A Death To Contemplate

Suzy is the name of my nephew's mother.  He is not my a real nephew, his mother is not kin of mine.  However, she was a 16 year old whose life I had a strong interest in.  You see, long before I met her she was badly damaged and it has been my prayers, hopes and efforts for the past 35 years to try and get her beyond that childhood.  But, what followed was one disaster after another.

I began to wonder about how does God work, when I see such disaster swirling around someone whom is so desperate to leave disaster in the past.  Any yet, it is as if she was courted by disaster.

I thought life would finally be good for her many years ago.  She met a guy in her church - associate pastor, whom fascinated her. I even flew out to met him - and cautioned her not to even think of marriage - something was mighty rotten in Denmark.  But, then again, about 300 in his church and a ton of kids all vouched for him.  I hoped I was wrong.

She did marry him.  I even sought her out before the wedding to ask her to reconsider - that was how strongly I felt this was a train wreck waiting to happen.  I was to find out at the wedding reception, her sister and father both counseled her not to as well.  How interesting - sister a Christian and father a non-Christian were both in agreement, and yet none had any better reason than I concerning the guy.

Inside of six months he had been fired for accessing pornography on his church computer.  He took up drinking as a hobby and beating his step-son, my nephew.  It went down hill from there.....  Yeah, that was not even the beginning of the downhill slide.  It made me question what was the definition of a Christian!  Could a Christian fall so far from Grace?  Even a atheists were be appalled at the depths he plunged to!

This morning he was found dead at home by his estranged wife, Suzy.  Apparently, he had lost his driver's license for previous DUIs and asked her to pick him up this morning to go to court.  He strongly suspected he would be doing jail this time.  All of this was news to all of us whom stayed in touch - in hopes of helping at some point.  Most likely he got a real snoot on last night and then failed to plug in his C-Pap machine.

Yeah.

In some regards, this removes a blight from the lives of his family.  His behavior had alienated EVERYONE whom had loved or cared for him.  But, at the same time, he was a son, a husband, a father, a step-father, a brother and ex-friend to many.  All need to be thought of in prayer, most of them are not Christian.

So many, such as my father, believed violently that they possess the freedom to live their lives however they wish, with no consequences.  However, every decision we make affects many surrounding us, some whom we may not even know.  Joe's death, like his life, will also impact that list of people above.  More than one of us had been praying for God's intervention in his life.....

If dear reader, you believe that you can control your alcoholism, your drug addiction,  your pornography problem, etc. all on your lonesome - know that you are wrong, dead wrong.  Joe had scaled the heights of his faith in God but was unable to leave that past he had come out of behind him.  It called to him and step by step he was drawn back into the horrors of what he had left when he became a Christian - and had fought his way out of.

Oh yeah, we all fail, or you are better than me if you do not!  But, there is always hope when we are still willing to fight.  Joe gave up and now has had to pay the ultimate price.  But, it never had to end this way and neither do you have to.

To quote the apostle Paul, Fight the Fight, Run the Race, Chastise yourself into submission  - but whatever it takes, be in the winners circle!  OVERCOME!  God guarantees to help us, as long as we are willing to participate - but He is not going to wave a magic wand over you.  It starts with you, it ends with you, it is all God in-between with your eyes on Him and ONLY Him.

Please do not take the road Joe traveled.....

WWII is Done

As a child in Germany, I grew up with a stigma attached of being a "Jew Killer" by the other NATO kids.  Did not matter that I am Hebrew by birth, through my mother's, mother's, mother's mother - as far as I can go in the records to see the Jewish line.  I was circumcised on the 8th day by a Rabbi whom had to be flown in for the ceremony.  And, promptly raised to be an atheist.....

By seventh grade we had to know the history of the War and the role our forefather's played.  It helped little that my father was a Nazi scientist and though Hebrew (he had been a practicing Jew) supported the German cause.  In seventh grade we had to tour Dachau, one of the minor concentration camps - but the site of some of the worse atrocities of the war towards Jews.  Every picture was required viewing.  I got in trouble for climbing in one of the ovens to see if there were in any bones.....  Hey, I was a 13 year old boy!

So there are some topics I feel very strongly over and unfortunately those topics define the first twenty years of my father's life.

Although I almost called 911 myself, certain I was going to have a heart attack before I could finish father's early years, I managed to.  And I feel free of his past, his life and his death at last.  Journaling has been good for me and I hope that by saving some of the events and photos on Blogger, this will provide a chance for others to see and think on what happened during those years.

Although, you will not find them, there have been a ton of short lived comments, predominately from historical revisionists - wishing to correct me on camp deaths, etc.  Too bad for them I have pictures and finally posted some - against my better judgement. 

And, I am fascinated by the Russian presence on the blog, what on earth are they looking for or finding?  Or like me, is there angst they too must work through?

Concerning Freedom

Reading in my favorite book - John (8:33-36)

I have lived under Socialism, Communism, Dictatorships and various forms of democracy.  Amazingly, Christianity works very well under all of these make believe forms of government.  As I point out to my students: the Pax Romana was perhaps the most repressive form of government ever inflicted upon mankind.  And Christianity flourished under it.  How come?

They rarely have an answer because true Freedom is not understood by this culture.

Our western culture is in denial and that denial is the roadblock to you finding true freedom.  We each have willingly enslaved ourselves by our own desires, and yet think ourselves free.

False freedom is actually true slavery!

As I have come to further understand on this subject, across the past two years, there are many forms of slavery.  Materialism, desire for position, desire for power, fear and yes, even debt are all the slave owners of the 21th century.  For me, it was learning too late in life how finances really work and now face a financially crushing debt - given the circumstances I find myself in.  Whom could have ever imagined an 11 time employee of the year could be blindly laid off, without management thinking about it!  But it has happened and my 90 days to debt payoff became 38 years!

The free person is one who has decided on and chosen God as their master.

Slavery is serving a master you have not chosen, but the result of our sinful desires.

So, no matter where you live, no matter what form of government is inflicted upon you, no matter your social standing or amount of wealth: you have a choice to be FREE or a SLAVE.  If living to please others, being dominated by materialism or sinful desires = you are a SLAVE.  Conversely, if you SOLE desire is to please your Creator (hint: GOD!), you have just discovered freedom!

If you want to understand freedom, read a book called, "Of Whom the World was not Worthy", Marie Chapian, Bethany House Publishers.  I hate the title, but by the time you have finished reading this you will come to understand that "freedom" you understand, is not the FREEDOM God understands.

Please choose wisely.....

DSP

So, I found out what I have that has been attacking my body - shellfish poisoning.  Sigh.  I guess something I ate up in Canada was not exactly good for me.  Sigh.

And, although it usually lasts about 3 days, I am on week four with this.  However, I had already noted that it has a three days on / four days off cycle.  So, I got it good!  Well, plus the fact I have known all of my life that I do not have an immune system - gift of being a member of the inbreed Aryan race.  Ouch, I just felt father's ghost give me a whack!

Been working on father's story today, finding photo's, scanning, photoshoping, etc.  Been very soothing - save for the period of time when I was babysitting youngest grand-daughter.  Mighty busy little thing.....

Well time to call it a day.

Maintenance

I have been working on this blog this afternoon.

Many of my video links had been broken, youtube users closing their accounts and one has even now been block in the USA!  Interesting.  In any event they all now work - save for the blocked one.

I also took some time to go back through the Stats Blogger supplies for the posts.  And, outside of one week - when I was writing about Victoria BC - the most read post continues to be the tales of four couples.  I am amazed.  I have no idea what people are reading in that post.  But, hey, if you are one of the people I wrote about - and you know whom you are! - contact me!  I would love to hear from you.


My ramblings concerning my father seem to have been found by someone running a blog about blogging - and he is using it for examples.  Sure surprised me!  You have to wonder.  Of course, it could be - how not to blog.....

On another note, yes, Kris is still down with food poisoning - week three, though I have to admit my nurse friends are wondering if it is something else because it is with no end in sight and seems to be on a 4 day cycle between bouts.  bleech!  Well, I will think doctor, when my old cycling weight returns as muscle - goal 180!......  I still want to break my record, Seattle to Portland in 11.5 hours.

In other news - I got four interviews!  Before you pass out, realize that all of them are with non-profits and none of them pay.  But, all of them are looking for someone to handle their communications - think advertising, brochures, manuals, presentation, etc.  All of which I can do but surely not for a living.  So for the rest of the year I expect to be doing SOMETHING other than sitting on my thumbs!

Finally, had lunch with Italian Missionary Girl after church.  It was a surprise and great to see her again.  I took her home and we watch most of, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra Cave.  A wonderful classic which had us both on the floor howling.  (If you think movie should be serious - do not hunt this one down!)  Finances are non-existent for her, so please keep her in your prayers - mighty hard to live on nothing.....

Musical Saturday Morning

Okay, for all of you politically incorrect types, here is one for you!

I get so tired of American political correctness!  It makes me want to barf.  And honestly, were it not that my brother-in-law would be highly offended by this video, I would not even comment - except that I do care about him and his skewed opinions.

There was a time in American cinema when a black man would never have appeared on film, it just was not done.  Even in theater, black actors were actually whites in makeup.  Don't ask me - I'm Swiss and never grew up with prejudices except toward gypsies - and even then it was only to make my parents happy.  They were about a bigoted as one could get on several subjects.

So, with that said, here is the ORIGINAL version of Putting on the Ritz by Taco.  And John, it is okay to at least mentally accept that black-face was the way cinema was done in reality.....

Back At Ya!

So, it seems son got himself in a spot of trouble.  He seems to be stalking his ex-girlfriend and causing her a bit of grief.  So, she decided to email me and tell me that.

Like, I am supposed to do something?  Get real!  Even she will not do what I have told her to do, so why would she think son would?  Once again, I told her she has legal options and options to handle the problem.  If she wants me involved, then she has to tell me what is going on - which she never will.

So, son come over last night sobbing and crying.

"What's up?"

"She maced me!"

I think to myself, "good on ya dear....." as I go to fetch some towels and cold water....

:^)