Hugo

Last night, I dragged Yesfir out of the house and we went to a movie.  Initially, it was to Mission Impossible 4, but then we saw there was also some movie called Hugo.  Well, I had never heard of it, but some of her friends had recommended it.  So, we took the gamble and saw Hugo.

First off, this is an exceptional movie and I highly recommended it!

So the story revolves around a boy, a girl he meets and a strange old man whom is the girl's god-father.  I will not spoil the film for you if you have not seen it, other than to say that it revolves around the early days of film making - the silent picture era.

Many of the clips they used, or recreated were from my much loved days of viewing silent films. To good ol' days back when actors knew how to act, story tellers how to create a story, etc.  Yeah, I am not much of a fan for what passes as cinema these past sixty years.

I have three silent film favorites: Chaplin's The Prospector, Lang's Woman In the Moon, and of course, from the Earth to the Moon.  Jules Verne really knew how to write a story!  I loved that book and every film made on that story line since the first one!  Sure they are corny but they are entertaining.  Car chases were comical, fires were tragedies, shootings to be mourned and with only rare exception were the babes ever in "display" mode.  Yeah, the loss of innocence is always to be mourned!

Story is intriguing, acting is only so-so, but then again it is a kids movie, photography  pleasant, and more importantly - it is family friendly!

I am not sure if a child will actually enjoy this as much as adults whom are just plain tired of the Hollywood recipe of gun battles, car chases, explosions and scantily clad women.

You will love this movie if, like me, you are tired of what Hollywood has been producing.  A hearty "Good Job!" to those whom produced a fine film for a change!

El Futuro

In Christianity, there are Spiritual Gifts, what the Holy Spirit empowers His people with for His purposes.  Very safe, very sane.  The gifts belong to the Holy Spirit whom dispenses and uses these at His sole discretion.  They belong solely to the Holy Spirit, He gives, He takes, He uses.  Paul gives us a beautiful run downs on what they are even.  What could be simpler?

(If you are already chocking on this, you really need to stop learning from man's wisdom and start reading the Bible only has  your reference tool!  You will find it has quite a lot to say and none of it what man loves to publish and lead others astray with!)

Now enter the American school of religious (not Christian) thought - "Well, they were only active in the first century."  "Once we had our Bible, the gifts passed away become they were not needed any more."  etc, etc, etc.  Man's opinion being given, completely free of Scripture, because after all, if they acknowledge that the gifts are still valid - then they stand condemned for their own faithless lives!

Yes, I have SEEN every single one of the Holy Spirit's gifts in action, used in ministry, verifiable and within context.  Exactly how it should be.

Unfortunately, the Liar as the ability to mimic the Gifts, so that those present will think they are of the Holy Spirit, only they are being used outside of Biblical context and therefore not of God at all!

What is a believer to do?!?!?!!?

Well, test all things.  You think you just witnessed tongues being used at your local church?  Well, was it being used to witness to a foreign national in their own language because that is all they understood?  No?  Well, you  just saw a LIE in action!  Was it in a prayer closet (of course not!).  Another LIE!  And so you can do this with most of what you will see., hear and read about concerning the Spiritual Gifts.  It is ALL LIES!

So you then have to be oh so careful when the real item is stumbled across.  Someone with the gift of prophecy is not exactly going to be blabbing to anyone, anywhere, just to stay alive these days!  Yeah, I know a few God does reveal His ways to.  And due to our culture, even they are mighty leery of saying anything to anyone - because there only so much flak a person can take.

Why be commenting on this?  Because of what God did to me in November, when I was given rather special insight concerning New Daughter.  And it has continued ever since.  I am really not desirous of knowing another's future, though I do realize that I am expected to be preparing her for that future.  Expectedly, she finds herself torn between knowing that future and not wanting to.  I can understand that.  And it gets confusing for me because there is God's Determinative Will - so I see where she is to be and then there is the Permissive Will, which shows the paths she can take and the problems associated with each one!  Those problems all revolve around, how does she get from those paths to where she is to be eventually?  Yeah, some are harder, some are less so, but none of them are "easy".  I don't like that!  I want my children to have easy choices, not hard ones!

That is really hard responsibility there.  My desires versus what I know from God for this young woman.  It makes me fearful that I have to "get ti right" or I will be to blame if I miss direct her through the training she needs.  Yeah, you have to remember that Kris is a coward.

But imagine a world where God rules and people are not fearful to use their gifts and what God has revealed to them!

Sounds a whole lot like each of our futures in a new heaven and a new earth.....  We each really need to step up to that futurenow  and practice using them gifts today!

Hey, if I have to, what makes you special?!?!?!?

Experiential

Back when I was a wee-snapper of a Christian, I used to visit local Bible studies, mostly college age in attendance.  Nothing unusual there.  Most of the groups were borderline Charismatic in their faith.  Nothing unusual there either.  However, I am not a Charismatic by any sense of the word.  I find it quaint that there are those whom are - but my faith has always been based on my Bible and meditation.  Emotional outbursts and experiences I give very little credence to.....

Oh make no mistake, I fully and completely believe in the existence of the Holy Spirit and its ministry both in our lives and through us to one another.  However, through the years I have seen far to many train wrecks caused by youthful exuberance of those experiencing the Holy Spirit.  In fact, it seems it is often hard for those being used by the Holy Spirit to actually control themselves.

Solid, staunch men of Christ I have known, have pulled some of the dumbest blunders I have ever seen - and reaped some of the most incredible miracles because of it!  Imagine a crippled man whom suddenly gets the bright idea that he needed to drive quite some distance, by himself, because God told him to.  He had been a severe stroke victim and really had to be supervised just to go to the grocery store.  But, he believed God, not his physical limitations.  The family had the police looking for him when he turned up missing!

Oh did I mention that he also had to travel through several different countries to do this?  Yeah an impossibility.  Yet, he bought a VW van, made his trip, arrived at his destination and then sat there.  He had no idea why he was there, but he was, and now he was doubting his sanity.

In the course of dinner, he met an odd family.  They knew him, but he pretty much was sure he had never met them before.  They knew he was to take them to freedom.  Their bags were packed, they were ready to go, oh - and by the way, the police and army were hunting them!  So, wanted posters out on them, no passports, their id papers had already been seized.  Yeah.

So, they piled into the van and headed for the border using back roads to avoid all of the police and the officials.  They became incredibly lost, got stuck in the mud and buried their axle.  And along comes a column of tanks.

Yeah, the officer was very interested in them.  Here was a foreign vehicle, in an area used by smugglers, being driven by a man obvious handicapped by a stroke!  Then it started raining, heavily.  The van was blocking the road, the tanks needed to get by.  The officer could not even have a conversation with the stroke victim.  And then as the situation became tense, the lightening hit.

Now I do not know if you have ever taken a lightening hit or not, it is not pleasant.  I came close one time - it missed me by just under a foot and that was still enough power to just about smoke my climbing boots, fry my hair and throw me a good eight feet!  It is very real and very powerful.

Our hero of this tale however was thrown about thirty feet!  The army aid unit rushed up to help the stranger and their officer.  Only neither was harmed!  In fact the stranger was now completely healed of his paralysis and suddenly could speak their language!  The officer was not dumb, he knew he was facing something far more powerful than himself.  He was facing that non-existent God he had heard about.  He ordered one of the tanks to pull the van out of the mud and tow it the short distance over the border.

Apparently, the whole issue of this hunted family sitting in this van the entire time never came up!  Yeah, they were Christians, the father a pastor whom had refused to be silent.  And God worked a miracle to move them out of harms way.  I heard this tale from one of the kids.

Now, how do you deal with something like this in your daily life?  Sure we credit God with the ability to do anything He wants, just as long as it is what we expect.  But, what happens when He begins working in unexpected ways in our lives?  Our handicapped stranger really was only obedient and desiring to be used.  And used he was in a tremendous way!  The Christian pastor only had faith that God would help them to escape and spare their lives.  And God did do just that!  Both had to step out in faith to do the unexpected!  And because of this, God worked a few miracles!

Yeah, not necessarily a Bible quality tale, but a true on none the less.  And I can find examples in my Bible of God managing to do even greater things than this.  Then looking in my own life and seeing the miracles across the past months, incredible!  And last night having a daughter lovingly look me in my eyes and tell me she never could have imagined ... this change going on inside of her.

Wow!  What an incredible God - using "foolish" men to perform His deeds.....

Chuckle

I have to chuckle. Sometimes life is like that. No sooner had I written Friday's post than the phone rings. It is my friend.

Now mind you, I never said anything to him about my disapproval with his Saturday plans. I never say anything to any of my friends over their TV and game based wastage of their lives. I live my life, I invite them along, I usually am alone in my endeavors. Outside of Yesfir, I am pretty sure no one I know, knows about this blog any more!

So, my 81 year old friend is on the phone. "Hey lets do breakfast on Saturday!" Now, that is a jaw dropper! There a zillion basketball games on, and he wants to go to breakfast with me? Oh -oh, what did I do now?

But, he and his wife just wanted to visit. Talk about yesterdays, with someone whom loves history and them.

As for the basket ball games? He told me he bought three recorders to hold all of the games for him so he could watch then in the afternoon!

Now there is a changed man!

One of these days, in the not so distant future, he will be gone and his children - whom learned his life habits at an early age will suddenly discover that maybe they needed to take a little time for their father, whom rarely sees them. I can see his pain in that regard. Yeah, everyone is busy, everyone is working hard, everyone has no time for an old man in his waning years.

Think about maybe making an extra phone call or visit with your aging relatives. They probably would appreciate the time you spend with them. Even if they are unpleasant and smell funny.

Standing Alone

When I stepped out in faith, back on November 22nd, I was not blind.  God had forewarned.  I already knew the cost of the task He had set before me. Of course, I may have not completely understood. Or perhaps not. Yeah one of those quandary problems.  hard to understand except in retrospect and I am not far enough long at this point to see clearly concerning my personal cost.

I saw clearly my daughter's struggle, I saw clearly part of the personal cost. And you know, I was not really worried because I expected my support base, Gaelic Girl, to remain in place. With that, I could weather almost anything. I never expected that foundation to collapse.

Sure there are probably plenty of reasons for that crumbling, all of them not associated with the battle ND faces. Yet, interestingly enough, as we come closer and closer to the real work, that base has eroded further and further. 

No, there is no such thing as coincidence.

This is but evil's latest swipe at the healing process for ND. I expect more and more distractions to be thrown at us, but ..... Well, and that is the point. No matter what happens, I know my duty is to my family, which includes my new daughter.

But, when involved in an overwhelming spiritual.struggle, alone, you might just question your sanity - as the ground becomes only your faith and what you know as truth. And, now that ground has to steady others as well.

Thank God He answers prayer!  Because it is sorely needed if I am to get my almost life long best friend and prayer partner back on board.....

Letting Go

So, if you were on line very early this morning you saw a post I have now rescheduled for release on Wednesday because this one is more important. I generally write most of my posts for a week on Sunday evening and just schedule them for each day. It freaks ND out because quite often I comment on things, which have yet to happen, but we will just call that a God thing.

Today, she and I begin the ordeal of freeing her.

And as I lay in bed, thinking about today and what all must be done, it struck me that I have a bit of clean up to perform as well.

I have harboured one piece of hate in my heart for decades. The real reason I left home, the real reason I hated my family and especially my mother, the real reason - that like ND - I too was broken. Yeah, my mother.

It serves nothing to go into it, if you can not figure it out from what I already said, well I envy you.

As I lay in bed I knew I had to finally let go of that hatred for her and what she did to that young man. I finally understood last year, when my favorite uncle in a fit of rage said something no one had ever said about my mother, and why a 13 year old had already been written off by her family. Which explained quite a lot, since I have long been very irritated at having a mother just barely older than me! Yeah life is interesting when most people thought your mother was your older sister! Not to mention, once older, realizing what that said about my father.....

So, I lay in bed, the anger once again surging through me. I knew I had to let go. I knew I had to, but it is my precious.....

Yes, I did confess my hatred and anger and unforgiveness to God and begged His forgiveness for me and in my heart for her. But, I did not do this for me or my relationship with my mother, I did this for Yesfir. I can not expect her to do, what I can not.

Yeah, I feel sort of empty now. But, I know that I can face ND with a clean slate and be honest in working with her as we free her from her demons.

I am struck at how much my work with ND is as much for me as it is her..... God has a bizarre sense of humor.

March Madness

Yes, my sport nut friends are all excited by the prospect of basketball du jour! (yawn...)

I have to admit to being completely unable to understand that with all of life which surrounds us, how is there time, much less interest in a bunch of overpaid people pretending they are doing something of value.....

So one of my close friends is getting prepared for the games starting tomorrow, getting everything prepared for NOTHING to interrupt his TV time! Whereas I got to spend hours with two of my daughters. He could do the same, but TV and sports comes first, not people. Not a condemnation, not a value statement, just thinking at how if I was 81 I might want to invest myself in children and grandchildren.

The TV is not going to remember you when you drop dead. The basketball team is not going to care either. But, now your children and grandchildren are going to remember times with you and the stories you share with them.

Well, okay, maybe that is just my theory on the subject!

So, instead of hunkered down at the TV this weekend, locking out the family, I am expecting to do the exact opposite.

For my sport nut readers, enjoy! For my people oriented readers, enjoy! For those inbetween - hop one way or the other!