FRIENDS

I go to Facebook..You go to Facebook..Everyone goes to Facebook.  Everyone is every one's friend.  The term "friend" is bounced around and loosely used on the social networks.  But are the "friends" really your friends?  Do you know them?  Have you ever met them?  Do you know what your "friends" are like or how they would be in good times or bad?  I sure don't.  I have only family and a few trusted individuals tagged as friends.  Even then, I wonder about a few of them!!

There isn't anything wrong in having lots of friends on Facebook.  It is generally a fun place to visit and hang out.  But what is the true meaning of friend?  Is it just in seeing how many people you can sign up?  And how much of your time and day revolves around this one particular website of "friends?"  What about you; are you a good "friend?"


"Instead of a friend become not an enemy to your neighbor.  A sweet word multiplies friends and appeases enemies and a gracious tongue in a good man abounds.  Be at peace with many, but let one of a thousand be your counselor.  If you would get a friend try him before you take him, and do not credit him easily.  For there is a friend for his own occasion and he will not abide in time of your trouble.  And there is a friend that turns to  enmity.   And there is a friend that will disclose hatred and  strife and reproaches:  and there is a friend, a companion at the table who will not abide in the day of distress.  A faithful friend is a strong defense and he that has found him has found a treasure.  Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend and no weight of gold and silver is able to countervail the goodness of his fidelity. A faithful friend is the medicine of life and immortality: and they that fear the Lord shall find Him.  He that fears God will likewise have good friendships: because according to Him  shall his friend  be"

This is from Ecclus. V1: 1-17.
  (I need to add this amendment because this book is not found in most Protestant Bibles so you would need a Catholic Bible to find it under the Book of Sarach)

I have taken the liberty of updating a few words because some of it is Old English and archaic.  It is found in the Old Testament should anyone care to look it up and read it.  Reading it several times will reveal how wise and profound the passage is, even in theses modern times.  The message is clear:  "Chose your friends wisely."

TO THE DOCTOR

I went to the eye Dr. today and had my pressure checked.  The pressure was OK and he said I had the beginnings of cataracts.  He said that last time I went in.  I don't worry over it.

I am tired, though.  I didn't sleep as well as I should have, but I did sleep...after I got up around 1:30 A. M. and had milk and crackers.  I never could sleep on an empty stomach.

The ground is very dry.  We had a lot of rain a month ago, but not a drop since.  It is predicted to rain tomorrow and then come off hot the next day.  Today the humidity was only 29% and  that is super, even though it got up  91degrees, you don't feel the heat.

My eyes are tired and I guess I will go to bed soon.  I am going to the big Chinese Buffet tomorrow...so I need my beauty rest...and a lot of it!

END

THE PRAYER ROPE AND THE JESUS PRAYER.

Chances are that you have never heard of a prayer rope or the Jesus Prayer.  They go back into history and were first used by monastic monks, nuns and brothers of the early Eastern Orthodox Church.  The prayer ropes helped the monastic flocks say their their prayers as many could not read the written prayers of the times.  They could memorize certain prayers and count them off with the fingers of the right hand  while  the "rope" was being held in the left hand. There were of 33 knots for the age of Jesus when he died.  They were also made with 50 knots to 100 knots.  They are still in use in many parts of the world and some historians think they were the precursor of the Rosary.

You can buy them by going to the Internet and doing a search for Prayer Ropes and or the Jesus Prayer.  You can pay a reasonable amount of money for one or quite a bit of cash for  the more elaborate of the Prayer Ropes.  Most of them are still made in monasteries of the Eastern Orthodox Churches here and abroad.

I made my own.  They are simple to make and a simple way to pray for a simple minded person such as me.  Basically all you need is a long cord and a little patience.  The hardest part of making your own Prayer Cord-Rope, is in trying to get the knots evenly spaced.  I used a simple knot so that if  I were not to get them evenly spaced I could easily untie the knot and redo it.  The next part is a little harder, but not so bad, and that is of tying off the ends and completing a loop.  You can add a cross or medal to the end of the loop  or just tie it off in some nice manner.  The prayer rope can also be used as a rosary if needed.  I do not use mine as a rosary.

The prayer rope would be an ideal way for people in suppressed countries to pray.  It doesn't look like a Christian implement for prayer if you don't add a cross or medal, although they generally are.  At the turn of the 20th century it(the prayer rope) was still a practice of prayer and used here in the states and continues to be used, but fell out of vogue in the early 1900's by most American Catholics.  It would be nice to see it make a comeback in the USA.

The main prayer that is said on each knot is "LORD JESUS CHRIST, HAVE MERCY ON ME."  It is not the only prayer or ejaculation(that is a religious term, by the way).  A prayerful penitent can use his own words if desired, or several short ejaculations.  The one above is the most common, but not the one I prefer to use...which of course...is private.

The picture of the Prayer Rope at the top is not the one I made.  I would like to afford one like it.  The reason you don't see mine is because the batteries in the camera are D-E-A-D.

If anyone would like a prayer rope I could make a simple one for them, but they would have to pay the postage.

END

CURSING-CUSSING-PROFANITY

Your first amendment of the Constitution Of the United States of America gives you the right to cuss, curse or use profanity.  It is commonly known as "Freedom of Speech."  You just don't know how blessed you are to have such a freedom.  Freedom of speech is too often taken for granted, used unwisely or abused.  One of the un-thought of abuses has to do with cursing, taking the Lord's name in vein, general cussing, fuming, and venting our frustrations.

We all have our moments of frustrations or emotional upheavals, speaking and reacting with often vile words.  Our human nature is to express ourselves.  We just need to watch what come out our mouths.

If you don't want your children, family or friends to use inappropriate language, then your need to curb what you say and how you say it.  If you hear a little one using four letter words, stop and think, "I wonder where the child picked that up from?"  Well, Duh.

You can change your language and speech by substituting vile and curse words with words that are just as effective and effusive as those that you may have spit out or are using now, and they will not offend anyone...not even the Pope.  I will give you a short list to go by and or...you can make up your own.

• dang
• darn
• drat
• crud
• curdnit
• sugar
• oh rats
• oh snap
• or if you really need to vent you can yell...Dingy, Dang, Darn!

I never heard my oldest sister use bad language and she has managed just fine throughout her life.  Instead she taught me little prayers when I was small.  Now you know what's wrong with me today!  There was never much cursing in our house until my brothers came home from the services.  Then they used vocabularies that were never uttered in our house before.  The sad thing is that they didn't even realize what they were saying or had said.  Cursing had become an automatic habit of speaking for them.  Is cursing your favorite mode of conversation and expression?  Think about it.

QUOTES FROM A FEW FAMOUS MEN

Profanity is the last refuge of the ignorant.  A single profane

expression betrays a persons of  low breeding -Joseph Clark.

A foolish and  wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person with sense and character detest and dispise it - George Washington.

Words are sacred.  They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little. - Tom Stoppard.

To swear is neither brave, polite or wise - Alexander Pope.

Words are very powerful..they can make or break, build or tear down.  Try to use the RIGHT powerful words.

END

Time flies

I don't know where the time goes.  I get up in the morning and the next thing I know it's time to go to bed.  It may be that getting older makes it seem like time flies.

I did go to the store and get the milk I wanted to buy.  I also bought 16 pc. of cooked chicken for $9.59.  Now I won't have to cook or wash the dishes.  I don't mind cooking when it is cooler, but it is still warm here.

I keep trying to lose weight.  I have lost about 10 lbs.  I would like to lose more.  You just feel better without the extra poundage to drag around.

Today was a kind of "fix it" day.  I did a little hemming by hand.  I don't want to buy new cloths right now.  I will wait and see where this diet takes me.  I really do need some new blouses though.

There isn't much to say...I have said it all for the day.  I hope everyone stays dry and out of the rain.  I wish we had some  rain right now.  Oh yes, the price of gas spiked overnight.  Get your cameras ready and take some pictures of what may come.

END

THE PLOW

Somewhere in the annals of time our ancestors, by accident or design, discovered the plow.  We can look at it as perhaps a fairly recent modern innovation because of history and some of the great paintings that show workers poking holes in the ground with sticks and dropping in seeds or tubers. It is also thought that when the knights came back from the holy pilgrimages in the east, that they turned their swords and shields into plowshares.  If they did, then they advanced forward from fruitless wars and into cultivating the land.  Also, the words of turning their "swords into plowshares" is Biblical in context.

The earth is a lot more productive if the soil can be turned, the weeds buried, and the ground made ready to receive the seeds and tubers.  Every gardener knows that even though there are varies ways to prepare the soil and get it ready for growth and the production of the fruits of our labor,  they also know that a plowman's job is not easy; it is work.  It is the thoughtful planning and investiture of time, labor, love, and a vision of the results of a hopeful harvest.

Our souls-spirits- are like a good garden.  We have to plow deep, discourage the weeds and unwanted growths, plant the seeds, nourish the soil and diligently remove the weeds that want to invade and take over our gardens.  This too, is hard work; more than difficult so frequently, that a lot of would be gardeners will just give up and join the weeds or not attend to the needs of the gardens.  This of course, is an analogy of the spiritual care and attention needed for personal growth and the increased production  of the "food for the soul" 

How will my garden be judged?  I don't know.  I hope my little garden will slowly put forth a few floweres here and there. My innermost self is holpfully growing, producing  and maybe even sowing a seed on fertile ground once in a while. But the soil is rocky and the ditches deep, the clay is non-pourous-poor soil for growing anything other than a few weeds.  "The harvest is great, but the workers are few."

We all have weeds(faults) in our gardens; I know I do.  I try to "root" them out and get rid of them, but like all persistent weeds, they tend to re-assert themselves.  But the more you cultivate, prune and nourish the spirit of your garden, the better it becomes.  Eventually...with the careful casting out of stones and the amendments to the clay, something worth growing will sprout and flourish.

I hope this post makes sense to anyone who reads it.  If not,
let me know.  Sometimes it is easier to write in the form of an analogy and have it understood...sometimes not.  I don't always give references for the quotations, but I think most readers are familiar with them and know where to look for them...The Bible.  Rev up your Weed Eater.

END

  

Yakkity Yak

Even though it was 99 degrees I went out to get my hair cut.  The beautician seemed to be higher than a kite, slurred words and glassy eyes.  Because I know her I have not doubt that she was taking a medication that she is supposed to take.  She is a frail, highly nervous women and has troubles at home.  She turned around when I came into the shop and started talking to me and half of it I just didn't follow.  She forgot she had a lady under the dryer until the woman finally said, "I think I'm done now."  Even so, she did a nice job on the lady's hair and gave me one of my better hair cuts.  I wish I knew how to ease her mind, but I don't.

As I said, it was really hot out and the heat index was over 100, but I really needed to get out and about and get a few things done.  I went out to Lowe's and got some light bulbs, but forgot to look at paneling.  Dumb me.

My gas tank is about empty and the price of gas went up again.  It is all about profiteering by the international and national oil gangsters.  We have oil and plenty of it.  There are a lot of local pumps that have been shut down and are not producing.  Obama says he wants to make jobs?  Well, kick the big oil conglomerates in their oil cans.  Bring the price of oil down so that people can drive and go back to work.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a little cooler.  I need to go to the store and get milk.  I can get a 1/2 gallon of milk for $1.50 and a filled stamp card.  I'll get two half gallons; one to use and one for the freezer.  That will use up my cards, too.

I have been playing some CDs, but two are damaged.  No, I didn't do it.  People abuse the library materials.  I will separate them when I take them back and tell them that they are damaged.

Beverly, I got the recipe for the tomato pie.  I will pick a cooler day to make them.

As you can see...and are probably glad of...I am not in a heavy thinker mode.  My thinker is broke.  But not to worry!  I will "gladden your hearts" another time!



END

SLOW 'N GO

I really don't have a desire to post this eve.  There is very little to post anyway unless you want to tell me something.

As some...or a lot of you... had your teeth rattled today you need to consider having a go bag with enough clothing, medications, and money(cash)for at least three days or longer.  Don't forget water.  I have kept a go bag since 1977, the year of the big blizzard.

You may not think that you would ever need it, but the weather is fickle, people are unpredictable, and your government...well, who knows.  Just outfit a bag and think of it as a getaway bag for a week-end of camping.  A friend of mine told me that I would never go hungry because of what I have stored in the van.  Hmm...a compliment or what?  Yes, I do all that I have recommended here.  I do need to store more H2O though.

I will not post much tonight.  I am sleepy.  I got up much too early and I didn't even catch that proverbial worm.  I never cared for worms much, anyway.

I will sloooooooooooly goooooooooooooo.

END

PRAYER

Have you ever wondered what prayer is...or what it is not?   You can find all kinds of information and explanations on the Internet or in Wikipedia.  Cold and sterile, complex or overly simplistic.  The more complex and wordy, the harder to understand.  Overly simplified, the less inviting to the one who is seeking to pray.  It a mystery to the one who prays privately and a mystery to most of theses engaged in public prayers.
    
There are all kinds of prayer, modes, religions and practices I would not fault any of them as long as they  recognize that there is one God over all.  My preference is the God of Abraham who became the God of Christians by the emergence of Jesus who shed his blood for man.  You could say He(God) kind of "morphed" slowly over time, so that we could take it all in and "evolve"  Little brains have we, and often as not, smaller spirits.

I do use a prayer book.  I read most of it aloud to myself in the morning and at night.  These are audible prayers for myself.  They are also a disciplining prayers and a confirmation of my prayers, a kind of glue to hold it all together.  There are also prayers that I have learned by rote or by memory.  You know, practice makes perfect, a type of vocalizing of all that I want to express.  After all, you...we...me... are communing with God so lets not mumble...mumble...stumble.  Try to get some of right!

To me, and I again remind any reader, that I am NOT a theologian, prayer is the offering of the essence of my spirit.  You must give as well as take.  You must be cognizant that your are a part of the GOD picture that has been painted with the blood of Christ or at least know that you are "heavenly, wonderfully made."

O then, there is mediation-a silent prayer, reflection, and a kind of prayer that's a whole lot harder than what we generally assign ourselves to do or practice.   I get SO distracted!  My mind(and eyes)flit from here and there, my thoughts tumble about like falling leaves in a wind storm.  It is hard!  It is hard to keep your(my)mind from wandering.  It is a practice.  And it is a discipline.  It is a prayer of mind and soul; a melding of  the two.

Maybe that is why I write in part, this blog, attempting to put all prayers, thought and meditations in some kind of order, picking out that which needs to be sorted out, kept or tossed.  Boy, do I need to toss out a lot of distractions and mindless mental wanderings!

If you pray already your ahead of the game.  If you want to move on to meditation, find a quite place away from TV, radio, or if possible, people.  A book about meditation might be helpful.  I like classical soft music in the background.  Try to make it your comfort zone.  Give yourself a time for quietude..10-15-30 minutes . You may not notice a difference in your self at first other than a "time out" or a restful serenity.  You don't even have to be "religious,"  but I hope that you are.  And guess what!  It is just what every parent needs, as well!  A TIME OUT for yourself and from the world around you.. 

I have a confession to make.  I am a glutton.  I love pies, candy, cake, ice cream and cookies.  I am not overly...overweight, but I could benefit from losing 10 to 20 lbs.  Wow!  To be teenage weight again!  So...I put all my cookies,  cakes and candy up in the freezer where I can't get at them!

Just in case your wondering...this has been hard post to write.  I am not an expert and I am not truly satisfied with this short essay.  I can only say that prayer and understanding it, is not easy.

END

SHOP-AHOLIC

I am still shopping and looking for bargains.  I went back to the store and bought another 20 cans of mixed varieties of soup.  I guess that gives me about 50 cans of soup so I think I have enough soup for the coming winter.  I got two more large jugs of detergent for the washing machine along with some tomato puree for the pantry.  You might think it is early too "stock up," but I can only carry so much at a time and I want to be ready for winter when it comes singing along on a Canadian song.  Remember that song,  AUTUMN LEAVES ?  Some of the leaves are dropping and some are turning brown.  It is almost September...time to consider that fall is upon us and that winter won't be far behind.  You will not get me out shopping on the ice and snow, mostly because I am a coward and don't want to fall down and hurt my little self.

I did go to the Farmer's Market.  I didn't buy much; just a couple of really nice tomatoes, a couple of nice green peppers and a small container of honey.  The tomatoes are almost fruit-like in their sweetness.  They are the best tomatoes I have ever had, not even from my own gardens of the past.

I was going to write about prayer and/or meditating, but both are complex subjects and-or practices.  Neither are  simple.  I guess that is why most people don't put much effort into meditation or prayer.  Prayer is a more commonly accepted practice, but not often talked about in depth, even by the clergy.  Both are in the realm of mystery.  I will think about it and may yet make an attempt to muse upon it within this blog.

Let tomorrow...Sunday...be a day of rest and renewal for all.

  END

kISS ME CAKE

ORANGE KISS ME CAKE

 

1 WHOLE MEDIUM ORANGE,
CUT IN HALF AND SEEDED

2 CUPS OF FLOUR

1 CUP OF SUGAR

1 TEASPOON OF BAKING SODA

1 TEASPOON OF SALT

1/2 CUP OF SHORTENING

1/2 CUP OF MILK

2 EGGS

1 CUP OF RAISINS

1/3 CUP OF CHOPPED WALNUTS

***

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Grease an flour the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch pan

Whizz orange and skin in food processor 

slowly add ingredients

in a large bowel

Blend at lowest speed for 30 seconds

Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes

Bake 40-45 minutes

Drizzle topping over

 the warm cake and sprinkle with topping.

**

SUGAR NUT TOPPING

*

1/3 CUP OF SUGAR

1/4 CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS

I TEASPOON OF CINNAMON

COMBINE IN A BOWL

*

AS ALL OVENS DIFFER BE SURE TO WATCH THE TIME.  SOME CAKES WILL BAKE FASTER THAN OTHERS.

 Old Jewish proverb: Prayers go up-blessings come down.

Again, we had the promise of rain.  Again, we didn't get any. 

I didn't get the shopping done that I wanted to do,but tomorrow is another day.  I may also stop a the Farmers Market because they are having a special presentation on honey and and honey bees.  I did take a large bag of fabric to the Goodwill store.  I have had it a long time and haven't done anything with it.  I really don't have a lot of room to spread out material.  I used to spread material out on the floor and cut it, but now...well, if I get down...I might be stuck there!  LOL!

There is nothing exciting or interesting going on that is worth posting. 

 END

Fizzle

We need rain.  It started to rain, but just fizzled out with only a few drops here and there.  North of here it did rain quite a bit, but it bypassed us here on the Ohio.  I parked near a sewer line and hatch and the essence of heavenly human perfume and aroma permeated the air.  YUK!  The sewer system could stand  a good downpour and cleansing via a good old thunderstorm.  The temperature is  75 F. and the humidity  is 70% so we may get rain yet
.
I went to the library and got a book to read and a few Cd's to listen to.  As my taste in music is different than most I will not mention the titles because they are mostly classical and instrumentals.

I also picked up several packages of crackers.  I eat the crackers in the morning and with my medications...sometimes in between.  It has been a quite day and that's the way I like it.

END

Sabatical

My brain is on vacation or sabbatical, if you wish.  My neurons didn't synapse.  In other words I have no inspiration to post or general, non  important, wordy fluff . All I can say is  I meant get a lot done, but didn't...LOL!  What else is new?

I did get some sheets through the washer and dryer, the dishes washed and the trash out for pick-up.  I had in mind to tear the kitchen apart and super-cleaned, and the trimming outside done.  I didn't achieve my goals of the day, though.  Maybe because I didn't sleep well last night and was still awake at 5 AM this morning.  I have those nights occasionally.  Tonight I will sleep.
I bought 60 inch outdoor shoelaces.  That's as long as I am.  I bought it to thread through a $1.00 plastic Cross I bought.  If I were to lose it while working in the yard it would not be like losing a solid silver cross and chain and I could easily replace it.  The rugged shoelace worked fine...better than I expected and doesn't look bad either.

I ate two pears from my pear tree.  I planted the tree years ago when it was just a "twig."  I had pear juice running down my chin.  I wish the apple tree hadn't blown over in a storm a few years ago...sigh.

This is the end of my meanderings.

END

A Sale-ing I will go

I haven't written much about sales or stocking up lately.  There just haven't been many great bargains or sales, but today was a jackpot day for me.

1. 24 cans of soup-2 for $1.00
2. 4 cans of Pork & Beans-2 for $1.00
3. 4 cans of WIC Tuna-2 for $1.00
4. 5 cans reg. soup-78 cents a can.
5. 2 packs of cookies for 99 cents each.

I also bought bathroom tissue which wasn't on sale, but needed.  Plus I bought a few other items that were not on sale, but I felt I needed, as well.

The soup was such a good deal that I will probably go back for more before the end of the week.  I need to stock up on TP, but am looking for a decent sale.  When it gets cold out I will be in.  If the winter is any thing like this summer has been, then we are in for it.

Yesterday I managed to get the back and front yard mowed with only a few twinges of old age.  It looks a lot better as I mowed it down really short.  Now, if I can work up the steam to trim it tomorrow.

This one is for the kids, probably best for older kids.

I love the Lamb who died for me

I love His little lamb to be

I love the Bible where I find

How good my Savior was and kind

I love beside His cross to stay

I love the grave where Jesus lay

I love His people and their ways

I love with them to pray and praise

I love the Father and the Son

I love the spirit He sent down

I love to think the time will come

When I shall be

with Him as one(at home).

The poem is from a book that was printed before the Civil War.  It is a little bit stilted and a little prejudiced so I did change a word here and there.  The author is unknown.

END

WANNABES

Look a the picture. Click it to make it larger, then look again.

I am a "wannabe."  The reality of our nature is that we are all "wannabes.  We all have illusions of being what we are not, but seek what we don't have or necessarily need.  Every "wannabe' would like to have more money, a better or newer car, a fine home, be revered and respected by our peers, have great jobs and great families.  Me too.

I wannabe a better Christan, attain some small level of sanctity, be a better example, have great health and better vision(so I can read more!).

That isn't exactly how it works in real, day to day life and strife.  There is nothing wrong being  a 'wannabe' as long as we point ourselves in the right direction. Be sure that your "wannabe" is not just a delusion rather than a an illusion.  An illusion is the stuff of dreams and delusions is what brings us down. An illusion is what we think we see, something like a picture within a picture,but has the potential to become plausible.  A delusion is what we think we are when it is not a reality, but sometimes act or react accordingly, often inappropriately.  There is a very fine line between the two.

We are what we are, never satisfied and wanting more and more and better and better.  I know that I have everything I need, but being a bipedal truant of the human kind, I fall into the realm of a "wannabe," too.

What I would really like to have is a deep and abiding spirituality.  I have to work for it..toward it; it is my goal, to become a better person...a better Christan..than I am.

What I seek is not an easy job or condition to attain.  Sometimes I say too much or the wrong things.  Sometimes I make the wrong decisions or spend money foolishly.  I should and can do better.  My fallible nature is all that I have to work with, but I try. Sometimes...not hard enough!  I am a nobody in a sea of nobodies and most of us are all in the same, leaky boat.  We try to patch the holes and caulk the boards that separate us(me) from the empty sea.  Noah built himself an Ark, but I have no Ark other than my faith and sometimes it needs a little bailing.

My sister will tell you that I am a phony, a fake, a pretender.  Perhaps she is right.  I make no claims otherwise.  I see myself as just another "wannabe;" a nobody, no one special and I know the reality of this.  I just have  that "illusion," or desire of something...SOMEONE better than I am.

We can spend a lifetime in the mode of a "wannabe" and get not far from point C, trying to get to point A, never quite making the grade we are shooting for.  It is an never ending pursuit of learning the lessons of life and the way of Christ.   Will I make the cut?  I don't know where I may be on God's little report card.  I know it depends on how much I or anyone, wants to put into getting on the honor roll.  I just keep my eyes on the mountaintop and continue to scrabble upward.  Yes, I fall often and slide back, but I try to dig in and pull myself up, reaching for the top.

You have heard this one, I am sure.

  "BETTER AND BETTER EVERY DAY,  BETTER AND BETTER IN EVERY WAY.
Pray for it.  Work for it.  Make it true

END

A Long Week

This has been a long, unproductive week.  I have spent most of the week lying around and sleeping a lot, trying to get over a slipped disk.  Eventually it will go away.  In the meantime I am getting nothing done.  I need to go to the store and get some TP, but I haven't even done that.  It will a sad day if I run out.

I can tell I am not up to par by the postings I have put out these last several days...pretty poor efforts.

I went out long enough to get something to eat at Wendy's.  Really have no desire to cook much.

The temperatures are not high...in the 80's now, but the humidity is nearly equal at 70%, so it is still uncomfortable.

I found 1-one-green tomato and several small, green peppers coming on.  I also found a worm on my new seedless grapevine.  I don't know how the sweet potato(s) are doing until I start digging for them.  I hope to get a few nice ones.

I have had a lot of problems with my online banking due to having this new laptop.  I kept getting rejected.  That has been resolved by going directly to the main branch and letting them fix the problem.  Online banking saves me a lot of time and gas and postage.  I know I have over-paid a couple of bills simply because I couldn't get "in" to make changes.  Anyway, it will all work out now.

A local bank went belly up and was acquired by my bank.  That bank was warned over a year ago to get its little ducks out of the water and didn't do it.  Now they are done for.

And this is all I am gonna write.

END

GOT FREE WILL?

Do you have free will?  You know you do, otherwise you wouldn't do some of the things you do...or skip some of things you know that you really, really ought to, need to do.

A person who does not want to...or believe in Christ can not be made to do so.  If a person doesn't want to do what is "right,"  they will not.  If that same person wants to do and believe in what is perceived as wrong in the biblical and social mores, then that individual will do just that and exercises his or her free will.  If someone wants to pray to and worship a frog that croaks in the night...they will do just that because they have "free will."

Free will is given to you so that you can love Christ with all your heart and being...so that you can make the commitment required for Union with God.  Or...you (they) can walk away, go your (their) own way, reject that which is within.  After all, it is yours isn't it?

Father Powers once said that "Hell is the separation from God."  Your free will can do just that...separate you from what you should want above all else, a total commitment with  our God.

Daily, we use our free will: "I will do this" or "I won't do that."  The Ten Commandments tell us exactly how we should live our lives...some the Commandments are easier to live by than others and are often broken, just as the stone tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain were.  The people of Moses used their free will and it got them in some hot water and God got a little miffed with them.

I am old enough to remember when the Ten Commandments were taken down from the walls in our school in Montague, NJ, and when the words "under God" were to be removed from the "Pledge of Allegiance."  Remember that?  The government imposed upon MY free will, but couldn't remove it.

You can be told what to do, how or when to do it, or even be made to conform at the point of a gun in some places, but your free will is an intrinsic part of your soul.

Writing about free will is a very hard topic.  You can't see it, touch it, smell it, or prove that there is a "free will."  It is a task for great thinkers and theologians to ponder; I am not one.  It is like faith, you just know that "IT" is there.  Maybe I can prod you to think about.

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STUMPED

Well, I'm stumped.  I seldom know what I will write about until I set down to do it.  Tonight nothing occurs to me.  Maybe because I have been reading about Thomas Merton and my brain is tired.  I had what I thought were good ideas, but nothing jelled.

However, if you get a chance read Merton's book The Seven Story Mountain.  Merton is considered a modern day mystic, passing away in 1968 while in Asia.

Because I am tired and my everything hurts, I will go to bed early and maybe tomorrow I will do a better job of posting.

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TESTING, TESTING,1-2-3-TESTING.

Have ya been tested lately?  Sure you have-you just don't realize it.  Did you drink like a fish and then regurgitate your brain out this past week-end or any other time?  How about buying a pack of cigarettes instead of milk for the kids...or some pills or drugs to make it all go away.  Maybe you made a promise to a friend or family and didn't keep it.  Cheat someone or cause harm?  Maybe, I don't know, but God knows.

A person I know found $400.00 on the bathroom floor of a restaurant and scooped it up and put it in her pocket.  When I asked if she tried to find the person who lost the money it was the old "losers weepers, finders keepers" refrain or excuse.  When I pointed out that it might have been the difference between feeding a family or having them go hungry, her answer was "You don't know these people."  She didn't either and she was not going to try to find out wheather she deprived some family of milk or food.  In essence, she was saying that whoever lost that money was not deserving of it and she was.  She was judging without knowing, just assuming that by the location she was in, the loser was getting just what she thought they deserved...her just punishment.  I think she was tested and found wanting.  She is no longer in my scope of friends.  I have distanced myself.

We are tested all the time on a daily bases, by the decisions we make and the company we keep.  If you hang with the wrong crowd long enough you will become part of that group's thinking...unless your a very  exceptional person.  Remember the old saying; "Birds of a Feather Flock Together"...or the opposite, "Families that Pray Together Stay Together."  There is a treasure of truth and wisdom in the old adages.

The Twelve Tribes of Israel...you know...the ones that followed Moses into the desert in order escape from  Egypt...well, they were tested for 40 years.  Even the Pharaoh thought they had lost their way because they kept going around in circles.  Finally they figured it out: "Hey,we are going around in circles!"  Finally!  They were ready to obey the Laws of God.

Then there was that old guy, Abraham.  He took his only son Issac on a little hike up to the mountain where he was to be tested.  Issac was to be the sacrificial offerng to God, as Abraham was directed to consummate.  Only at the last moment did an Angel stay his hand and announce the He had passed the test.

I think God tests us so that we may know ourselves and our weakness; our lack of faith, trust and love of God.  Some get tested more than others, but in the end we may hopefully say, "O, Now I get it! 

The Old and New Testaments are full of accounts where God test his people. We are even now tested on a daily  basis  and found more than a little bit short, me include. I write this post inasmuch to help myself and make myself aware of my many shortcomings.  You can read it with a grin or a giggle or take it to heart. After all, I'm not the one doing the testing.

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SKIPPY

Do you have a Skippy in your life?  No, I don't mean Skippy Peanut Butter, either.  You DO have a Skippy in your life even if you may not be aware of who a "Skippy" is and that he is always with you, for he is your Guardian Angel.

Sister Mary Herbert named her Guardian Angel "Skippy" when she was very small and to this day implores him to watch over her and keep her safe.  Skippy did a good job as Sister Mary Herbert has been to and worked in Cameroon, Africa, during some very difficult, troubled times.  She would be there now if she could, but because of her age and health she is now back here in the states.  Skippy is still with her and keeping his vigil as only an Angel can.

Angels are powerful, trusted beings that sit at the both sides of God.  If God has them at His side we should be thankful that there are Angels watching over us, too.

There are many, many references to the existence and power of Angels.  Just ask Mary.  An Angel appeared to her and told her she was going to have a very exceptional child.  An Angel went before the Jews and led the way as they fled from Egypt.  There is a bad boy... out and about, too, by the name of...O snap..you guessed it...Lucifer.  He is one Angel you want to steer clear of because he will steer you in the wrong direction.

The thing about naming your angel is this: How much better a relationship it is, if you can call a friend by name, rather than a "hey you."  If you name your Angel, you are then in an intimate relationship that will wrap around you and hold you steady in the eye of a storm.

  What should you name your very own personal angel?  Any name you wish as long as it is with a reverent respect.  Micheal and Gabriel have  names.  You have a name.  Everyone you know better than a "hi, how are ya?".. has or had a name or tag for recognition.  I guarantee you, your Angel knows YOUR name.  Remember that old TV show "Name that Tune?"  How much better...a show of "Name that Angel."

You may know this little prayer or poem.  If you don't it is easy enough to learn and DO teach it to the little ones.

Angel of God

*

Angel of God

my guardian dear

to whom his love

entrusts me here

Ever this day

be at my side

to light and guard

to rule and guide



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Aaron, the heavy lifter

I've been reading about Aaron, the big brother of Moses.  It seems like Aaron was the "heavy lifter" and doing the bidding of God through Moses.  Moses told God he (Moses) wasn't the talker in the family-tell Arron to do the talking and he would do the walking.  So...as God directed, Aaron did the PR work for Moses, the prophet.  Apparently, he was a Chosen One of God, also.  A tow that barge, tote that bale, kind of guy.

You just don't hear a lot about Big Brother Aaron.  He had God's power and special abilities, and was a prophet, too.  We all know that Moses led his people out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea and knocked on a rock that brought forth water for his thirsty followers.  You just don't hear a lot of what Aaron was commanded to do.

Here is what we seldom hear or read about.  Aaron was a kind, peaceful man and deeply revered by his people.  When he died he seemed to be mourned by the Israelites far more than Moses was, or so the Qu'ran and the Book of Exodus seem to illiterate.  So, Aaron must have been a pretty good big brother to Moses.

According to the Qu'ran, which kind of parallels (a lot) the Book of Exodus, Aaron really didn't disobey God or Moses and let the people fashion and worship the Golden Calf.  Moses wanted to throttle Aaron when he came down from the mountain with the stone tablets, which he threw down and broke, by the way.  Makes you wonder how God liked that!  Aaron begged for forgiveness from his brother, explaining how his life was on the line and the Levitts would not listen or obey the word of God.  When...how often, do people listen to a peaceful man?  Not often then and not often now.

Now, you know that Aaron was the first high priest of  the people of Moses, the Levitts, some 1200 years or so, before the coming of Christ.  Aaron instituted the rituals of the priesthood, by the command of God, to be observed until the coming of Jesus.  Your going to say, "Why didn't God just do all this in the first place?"  I think they were a rough and tumble people and needed to be led along slowly. Maybe by the nose.  Besides, there was free will to factor in.  We know the people of Moses used that same free will as they chose to make and worship an idol as soon as Moses was out of sight, so to speak.  Just like then, we still prefer to worship the  gold. 

Aaron was the first son of Aram and the first high priest, and he passed his priestly position, robes and vestments on to his own first son.  If you read the Book of Exodus you will find that the robes and vestments of the first high priests of the Levitts are much  similar in many ways as the  priests and many ministers of our modern churches.

I have loosely paraphrased a lot of the Book of Exodus and there is so much more, a rich text, but you can read it for yourself.  It is like reading a good novel.  Even 'though the New Testament supplants the Old, it is certainly worth the time to re-read and re-digest the epic history of the Jews seeking freedom from the Pharaoh.

At the same time I am reading Exodus, I am also reading Luke and a si-fi novel.  So, if I get my missive is a little blurry around the edges and you can see my bloodshot eyes...well, that's why.  And I finished two books..

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P.S...spelling in the O.T. varies according to translations.

Take a Break

I'm giving myself and any readers, a break from the spiritual and religious post that I have written this past week or so. Sometimes the well runs dry and needs time for the "trickle' in effects of fresh thoughts to seep in and fill the well. My brain isn't very big and will hold only so much, let alone impart with what little there might be sloshing  around in the small cranium I was gifted with.  Aren't you glad for time out?  Instead, I will post the ordinary, mundane events of the day and week.

Yesterday I took some books back to the library and picked out four more for light reading.  I also stopped at The Dollar Store for crackers and some mini cookies-gotta have cookies.
I needed plain sewing needles for repairing a hem so I got some of those, too.  I know I have needles, but I never can find them when I need them.  They had Dawn dish detergent on sale again.  I got another gal. for three dollars.  After all that "hard shopping" I took myself to the Chinese Restaurant.  The cashier was new; a woman about six foot tall.  I have never seen a real tall Chinese woman before...no, I didn't star at her, so there.

This morning we got some rain.  I didn't have to fill the birdbath, but the weeds and grass are taking over everywhere.  "It's a jungle out there!" Maybe on Monday I can get the yard half-way caught up and presentable.

Yesterday I paid off the debt for the electrical work that was done when the power went down.  It was about $600 dollars and it took most of my S.S. check.  That is why we stock up and prep. isn't it;  for the unforeseen and unexpected?  There is food in the pantry and freezer and there is what I have canned.  I won't need to buy much this month, but I won't go hungry, either.  A little fasting would probably be good for my waistline, 'though!

There you have it. An ordinary, mundane, run of the mill post.

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Intercessary Prayers.

I really did not intend to write about anything of the religious or spiritual nature tonight, but someone has asked me a question and I will try to answer it as simply as I can.  Remember, I am no theologian or an expert in Canon Law(not even close!).  You can find most of the answers in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

For me...an intercessory payer is the REQUEST for prayers for myself or someone else.  If in my prayers or meditation I say, "Holy Mary, pray for us..." I am requesting an intercession.  Whenever we say "Pray for me" or "Pray for Susie Q" we are asking for an interceding prayer.  We often do and ask without thinking about it.  We can call it a kind of "lip service" where we really don't think in depth that we are calling for or using a powerful invocation.

When someone sneezes and we say "Bless You" without a thought it becomes an automatic response.  Is that bad?  No: That it becomes automatic is something to think about 'though.  To invoke the blessings of the Lord is to call for the highest good and benefit we can ask for or give.

There is nothing wrong in calling on the Mother of Christ, the Saints or the Angels, to assist us.  Gabriel heralded Mary, Mother of God, as Blessed.  As she is blessed, we should feel free to call upon her to pray for us.  We are not praying TO her as some would argue, but asking her to intercede for us.  We do give her  high honor  as God did.

If your mother, father, sister, brother, family or friends ask YOU to pray for them, offer to and do pray for YOU and your needs...that is an intercessory prayer.  Or YOU can offer and pray for them...again it is an intercessory prayer.

No, I am not praying to a statue or an image.  They are reminders to help me focus and not become distracted by everyone and everything around me.  Kind of like the stop light at the intersection; If we don't keep our eye on the stop light there is a good chance we will drive right through it.  Statues and or pictures help us keep driving along in the right direction.

You have a cross in your church; so do I.  You probably have stained glass windows depicting the Life of Christ; so do I.  You probably have a moment when your are asked by your minister or priest to pray for all those in need.  At the end of your service you are probably given a blessing and exhorted to go in peace.  These and more, are all intercessory prayers and blessings.  The Old Testament is full of intercessory prayers.

I hope I haven't muddied the waters too much trying to answer a question with what I hope is a simple answer.

May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You and save you from non-theologians like me.  Look to your Bible or spiritual adviser.

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Judas

I've been thinking about Judas.  His is vilified  as the traitor-betrayer of Christ.  As God knows all things, even the number of hairs on our heads, did God choose Judas to "sell out" Jesus so that the prophesies could be fulfilled?  I am inclined to think that it was a "dirty job and somebody had to do it" so that Christ would be nailed to the cross, die and be be buried, so that he would rise again, as was foretold in the prophesies of the Old Testament and even in the words of Christ.  Maybe Judas got the dirty end of the stick.  Maybe God choose him to do his will because he knew that he could.  There are some Biblical Scholars that lean toward this view.
Read Matt: 27,3-10

Remember that Peter denied  Christ three times in one night and he was forgiven and went on to be the rock that built the early church.  You clearly know that Judas repented so deeply that he throw himself off a cliff or hung himself.  Why would not he be forgiven, yet Peter was?  We know what the Gospels tell us, but not the inner workings of the human heart.

 

We...I am like that. I often believe in  what I see or am told. I used to believe in elves and a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  When I was small I even tried to follow a rainbow to its end, but never found it(we lived on a small farm).  I used to put milk and cookies out for the elves and it would be gone the next morning(someone other than an elf ate it).  We...or...I often believe it when someone tells me that someone was or is bad, a drunk or a pothead because I just didn't know any better at the time and someone "said so.".  Hopefully
this is where the power of gifts  or of grace and  discernment raises up my thoughts and I can sift through and find the truth of myself and what others tell me or what my eyes think I see.  As with all things I am lacking, but seek the grace of discernment.  As I have said before I am very judgemental  and woefully lacking in the graces...through my own vain fault...my grievous fault.

This morning as I was making Cole Slaw I was thinking of my mother.  She loved good Cole Slaw or Carrot Salad.  It was because it was hard for her to chew and digest cabbage or carrots in their larger, complex form.  Like all thing of nature or spirit, it is a lot easier to ingest and benefit from our spiritual food if it is presented in a simpler forms.  I am trying to take smaller bites and let my spirit digest what it takes in.  Within reason of course...because I do love cookies and cakes!  Don't we all.  We all love the flavor of a good scandal or the  troubles and downfalls of others.  It is an aroma as attractive to bees are to flowers and ants are to honey.  I try not to be of that number, but know that I am.  We, the subjects of Christ, frequently are betrayers to the Word and to  ourselves.  When we know the truth will we still betray the truth?

My computer has been making odd spaces where they should not be.  I have tried to work it out, but have not been able to.  I will let it stand and post.

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A CAN OF TUNA

I opened up a brand name can of tuna for lunch today.  It was a container of bits of small, flaky pieces...not chunky tuna.  I was going to make a small tuna salad.  It would not have made even a poor salad.

I think this is something like our souls-spiritual selves...no chunks...nothing solid.  What can you make with bits and small pieces of a fish where the can is more valuable than the inner product?  Just about nothing.  But if you were to  feed God's little fish and let them grow they would become very healthy and sustaining.  Food for the Soul...of the Soul.  I am trying to feed my fish so that I might be a better "fisher of men" in some small way.  What Christ actually said was "Feed My Sheep." 
As I have no sheep I will have to be content to cast my net into the water 'though it has many holes in it and is raggedy.  Who knows, I might catch a minnow or two.

Are you a minnow or a shark?  Do you swim aimlessly in little schools of fish or do you go after the Lord aggressively bearing fins and teeth?  I liken myself as a little minnow circling on the fringes of bigger school of little fishes. We...the little fish are the bait fish and are the lure for the shark in an attempt to snag the "big one" on a hook.

My brothers have always been fishermen, seeking that elusive prize swimming in the shadows...lurking, waiting to have a little fish for breakfast or a good meal.  Somehow, the big fish is always the "one that got away."

There are some pretty big fish in the pond and a lot of little fish like me.  Catch a big one if you can, but if you can't, be happy to be the bait, the little minnow in the pool.

Four brothers went out at night to fish for that was their occupation.  They caught nothing after a long night of casting their nets into the lake.  Along comes another fisherman and tells them to return to the boats and water and try again.  No one fishes in the heat of the day, but they did as they were directed.  They later returned to the shore with a fully overloaded boat of fish...in the heat of the day.  The big fisherman said, "Come follow me, I will make you fishers of men."  They left their boats, nets and fish to follow the "big guy."

 Post this sign at the boat dock .."Follow the Big Guy."
Read Luke Chapter 5.

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THE BLING THING...MY CROSS

My favorite cross is a simple cross.  By today's standard of value it could be called "Bling" because the cross and chain are of pure, heavy, Mexican silver.  I bought it many years ago when I was in Cancun.   I know I could not afford it in today's market as silver is now pretty pricey, per. ounce.

I like it because of its' weight.  It reminds me of the heaviness of the real cross that Christ had to bear.  I am equally reminded that no matter how heavy we think our personal crosses are and how much we think the suffering we bear are just too much...there is no comparison.

When I was small my mother told me not to complain about my health or any discomfort that I might have.  She said she was the only one who cared and that there really wasn't anything she could do.  That may sound unloving, but it was really good advise and I try to live by it...and not to fuss or complain...overly much.  Probably the most complaining that I do is over the loss of some usage of my arm.  Yet...I know that it could have been worse.  So, I am thankful that I have some use of the arm and can feed myself and get things done.

I think of the injured service men and woman and the weight of the crosses they carry.  I see the the elderly and the sick with the heavy burdens of their crosses that are pulling at them and consider myself blessed over and over again.  Are you blessed?

This is why I like that weighty silver cross and chain.  It is more precious than gold and to me it isn't heavy at all.  I keep it tucked in and usually out of sight, but I know it is there.  If you have a heavy cross to bear, think of the huge wooden tree that Christ bore for all and in the suffering and  agony of being nailed to a rugged beam.  Would you...could you lift and carry such a burden, let alone endure a Crucifixion?

So...you think I am a bit preachy?  Well, then.  Tell me about your favorite Bling.  Lay your burdens down at the foot of the cross.

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FROM THERE TO HERE

Sometimes I wonder how we ever got from there to here.  We hear, but we do not listen.  We see, yet we are blind.
We have had over 2,000 years to learn how to walk, but still we crawl when we should be running.  I do not exclude myself.  I am not a perfect person by any stretch.  I would like to be, but I am only human.  I am judgemental; I try not to be, yet I fail.  I try not to be critical of others...oops, I failed again.  I try to think in a positive manner.  I do a little better on this.  I seldom get depressed.  I know that I don't drink or run around, but every once in a while I let go with a"sh..t" word in a moment of frustration.  I try to curb my vocabulary, but occasionally something "slips" out and then I fuss at myself.  "Now, why did I say that!"  It didn't help...I could have...should have said "O Sugar," instead of what came flying out of my mouth. I continue to try to be a better person, and it isn't always easy. 

I try to read a chapter of the Bible each day, but sometimes I get busy and plain outright forget.  I try to say the Rosary every day, but find that sometimes my memory fails and I stumble over a word  here and there.  I am only human and I know that I have legions of faults and failures.  Still, I try and that is all any of us can do in this world.  I don't think sainthood is in my Genes or DNA!

I don't usually say much about morals, ethics or religion here within this post.  I am a coward and don't want to be called a "phony."  My sister already does that.  In a sense she is right because I mostly sit in silence about my beliefs, but no one likes to be derided or thought of as a fake.  I know I don't.  
 There are two sides to every coin.  There is the face coin that we show publicly; the side we want our friends and neighbors to see.  Then there is the backside of the coin, the side that only our families or foes get to know and often wish they had not.  However, there is a third side of the same coin that no one seems to notice.  It is the edge of that same coin. the circle that goes 'round and 'round, never ending and "never seen."  That same coin should be called a true eternity ring rather than referring to it as a side edge.  It is the Master's side of the coin and it is eternal.

I am not a preacher/teacher capable of proselytizing.  No one of our age or culture wants to hear it.  The best way to get "THE WORD" out is by example.  Thus, I try to live a good and decent life and in recognition of my weaknesses and failures of which there are many.

Let thy speech be bettter than silence, or be silent. 
 by Dionyassius of Halicarnassus.

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