (I always won in those old "Sword Drills" that we'd have). The preacher would take a text and draw in other Bible texts from all over the place (it wasn't all End Times :):) ). I knew my Bible - the whole Bible very well. When I went to Bible College I actually had an advantage over several of the other students in my classes because I'd had such an overall good Biblical education in my local church (End Times not withstanding).

Somehow, though, over the past few years something else came to be the 'right thing to know.' A list of questions and their answers. I've never made it through a whole study of these questions and answers because (whisper - I'm whispering this) they mostly bore me to tears.

The Bible used to be a living book to me, full of adventure and excitement. It used to be a book that I could turn to when I hurt inside and find comfort from it's pages. Now, however, more often than not, it has been distilled into this list that is (yawn) boooooorrrrriiiing to read through. Reading the list I learn a lot about theology and a lot about God, but I don't get to know God Himself very well. Reading through the list I read what the "TRUTH" is, but I have lost the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who smiles at me, laughs with me, let's me cry on His shoulder, puts His arms around me, guides me, who is Himself all truth. Instead, He has become a list of attributes that are foreign to me because they are so 'other.'

Church has become a "right way to do this and no way else." Robert's Rules of Order rule!

Now, I remember a Bible study I was involved in way back in the early '80's in a non-denominational church. It was a women's Bible study on the attributes of God. Many of these things I had learned in Bible college, but here we approached them in a different way. I remember how excited I was the first time I realized that God is sovereign - this meant something in MY LIFE, it was personal and not just an answer to a question that needed to be memorized.

I'm having a hard time writing this all down, trying to explain what I mean.
God has been put in a box, neatly wrapped and whenever we need an answer to a questions, we pull out the box, sift through the questions and find the appropriate one and read it's answer. Sometimes the answers make no sense to me in conjunction with the questions. Sometimes the verses used to prove the answer make even less sense to me. Everything is ripped out of context and bits and pieces of verses are used to prove points. And the language it is written in is, sorry to say, not my mother tongue, but the language my ancestors spoke.

So - call me a heretic. Bring me up on charges. What can I say, other than -

TELL ME A STORY!

Tell me the story of an axhead that floated. Teach me about God through the life of His prophets. Tell me the story of a woman who took her life in her hands to protect her worthless husband and ended up the wife of a king. Tell me the story of brothers who hated each other so much they sold the youngest into slavery - and he became the second most powerful ruler in the world of that time. Tell me the story of how much God loved a woman who had had 5 husbands and sent His Son to show her Truth and forgiveness. Tell me the story of Jesus, from Genesis to Revelation. Tell me the story of how God uses a man's disobedience to show His power through a shipwreck and a snake bite, while preserving his servant.

Tell me a story! God gave us a book of stories! Wonderful stories. Teaching stories. Beautiful stories.

Don't give me a boring list of questions and answers.
The Bible is a living book! Not boilable (is that a word) down to a list of questions and answers to be memorized.

Oh my.

Now here is a story for you: Here is a word picture that is far from boring: Here is LIFE:

For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

Oh my! I can feel that sword hanging over me, I can feel it piercing me, cutting against the bones, working it's way inside me very being. The WORD of GOD is living.

Now, this problem I now realize that I have is not my husband's fault. Nor is it the fault of my team mates. Nor is it the fault of the organization for whom we work.

No, I think the fault lies in the fact that I have tried to live by a completely foreign to my personality kind of religion. Rules. Regulations. Lists to do, think, believe. Wrap it all up into a neat package and satisfaction occurs. Or, it's supposed to. I can judge between good and evil by this list. You are right or you are wrong by how you line up against this list.

No - I am more messy than that. I don't like neat little packages that have no surprises. I don't like cut and dried. I don't want to listen to dull facts when there are incredible stories to read/hear instead.

Give me color! Give me blood and guts! Give me wars and feasting! Give me passion! Give me - The Word Of God, the Holy Bible.

Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus,
Sang as they welcomed His birth.
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Refrain

Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

Fasting alone in the desert,
Tell of the days that are past.
How for our sins He was tempted,
Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
Tell of the sorrow He bore.
He was despised and afflicted,
Homeless, rejected and poor.

Refrain

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain.
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see.
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
Love paid the ransom for me.

Refrain