Vehicles

A car has no brains. It is the driver that makes the car do what it does. It is the manufacturer that designs the car in the first place that gives a car its magic. Words have no brains either. They are not magic. It is the speaker with an idea that has to use words as a vehicle to express the idea. The idea is magic.

Part 2 later.

Spin doctor

In writing, people always have a choice of words. That means that the choices made truly represent what is on someone's mind. This is generally true of speech although it is somewhat more complicated. This makes email a great medium to analyze. It's the written word, so it really does reflect one's thinking. It takes a clever person to put spin on a message. That's because it takes time to massage words to communicate something other than what is on someone's mind. So, next time you want to put a mask on the words you write, just spend a little more time than it takes to empty your mind of its first round of word choices. Massage, massage, massage—presto, spin happens. Congratulations.

Wisdom of not knowing

I don't know what it is like to live to 100. But, this weekend my grandmother turned 100, so we had a big party for her. All of her extended family with the exception of 2 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and 1 great, great grandchild gathered to honor her. People came from California and Arkansas and all points around Texas. Grandmother tired after about an hour, so she went back to her apartment. Then she came back for another two-hour round of eating and gift-giving before retiring for the night.

At the end of the party, I went over to her and said that I thought she would mention why she had lived so long. I was looking for something profound, some advice to follow. But, her answer was, "I don't know."

And that's about the truth for many aspects of life. She was wise enough to admit it. I think I need to be looking at certain aspects of life and admitting my absolute failure to be able to analyze them accurately. "I don't know" needs to be a more recurring refrain from my lips. I need to look at a circumstance and admit, "I didn't create it. I don't understand it. I don't control it. Not even close. Don't even try." So be it.

The quietest man

I work around the corner from a health insurance man. He is very quiet. Most days I don't even know whether he is at work or not. He exchanges greetings if I happen to see him on the elevator or in the bathroom, but that is rare.

This week it was time for my annual review for health insurance, so I went to see this very quiet man. We talked about my current needs an updates. And, of course, no talk with an insurance man happens without talk of death and dying—thus the need for life insurance. I guess he thought I was a little distraught with the talk of death and dying, so he mentioned that death doesn't really matter for those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It was very naturally spoken by him, it's just that I wasn't expecting that statement from him, the quietest man on earth.

So, I am thankful today that I live in a world in which many around me, whether I know it or not, have a faith that will lead them home one of these days. Once in a while, it looks as if evil is actually overcoming good. Then I run into these quiet people. It always surprises. But, it also always encourages me.

This Thanksgiving I am encouraged that this world has many representatives of the next world all around me.

Noticing a turn of events

I am wondering now what will happen. 6 weeks ago the One who disturbs his people's sleep did so and led me to a book I had not read in a number of years. It was about apocalyptic literature. I accepted the ensuing events over the last six weeks in light of the intensity of oppression that is reflected in this genre of literature. And it has been intense at work. I have prayed for a certain enemy, but as is the case with enemies, they don't relent. I have worked 10-16 hour days to survive in this environment. Still nothing has changed.

But as is also true of apocalypses, there is an end to the oppression. The Weaver of Events wins and works His will. The last two days have seen a turning point. Finally, the one human who can rid the enemy of his ungodly work has been made aware of certain obstacles (placed in the way by this evil minion) that have been unnecessary and unreasoned. In time, the One who weaves to win will get the recognition he deserves for the capitulation of one who belongs to His enemy. I will sing that praise in advance through this blog. I say "Thank you" and hope it echoes through the divine quarters.

This for that

There sometimes seems to be a unity in life that allows for compensation, a quid pro quo system. It seems that if one experiences good, then bad follows or if one has a particularly bad experience, then a particularly good experience follows. One such case of this happens the Friday after Thanksgiving. My maternal grandmother turns 100. What an achievement. On the other hand, I never knew my paternal grandmother. She died when my father was around 10. Another such case is that my son departed for another world at an early age. Immediately on the heels of departure, The One who compensates led me straight into a job I had tried for over a 10-year period of time. It was just in a different town from the one I had lived in for a long time.

Call it irony, maybe even cruel justice. I don't understand the compensation fully. It just seems to exist. I don't think there is an answer in the sacred book or an equivalent observation in it. It doesn't seem to be related at all to the sow-reap principle. So, I just accept it when it happens and log in one more observation.

Inside the storm

I work in the midst of a stormy environment. Everyday I see evil wax and wane against good. Somedays corruption wins the day. Other times, integrity wins the day. So, a storm rages. I frequently remember this saying:

Sometimes God calms the storm.
But sometimes God lets the storm rage
and calms His child.

So, after a particularly nasty storm last night, The Calmer of spirits came today to do just that. Tonight my spirit rests.

One day this, the next day that

What happened?
One day I was trucking down life with hope in one hand and zest in the other.
What happened?
The next day the life-partner took a different track in life and I lost the hand of hope.
What happened?
The next day the son of my loins departed this life for the next and I lost the hand of zest.
What happened?
One day I realized that this world highlights life's arrows and darts, and I lose unless someone is waiting on the other side and is actively guiding me home. Zest and hope are restored.


John 1
11He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. 12Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children.

On people and dens

I don't really know anymore what society wants out of people. Somebody gripes about something or someone, it seems, all the time. If you make accommodations for someone, a larger group gets mad or starts to question. If someone sees someone else get to do something that (s)he doesn't get to do, petty jealousy sets in. People decide not to get along for a variety of reasons. Politics is disgusting, but we are all forced to play it. So, we're all left with doing what suits us. So, when the Master Teacher decided to clear out the temple for some of the same reasons I just mentioned, I guess he had reached his limit. I think I am at mine too. And I think everyday that I could say when I go to work, "You have made my father's house of prayer into a den of thieves." Father help us all.

My hearing has improved

Listening to voices that don't come through the space continuum of our 3D world is an art not a science. Mainly because it deals with belief. One has to believe actually that the Creator not only creates but also "speaks" so that He can be understood. Thus, in my personal odyssey through this life, I have had to learn to decipher the "voice" that can be heard.

In my younger years, I heard nothing. Then again, I uttered prayers, but they didn't merit an "answer" to them most of the time. They consisted of thanks and help me. But ever since The One Who Showed No Mighty Rivers to me liberated me from the chains of organized religion, I have had experiences that "spoke" to my mind and intersected with circumstances that I had nothing to do with.

So, listening these days does not mean that my ears have audible sounds that stike the ear drum. It means that I have learned to see trademarks on experiences, mind impressions, visual scenes, dreams, disturbed sleep, and I'm sure another "sound" or two that are left off this list. Oh, they don't happen daily. Sometimes weeks go by. Sometimes perspective comes after a couple of years. Sometimes, inspirations happen in retrospect of a decade. Sometimes encouragements come every few days. But, that is the way it was designed. I am an adult child and I'm not living at home. So, when my father visits, he leaves a little of himself behind. He communicates in the most pleasant of ways and occasionally in the most troubling of ways.

It made such a difference when I finally understood the Son of Man's words when he said that he was returning to his father, but that he would leave someone else with us who would stand beside us and that this other person would guide us to a more complete understanding.

Thanks to him I understand "voices" when I hear/sense them.

What I'm left with

This was one of those mornings which happened just like I wanted it to. I got up, walked, ate breakfast, went to a study, ate lunch, watched a ball game, etc. So, why is it at the end of the day (literally) that I feel as if I missed something today.

I think it is that I am expecting that the One who leads will lead me to something/someone that will slake my thirst for wanting to see what is in the other dimension. That does happen on occasion. I guess I want to see it on a more frequent basis. So, I'm left with trusting.

That's all anyone is ever left with. And the Master Teacher's main saying about the after-life is about trusting: "You trust God. Trust me as well... I am going to prepare a place for you." So, I'm left with trusting.