Blessings.

I have recently been very blessed. God put a silver lining and made the sun shine on me. As a result I am paying it forward. I have helped two people who helped me when I needed it the most. They need the help now and I was glad to help. I prayed last night about what else I could do? I am putting together 5 draw string bags of goods to be handed out to people on the street who are homeless. Each bag is no more than $15 a bag of food and toiletries. Houston has many homeless. In the shelters during the really cold nights about 200 women and children were sleeping on the floor. More than 500 men were on the floor. There is just not enough that can be done.

Five bags are not enough, but it will help. If you have your needs met and have been blessed, you can help God by “paying it forward.” There is always someone you know that may need help or there may need a stranger that you can help. Seek those people out.

 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord you God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

I was scared and God was there.

Pray for each other. Pray for Angela Branson Jordon who had a surgical procedure done for a speedy recovery.

God bless you all and keep you safe. 

I haven’t the slightest idea what I want to say tonight. I am completely void of any ideas, which is nothing unusual for me. It was Monday. I didn’t get my list of “things to do” today because I miss placed the list. I just now found it. It has been a “Murphy’s Law” day. (Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can wrong will go wrong”.)  Everything will probably be better tomorrow. My classes start back next Tuesday. My son returns to work this weekend. I need to read more before class starts and clean the living room. I think I will clean it tomorrow after I finish handling business. At least one thing the weather will be dry because the rain has moved off to the east.

I know it is getting spring cleaning day. Which means: I need to get out the chain saw, put a new blade on it, and shave my under-arms and legs.  I should go to a salon and get my legs waxed. I don’t know I haven’t decided.

My daughter did take me to the grocery store this afternoon. I was happy at that. I went to the corner CVS this morning to get a thing or two on my own. I have been sort of stuck in the house due to bad weather and haven’t been able to get out like I should. I have had invitation to the ball games (here on campus) and I should have gone just to get out. I didn’t though—I stayed the hermit except for having to go somewhere to get something specific.  

After starting to read on the new text for my next two classes, I became really excited over them.  Milton’s “Paradise Lost” is one of my classes with Dr. Speller. Last year she did an open microphone, all day reading of this epic piece. I volunteered to read. I had never read Milton before and WOW! I loved it. She gave me a little input as to what the verses were about that I read. I really got into the essence of the word.

I already knew that during Elizabethan Renaissance one of the entertainments of many were to translate Greek, Arabic or Hebrew (biblical passages) and read them at court as poetry. This was common among the Psalms.

“When the blest seed of Terah’s faithful son, After long toil their liberty had won, And passed from Pharian fields to Canaan land, Led by the strength of the Almighty hand, Jehovah’s wonders were in Israel shown, His praise and glory was in Israel known.” (Milton) 

“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.” (King James Authorized Version)

Both of these passages are Psalm 114. I studied intently Mary Sidney Herbert’s Psalms which I loved; but, unfortunately Milton’s words are deeper, more eloquent, and very moving.

I love learning new things. I enjoy reading something that takes a person somewhere; most of the time it is like an experience to another world with different feelings. I use this method of reading called “projectionism.” I become the character(s) in the book. When I studied the book of Ezra, I was a woman standing on the steps of the proposed temple listening to the scribe, Ezra, read the genealogies and the accounts of my ancestors. I cried. I was then one of the women who had been enslaved by the Babylonians and then released to go home.

As in Psalms 114, I am a woman leaving Egypt, the only home I ever knew. I am just one of thousands descendents who will be traveling for a long time in the desert and I will learn new things: the culture of my ancestors.

Every time I read the word of God, I have never read it before. Each time is a fresh new time for me to learn something. I do. I may have read a passage a dozen times, but I learned something new that I missed the last time. I become enriched in the Word of God.

Keep in prayer Michael Newsome who will be having a medical procedure done; pray for Angela Branson Jordon who will be having a surgical procedure done; keep in prayer each other.

Anything I write is my opinion. You do not have to agree with it. I will respect you regardless. I challenge everyone to check your Bible scriptures out on your own.

God bless you and always keep you safe. 

Where did their ideas come from?

I have spent a while today studying and researching in the Bible. It is so interesting. No matter what we think we find, anything opinion (including mine) about the Bible is purely conjecture unless we are actually quoting the word of God or the word of Jesus.

Anything that we read in the Bible, that we might consider controversial or contradictive, shouldn’t matter one iota on how you feel about your faith. If anything the more you learn about God’s words, the words of Jesus and their works shouldn’t detract from your feeling but should enhance your love of the purposes in which God wants us to have.

There are a lot of holes in the Bible dealing with time frames. There are some contradictions. There are some errors in printing and writing. It shouldn’t matter.

My absolute faith in God and Jesus has grown. It has become stronger now than ever in my entire life. This I know for a fact, there are too many physical realities in life that points to the very existence of God.

Let me give you a few examples of many:

Water evaporation was discovered by N. Wallerius (a Swedish man who researched hydrology, which includes evaporation: Between-- 1739-1747) He proved that water vapor comes from liquid water.

(Job 36:27-28) “He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.

(Ecclesiastes 1:7) “All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.”

(Job 37:16) “Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?”

Copernicus (1473-1543) formulated a heliocentric model of the universe making the earth round. This began the “Copernican Revolution.”

(Isaiah 40:22) “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heaven like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”

(Job 26:7) “He spreads out the northern (skies) over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.”

The Book of Job was written between the 6^th and 4^th Century BC. The Book of Ecclesiastes was written no earlier than 450 BC and or as late as 180 BC.  The Book of Isaiah was written about the 8^th Century BC.  I understand that two scrolls of the oldest surviving manuscripts of Isaiah were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls and were dated about a century before the time of Jesus; they were almost identical to the Masoretic text which forms the basis of the biblical version.

Copernicus and Wallerius had to have gotten their ideas from somewhere? These ideas were well thought before Copernicus and Wallerius were even formed.

I must remind you what I write is my opinion only. You do not have to agree with me. Check it out on your own.

Pray for each other.

God bless each and everyone always. 

Confusion, Women, Order -- I don't understand everything!

I have already made a statement that I have trouble with the Pauline Doctrine. The doctrine is noted as the books written by Paul- the letters to the Epistle (about 13 or 14 books of the New Testament). There are some verses with really good value but I feel some verses are not totally aligned with the teaching of Jesus and the actual laws of Mosaic and/or Rabbinic laws of the period.

Men and Women in ancient society were just about equally yoked from what I have learned in my research. Viewing the Bible as a whole, you will notice that the women mentioned in the Bible are generally pious where as men were the basic sinners. In Judaism, if a child was born to a woman who was Jewish then their children were Jewish. Judaism is based off the maternal line and not the paternal line.  These are just some of the reasons I personally question some of Paul’s writing.

You do not have to believe what I do; I make that statement all the time. The example I will use is one that I am torn on in a contradictory type feeling. I love part of this passage but have trouble understanding the other part.

“(31) For ye all can prophesy one by one that all may learn, and all may be exhorted; (32) and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets; (33) for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. (2^nd ½ of 33) As in all the churches of the saints, (34) let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law.” (1 Corinthians 14: 31-34)

I understand verse 31 to ½ of 33.

I don’t totally understand the other ½ of 33 to 34.

This leads me to question how much did the laws change between the Old Testament and the writing of the New Testament to the implementation of the churches and why?

I wrote my academic adviser, and posed some of these questions that I have. His response to me is: “These are very deep questions to answer. We will need to sit and discuss all of this.” I have prayed over this time and time again. God will provide me with an answer but I feel he is guiding me to do some more research to seek what is truth in my heart and soul.

One interesting things about this passage is that WOW! The answer hit me when I was reading parts of a text for my upcoming class. It hit me dead square and what a revelation it was. Russell Kirk wrote “The Roots of American Order.”   (Quoting) “Our own society, like that of any other people, is held together by what is called an ‘order’…Order is the path we follow, or the pattern by which we live with purpose and meaning.  Above even food and shelter, she continue, we must have order. The human condition is insufferable unless we perceive a harmony, and order, in existence. Order is the first need of all…If we lack order in the soul and order in society, we dwell ‘in a land of darkness, as darkness itself,’ the book of Job puts it; ‘and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where light is as darkness.” (pg 3)  Kirk’s “she” is quoting Simone Weil (she is a French philosopher who was raised agnostic and converted to devout Christianity).

With God in our lives we will not be confused, we will not lack order, and we will live in his light. Without God in our life, we will be confused, we will lack order, and we will live in darkness.  It is in Job and it is in 1 Corinthians—God is a necessity to order in our souls.  HE is a need.

As far as women being silent in church, I can’t even comment on that because I honestly do not totally understand why Paul wrote this verse. I will pray on it and discuss it with more academically intellectual (as 

well as spiritual astute) people than myself.

I state this time after time, you do not have to believe what I say or agree with it, but I challenge you. Check it out for yourself.

Pray for each other.

God bless you all.

I have my hair in the usual bun, reading glasses on, my son whipped up homemade chicken pot pies, and I am looking at my new text for my next set of classes that starts in two weeks. I am enrolled in a “Constitutional Class” with Dr. Stacey. He is a wonderful conversationalist. I had spoken with him a few times on Chivalry and how it evolved from the original principle to something entirely different to now – a topic really not known. I really enjoyed the independent research that I did on it. Charlemagne and the Carolinians are the beginning of Chivalry. Walter Scott is who really brought it to life for society in “Ivanhoe.” Charlemagne started it based of a book he enjoyed reading, St. Augustine’s “City of God.”

I mentioned earlier that people would be surprised about how much classical history is based on the biblical teachings. The premise of Chivalry is fair play, valor, honor, courtesy, loyalty, largess, and piety. Each one of the points are backed up in the Bible especially piety – be well grounded in one’s faith, depend upon God, the saints, and Mary, and oppose the infidel. Of course since the middle ages, chivalry has evolved to the point it is no longer recognizable. Please understand, I am not talking necessarily about opening car doors for ladies or allowing them in the door first. That came after the civil war. I am referring to something much deeper as to the proper behavior of Men as set in life and on the battle field.

Fair Play (Trust and Honesty)

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

Valor

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he had chosen as his heritage! The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.” (Psalms 33:12-22)

Courtesy

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)

Honor

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.” (Hebrews 13:18)

Loyalty

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

Largess (charity)

“Do not neglect to do well and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:16)  

 Piety

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Do we have chivalry? Do we have what it takes to follow the word of God? Think about it.

I state this time after time, you do not have to believe what I say or agree with it, but I challenge you. Check it out for yourself.

Pray for each other.

God bless you all by his grace.

Death in a split second

I want to talk about something that I wouldn’t normally share. My 1^st cousin, Keith, passed away this afternoon. I wondered if I should feel something, because I don’t. There was a long history of meanness between him and anyone who had a relationship with him. I had no real contact with him since 1993. The only thing that does bother me about him: Did he get his life with God in order before he died? He was not a nice person. I had asked the same question about my maternal grandmother before and after she died. She was not a nice person all the time either. I harbor no ill will toward either person because they were responsible for their lives. I loved my grandmother but that love was not returned and I tried to straighten it out in 1999, but was unable to. It is sad. It takes two people to enter into a relationship and two to end it. I do know that for the majority of his life, my cousin had “gluttony” for money and materialism—visions of grandeur. He died with nothing.  

Rick Warren (author of “Purpose Driven Life”) said, a while back in a televised interview, “Money itself is not a sin. It is what we do with that money is what counts. Everyone should die like they were born—with nothing. That includes no money and assets.”  

We save for a rainy day, which is great, but we are not guaranteed that the rainy day will every come. Life can end in a split second for anyone.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5: 19-21)

“The son of man has come eating and drinking and you say, “Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Luke 7:34)

A glutton doesn’t mean over eating. Take this or interpret it anyway you want; but, we do not have to live this way. It is not essential to our survival on earth. We have to define these passages in our souls and not the soul of someone else. Our souls and our actions go into to being a Christian. We can save our souls all we want, but our actions are just as accountable. One thing a lot of people do not realize is that our actions (behavior) and soul can tell more about a person when they alive and when the body dies.

My father was a hoot!  A very loveable man, but he had no faith in himself. He also did not honor his marriage vows. It was not just once either. My mother forgave herself for the hate in her heart and she continually forgave him. He made his life and soul right with God before he died. He also apologized to my mother and asked her to forgive him. The day before he died he told me he was going home to see his mother and father in heaven. He passed with a smile on his face.

My maternal great-grandfather said that on his death bed, his deceased wife from the 1920s came to him and shamed him terribly for the way he treated their children. He prayed for forgiveness because he said he was afraid he would be damned to hell. (That was told to me by my grand-father (his son) a few years ago.)

Where are you at? Where is your life? Where is your soul?

Pray for each other; Keep Josh Stricklin (Cynthia Stricklin’s son) in prayer and that his surgery goes well; keep in prayer Ashley Larson in her upcoming surgery that is be a success; continue to pray for Natalie Hightower and her fight on cancer.

God bless you all and keep you safely in His arms.

A Blue Day

Today has been blue, painful, and tearful day. I can imagine that many have those types of days, but just do not bring themselves to admit it. Well, I just shook it off finally this evening and am trying to make a better evening. Sometimes we need to just shake things in life off that are bothering us. I have had to do that more than anything in life. One of the biggest consolations when things are not going well is to open the Bible.

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalms 34:17-18)

It helps me to read and then my soul is soothed. What is so interesting today is that my Mother received an apology. I had been accused of being ugly to one of my maternal aunts. The one I do not speak too and haven’t spoken to her but three times in the past 10 years. That maternal aunt called my Mom today and apologized for what she said and realized it wasn’t me who was ugly to her.  

To begin with, I try to harbor no ill will toward anyone. Second, if I do not care for someone I don’t associate with them. That doesn’t mean I will not pray for them, but it means I just will not get into their business other than pleasantry exchanges if needed.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

I will not conform to harbor hate. I will not conform to idle pettiness.

As Christians we should be above hate, idle pettiness, and those little unpleasant things that life has to offer.

Pray for each other, those who have lost family, friends, and acquaintances, and those who a ill.

God bless you all always and forever.