These irises were in the gardens around our house when we moved in during the Spring of 2006. At some point, I transplanted them to their current location.
Early on, my wife bent down and smelled one of them. She said they smelled like root beer.
She was right.
Some people call them "flags," which is probably because they are up around Flag Day, a week from tomorrow.
Spring is especially melancholy for me. Flowers. She loved them and the senses they invoked.
I miss her.
All glory to God.
The Light shines in the dark, but The Darkness has not comprehended it.
All glory to The Father.
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| The Seven Virtues |
God promised Abram something...
“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3 NIV)
Later...
The Lord said to Abram after Lot [his nephew] had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” (Genesis 13:14-17 NIV)
Abram remained childless, but God told him...
...a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:4-6 NIV)
But, Abram doubted, so God told him to prepare a particular animal sacrifice, something Abram would culturally understand. Then God caused him to fall into a deep sleep, and he said...
...“Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation1 your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” (Genesis 15:13-21 NIV)
Abram would always remember that experience. The carcasses would still have been there the next morning, so he would have known it had really happened.
But, Abram was impatient. He listened to his wife who told him to use her servant to produce a child. That resulted in problems, and a son named Ishmael.
Thirteen years later, God reminded Abram about the covenant and he changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means father of a multitude. He also said...
...“As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. (Genesis 17:15-22 NIV)
Isaac was born in God's timing.
God makes known the end from the beginning, but he doesn't tell us everything. He leaves out details for his reasons.
When God drops something into our lap we have been desperately yearning for, we may doubt. Perhaps it is too good to be true. Is it a trap? Are we being set up? Are we dreaming?
We need time to come to terms with reality, to figure things out and to let God teach us what he wants us to know. God also needs time to bring other people along, and to allow evil to reach its full measure so he can act.
Patience is a virtue. God develops it in those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
All glory to Him.
UPDATE, May 19, 2025...
1 This piqued my interest and I did a search of how long the Israelites were in Egypt. I knew it was around 400 years (due to a fun Bible-teaching game I experienced early in my faith walk), so "the fourth generation" seemed too short.
I like the conclusion of the linked article, which readers can contemplate for themselves.
Do we get labeled?
Are we told we are defective, that we are no good?
Do people tell us we are weird?
What if some people do not naturally fit into the "boxes" others want them to fit in?
What if a child's natural, God-given personality does not conform to the model The System requires?
Are the public schools designed to indoctrinate children to "sit down, shut up, and obey"?
Are those who will not or cannot do that shamed into compliance?
If shaming doesn't work, are they drugged into compliance?
The video says one in twenty (20) people "have ADHD". Some personality types are very rare compared to that...
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Are some of them seen as "weird"?
When we comprehend what is going on and who we are actually dealing with we can stand up and say, "No more."
All glory to God.
UPDATE, May 16, 2025...
Chose some different and additional words.
UPDATE, June 4, 2025...
The video says people "with ADHD" tend to be...
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| Curious |
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| Creative |
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| Enthusiastic |
Those are not signs of disease or abnormality. They are characteristics of personality.
I took a "test" to determine my "personality type," and found out I am "INTJ". That label stands for: Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging, and I believe it describes me very well. This helps me understand who I am and why I do what I do.
There is no wrong personality type; it's just how people are.
Here is a link to the test I took: https://www.humanmetrics.com/personality.
Here are some resources I used to learn about my personality type and those of people around me:
Typically, if I am in a group of 100 people, there might be one other INTJ like me. We are rare...
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People follow through on things they are serious about.
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (Matthew 21:28-31 NIV)
All glory to God.
We can choose to move forward, starting right now.
We can choose to be with our Creator, or not.
We can choose to believe the one he has sent, or not.
We can choose to take the entire Book seriously, or not.
We can choose to worship the Creator, or created things.
We can choose what is real, or some cheap knock-off.
We can choose to respect true authority, or not.
We can choose to seek and cherish the truth, or not.
We can choose wisdom, or not.
We can choose the miraculous, or rely on what is fake.
We can choose to treat precious things with respect, or as common.
We can choose to rest, or be exhausted.
We can choose to honor our parents, or die young.
We can choose to protect the innocent, or be held accountable.
We can choose to seek due process and justice, or let evil run amok.
We can choose to govern ourselves, or let others enslave us.
We can choose to compare ourselves to Jesus, or think of our neighbor as livestock.
We can choose to treat others the way we want to be treated, or not.
We can choose to be a truthful witness, or corrupt justice.
We can choose to act in love, or be selfish.
We can choose to make a commitment, or die alone.
We can choose to run from sin, or embrace lies.
We can choose to change our ways, or be condemned.
We can choose to open our eyes, or remain blind.
We can choose to believe, or to die.
We can choose life, or death.
"It shall be life."
All glory to God.
UPDATE, 05/28/2025...
Interesting article:
Article 5376, International Public Notice: Into Plough Shares, May 28, 2025.
Wicked Game, Chris Isaak
Teardrop, Massive Attack
Square One, Coldplay
White Shadows, Coldplay
A Message, Coldplay
Fix You, Coldplay
Speed of Sound, Coldplay
Low, Coldplay
So in Love, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Ciant Hear It (Jungle Remix), Elliphant
No Fate Awaits Me, Sun Lux & Faux Fix
All glory to God.
I ran across this short, repetitive video yesterday. It was embedded in an article lamenting the current overuse and misunderstanding of the word "quantum".
"Fifteen senses" was new to me.
Of course, I knew about the five physical senses. We "live in a body"...
The Body
We "have a soul"...
The Soul
We "are a spirit"...
The Spirit
The video suggests "spirit" is the most important, and I agree. It says we are spirit, and I agree.
But, the things listed under spirit do not define existence, they define things we do. They are all actions.
Actions do not define us. Actions are what actors do. The root of those two words is "act".
The Greek word for actor is hypocrite.
The Book says we are made in the image of God (Genesis 9:6).
It says God is a spirit (John 4:24).
If God is a spirit, and we are made in God's image, then logically we must be a spirit, too. We are a spirit, which is what the video says.
God created our spirits to live with him, and he gave us the ability to choose to be with him. Unfortunately, the first man chose to go his own way and that messed up the entire creation. What if that had not happened? I wrote a fantasy about the first people doing the right thing: Standing Firm.
God's spirit exhibits these characteristics:
Those are "fruits". Just like a pear tree produces pears, God's spirit produces those kinds of results.
People can act in those ways some of the time, but can they do it all of the time? Can they naturally do it without thinking; are they always consistent? Or do they produce bad fruit? ...
The Book says people who exhibit those manifestations will not be able to approach God.
Performing the actions attributed to the spirit's "senses" in the video has nothing to do with experiencing the traits produced by God's Holy Spirit living inside of us.
There is only one way to get there: Apprentice of Jesus.
All glory to God
UPDATE, May 16, 2025...
Some thoughts about the so-called "senses" of our Spirits mentioned in the video:
"Prayer: speaking truth to the divine."
God already knows the Truth. He is the Truth. He does not need our help.
"Praise: declaring truth to your reality."
Praising what or whom? Ourselves?
What is being declared as "true"? Is it really true and how do we know?
What exactly is our "reality"? Is our reality based on facts or fiction? Are we joyful or are we depressed? Our reality could be one of a plethora of vastly different states.
What does this statement really mean?
"Worship: aligning with the highest version of yourself."
We are wired to worship something, and this video is encouraging us to worship ourselves. Yeah, that's gonna work.
"Faith: belief beyond evidence."
My faith is based on evidence; it is based on truth and what I have actually observed. Believing in something without any evidence is simply foolishness.
"And meditation: pure focus."
Pure focus on what? Truth or lies? It matters.
In my opinion, these behaviors do not reveal anything to us, as actual senses do. They are attempts to find the Creator we are all wired to be with. They are gropes in the dark.
We must be "born from above" as described in John 3:3 in order to find God and see The Kingdom. Otherwise, we will not see anything.
Being "born" is something we cannot control. It just happens to us. God is the one who makes it happen.
But, we can ask Him to let us see the Kingdom. He will do it if we are serious.
The Wonder Years is one of my favorite TV shows. It is about reminiscences of life back around 1970 when a boy was in junior high and high school.
The fictional character, Kevin Arnold, would have been two years older than me. He had my math book and experienced many of the things I did at the time.
In one of the episodes, Frank and Denise, Kevin finds himself caught between a couple having relationship troubles, and both of them use him to eventually get back together again. At one point, Kevin experiences "the most voluptuous girl at McKinley High" apparently falling for him...
She kisses him in her car...
And transfers her chewing gum into his mouth...
Thrown out the window on September 8, 2024 ...
... and it's still there. I see it almost every day.
The Frank and Denise episode first aired on October 23, 1991.
That was exactly 33 years before my mom died.
Exactly.
My dad passed away almost twenty five (25) years ago, and Mom remarried a couple of years later. Her new husband took her to the Carolinas, a place she had always wanted to live. They enjoyed each other for eleven (11) years, and then he died. We brought her back to Midland to live, and after a couple of years she was baptized in the ocean and received the Holy Spirit.
Her wishes were to involve both of her husbands in her funeral arrangements. I had been thinking about going down to Matthews to make sure things are done right.
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| Source |
These things just amaze me. Like I said, ....
This is so much fun.
All glory to God.
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| Click to enlarge. |
According to Roman Law, anything in all capital letters is either a slave or dead.
The Holy See and Roman Curia created the idea of corporations, and are therefore responsible for them all (AVR #1, the first of over 5000 articles and counting).
Effectively, all corporations are owned by the Pope.
"Non-profit organizations" are a form of corporation.
Institutional churches organized as "non-profits" are corporations and they are owned by the Pope, who is the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Roman.
Does your church have a sign out front, or on the building, that is in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS?
That means the institutional church you attend, are a member of, or work for, is DEAD and/or a SLAVE of the Pope.
It's right in front of you.
What does Jesus think about this?
All glory to God.
The people asked Jesus...
“What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? ... (John 6:28-30 NIV)
Jesus had just fed about 5000 men with five small barley loaves and two small fish. He had also just crossed to the other side of the lake without getting into a boat.
How should they have known God had sent Jesus?
Did they comprehend what he was talking about?
Did they do the work?
There is nothing new under the sun.
All glory to God.
The first year I didn't think much about fishing. I spent a lot of time shooting baskets in the park across the street from my house.
Then one day when I was away from home, I noticed a fish. It was a very nice fish. I was intrigued.
I started to regularly go to the place where I had seen that beautiful fish, and I watched it for about a year. I wasn't really interested in actually fishing at that point, but my mind started to consider possibilities.
Then suddenly, I didn't see it anymore.
I thought about that particular fish a lot and tried to figure out why it was so interesting to me.
Then I saw another fish. It was similar, but of a different color. I only saw it once.
That experience got me interested in actually fishing. I acquired some fishing gear and cast my line into the water where I had seen the fishes. I watched my bobber.
Eventually I got some nibbles and thought I had a fish on my hook. I started to reel it in and felt some tugs. Then I saw the fish, but it spit out my hook.
I re-baited and recast. Almost immediately I got a strong hit. I snapped my rod back to set the hook and then began cranking the reel. The fish hardly resisted; it was as if it wanted to be caught.
It was a very nice fish and I pulled it ashore. I picked it up and it didn't struggle. Its mouth opened and shut and its gills fanned out and in as it tried to "breath" water, which wasn't there, of course. That fish definitely seemed to like being in my hands.
When I tried to remove the hook from its mouth, it started to squirm. It slipped out of my hands and bounced back into the water. I watched it swim away. What a disappointment.
That experience gave me confidence I am a fisherman. I actually caught a fish! Amazing. I can do this!
I cast my line out again, hoping to re-catch that same fish. It was a very, very nice fish. Quite young, but a "keeper" per the rules.
I waited and watched my bobber for a very long time. Nothing. I guess I scared it away.
I continue to fish and am enjoying it. Hadn't really done it much before. I go out every day and cast my line into the water. I know this is a good place to fish.
Recently, I saw some wavelet rings emanating from my bobber, so I think I've had some nibbles. I hope so. I'm getting hungry. I like fish.
We shall see what happens. God is faithful.
All glory to Him.
1 This post was originally an attempt to communicate with "the ghost." That relationship happened in September.
After six months, I decided to remove most of those communications because I have moved on, although if she were to get back in touch I would be delighted. I had such a good time. She is a very, very interesting woman.
What remains here are some things others might find useful. The first link ("three days") was part of the original post; the rest are from updates.
My apologies for being cryptic.
All glory to God.
UPDATE, December 9, 2024...
5. Understanding
INTJs [me] want to feel a sense of understanding and respect from those closest to them. They are a rare personality type, and so this does cause them to feel easily misunderstood by people around them. While INTJs don’t need everything about themselves to be easily understood, they do crave having at least one person who takes the time to learn who they are beneath the surface. INTJs might not be emotionally expressive people, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to feel like someone truly gets them on a deeper level. Having someone in their life who can peel back the layers of the INTJ and be patient enough to learn who they are, is truly valuable and important. They really only need one person to fill this role, and this is something they will appreciate and treasure always. (Source)
UPDATE, December 11, 2024...
UPDATE, April 20, 2025...
1 Explained this unusual post.
UPDATE, May 1, 2025...
SSP U6 1xx9 xxxx6
🙋🏻♂️
it's ok 2 📲 me
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| Gaza Every red dot is an Israeli bomb, paid for by the U.S. (Click to enlarge.) |
Jesus said...
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV)
Who is "The Thief"?
It's not Jesus.
Jesus is the King of Israel. It can be argued Jesus' family name is Israel.
Something calling itself "Israel" has been bombing Gaza to rubble, and committing genocide against the people living there.
What do you suppose Jesus thinks about that?
I have made a case that spiritual alignment with Israel is crucial for spiritual authority: Sap blog post.
I see myself as a spiritual Israelite, like Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, Nathanial, Paul, etc., etc., etc.
This, I believe, has led to amazing things in my life.
I do not identify with the sinners who are carrying out and supporting that genocide.
The Darkness deceives. It lies. Its adoption of the name "Israel" fools some people into unwittingly supporting evil, and drives others away from the only source of authority that can save them.
Diabolical.
I am not deceived. You shouldn't be either.
The Father is going to take care of this problem. Run as far away from it as you can.
All glory to God.
UPDATE, January 26, 2025...
What a piece of used toilet paper...
Why???
So the "globalist," criminal corporations can build a new canal...
Here are the details from Mr. Trump's employer: AVR #5235.
Here is the video from Times of India...
UPDATE, January 29, 2025...
Why is Mr. Trump interested in what is going on in Gaza?
Why do I call him "Mr. Trump"?
Is he "Commander in Chief" of the British Territorial "United States of America," Incorporated?
Has that British Territorial corporation established the "State of Israel, Incorporated," headquartered in Kensington Palace in London? Are they calling the State of Israel, Inc. the 51st State of the Union?
Mr. Trump has been in control of the British Territorial United States of America, Incorporated, for the past eight years, and this genocide in Gaza happened on Mr. Trump's watch.
That is why I called him "a piece of used toilet paper."
UPDATE, March 23, 2025...
Read the full article here (#5320, March 23, 2025).
As a Michiganian State Citizen, I agree entirely with what the Fiduciary said, and condemn the genocide. I will have nothing to do with "Israel," as they are portraying it.
UPDATE, March 28, 2025...
Article 5322, International Public Notice: Real Jews Can Count, March 27, 2025.
UPDATE, May 21, 2025...
Article 5365, International Public Notice: Good-Bye to Israel, NATO, and Occupation Duty, May 18, 2025.
UPDATE, May 27, 2025...
Article 5373, International Public Notice: End All Support for the Israeli Regime, May 26, 2025.
Look on Google Earth for yourself...
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| Imagery Date 30 November, 2024 |
Evil
UPDATE, June 1, 2025...
I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly! (John 10:10b TLV)
The Book says...
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. (Matthew 9:35 NIV)
It also says his apprentices eventually did the same things...
Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. (Acts 3:2-8 NIV)
In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. (Acts 14:8-10 NIV)
The Book says some of the apprentices took wives with them...
Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and [Peter]? (1 Corinthians 9:5 NIV)
Who wants to join me?
All glory to God.
UPDATE, March 2, 2025...
What is the work God requires?
(Hint: John 6:29 NIV)
I took this photo during the early afternoon. That is the way her hands were.
She waited for a particular caregiver to arrive for the overnight shift. Both my sister and I were with her.
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 NIV)
It has not been easy. I visited Mom almost every day during this past year to help make sure she was getting what she needed, but mostly to spend time with her and let her know I was there.
I was coached by many people, particularly my sister. She had helped care for her in-laws several years ago and the wisdom she shared with me helped me adapt to our mom's situation.
My sister advocated for our mother's health and our brother watched over her finances. My sister lives five hours away from Midland, and my brother lives out of state. I am the eldest.
Mom was in the memory unit for about two years. She was very strong physically, but became an elopement risk and needed help staying safe. She was not very happy to be "put in jail," as she called it in the beginning, but it is what she wanted when she was of sound mind and she eventually became generally happy in her surroundings, although she could be "growly bear" at times.
The caregiving staff loved her. In her last days, many of them came in to visit her on their own time. One came in on her day off to twirl Mom's hair. My sister and I were very touched.
The caregiver who was with us when she died said a couple of days before that Mom had been making strange noises, almost like "tongues." I told her that's what it was. She said it was like a language.
In her final months, Mom had started making strange babbles. Most people said nothing about it, but I knew what it was. I knew about her history.
Back in 2016, she was baptized in the ocean and received the Holy Spirit. For those interested, I told some of her story in a previous blog post: The Rage of Neptune.
I do not recall ever hearing Mom "speak in tongues" after being at Neptune Beach, and I do not believe she knew she had that capability. She continued with her life-long church-going habits until she was no longer capable of going to church, and I do not recall ever discussing it with her, but as her mental capabilities faded the Holy Spirit made His presence known through her "prayer language," as I call it.
Towards the end, she was not speaking much but her "tongues" would appear as she dealt with stress, like when the caregivers had to move her and take care of her. It was very much like how I use my prayer language when I don't know what to pray for or am under stress myself.
I believe the LORD was letting me know He was in her and that she was okay. I thank Him for that.
(For those who would like more information about this, please read my posts: The Car and the last part of S.W.A.T.)
People were amazed that my sister and I spent as much time as we did with Mom as she was dying. They said that most people do not do that. I told my sister afterwards that I believe it is because people are not comfortable with their own mortality and what death means. I am comfortable with it because I have faith.
Grieving happens along the way when a loved one has a long-term illness or condition. There are a few tears in the end, but generally the final departure is a relief. That is how it was with both of my parents, but not my wife. I lost her during a matter of hours and my grief for her was intense and prolonged.
Both my wife and my mom are now gone, and I am at peace. I sense freedom, freedom to embrace what the LORD has in store for me. I can now travel. During the two years my mother was in Memory Care, I only spent one night away from home. I knew the LORD wanted me in Midland because my mom was here. That constraint no longer exists. The possibilities are endless.
We shall see what happens.
All glory to God.
