Jude

Once a year I try to do a study on the book of Jude.  I really enjoy this little book and the wisdom that always finds its way into my mind as I study and meditate on its message.

This year I took a different approach: I looked at stuff surrounding the book.  For instance, who wrote the book?  First off, you have to realize that Jude is actually a corruption of Judas.  Yeah, would not do to have a book of the Bible penned by someone of the name of Judas!  And, there were four fairly high profile Judas' we know about in the first century.

The first one goes without saying, but he was dead by the time any of this would have been written - and really no one associated with the apostate Judas Iscariot would have saved anything written by him!

There was a Judas whom was the son (not brother as some versions have translated this) of James.

Then Judas of Damascus, where Saul stayed and did some soul searching.

And, of course, Judas whom was Jesus' brother (Matthew 13:55).

So, four good candidates, one of whom must have lived long enough to warn the early Church of the coming of the apostates!  Personally, I like the idea of it being Jesus' half-brother.

So, you are raised a God-ly Jewish young man, your oldest brother is condemned and executed - probably in front of your eyes, if you were with your mother in Jerusalem.  And at some point, you come to realize that this older brother is the long awaited for Messiah!  Then like your brother James, you become involved.  Perhaps traveling to Ephesus with John (and since he had been given charge of Mary, then to be near your mother was well!).

Well, if nothing else, I am a romantic at heart.....

The Way Back

Went to my first movie in a theater for the year: The Way Back.  I guess this movie came out in 2010 but I had not heard of it at all other than someone sending me a link for the trailer to this movie.  And the trailer intrigued me.

I called up Swede and told him that if he was in the state this week we ought to see this movie!  He showed up in time to grab a bite and then go to the film.  Like me, he loved it also - but for separate reasons.

What he saw was a movie which could have been called, "Triumph of the Will".  Yeah, bad title, since the Nazi's already used that one, but the concept holds.  Man is capable of tremendous feats when challenged.  Death and suffering are just part of the inconvenience of accomplishing one's goals.

I saw this movie on the one hand as being allegorical.  Here was the good and bad of humanity brought together.  The bad could not succeed without the good - nor could the good without the bad.  Definite borderline Christian undertones here!  As the story progresses you learn that one of the men is an Orthodox priest, but that part is really played down!

On the other hand we have the true story of what mankind will attempt to right the injustices done them.  No matter the cost.  These gulag escapees traveled 4,000 miles through every imaginable environment, they knew starvation and thirst and the loss of fellow travelers.

Painfully, I could relate with this movie.  No I never had to walk 4,000 but I did 650 in a survival march.  And I knew the unbelievable cold and unbelievable heat.  I knew hunger and thirst, then the weakness of spirit which accompanies this.  Being so tired you can not even remember the miles passing under your feet, so thirsty it pains to have water even touch your tongue.  And I knew the fear which comes from being hunted by those whom hold your life cheap.  And of the 9 of us whom set out, the loss of 7 whom died most horribly (along with the tragedy of losing all of our supplies!). But, even through this catastrophe, I saw that there was a God and longed to join Him and end the suffering.....  Yet, He had other plans for me - like finding Him on His terms and then serving Him.

So the movie moved me, not because they could even portray what I have just described for you but because I have lived each of those sequences they portrayed.

Where would I have been in real life, in that movie?  Probably shot in an opening sequence.  I recognize within myself the rebel which does not take kindly to the abuse of my fellow man.  But, had I of survived to take the walk, odds are good of making it.  As for Swede?  We have long suspected he will die long before the rest of us musketeers.  He is not strong either in body or spirit.  But, if someone was going to take a grenade for you - he would be the one.  The Dutchman would be the one dragging our half dead carcasses across the desert.....

------------------------------------------------

So, I spent a restless night remembering a very long ago forgotten episode in my life and I came to understand something about myself I never had before.  It was not so much the being a social odd duck, or being a German thrust into an English culture, that made me who I am, it was those 658 miles.  It was the loss of almost everyone whom started out with me, it was having faced a welcomed death and surviving which changed the character inside of me forever.  It was the brutal lesson of man against man, man and nature, and seeing an unknown God at work which molded my character - when you should be dead and are not, the thinking man must ask why.....

Knowing there was nothing special about me or the other survivor, recognizing that my survival was too random - to have been random, learning that I truly count for nothing.  But, of course, this episode was what started my seeking Him and giving me the early ability to take a stand and know that it is about Him and not about me.

Quiet Blessings

I can not claim to know more than even a handful of the women's names at this church.  Pretty much we have nothing in common and I am quite happy with that(!).  However, on Sunday, as I was walking out, I noticed one whose name I did know in tearful conversation with another.  I also can read lips in four languages and have excellent hearing - but don't tell my kids!

I met this woman via the internet, when my life became a disaster in 2005.  She had read one of my postings, in which I had no response to a child rearing situation I found myself in.  Her lengthy email is still saved because this was one total stranger baring their soul to another.  And I was grateful to God for her advice - as it successfully put a lid on situation, led to the salvation of a kid I never had heard of before, and although ultimately all tarnation eventually broke loose, that intervention laid the foundation for that child to turn around.

I doubt I have ever said even dozen words to her, except to let her know that  I appreciated her solution at the time and it had worked,

Now, I become aware that this woman is in dire straits financially.  Well, there is little I could do for her, the contents of both my savings and checking would barely scratch her need.  But, this is where I saw that the help she sought from the church was answered with a shaken head - they have financial problems too it seems.

So back at home, I thought on this.  It is the Church's responsibility to answer the basic needs of the congregation.  If we are incapable of this, then we are incapable of representing Christ in this world.  But, what can I do?  Almost nothing.  I fiddled with my Excel spreadsheet and after several hours I found a way in which I could give her just a little and it will hurt me bad in two weeks time.  But right now is her need and I have faith God with answer mine in two weeks time.

In fact, if everyone of us would help, just a little - you know we can be effective witnesses for Christ and a blessing to our Church family.  I thought on this as, "God did not call me to have a minimum balance in my checking account, he called me to be a servant."  So, I had an intermediary last night deliver what I could give her.

And so, today, with my viewing a minor disaster in 13 days, due to this decision, I unexpectedly received money out of the blue!  Oh, yeah, I am bailed out of financial trouble today and feeling very blessed!

Em and Jean

I so rarely refer to anyone by their real name, mostly to protect the innocent as well as to keep them from pounding me later - LOL!  However, I occassionally do, especially when they are in need of prayer.

So, back home is a lady named Em, yeah her given name!  I should also point out that I rarely refer to anyone as 'Lady' because the term does have a real meaning and I have so rarely encountered real ones!  Em is a lady, or in the English vernacular - a gentlewoman.

(Hey, Kelly, if you still read this - check out the new word!)  Ok, back to the story.

Now Em was not feeling well on Friday and by evening it was so bad she had to be rushed to the hospital.  Turned out to be colon cancer, immediate surgery and a rough road ahead of her for healing.

So please be praying for her as she is elderly and healing can come mighty slow to them.  She also has the added difficulty of being the sole caregiver for her husband whom never quite recovered from a severe blow to the head - so it is expected that there is little help he can give her.


Jean is Dutchman's mother, whom has been in frail health for the past several years.  I really feel for what she has been through!  Knee replacements, hip replacement, with all of the associated medical problems which go with these!

On Friday, she fell and KO'ed herself on the door of the dishwasher with lots of blood exiting her nose and mouth.  So, like Em as been in the hospital since.  She was lucky in that the bleeding was found to be from ulcers caused by the medicines, drop in blood pressure from the bleeding caused her to collapse, no damage to her bionic parts - so all is medically good.

However, she had to recover from the laser surgery, build up her strength and then there is that head impact and neck damage.  So.....

Lots of prayer for both of these dear women!

Thanks.

Surviving Storms

     
Based on John 6:16-21:

 You WILL have storms in your life!
- Not due to your faith or lack thereof.
- Possibly not due to sin in your life.
- Storms can come at anytime and probably when least expected, from unexpected directions!

You can be in the center of God's Will and still be in the center of the storm at the same time!
- Jesus had to have known a storm was coming and told them to go.
- You must expect storms in your life!

A storm in your life does not mean that God is absent from your life.
- Where is Jesus?  Interceding on your behalf!

God is bigger than any storm in your life.
- Storms are used by God to teach and strengthen us!

You survive any storm in your life - when Jesus is in your boat.....

CANADIAN JOKES

#1
A Canadian is walking down the street with a case of beer under his arm. His friend Doug stops him and asks, "Hey Bob! Whacha get the case of beer for?" "I got it for my wife, eh." answers Bob. "Oh!" exclaims Doug, "Good trade."

#2
An Ontarian wanted to become a Newfie. He went to the neurosurgeon and asked "Is there anything you can do to me that would make me into a Newfie?"
"Sure it's easy." replied the neurosurgeon. "All I have to do is cut out 1/3 of your brain, and you'll be a Newfie."  The Ontarian was very pleased, and immediately underwent the operation.  However, the neurosurgeon's knife slipped, and instead of cutting 1/3 of the patient's brain, the surgeon accidentally cut out 2/3 of the patient's brain. He was terribly remorseful, and waited impatiently beside the patient's bed as the patient recovered from the anesthetic.  As soon as the patient was conscious, the neurosurgeon said to him "I'm terribly sorry, but there was a ghastly accident. Instead of cutting out 1/3 of your brain, I accidentally cut out 2/3 of your brain."  The patient replied "Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit, monsieur?"

#3
Did you hear about the war between Saskatchewan and Manitoba?  The Saskatchewanites were lobbing hand grenades; the Manitobans were pulling the pins and throwing them back.

#4
In Canada we have two seasons...... six months of winter and six months of poor snowmobiling.

#5
One day an Englishman, an American, and a Canadian walked into a pub together. They proceeded to each buy a pint of Molson Canadian. Just as they were about to enjoy their beverages, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away from him in disgust. The American fished the offending fly out of his beer and continued drinking it as if nothing happened. The Canadian picked the fly out of his drink and started shaking it over the pint, yelling, "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT!!!"

#6
A Quebecer, staying in a hotel in Edmonton phoned room service for some pepper.
"Black pepper, or white pepper?" asked the concierge.
"Toilette pepper!" yelled the Quebecer.

# 7
An American, a Scot and a Canadian were in a terrible car accident. They were all brought to the same emergency room, but all three of them died before they arrived. Just as they were about to put the toe tag on the American, he stirred and opened his eyes. Astonished, the doctors and nurses present asked him what happened. "Well," said the American, "I remember the crash, and then there was a beautiful light, and then the Canadian and the Scot and I were standing at the gates of heaven. St. Peter approached us and said that we were all to young to die, and said that for a donation of $50, we could return to earth. So of course I pulled out my wallet and gave him the $50, and the next thing I knew I was back here."
"That's amazing!" said the one of the doctors, "But what happened to the other two?" "Last I saw them," replied the American, "the Scot was haggling over the price and the Canadian was waiting for the government to pay his.

Interesting To Think On

I always like to think on weird things and see trends and how they occur and then figure out why.....

Now it seems that bad feet and knees seem to run in my family.  Feet problems from the Scottish side and knees from the Swiss side.  I am so lucky!  Of course, as I mentioned long ago, my cousin also has both but he had to earn his knee problems since he has none of the Swiss genes!

So I have been seeing a foot doctor.  First, my knees were killing me and given my shoe wear patterns I was thinking that a shoe insert might just do the trick.  It worked wonderful for my left leg but the right went on to severe foot pain.  Changed my foot doctor and he worked with trying to repair the damage a bad insert created.  Problem is that it will be six months to heal up.  Phooey! And part of the problem was the shoes I have been wearing.

Then I started to remember.....

When I was a kid my ankles were so weak that I had to wear braces to hold my legs up.  No big deal, there were lots of polio victims back then so no one even noticed my braces or made fun of me.  But, I had to wear hiking boots all of the time due to the stiffness they provided the foot as well as a base for the braces.

I started wearing tennis shoes, still stiff ones but as my ankles were stronger by 9th grade I no longer needed to wear boots.  However, I still wore Kletter boots most of the time because they were the "In" thing in the 1970's.  And this is is sort of how things went until 2002.

In 2002 I had to have knee surgery because I had broken both of my knees on a rain soaked walkway.  Yeah, king of the klutz's.  So had to wear really light footwear from then on.  I went with cross-trainer tennis shoes and loved them.  Right up to when I thought about seeing a foot doctor in 2009.  Where we are now back into a stiff boot most of the time.

And I thought on how odd it was that I just wore what my feet needed by default for all of the those years and it was not until the knee injury caused a change that the foot problem cropped up!

Just the way my mind works.....

God Gives Abundantly

In my little group of college age men we discussed God's blessings, and equally, how blessings are not always in physical form.

So, given that our discussion audience is all Christian (of varying maturity levels) and that you are doing what God has asked of you, then:

1.  If you can look around you and see beyond your wants and desires - you will see that God has given to you extravagantly! If you own a change of underwear and know where your next meal is coming from - you are already light years ahead of the rest of the world!

2.  We must be satisfied with God's provision.  He gives us what we need to accomplish the tasks and goals He asks of us.  We must learn to be satisified with God's allocations to us - not yearn for more, more, more!

3.  But, when God is blessing us with His resources, He gives far more than we can/should be using!  His surplus is not ours to waste, it is to used for His glory, not the latest and greatest electro-thingy!  As a western culture we all really fail on this point!!!!!

4.  It is important for you to remember that God wastes nothing.  If we consider the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 - Jesus told the disciples to gather together the excess from the meal.  Yeah, to make a point to each of them that He gives in abundance, but also so that the excess might be used for _ _ _ _ _ _?  Perhaps a later meal for them, perhaps it was given to someone there from the neighboring town or .....  We don't know but I am willing to bet that it was not feed to sea gulls or sold to buy hair gel.

Anyone For Tea?

Try, Try, Try Again

That was something my father used to say, in eleven different languages.  He probably say it more but I could only follow along in eleven - if it involved this phrase or his atypical cursing.

This week my application was accepted into a mineral show in May, so I now am getting ready to see what I can do there.  I am sort of nervous as the antique show attempts were an utter failure, coin shows were an utter failure and selling some of my better firearms was a disaster!  Thus we shall see if I can pay my taxes or not shortly!  Very frustrating.

For son's graduation last year, someone gave him gold and silver coins - which he sold this week!  No one would buy my stuff at half of today's prices, two months ago.  Maybe I need to try that one again?  Maybe eBay this time?  Have to figure something out before June that is for sure.....

Seek God's Face Not His Handouts!

Thinking on Deuteronomy 18:15, with John 6:14-15 and 6:22-27 in mind.....

Jesus had an awful lot of fans, but they were not followers.  When he fed the 5,000 - they followed him seeking more food/handouts, aftrer all, Moses had feed them for 40 years and wouldn't be nice if they could coast for the next 40 by following this new prophet?

Fans expect you to do something for them today.
Followers ask, "what can I do for you today?"

When we say that Jesus is just what I have been waiting for, what do we mean by that?

Are we, like those Hebrews so long ago, thinking that we have discovered the goose that lays golden eggs?  Once with Jesus and we can now retire to easy street?  America's God has become the god of the never ending shopping list!  We select and go to churches which will serve us and our anticipated needs!

It is true that each have physical and natural needs, however the natural man only understands his physicals needs.  And so many Christians have become.

When we seek Jesus for the wrong reasons, what can we expect him to do?
Well, in these verses the people saw a miracle and then thinking that Jesus was about the 'here and now' of life, flocked to him expecting more physical blessings (and probably food as well!).

But Jesus withdrew from them, He was not going to let them make Him into something that they want!

Today when you seek Jesus for the wrong reasons - you are not going to be finding Him or that Jag in the garage either!  But, when we seek Him as God, in humbleness of spirit, for whom He is, then we will be finding the great I AM, the Resurrection ..... and the Father.

And maybe even a fish, if he has reason to provide us with one.....

Better Frame of Reference

I would have entitled this one "Buoyed" but can not find if that is the correct word to use or not.  My Scottish great aunt's first husband was a fisherman and she always used that word for "lifted up" and pronouned it 'boyed' with a nasty emphasis on the 'RRRRRRR'.  No, 'R' you say?  I think all Scottish words have hard 'R's the way she talked!  Oh yeah, I could hunt the internet and figure this out but why bother - I am in a good mood.

"What?", you say, again!

Yeah, in my last exciting episode I talked about my sorrow at loosing loved ones forever.  But that all evaporated on Saturday when one of my lost "boys" from the 70's hunted me down to tell me that he was just back from the river - where he had thrown in all of his drugs and paraphernalia!  Yeah, 37 years later he remembered our conversations and decided maybe the drugged induced partying animal was perhaps not whom he was at all nor wanted to be - so now he is walking away from it!

His name is Joseph - pray your guts out for him to make it through this and find God on the other end!!!!!!!  This should be a multi-times a day for perhaps the next year!  There is a Bible believing church within walking distance of his home.  Soooooooo.....

Son has calmed down, albeit, I am counting the days to the next blast.  If on schedule it will be around the first of May.  We will see.  Sigh, but I relish this moment of peace.  I have never met the man whom does not want peace in his house!

And, another reason to be happy is having a new reader!  Always a pleasure to hear from others!  Plus now I get to read through a new site!

We All Know

I think we all know candidates whom are best described as:

"Not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

"Got into the gene pool while the lifeguard wasn't watching."

"A room temperature IQ."

"Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."

"A gross ignoramus---144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus."

"A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on."

"A prime candidate for natural deselection."

"Bright as Alaska in December."

"One-celled organisms outscore him in IQ tests."

"Donated his brain to science before he was done using it."

"Fell out of the family tree."

"Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming."

"Has two brains: one is lost and the other is out looking for it."

"He's so dense, light bends around him."

"If brains were taxed, he'd get a rebate."

"If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."

"If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."

"If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean."

"Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."

"Takes him an hour and a half to watch 60 minutes."

"Was left on the Tilt-A-Whirl a bit too long as a baby."

"Wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead."

 

Normal Day

Given the magnitude of yesterday's explosion, I was stunned by the normal-ness of today!

Seems young man was told to go away by the recruiter and come back when he knew where he was going in life!  Holy Cow!  An honest recruiter and my hat is off to you sir!

Of course, he still is not looking for a job even though I found him one at $28/hr - he did not even apply.  As my cousin says, "Don't close the door, you might just be launched through it off the end of my boot!"  Heh, heh, heh, heh. 

He is wicked.

21 Days

I know I have mentioned before how my life seems to hang on a 21 day lunar cycle.  That is to say that every 21 days someone, anyone, goes off on me or life just plain sucks.  Oh yeah, today was one of those days.

On the mild side is youngest daughter house-sitting for some people I met at the Dave Ramsey Seminar last year.  Nice young couple and way ahead of me in squashing debt (sigh!).  However, disaster struck this afternoon.

Seems their front door's cylinder lock decided to split right down the middle and seized the key, which eventually snapped off in our attempts to free it (okay, after 2 hours of trying to get the thing to turn or out!).

So, went to the cops and told them what happened and they offered to use their ram to take down the door.  Or, I could call a good locksmith.  Which of course I did!

It took him about an hour to get the door open.

Why the emergency?  Well, their dog was trapped on the other side and in desperate need of a walk!  Luckily, the dog knows me and her little yellow eyes were delighted to turn brown once again after I got her outside.  Poor puppy!

So, I am down $366 for this, plus a new lock.  Sigh...

Ah but the best part was my son exploding and then leaving with his girlfriend to go join the military.  Will he?  Who knows, I just feed him take his abuse apparently.  We will see.  I am very unimpressed with him to date.  But, he is my son and though a 'man', I still wish the best for him.

I think I am going to call the day over now.

Down

Been more than a little down since last Friday.  Friday marked the death of my father a year ago now.  In reflection, it seems like 8 years have gone by with all of the drama swirling around me!  It continues to be some disaster every 21 days, whether I like it or not!

But, losing a loved one, for eternity really stings.  I prayed for that man's salvation for almost four decades but there was just no turning that man's head to consider there is a need for a savior.  I re-read my little memorial I did on him.  As I sat and stared into that youthful face, bedecked in his KinderKorp uniform, I could not help but weep for all of the children in that photo (I have the original with about a dozen kids in it).  So lied to by the world they lived in, so lost to eternity.  Though I pray some of them were able to live long enough to turn their hearts towards God.

Now I think of my almost lifelong friend living in Tucson.  When I was down there in January I left the book, The Case for a Creator, for him to read.  He just sent it back with a note telling me that evolution is easier to believe.  Sigh.  I knew his family well and with the exception of him and his brother, they were all Christians.  You have to wonder what happened to harden his heart so.....

And what of my recently dead uncle back home in Switzerland?  His life never did match up well with Christian ideals, but he certainly knew the truth.  Well God knows his heart and I pray his choices concerning God were better than in life.  Sigh.

Yeah you get my drift - I am feeling the weight of loss for those I have loved but are now without any further hope, those whom continue to rebel against God and lastly for my son.  He certainly professed Christ at one time but his teenage years have been a real battle for him.  To the point I have to question his salvation state.  I know that is between him and God and only God knows the truth of his state. But, it strangles my heart to think of the pain on the course of life he is chosing.

Sigh.....  Just on of those days I guess.

Missionary Girl Weds!

No, it was not Italian Missionary Girl, whom is now in Columbia, SC.  And, actually, I do expect her to be wed long before she hits the mission field again.....  Yeah, she is now a virtual daughter and I worry over such things for her.  Luckily, she stays in daily contact - sometimes hourly!  Letting me know where she is and what she is up to.  :^)

So, whom got married?  Well, anyone remember the African Missionary whom I found on the internet?  I first learned about her when she was in Mexico and kept up with her as she blossomed into a full time missionary to Africa.  This was when I introduced Kim to you and I really do hope that more that a few of you were able to help her with her ministry finances.  She did somethings I never would have even thought of - in sharing the Gospel with children.  I am in awe of our God and His use of her.

So, for now she is retired from the mission field and has married a man whom I am sure is not good enough for her.  LOL, I sound just like her father!  Okay, so I was invited and I do like to attend weddings!

Hence, I though I would share a picture with you of her very small wedding, with a HUGE wedding party!  In attendence were co-workers from her missions in Uganda and the Sudan, some whom dated back to her Mexico work, etc.  It was cool to finally get to meet them, I have read about them on her sites, now in person.  I had a great time and think it must have been around 1 AM when everyone retired.

Such fun!

Musical Saturday Morning

I remember when I first saw this film, Young Einstein, I was struck by the utter vacuousness of the plot, story, dialogue, and acting, etc!  No redeeming features what so ever!  Ok, maybe a few really sick chuckles - but I guarantee you will not figure out what I found funniest about this film - unless you are German and been to Australia......

However, the haunting melody by Australia's Ice House with their Great Southern Land stuck with me.  I even bought the album and figured out that those boys down under really need some prayer!

Church vs Comic-Con

So some pastor of some church decided to denounce Comic-Con, mostly due to the "characters" whom, though in the minority, never the less do flock to these events.

So of course, then you need protestors to then gather outside of the church and prove him right.........

Yeah you get the idea ......