Archives February 2022

Conflict is what makes our story go around. In all of our lives, there is a struggle—at least one.

Maybe it’s because of the time of day. I get to the end of the day and at times when my soul seems in distress, these words come to me. Watchman, oh, watchman, what of the night…

We live in a transient world where things change and often quickly and much of what we see is not within our control. I suppose in many ways this is why being a writer is attractive.

In this setting and time, I have Pinterest boards set up in order to create my own worlds. I have beautiful houses with beautiful rooms of—you’ve got it—beautiful furniture.

I have boards with gorgeous gowns and hairstyles and not just women in lovely clothing, but men in three-piece suits, or tuxedoes and morning suits…and ties, and these people know things instinctively ie. how to dress, act, and what manners are required in situations which usually takes me a day or more to research.

Creating your own world is such a lure but at what cost? In any world, there will be conflict. Conflict is what makes our story go around. In all of our lives, there is a struggle—at least one. Within and without things are changing sometimes for the better and sadly, sometimes for the worse.

Yet, in my own life, the thing that has made the most profound and startling difference has been the Gospel of Jesus.

Coming from a dysfunctional family I realized at an early time in my life that my life was painful. At that time, without any idea what was missing and what would make a difference, I set out to find the answer.

That was a journey that has never ended.

And, as the old song said, the beat goes on. I’ve had many people tell me, ‘you have such nice children,’ or, ‘you have such a wonderful family.’ The gospel is the reason we have been different. And as I ponder on the reality of where we’re at I’m still hearing the call “Watchman, oh, watchman, what of the night?”

I did my best to create my own world where even if we didn’t always wear the newest fashions and live in fine beautiful homes at least our inner man/woman was striving for the beauty of the soul. And as we come closer to the end of the goal…

It pains me more deeply than words can convey to see how little our goodness and teachings of the Gospel have changed the world.

Yet, as the story of the man on the beach at dawn who sees a person walking toward him. As the person gets closer the man realizes that the figure is throwing stranded starfish back into the sea.

“You’ll never be able to throw all of these starfish back in the sea—look, you won’t make a difference here…” he says.

The other person looks at him, grabs another starfish, and throws it back in the sea. “I made a difference for that one.” And he repeats the action going on down the beach… “And that one, and that…”

“Isaiah 21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? 12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.”

Of course, the year is progressing and as it does progress our world becomes more light more early—

And the days grow longer. We sit at a place in time no one understands in the moment.

We had snow yesterday and it was indeed a beautiful snow. White, light, and fluffy. Today we have sunshine and of course, the snow is melting. We need the snow, at present we need more moisture.

God was gracious last year and our crops did well even in a drought. And no matter, God is gracious this year even though we are just getting started.

Gobbsmacked? Bumfuzzled? Are there words that describe our world today? Some people are wishing others a great day with many blessings and that is indeed thoughtful. I’m somewhat reminded of our lives after the tragedy of 9/11.

Then-President Bush told us not to let that tragedy ‘change our lives,’ but that we should carry on with resolve. And we did—except nothing was really the same, and it shouldn’t have been.

In the shadow of nine-eleven, the American people pulled together and cried for one another. We even knelt and prayed together. However, the president’s words pulled us up off our knees where we should have remained.

We should have remained on our knees asking God’s favor, God’s mercy, and grace. We should have remained pleading for him to show us our way and his help that we would follow in his paths.

No, we were encouraged to trust in ourselves, and at what price? Someone asked if God sent judgments (as he did in the Old Testament times) on people today if people would take it to heart.

I’ve heard many people talking about end times and how the second coming is imminent because of the ‘signs.’ All of the signs mentioned have happened time and time again since they were given by Jesus.

Signs such as plagues, pestilence, immorality, wickedness, earthquakes, volcanoes. All sorts of signs, but no one thing seems to wake the fallen-away people up or bring anyone back to the fold. All things continue as they always have.

Currently, we have Russia invading Ukraine, China rattling its sword at Taiwan, and North Korea doing whatsoever North Korea does. We have unrest in Canada, and the United States has a puppet government that wasn’t elected by we the people. And that has made all the difference in the world.

Even our local and state government is at a crossroads. Someone said there are 22 or 24 seats in our state up for election and many of them need to be vetted and replaced by, God willing, true representatives of the people.

Some have said we will never have true representation again since the fraud in the last election took away the vote of the people and left us with a stuffed ballot box. I don’t know if that’s true. I know things aren’t good out here and many aren’t happy.

I know we need to go back before God and kneel in prayer for as long as it takes for either the second coming or for God to answer his people’s prayers in other ways.

2 Peter 3:

1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Many things have happened today, but I wasn’t a part of most of them.

My day went off without much fanfare and that’s fine. The weather was nice for this part of the world with warm temperatures.

Two of our boys have been working with or for us and today was nice enough they got to enjoy working outside. They helped repair some fences so one of the horses who thinks her middle name is Pegasus will remain where she’s supposed to be. They also got to work on wood projects.

Tuesday the weather people are calling for more normal temperatures which means more inside work. These last two months we’ve seen the kitchen, dining room, and living room floors get their makeovers and they look nice.

Another project that is nearing completion is the bathroom. Several years ago we put in a walk-in tub but didn’t get the finishing touches…finishing anything done. We were just waiting apparently because it looks very nice now.

I had a white four-chest bathroom cabinet, but as is my wont I’m not enamored with white. I find it shows stuff too easily. I had for years a cream-yellow in kitchen cupboards and several years ago I painted them deep red with black trim.

We were renovating a house quite a few years ago now, and it had a white surround on the sink…I painted it black and the bathroom walls pale blue. The contrast was very pretty.

So the wall tile in our bathroom is medium gray, light gray paint, and a lovely deep purple cabinet. This afternoon I found some of my stencils, some of my Bob Ross paint (inherited from a kind soul), and some brushes and proceeded to make a happy mess. I’m aiming for something that will not look like a semblance related to Picasso.

I didn’t put any happy trees on the drawer, but I only did one at a time. I’m hoping that my practice will turn into perfect practice before I get too far.

So, what is our land of the living got to do with God, life, and death? I have found many of the most simple answers of Jesus to be profound. In this instance, the Sadducees are testing Jesus with the story of the woman who was married to seven brothers who died and she died as well, and no children ever came of these unions.

If there were a resurrection whose wife would she be? They ask.

It could have been a Since you asked, I’m glad you asked, moment where he ties several things together. First off, Jesus says in

“Mark 12:

24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.”

Here you have the answer for the resurrection and those who are looking for the answer to whose wife/husband will they be?

The second answer goes along with the first about another aspect of the resurrection:

“Mark 12:

26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”

This is to say even when we leave this life we only pass through the door to the other side. Too much rests on the person on this side being ready to pass on to the next side. Don’t put off today doing what we should do today.

The archive says my last post was in December of 2021 but I don’t think it could have been that long…

I have been working tirelessly on the next book and no matter what, this is today. In my reading today I came across a piece that ended with the admonition to not be as concerned about the small stuff as taking care of the larger picture and the big stuff.

What is the large picture in our lives? As we look around we see our country suffering shock after shock, trying to right itself in the midst of these trials. For four years we saw the opponents of the then-president fighting any good thing he or anyone from an opposing viewpoint attempted to do.

If that weren’t a big enough picture and an iceberg, because of the shock at the top of our country the filters of debris bombarding us daily colors all that we see. My Waldron Newsletter informs me that there is a ‘War to Destroy Christian America.’

That can be seen in all aspects of our lives. With the pandemic shutting so many things down, people have been seeing some of the things going on in everyday life that they should have been aware of but weren’t.

For a number of years, they talked about con*spiracy the*ories as if they were just foolish people running around in tin foil hats but then many of the theories proved true and they had to start pointing fingers at new theories.

We were part of the ‘homeschool’ movement back in the 80s and endured all sorts of name-calling and ridicule. Now, people are coming to realize the worst thing they did was turn education over to the government.

Everything the government touches they destroy. Even state and local governments, encouraged by the Federal government are very meddling and destructive. A brother-in-Christ quite a few years back offered in prayer, ‘Dear Lord, help the leaders make more and more laws that we can obey.’

I edited that prayer, and I still shake my head that anyone would pray such a prayer. God only gave us ten commandments…well, yes there were more specific ordinances governing those commandments but we could still learn much from those commandments.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and all thy strength…

Mark 12:29-31

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”