Friends Outside America

from my trip to South Dakota, June 2004

People outside the states maybe can't imagine that so many Americans suffer soooo much from relational hurts. There is so much pain, such remorse, such disillusionment and disappointment, because people have been led down a primrose path to find the end of the rainbow. There have been false ideas and images portrayed in film and TV.

See, it doesn't matter about money, about affluence. We all need one thing - we need to be loved, to be understood, and not be alone.

In America, sure, most people have food, clothes, a roof over their heads, warmth, and a toilet and shower. But see - to be loved is everything. We have been raised to believe so much in love, and then we've all been sorely let down.

And, many Americans have to work hard for the basic things I mentioned, so that they have nothing left over. They have no money to visit your country, which would open worlds for them and open their eyes to see their own lives in greater perspective, allowing them to be more grateful for things they now take for granted, and to see things they may have lost.

We all need love and love is of God.

I just went down to Mexico from California briefly and let me tell you how I love the Mexican people. And it is quite obvious that selling out on life for money has corrupted Americans, and that often you find the kindest, sweetest people in places where they are not wealthy. The movie Richer or Poorer makes a statement, in humor, about what money can do to a relationship. The bible gives a severe warning regarding the dangers of having money, and of loving money, the love of it being the root of all evil.

America is going godless. Today, children are being denied the right to tell the story of Christmas at Christmastime using the name of God, while our currency still reads: In God We Trust!!!!! This satanic influence is our demise. If we give in to it, if it goes any further, if Americans defy the need for God - we're going down. God made us what we are. To deny that is utter foolishness. How long can you keep depending on yourself?

Animals

Pictured: Girl in Ireland, me and Tubby, and two photos of my older cat Bonita, 14 yrs, playing with her tail and traveling in the car after 13 years of never traveling!

A program just aired (Nov 2005) on TV showing the SPCA and the humane society rescuing animals after Katrina hit New Orleans. This causes me to reflect, once again, on my love for animals and my feelings towards my two cats. I also thought back to animals in the past.

A statement was made something to the effect that man's feelings towards animals are simple yet overwhelming and unexplainable. Yes, I know what they mean. Who can explain why we bond so deeply with them? Is it because we fall in love with innocence? Do we love small creatures the size of human infants who, though they cannot talk, invoke strong, loving feelings?

Really, not taking it for granted, it is incredible to think of having a creature that shares breathing and blood coursing through its veins with us, yet is a different species. The fact that they are not human leaves a mystery as to what they think and feel. So, there is endless fascination watching them play, sleep or clean themselves. They are often clever and humorous, especially when they mimic humans.

I have had animals live with me day in and day out for about 15 years now. Maybe it is hard to comprehend that I look forward to being with these creatures as much as I can, and that their effect is so profoundly soothing that I would write about them. I find it hard to be alone and also without my cats at the same time. I was experiencing for the first time the powerful presence of God in Toronto, after which I would go back to my motel and find that the presence was with me. I was happy to be alone with God. But something was definiely missing without my cats, so that now I prefer to have them also in my hotel.

Yes, the gentle, unselfish loving touch of an animal puts me MORE in tune with the creator.

There is little theology regarding animals. I have even encountered negative attitudes amongst some Christians regarding animals. I've had well-meaning Christians try to turn me against my animals, even saying they were my idols, or just to be disposed of. In fact, the health of a group of Christians can be measured, in part, by their attitudes regarding animals.

Part of the reason for this is the bizarre, schizophrenic thinking espoused by certain misbeliefs and fears that have fermented in dealing with certain aspects of our sin nature. Some who try to embrace Christ and the gospel, are so afraid of or grieved by sexual sin that they absolutely hate their bodies and deny the natural part of us - our spirits encased in flesh and blood.

They so hate the body and have come to the conclusion that since God destroyed life in the flood and is going to eventually destroy (and rebuild) the earth, that He rejects every natural and physical aspect of the earth. The birth of Jesus - a tiny baby born of a woman who was not a god but just a woman, helps to reconstruct God's true image.

Ministers such as Smith Wigglesworth who through prayer and faith watched whole feet, limbs, eyes etc. grow onto people whose parts were missing, based on the healer (Jesus) who grew back the ear on the Roman soldier, also tells a different story about the true God. "The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof" David the Psalmist says.

Many Christians in bondage believe that affliction, disease, and deformity come from God and that these are necessary to "purge" us. One lady who is internationally reknowned and touted as a great Christian leader, claims that if she was not a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, then instead of serving God, all she would do is play tennis.

What does this say about all of us who are not quadriplegic? She glorifies her pain and suffering every day. Yet she is looked to as a great authority on the subject of affliction and as a lover of God. Why does her God say to her that he wants her afflicted when MY GOD speaks to me every day about how He is planning to restore my foot and leg from a bad car wreck?

What I want to say to her and to you is this: why did God form your little body in the womb all perfect, with five little toes and perfect little hands, only to bring you into the world and crush that body to live the rest of your life with it? I know that this woman went through a terrible trauma, and emerged with a tremendous fear that she hasn't resolved.

But, this negative thinking about the physical world extends to animals. We are to be only spiritual, is the thinking of some, and anything natural, such as animals, is not fit for our time or energy.

How much has been written about the purpose of animals in our lives - this great resource for coping with our emotional and spiritual ills? How well do we understand the Word Of God regarding animals?

It might be hard to defend the importance animals have for us. That's why we need to look at the biblical history of animals in relation to man to find out what God thinks. It is amazing.

More on this later - I have to go eat Christmas dinner - alone with my animals.
(kidding -not exactly alone)

OX AND ASS BEFORE HIM BOW, AND THE FRIENDLY BEASTS
AROUND HIM STOOD

At Christmas time it reminds me of the great purpose God had for animals in the birth of His son Jesus - born in a stable. Animals are special to God. Notice how much detail God put into regarding animals when he finally speaks to Job. He asks Job if he created the sea creature Leviathan, and goes on to describe the scales and fiery breath, along with other animals. He seems extremely proud of them.

Job states that animals and the earth know God better than man. They know who is in charge. Job 12: 7-10 reads, "But now ask the beasts and they will teach you, the birds of the air and they will tell you, or speak to the earth and it will teach you, and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind?"

Animals weere present during the most significant events in history. Animals were used by God to care for man, even for his only son Jesus. But let's start at the beginning.

Animals were present in the garden of Eden. Man lived surrounded by them without fear. The rich paradise was made richer by the variety of animals that surrounded Adam and Eve. All were tame. We need to stop and consider what nature does to show us the beauty of our creator. Think of the flower "Bird of paradise" and the gazelle. The threat to nature is a threat to our sanity. Though nature has been harsh to us as well, given the need for conquering nature, it still ultimately heals us. Man lives estranged from the Eden life, the life surrounded by nature - to his hurt.

The next event is the great flood. Animals were present on The Ark, as the people passed through 40 days and 40 nights of terror floating on pure water over the whole earth and braving the endless storm. I can't help but believe that the animals played a significant role, bringing the people "down to earth" (so to speak) emotionally and mentally. They provided comfort and peace.

I'm sure the animals were peaceful because most of them went into a state of hibernation during the event. This was stated in a TV special about the flood produced by a group of historians. They also said that at the time of the flood, there were not as many species of animals as today, so the feeding and care of them was within the reach of Noah and his family.

Animals have an amazing consistency and constancy, often behaving as if nothing is wrong. At the same time, they also signal man that something is wrong, as they pick up on it with a keen sensitivity, many times beyond man's ability.

And that brings us back to the birth of Jesus - the next major event. It makes so much sense to me that animals were involved. Jesus was forced to stay out of the inn, but that was God's idea - a brilliant idea! The spirits that surrounded the people of Jesus' day could have been some viscious demons. We all attract demons if we are not grounded in the love of God and if we have not "sold out" to knowing God. Many ordinary people are neither of these. Being in the inn meant the baby would not have been safe with demons around. Being in the stable, the animals' gentle spirits were a tonic for the baby - mind and emotions.

We have not defined the spirit within an animal, yet many are so aware that there is a divine spirit within their domestic pets that cats and dogs have been called angels (in the fur.) I believe that animals have been given a spirit by God and are a dispensation of God's love and grace.

A spirit keeps an animal alive, as do our own spirits and leaves them when they die. They are spotless in regards to sin because they cannot sin. They have not been given a will or the choices that we have. They are more or less programmed by God to do what they do. They are a gift. Their affection is pure. it is devoid of unwanted sexual advances and other selfish motives.

Women were reported in 2005 as saying that they get more affection from their pets than from their men. Funny!

But sometimes it is the only affection a person is getting. When we are grieved by man and vexed by man's imperfections, we want to turn to animals. This can be healthy, but it can turn into something unhealthy if we do not keep a balance. Animals were not meant to replace our relationship with man. And animals are not gods, they are gifts from THE God.

Animals have been present in cases in the bible when people separated from other people. Paul the apostle went into a hermitage in the wilderness where animals were present. David the psalmist was a shepherd before he was a king (and I adore sheep). John the baptist lived in the wilderness, ate locusts and honey, and had plenty of animals and plants keeping him company. Daniel experienced God's power over lions in the den, and there he was at last surrounded by big, friendly cats.

Animals can heal us. Supposedly our domestic pets bring down blood pressure.

God has given man animals for several important purposes:

1. As a companion.

2. As food that is acceptable for man. Jordan Rubin points out in his book that certain animals were forbidden in the bible for food, and that has a practical, health basis that we can determine today. Cats, dogs and horses fall into this category, so it is no wonder these animals ended up being our pets instead.

We found out that these animals had many uses and were great companions instead of good for food. Cats were discovered by the Egyptians as useful for getting rid of various forms of vermin that destroyed their stored grains; dogs were discovered long before for herding cattle, aiding in hunting, protection from burglars, and as enjoyable companions; horses - well, that one is easy - good for tranportation and also good companions.

3. As a source of things needed by man - fur, ivory, etc.

4. As a sacrificial offering for sin.

A lamb was used in sacrifice BEFORE the Eternal Lamb Of God made the final sacrifice, and it makes sense because animals are so innocent. It is interesting that animals sacrifice their lives for us for food and were also giving up their lives for a sin offering. We can see how God has a plan in which animals were given to us in love. Once again, nature reveals the wisdom of God.

Proverbs 12: 10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal.

Ps 36: 5-10 You save humans and animals...

Passage in Psalms - God says: "all the beasts of the forest are mine, the cattle on a thousand hills." That is an amazing passage when you think that there are many owners of cattle, and each would claim full ownership of his own cattle, yet God says, "no, I own them all!"

The Police Locked Me Up

the Police Locked me up...
the Police locked me up...
the Police locked me up...
from the bottom of their hearts

I want to wish you a merry Christmas
I want to wish you a merry Christmas
I want to wish you a merry Christmas

but they won't let me out

(sing this to the tune of Felice Navidad)

Hamburger Nazi

Did you watch Seinfeld and do you remember the show about the Soup Nazi? Well, I just found the HAMBURGER Nazi of America.

I was in a town (I will refrain from telling its name) which is about 30 to 50,000 people, but has an obvious arrogance. It has a poshness that is conspicuous. I was in the downtown area which reminds me of Madison Wisconsin's college hangout area, but it is not Madison, in fact, far away from it.

There is a hamburger joint on a street filled with expensive gift shops and fancy pastry shops that advertises it has been making hamburgers since 1907. So, it's been in business since 1907, and it has a cool, small-town drugstore fountain style counter with stools. It looks inviting. I went in and a young man of about 19, not too bad looking with a military haircut, came up to me and asked "do you want a burger?" I said, gleefully, expecting a fun time, "Yes, a California burger please, with lettuce and tomatoe."

He abruptly, almost angrily announced with a fast, slurring tongue, "pickles and onions only."

I said, "no, I would like pickles and onions, but I want lettuce and tomatoe, pickle and onions."

He abruptly corrected me. "No lettuce and tomatoes. Only pickles and onions. We have no lettuce and tomatoes."

Inside, I immediately recoiled. "Weird weird," i thought, but continued to be friendly and said jovially, "why don't you have tomatoes and lettuce?" thinking this an innocent, obvious question.

"DO YOU WANT A HAMGURGER OR NOT?" he lashed back.

"I still want a hamburger," I replied, now getting a little miffed.

Another worker about his age, also with a military hairuct, possibly his brother, corrected him slightly. Then he said, in an cocky manner, "the last guy who wanted lettuce and tomatoe didn't want his hamburger when he saw it didn't have them. THIS IS HOW WE'VE BEEN MAKING THEM FOR 98 YEARS, alright?! "

I said, "I'm not mad at you. I know what to expect now, so I guess I can cope."

"So you want a hmaburger then?" he continued his confrontational approach.

"Yes, I do." I was still looking for the humor, for the Allen Funt to come out to show me the candid camera, still just being lighthearted.

He brought the burger, I ate it while overhearing him talking to a customer about the joint, that his DAD was the OWNER.

Oh, I get it, he is the oooooowner's son. The general idea is: "Look, lady! We been in business 98 years! When they introduced the lettuce and tomatoe idea in 39 (when lettuce and tomatoe could at last be shipped from California)we turned it down! That's right, the almighty Nelson hamburgers (named changed) turned it down! Everyone said, 'You won't make it. If you don't serve lettuce and tomatoe you will lose your customers and your business for good.' But we held our ground. We wouldn't give in, and we didn't go down. The people kept comin' and they aren't gonna stop now just because some little CUSTOMER like yourself comes and complains! We are, after all, the mighty burger makers of this side of the Kalamazoo mountains! Don't think we're backing down now, just cuz of YOU!"

Man, oh man. I swear I've been all over the western world, the world that invented the hamburger. I've been in small cafes in towns across America, and of course, to Burger Kings and McDonald's and Wendys and every kind of burger joint in America, not to mention, been all over Europe and Canada and had burgers in England, and Canada, and I believe it was a McDonalds in France.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN ONE THAT DIDN'T HAVE LETTUCE AND TOMATOE, HELLO!

I left angry. Oh, and I didn't tip.

Cats And Dogs

The dog, as you are petting him and coddling him is panting loudly with a wide dog grin on his face and is thinking, "You pet me and feed me and give me a clean dry safe place to sleep. YOU MUST BE GOD!"

The cat, as you are petting him and coddling him lifts his head, blinks his eyes and is thinking, "You pet me and feed me and give me a clean dry safe place to sleep. I MUST BE GOD!"

By some radio comic, named?

Turn The Other Cheek

"Resist not evil," Jesus said. I want to use this one instance to show how there appears to be a gross contradiction in the Word of God, but there is not.

First, there are the religious, who insist that the King James is holy to the exclusion of any other translation of the bible. Then, even one word is taken and focused on - even if that isn't the exactly correct word, or even if English is limited in it's ability to translate.

Unfortunately, men who themselves have religious hangups have helped to translate and it would be almost impossible for the writings to remain untainted by their opinions.

We see the result of that here - in this message from Jesus about evil. How could Jesus say that we shouldn't resist evil if he also said we have power over all the power of the enemy? So, we must rely on the holy spirit to give us better understanding. And that means - we who know God personally will have to ask Him to explain this.

Here Jesus is talking about the evil person. You will notice how this plays out in reality. When you are dealing with an evil person, that person's free will cannot be violated. When that person "strikes you on the cheek" and you decide to fight back, the anger and hatred of the evil person is stirred up even more. No good results. No evil is averted. So, you turn the other cheek. It also is referring to your resisting evil by means of your flesh, by means of some natural reaction in you that wants to strike out.

The place where we mostly resist evil is in "the closet." There we bind principlaities and powers, we tell Satan that he is bound, and we resist all kinds of evil. We do this with our mouths, but the power we rely on is God's power. We make declarations. i tell you it is like witchcraft, only it is God's chosen "witchcraft" for His people. We decide the outcome of things when we pray and when we resist evil with our words. If we truly understood the power of this - we could win wars with very little bloodshed. I believe the American revolution was fought and won mostly by the prayers of the women and men who were behind it.

We deal with humans humbly and in the power of God's spirit. If we are going to rely on God's power, it will change the way we normally deal with people. Most of the time, we stand back and resist the desire to strike out.

There is a time and a place for physical and verbal assaults to resist evil, but we have to discern that. Even though policemen and soldiers have a legitimate role, they too could have more power over evil through prayer, and the power of their words to resist Satan and his cohorts.

Jesus said forgive 70 times 7. Does that mean stop forgiving, and count it out, exactly after the 490th time? No. but how do we know that?

Here is one that kills me: many teacher/preachers say that Jesus was making a declaration of the hopelessness of poverty when he said, "the poor you will have with you always." No! he was just about to leave them and he meant that after he left the poor would still be there to deal with, but this thing (of pouring expensive oil) was a here and now thing for that woman.

Ps 9:18 says The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Ps 12: 5 says: because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now arise, says the Lord. I will place him in the safety for which he longs. Obviously, God never said that the poor will always be poor.

MAYBE NOT YET

Or, " Lord, when can I have sex?"
WHY IT'S GOOD TO WAIT FOR MARRIAGE -
stories of women who married late in life.

1. Thelma - a woman now in her nineties. She originally married early, then became a Christian in her forties and her husband didn't share her beliefs or her passion for God. She had to spend a lot of time alone with God since her husband didn't share things such as a devotional life with her. He also inhibited her going to find other Christians. Her relationship with God grew, and she learned to be an intercessor, but it was lonely. Her husband died.

At 70, she met and married Herb Mjorud, an evangelist/healer whose wife had died. He more than shared her faith. He was a spiritual giant who brought her deeper into faith in God. The two of them worked side by side, touching people's lives with miracles as astounding as the reknowned evangelist Smith Wigglesworth, in America, but also in third world countries such as Sri Lanka.

Wigglesworth lived during the early 20th century and was, by God, a major cause of the amazing, miraculous events on Azusa street in Los Angeles at that time. He prayed for people with missing limbs and other extreme maladies. The limbs grew back: feet, legs, eyeballs, etc. He also was used by God to raise over twenty people from the dead. He did the works of Jesus, and Herb was the same, although almost completely unknown.

Thelma and Herb had warm, loving moments that they shared with others and Thelma's world was finally full of love.

Herb died seven years after they married and she now lives alone, though she has a renter, and continues in ministry. She has people over for counseling and has dreams of future ministry. Her desire for a soul mate was realized.

2. Irene Menke lived in my apartment building. At 94, having never married, she was the picture of contentment. She told me about her sister who didn't marry until she was 50, and had a happy, successful marriage.

Irene, the single one, talked about how much happiness she had living alone and enjoying God's presence. She found so much beauty in life.

She told me about her upbringing which was full of love, and it reminded me of what Gabrielle Brown said in her book about celibacy being possible with enough love in the early years(Don Juans and Donna Juans). Notice that her sister is part of a generation known for its stability and lifelong relationships. If it took her til 50, what about people today?

3. My grandmother. She married my grandfather early in life but he was a philanderer who started cheating only 5 years into the marriage, and they had 5 kids together. No wonder she divorced him.

She worked on her own for twenty years, making good, investing in stocks. At 70 she met the man of her dreams - a man I met and found to be very delightful. He was in the business of precious gems. He died after 15 years and she lived another ten. She had found her soul-mate.

4. Adina is a close friend of my sister's who married about the same time as my sister. Both were in their mid-twenties. i don't want to say anything, but she seemed to go out and find a guy just when she realized my sister was getting married. The guy said he wanted 5 kids, that he was a family man. He lied. They never had kids, and he ran away with another woman. He was a nightmare, leaving Adina with wounds.

She told my sister that she wondered if she should just date non-Christian guys since it didn't seem to make any difference. I kept praying for her. My sister just told me a few days ago that her friend remarried last spring at 53 years of age to a wonderful Christian man. He has kids from a previous marriage, and they have a good marriage.

5. Pauline and Gary. These are two people at my church (or one of my churches - I collect churches). Everyone at church says God positively put these two together. They are incredible - sitting next to each other, her head leaning on his, every Sunday. They turn to kiss each other all the time. You can tell they are besotted with one another.

He is deeply spiritual, trembling with God's spirit as he worships.

She got married years ago and says it was in order to have babies (like so many) and says that her husband was a nightmare. I don't know who left whom. She met and married Gary at 55, and he is 50 - never before married.

6. I have another friend I will call Glen. We met on my glorious tour of Europe in 1983. He was 22, I was 28. I was very attracted to him. I moved, after the trip, to the East coast to Philadelphia and he was a New York boy whose mom had moved them to New Jersey just outside NY city for the sake of sanity for the kids.

I visited him there before I returned to Minnesota, and later visited him there after I moved back to Minnesota. He was so much fun and our personalities clicked. But he was a New York boy and I was offended by his values. He lived life in the fast lane, liked "naughty" women and regarded me as just a friend. He was a good friend to a woman, though. I still enjoyed his company and when I was with him on the east coast, we went into New York and I got to see the funner side of New York because I felt safer with him. We had a nice dinner, saw a broadway play, we went to Greenwich village for coffee, and just to get goofy, we found a swingset in a park and rode swings like two little kids. He paid for everything, not because he was courting me or seducing me but just because he was doing well financially and was being a friend. Besides, I had spent plenty just to go to New York which was partly to see him!

Now, years later, he just moved from Long Beach in California, where he had moved years ago, to Phoenix. He is 44. He owned a coffee shop in Long Beach, and the hectic life of that part of California just got to him enough that he sought a smaller city. He sold his business and his house.

I was just in Phoenix and looked him up. We went out for dinner and talked. He is still incredibly good looking - an Italian. I suspected he still enjoys the admiration of young women, but oh my Lord. The maturity! He is so much more mature. Do you know how good this is? Do you know how good this looks on a guy? In some areas, maybe there is still some ripening needed, but in general...

Not only that, but those cute brown eyes I remember him having still twinkle, and again, surprisingly, I feel more attractive in his eyes than I did years ago - when I looked better. He has that maturity that suggests he is much better prepared to be in a committed relationship than he was years ago. Here is one of those cases where I can totally celebrate the years on a guy. Men - look forward to maturity along with your years, and strive to evolve as a man. It is wonderful!

7. I had a partime supplementary job working in a floral shop in a western suburb of Minneapolis. I was cleaning and preparing the flowers in a grocery store, and in walked a classmate from my last three years of highs school in Minneapolis. My parents had moved us from a small town in Minnesota to Minneapolis in my thirteenth year. I couldn't have hated the city worse. I so missed my friends and I had no confidence. At my high school, I clung to my best friend, a Chinese girl whose parents had moved from Hong Kong, and my goofy boyfriend who was strictly platonic (a common thing in the early 70's).

This girl who just walked in was one of the popular girls. Back then she had the confidence, the hard, cool edge that I was lacking. She had always seemed cold, distant and sophisticated. Here she was - older. She had a couple kids with her and we introduced ourselves. I said, "I know you from somewhere." She asked if I went to her high school. Sure, that was it.

She was honest with me. Her husband had left her with four children and she was raising them with the help of her parents. Here she was - the rich, white popular girl from high school, with dry, aged skin stretching across her face like a very old woman. I had to hold back my shock. She looked so old. She had obviously been through world war 3!

The events of her life had drained all the youth and life out of her. She was at last humble, which is good, but she was letting me know that her mistake in marrying this man, whoever he was, had cost her everything. She also shared that she had grown in her Catholic faith because of this, which is also good. But there is an example of what I'm talking about. Oh, I was thanking God after she left that I hadn't married WRONG!

ABOUT YOU:

If you feel that you are the type for marriage - that you need a sexual relationship, then you must let maturity have its perfect work in your life. The New Testament says "let patience have its perfect work" and I thought about this. Patience is an attitude that determines quality of life, and quality of one's interactions with others. Patience is a character quality that is greatly to be desired in a person. i used to think that it meant just being able to wait for something.

If you are in your twenties, or even thirties, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride! You could be in this (wait) a while. I'm 50 and only now ready for that kind of commitment.

In our day, maturity may take longer than ever. Irene's sister (Irene now with the Lord, by the way) shows how even the era we are in doesn't determine how long it will take. We need more than sex in marriage, and the things we need may take a while. Sure, you may be tempted beyond your control to have sex before marriage, and you can go ahead and have it, but you'll have to pay the price.

You may find yourself getting into something, bonding with someone and finding it hard to get out, or your heart will simply get more and more callous. Sex outside of God's plan is equated with violence in the bible. Continuously indulging sex outside of it will harden your heart towards people. You may not see that this is happening, so don't fool yourself. It's no wonder that the media that tries to desensitize us to sexual sin being sin, also tries to desensitize us to violence.

Marriage is not for finding love - you really need to already have love in order to be a partner! (contrary to popular thought)

One things is sure - if God hasn't joined you together with someone, it's probably going to be nothing but pain and heartache. Here is the perfect opportunity to begin talking about hearing God's voice. Without it - we are lost.

Luis Palau is an evangelist who speaks to many young people. I couldn't understand how a man of 70 could address the needs and concerns of teens and young adults - until I heard him speak. He has a timeless gift from God. He said - God has a mate for you, but if he doesn't, then you're better off without one. So true.

One reason I am ready for marriage is I know I'd rather be alone, but with God, than be with someone God didn't give me, who might try to take me away from the Lord.

Taking your time will make all the difference.

Look at me - only now ready to get married. Yes, I wish I'd been able to give my best sexuality, the drive I had when I was like a "raging bull", and the fertility of youth.

I didn't get married because I never found the right one. I could not marry wrong, partly because God didn't allow it. Now, at 50, having a child seems out of the picture, though I can adopt. But you may want to believe that for the one who makes the right choice, who doesn't rush into a wrong relationship in order to have a baby, that there will be this instant reward, and every good thing handed on a silver platter. Obviously not. No, there was much pain, and no instant rewards.

Making right choices is a reward in itself, though. And I have seen the hell of those who made the other choice.

There is no perfect answer since God meant for us to have sex early in life, like around 18, but man's mistakes and a fallen world have made this impossible for many. There's no easy answer - that's the first answer.

IMPORTANT TIPS

Here are some important tips for what to look for in a man, ladies:

1. He's got to have a sense of humor. For one, lack of humor is evil, as we cannot weather the storms of life without it.

2. He's got to love God and be hungry for God. of course, no guarantees he will always hunger for God, and that he won't end up distancing himself from God, but you have got to have a man who is going to help you go further in your relationship with God. I can't tell you how many women I have found who, bound by their "religious obligation" are permanently stuck with a man who resists God and the Holy Spirit so that his mate is not even allowed to go to places where Christian faith is alive, so she can feed her spirit. These women are starving and thirsting spiritually but have no help. Don't make that mistake. If you put anything before God - looks, sex, money, it will so bite you in the end. He said, "have no gods before me!"

3. He's got to be just imperfect, silly, boyish enough so that you don't take him too seriously. Do a reality check. If you have an idolatry problem and your idol is men and having a man - look out. Your god will become your devil. A man is a nice thing to have, but he is not a be-all, end-all in your life. Be whole, be complete, enjoy your life without a man. make that your aim!

4. He's got to be mature. Don't marry a child. Put him through some speculative tests to prove that he is a man. Too many women are raising boys, and men use women to avoid growing up. God can make a man into a true man. Just make sure that he has an authentic relationship with our Lord. You want a "son" of God, not just a pathetic get-into-heaven-by a-sliver kind of a guy. God disciplines his sons, be sure of that.

And I'm sitting here listening to my own advice.

We are so stupid in relationships. One TV special pointed this out. If we are looking for a school, we do research, we visit several schools, etc. etc. Looking for the right car, I did endless research and settled on a good hybrid . But when it comes to relationships, we fall into whatever comes our way, as if they don't matter. What is wrong with us? We should research our mates. Give them a full battery of tests! Take time, take a year! What could be more important?

Pandemic Flu Of The Past

Minnesota was touched by the pandemic flu of the early 1900s. But some people survived, and there is a connection between their survival and love and faith.

Wells, MN had a severe outbreak. One Wells man, now 87, came down with the flu along with his mother and the grandmother nursed them back to health. Thousands died that same year. 75,000 cases were reported in Minnesota in 1918 but only 7,500 died.

Church services, concerts, and meetings were canceled and schools were closed.

Other survivors include: Dr. William Barr who went from flu patient to flu patient but never caught it, and Rev. Gilman of Wells recovered.

Death Be Not Proud

John Donne, 1572-1631AD. These words always bring tears. This is one of the most powerful poems ever written.

Death Be Not Proud, though some though some have called thee mighty and dreadfull, for thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow
And soonest our best men with thee dost goe,
Rest of their bodies , and soules deliverie,
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings and desperate men,
And dost with poison, warre and sickness dwell,
And poppie or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death thou shalt die.

All You Need To Know To Get Saved

Jesus declared that the day would come, like the day of the great flood. People will be drinking, and marrying and giving others in marriage, and suddenly, HE will appear and take His own. The end will come. I tell you the truth - the end is coming soon. The ark is not physical today, but it is real. He invites you now to step on the ark (and don't worry if you are only one and not two.)

Do not be left behind. The world you will be left to will be one with the Holy Spirit ripped out of it, and that will leave you in chaos, destruction and terror.

Please answer the questions below. All you need for being saved is found here if you take these to heart. You may want to look at a bible or New Testament. You can find the passage by looking up the book first, then the chapter and the verse listed.

The version used most is New King James

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

What does this mean to you?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What does this mean to you?

John 3: 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "most assuredly I say to you, unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Why did Jesus come to die?"

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me."

What does this mean to you?

Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed man once to die, and then comes the judgment.

What does this mean to you?

Acts 4: 12...nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name, under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved. (the name of Jesus)

What does this mean to you?

Romans 10: 9, 10, 13 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whoever call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

What does this mean to you?

Revelation 3: 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me.

What does this mean to you?

John 1: 12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name.

What does this mean?

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the Bread Of Life. he who comes to me will never hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.

What does this mean to you?

In these scriptures you have met Jesus, and if your heart was open, you asked Him to come in. The work of saving you is now His.
This is what we call being born again. I am working on something for the newborn Christian - called, "Survival Guide For The Newborn Christian" if you'd like a copy.
Joke: if you take the word "man" literally, it appears that women do not need to be saved

All you need to know is that you serve the devil if you don't serve the Lord. Weird, but true. Bob Dylan's lyrics ring out. The devil rewards you and lures you until somewhere down the road he sells you down the river and destroys.

Much of this was inspired by Bill Faye who does seminars on "How To Share Jesus Without Fear"

The Maker's Diet, by Jordan Rubin, bestseller 2005

I have begun to post individual books and movies. This book is written by a Jewish man who is also a Christian. He was raised by Messianic Jews as well and his father is also a naturopath (correct title?)

He found an answer to his quest for how to stay alive and the story is interesting.

If I were writing the book myself, this is how it would change:

1. The number one factor in health is to be connected to your creator, to love Him with all your heart and soul and mind, and to love your neighbor. Being connected in faith brings you a great deal of health. Jordan did connect in order to find healing, but he doesn't emphasize that as much as I would like. Reading God's word, speaking it out loud, worshipping God, praying both in the closet and corporately, and trusting Him - these are fundamental. How much evil, how many germs do we avert just in doing this?

2. I don't think it is emphasized enough that there are some basic health principles that far outweigh all the others, since Jordan again directs us to this site and that site to buy more products, just like the other health "experts."

There are things that bring health and youth, so basic we miss them, and cost us nothing more than we spend already.

Number one is sleep. If we could all just get the maximum amount of sleep that we need,can you imagine the profound effect it would have on our health? I want to write a somewhat humerous essay on how Jesus would sleep through crisis, illustrated in the story where he was sleeping during a storm at sea, and merely woke up and said a few words and the storm stopped, after which he complained of the lack of faith of his followers (and then probably went back to sleep.)

Two is elimination of stress. Do you notice how much health is drained from people's bodies due to stress? We hear about this but few take it seriously. All of the health tips we hear about using the right food, and adding all these supplements causes more stress because the foods are less available and have to be sought out at a particular type of store, and so do the supplements and remedies. If we just stopped trying to do so many things, and rested - voila!

Three is changing one's lifestyle to include being outdoors and getting more fresh air. This is huge.

Four is water. If we just drank more pure water, such as the water directly out of a well that has a lot of natural minerals in it - this would make a difference. It's not as important that you drink a lot of water. The body naturally signals the need for liquids. We only need enough liquid, not a lot.

Jesus summed so much of this up in Matthew when he said that we need to stop worrying about our lives - what we shall eat, what we shall wear. If you eat when you are hungry and just try to stay with the healthy stuff but keep from worry about what you consume, the number one effect is that stress will dissipate.

The same with clothes, which includes anxiety about appearance. Just go and buy stuff you life, put it on in reasonable arrangements, and go out and forget about yourself. See, Jesus assumed that you would not lack confidence about yourself, about your appearance.

Jordan's recommendations send us back to the treadmill of anxiety in many ways, and so he misses the basic thrust of the gospel. Also, Jesus just reached out his hand and a guy's ear grew back immediately after it had been cut off (after Peter cut it off.) If He is capable of this, then trusting him for our health means that no matter what happens, we can get it fixed. This does not mean being careless and thoughtless about our bodies, but it means "don't worry!"

Who is to say that faith and God's word didn't alone heal Jordan?

I must mention that he did raise my consciousness about staying healthy and what the bible has to say. It's his book that explains why we regard cats and dogs as we do, since they are some of the types of animals who we are forbidden to eat. It seems we noticed their other "benefits" that of companions, in light of their not being edible.

He also helped me to regard hygiene as more important, esp. in the face of viruses. There are changes. I don't want to order toast, which cooks hold in their hands and then I eat with my hands. I want to always always cleanse my hands before eating especially any finger food. Not biting nails, not putting one's finger in the mouth ever, and cleansing ears and nose properly are brought to one's attention.

In Defense of My Generation

My 46 year old friend is seeking to repair her life now through her commitment to the Word of God. I believe she will find restoration.

We were lambasted, we were hunted down. She suffers from that.

When I was but 13, hanging out with a more "worldly", daring friend I went to a party in my hometown out at the edge of town, outdoors, and some strangers came and handed us "doobies" which were supposed to be marijuana - you know, that "safe," innocuous drug.

We both took a drag. What happened after that proved it had to be something much stronger and far more dangerous. Hash? Possibly, it was laced with "angel dust." My friend and I both started to halluncinate back at her father's ranch. Later we related the details of our hallucination to each other and learned that the sights, sounds and feelings were exactly the same.

Only 5 years later she and I both experienced a mental episode that her father termed "manic-depression." She went on medication and I went to Jesus, via my mother, who brought me to faith healers who practiced "deliverance" ministry. I was set free, but not until I had a few more episodes.

You may say there was no relationship but I know there was. It is no coincidence that after an era when people were "blowing their minds" by taking hallucinogens, "just to see what would happen" (like total idiots) that we came up later with numerous cases of mental illness and lots of talk about it. I know people who clearly took hallucinogens in their youth and ended up on psychiatric drugs years later.

When I was 14, still under the protection of my father and mother, my father a minister, living in a safe, small midwestern town, I looked out at a world going insane.

Woodstock happened that year, and people were just throwing away their restraint in all areas. People were suddenly having sex all over the place, and popping strange pills, and smoking strange sticks.

People tried to pass doobies that were "laced" and there were people who tried to put "fancy colors" into my jello, as an example. I hung out with the wrong people, obviously, but there were devils loosed from hell all of the sudden.

The early sixties was lovely, and perhaps the perfect time in American history. I had role models such as Hayley Mills in "That Darn Cat." I remember Sundays were quiet, so quiet, and so peaceful. I could walk downtown to the drug store fountain or to the movie theater. I watched Sidney Poitier in "To sir With Love" and lots of those awesome disney films with Hayley Mills. Life was sweet. Small towns in America thrived. Children had the life they deserved in an American small town. Satan has tried to destroy that with mass farming, and economic destruction of the small town, taking the life of the small towns away, forcing families to move to the city where they miss the good life, where they have the pressures of losing their values.

We were progressing. I never felt that a woman couldn't do anything she wanted.

But we had values. We had dignity. Suddenly, the explosion of the 60's blew out into our faces and people were going nuts. I can honestly say it was terrifying. I am not happy that I had to begin my life as a woman at this time, that I had to sort out my life in this atmosphere. And since that time, we have been ruled by the insanity of that movement - it is what continues today. We have lost it. We have lost our minds.

What was happening as a natural progression now became extreme obsessions such as women's "liberation." Now hate and revenge and impatience were ruling.

I hate that bumper sticker that says, "Feminism is that radical notion that women are people." I want a bumper sticker that reads: "FEMIMISM IS THE RADICAL NOTION THAT WE DON'T ALREADY KNOW WOMEN ARE PEOPLE." Gaaawwwwwl....ishy lezzy radicals.

How will we retrieve a life worth living in the face of all this?

IN HER SHOES, pg13, 2005 - the shoe fits

I saw it again, and loved it even more. I saw it with my sister. I cried mostly because I am touched by the people, the Jewish people who want to touch us with beautiful values and sentiments and bring us higher to what life should be. And here is another echo. Seems I have echoes with Jews, with the Jews who embrace and affirm true life.

It confirms the insights that Gabrielle Brown was writing about in her book "The New Celibacy" that I talked about in "conclusion to The Real Don Juan."

Wow! Sexual intimacy was being used like a cure for not having the real love in one of the sister's lives.

Once she found the kind of love and intimacy of loving family, she was "cured" and began to seek a higher form of intimacy and friendship.

The movie shows two sisters who have an unbreakable bond, and also depicts Greg Behrendt's profile of how a man and woman relationship ought to be. The man pursues the woman because he has no doubt she is "it" and she doesn't have to step in and proove it like no one on earth but she can make someone love her.

The movie shows us what love should look like - and shows that when a man and woman find each other, it brings together families, not just two people.

I wept over the beauty of values that Jewish people keep alive, as we Christians also strive to keep alive, and how our hearts beat as one.

Pakistani Quake

I hope that Pakistanis and others from that region - Afghanis and Indians understand that most Americans at this point are numbed by hearing of the disasters in that region, and when they say 79,000 are confirmed dead, well, it is a number that we can hardly fathom. We lost only a little over 900 in katrina, though predictions were much higher.

We were upset by that and the number lost in 9/11. The quake is unfathomable.

I have a friend from Pakistan - a nice man who offered to help me learn real estate. I can hardly even bring myself to call and offer condolences.

What do you say? "I know how you feel?"

N.O. didn't spell New Orleans, it spelled "NO"

I didn't make it to New Orleans, but the trip wasn't wasted. Why didn't I get there?

First, the heat. It was 85, 90 degrees in mid-October in northern Louisiana, with 70% humidity!

Between noon and 4, i could hardly move. My two cats could not tolerate it as well as me, and the air conditioning is gone from my car and requires an expensive repair.

I got to Shreveport and checked into a campground, a state park near it. There were many survivors there, and I met a couple of them. I was told that going south, the campgrounds, hotels and motels would all be full. In addition, all survivors are now placed in homes and the work of caring for them is covered. Mainly now it is the huge cost to the government - 9 million a day acc. to one source, and of course the work of rebuilding. And, I was warned - the heat would be worse. As a Minnesotan, I find the heat hard to comprehend. The hurricanes are surely a result of excessive heat.

So, it may seem unprofitable, but God had a purpose in my going to Louisiana. The people are wonderful - friendly. They are so much more friendly than in the north, and it was a joy to meet, talk and spend some time with them, in addition to meeting actual survivors. I didn't press them to tell me of their experience, as I could tell they were just in a state of shock.

I hung around Shreveport, saw the movie "In Her Shoes" and enjoyed eating in a restaurant. I also enjoyed the diners out in the country outside Shreveport.

The lessons I learned are that the people of the south are awesome, that God did not directly attack New Orleans with a punishment, but that it was a natural, built in consequence of pollution and overheating that is partly motivated by greed. So it WAS a reaping for sin, but one that the people of Louisiana had to reap in place of many Americans who were more responsible than they.

I also enjoyed the generosity of the state of Louisisna, who allowed me to camp free along with the survivors, and seeing how they were sacrificing all their camping profits for the sake of the survivors.

It is clear to me now that the majority of those who suffered were African Americans who have relied heavily on the government. It was also a reaping that the government failed them. The relentless attitude of the government being a big, mean daddy who owes everything and who must provide everything, even in the face of bashing and harsh criticism, is one that finally produced the negative result that it inevitably will. The government, a type of idol, a substitute for trusting in God - FAILED. And the church did not. It is as it should be.

I met a young lady of Indian descent (east Indian) who said that India is many times 120 degrees with 70, 80% humidity. Oh my Lord. That sounds like hell on earth. I am amazed that there are people enduring weather more formidable than the cold of Minnesota, and that many people in the world are not happy about their weather.

John 10:10 for 10/10/2005

The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

the big J.C.

Ridin' On The City Of New Orleans

Please do not worry if I don't respond as quickly to you now, because I am traveling and rely on internet services enroute.

I'm on my way to New Orleans because the "still small voice" said to go. No, that would NOT be schizophrenia!! (Contrary to popular thought.)

I have had many responsibilities and was not able to go 'til now.

I'm going in the hopes of finding people who are ready for God.

Pray for me, especially that there will not be another hurricane while I'm there - ha!

Intro and Directory

This is a new blog. I have many essays, some in progress and you may e-mail me to receive any of them if you like. There is soooo much to write about and I only recently got access to internet on a regular basis that enable me to 'ave a blog.

Essay titles:


finished, more or less -
1. observations on homosexuality
2. the tongue (a powerful weapon)
3. sexuality (mainly, scripture)
4. Ismail (an essay to encourage Arabs to believe in the love God has for them)
5. Gardening (parallels with the Christian experience)
6. Forgiveness (man's greatest lesson)
7. Black People! Listen To Me! (reinforcing positive images)
8. alchemy of music (an old custom)
9. the bible (what it is)
10. Why Do I Extol The Jew? (an essay to encourage)
11. Junior High Movies (a collection of bibles studies using hollywood movies)

Works in progress: affliction (what God really says,) survival guide for the newborn Christian

I got the pic thing resolved by using Safari instead of Explorer, since Explorer is kind of a dinosaur with Macs. But the personal photo - my identity photo I haven't resolved yet. I also want to have music with my blog.

WHY AM I QUALIFIED TO TEACH?

First, the bible says that teachers are dealt with more harshly by God. I qualify on that point! WE are required to be above reproach. if we teach, God takes seriously the possiblity of leading others astray. I also take that very seriously.

Teaching is not a post in a church. It is not a man-made position. Teaching is a calling by God and as your life unfolds you begin to realize you have this calling.

Here are my credentials:
I have studied some in bible school, but very little. I have listened to many sermons in Minnesota, Canada and around the United States. I have obtained teachings by Christians all over the world through television or videos. I have gone to seminars and conferences, bible studies and church schools. I have been to church events such as breakfasts for women that include teaching. I have read numerous Christian books. I have spent time studying the bible and continue to do so. I have listened to tapes, CDS and videos by a smorgasbord of Christian leaders. I have watched numerous TV preachers including Billy Graham, Morris Cerrullo, Paula White, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyers and others.

In addition, i have spent thousands of dollars to visit a church in Canada that believes in the importance of soaking in the presence of God. I have soaked in His presence and learned how to "practice" his presence in my home. I have spent countless hours worshipping God with every kind of new music I can find. Sometimes I have had the privilege of worshipping corporately with those who worship Him "in spirit and in truth." I have also trained to be on a team of altar prayer helpers. I have taken classes on healing and counseling. I have received countless hours of free counseling by various very qualified members of the body of Christ- either pastors, trained counselors or lay ministers.

I have called plenty of prayer lines offered by various ministries for prayer and counsel.

This describes the training that God usually uses to trains his leaders. He does not like when we depend too much on just one ministry or teacher. He is not impressed with the credentials of man - getting a degree, getting a title, getting a "high" position. In man's "low" positions you will find God's highest - a wealth of lovers of God - one day to surface.

The Thing About My Folks, 2005, PG 13

The generation of my parents - the WWII dudes - were so sweet and innocent, and sometimes just plain naive.

But in my dad's circles - he was a pastor (yes, I am a PK - look out - many became satanists I hear) in his Christian circles, man oh man - they were virgins at the altar, it's no lie.

My dad has talked about it.

But then there's my generation - lord! Bats out of hell we were. And we pretty near screwed up the next generation, except I have met many who are wise to our generation and are mature beyond their years, no let me rephrase that - mature beyond OUR years!

Here is a classic example. I have a female friend of about 46. She loves Stevie Nicks and tries to sing like her on a guitar but sounds like a dying parrot. She never has a legitimate job, lives with people and is about 80,000 dollars in debt. She has done time, just broke up with nightmare boyfriend, and is your basic derivative of the glorious sixties influenced, psycho generation. Just the other day she called me all excited because her daughter of 22, who works fulltime while going to college, owns her own car and is engaged, bought her (mom) a car and a cellphone to tide her over for the time being! Classic!!!!! It's all good.

I'd rather be in bed with a cannibal than a drunken Christian

Quote by Herman Melville?

See, we have to be on guard all the time because of our enemy. The sixties propogated that stupid, erroneous philosphy that freedom is blowing your brains out - just "letting it all hang out" - man, we got trampled with that!

It's like, I want to be a bird and fly, and so I get me some wings, and I fly, and soaring up there, I want to go beyond the birds - I want to go into outerspace, so I do, and suddenly, I can't breath, and I die. That's what happened in the sixties.

Freedom requires restraint, planning, and warfare - we have to be sure that all we do is in the power of the Holy Spirit and not our own because we would crash and burn on our own - and we have to preface everything with knowing we have our armor on -

this life is not our oyster. here we fight and then we get to go be in glory, but on earth we are at war - and war is not a party

but many who have met Christ, who identify with Him in some way, have not struck a balance or been able to go free without soon getting lost or in bondage and many have not been able to grasp a simple truth, that of learning to receive God's grace fully (always we are growing into it, knowledge of the grace of Christ) or to rely on grace driven righteousness or power.

The only true righteousness is forged in utter failure to be righteous coupled with the grace and POWER of God in place of our weakness. If a Christian is trying, striving to do right, under bondage to guilt, if he gets a moment of losing that "control" that he has set up himself - look out! He's more dangerous than a cannibal! A funny TV preacher warned about meeting a Christian who finally decides to let out all the anger he has bottled up his whole life.

I think you get the idea...

Romans 7 and 8 - Paul the apostle is saying that he realizes he has no control over his sinfulness, even if he hates it. He does what he hates. Then he asks - "what can I do about this body of death." Revelation! It "has already been done for me in Christ Jesus. It is by knowing on the inside that he has put his new mind his new heart into you, that you begin to see that you already have the divine power working in you...you just need to access it, see it at work, trust in it.

I finally came to this amazing point where I saw a sin that I had never been able to conquer (sexual) and had this scary realization - I can do absolutely nothing to change it. Nothing. Did I think that I was fixing it? It was an illusion. I always returned to utter failure. We all have been danglng over hell, helplessly falling into it. Jesus came and swooped us up as we were falling.

We hate that, especially Americans. Americans still believe "I can fix it, I can change it, I have the power." That's why revival has such a hard time getting started. We don't inherit here very often, we EARN it. And we are proud of it. How hard for us to receive. How hard for us to admit when we are helpless.

Even prosperity. I heard one local lady preacher say that we cannot do a thing to create our prosperity. It's true. All that I am and have - He gave me, even the ability to think of ways to make money and the power (and health) to do so. She said we "stumble" onto our prosperity like we stumble on a mate.

I'm afraid very soon Americans are going to be feeling their helplessness, more than ever.

The Problem With Peace

The angels declared "Peace On Earth Good will To Man" when Jesus's birth was heralded. Later, Jesus said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." So, you say, there he goes again with the contradictions!

Peace on earth is still a prophetic word that will come to pass. Why is peace so far from us? Because satan and his cohorts roam and dominate the earth.

Jesus said,"I came to destroy the works of the devil" That is a prophetic word. However we participate in the fulfilling of that promise. Jesus said he gave US all authority over the power of the enemy. We must seize that power in order to fulfill the prophecies. We die for lack of knowledge. We must learn to see the works of the enemy.

Jesus said that people will be enemies in their own households. How much more then, enemies between nations.

We are not able to attain to peace because we have a fight ahead of us: a fight against the devil and his "seed."

The antichrist, the world leader we have heard about, is supposed to be appeal to our desire for peace and promise peace. It is important to recognize that peace can be a deceptive concept employed by the devil to gain control. Peace will come, but not until there are some battles.

America has sinned much against the Lord, yet America is loved by the Lord, and still promotes the concept of freedom of choice, which has been abused. And now we also see freedom being threatened in America. But those who attack America visciously truly hate the idea of freedom. There is no easy solution to deal with that problem, but saying that you want to back down when you have been attacked because you want peace is not a solution.

If you and your family were attacked by someone who entered your home, raped the women and children, then killed them and ransacked all your possessions - you would in turn want to come against that enemy to destroy his power. What happened to America was exactly the same sort of thing, only it was our brothers, our sisters, our mothers and our fathers who were attacked and even destroyed. Our Uncle Sam is going after that enemy to try to paralyze his power, so he cannot repeat what happened on 9/11/2001. To say that we are not at war for that purpose, that our leaders care so little for us, is absurd. To say that they would expend lives for something other than that purpose is ludicrous.

I believe that any man, including Bill Clinton, or for that matter, John Kerry, is carefully scrutinized by a large number of significant people as to whether or not he is genuinely concerned for the welfare of his country, before he is even allowed to be considered as a candidate for the presidency. How can Americans be so cynical as to assume that our president today is not equally concerned for the welfare of his country? There is a disease of cynicism that pervades our culture. Much of that comes from trusting the wrong people, making the wrong choices, and having the usual results: disappointment. Much of the fault lies with each individual's wrong choices.

Yet, individuals turn and blame their president, the way they blame God, as if he is God. It is time to take responsibility for our own mistakes and stop placing the blame on leadership and stand behind the leader who was fully qualified to be in that position.

I have knockdown, drag out battles with Satan, the enemy of our souls. Used to be that I got knocked out like Rocky. He was on the floor, bleeding, the count was on, and he didn't know if he'd make it up. He managed to get up and keep fighting until he won. I lost. I lost many battles until I learned who I am in christ and the power of the Word of God.I had to learn because I was being destroyed. Then, the last time I was "down on the floor bleeding" I got up and fought until I won.

Satan is a cold, calculating, viscious enemy, partly embodied by the killers of 9/11. He wants nothing more than to kill, to steal and to destroy. I wake up in the morning, particularly when I am in large cities, and particularly certain large cities in America or Canada, and am aware that the devil has been plotting all night how to destroy me, but is worried now that I'm awake and conscious so I can speak the word of God. Always I am aware he is on my heels and I feel his hot suffocating breath on me at times.

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed, we are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. I thank God for the timeless words of our Apostle Paul.

We are going to fight, and we are going to win.

Anti-War (Pacifist) Capitalist With a Champagne Glass

The anti-war (pacifist) capitalist sits back, tips his glass and condemns the war and criticizes those who fight, while soldiers are standing ready to sacrifice their very lives (their LIVES) to defend that person's life and his right to criticize.

When was the last time you sacrificed your life?

This is not a dress rehearsal. No one got to rehearse 9/11. No one got to rehearse Katrina.

I think about the guy on 9/11 on the plane heading for the white house, theoretically. He helped to attack the terrorists and crash the plane early. He and the other men who carried this off had to make a split second decision, thinking, "well, let's see, we're all going to die, so let's die right."

One minute you're flying on a beautiful morning, just leaving the coast, the next minute you're rushing some terrorists and the plane is headed for the ground. It all happened that fast.

We're all in a plane that's about to crash. Life is this one short blinking of an eye. Are you ready?

Let's die right.

Is America the Greatest Country?

Feel free to begin a forum telling me what you prefer about America or why you prefer another country, either the one you live in or one you would like to live in.

For me, America feels like home, and so when I traveled in Europe it felt cold and unpromising, though I enjoyed the culture, loved the architecture and had many positive experiences with the people.

It seems America has been more of an explosion of talent and a place to get something started.

Economy: now America is experiencing trouble, but I've been appalled, overwhelmed by the economic state of England and Canada, where I have spent the most time in the last ten years. Coming home from Canada couldn't be a happier experience. I have, however, found awesome people in Canada. I have not yet visited outside the Western world, and look forward to: China, Africa, South America, particularly Columbia, and Argentina, Israel, and look forward to being again in France and England. Truly the world outside America has been experiencing an explosion of faith in Jesus, an explosion of love for God and miracles that we in America are cut off from to some degree. It is for these wonderful things that I long to travel and visit people.

India would be interesting as well. For obvious reasons the Middle East is not a good idea right now, but I have had very good friends, though perhaps passing through my life, but friends from the Arab world as well.

Things French

Please tell me if I've forgotten any.

French Toast
French Bread
French Waiter
French Kissing
French Fries
French Press
French Language
French Speaking
French Accent
French People
French Silk Pie
French Riviera
French Cuffs
French Dressing
French Revolution
French Impressionists
French Vanilla! (or Vanille)
French Poodle

Survivor Scam in Minnesota

Two Minneapolis papers, the Pioneer Press and the Star Tribune from Sept 16 and 17 respectively, reported a story that ultimately had me laughing hysterically.

A local woman, Derya Goral, was excited to offer her home to a hurricane victim, a woman of 22 named Rachelle Bruneau, not knowing that the young woman was a fraud - a freeloader posing as a Katrina victim. This part is not funny, of course, since using people's kindness in the aftermath of this tragedy is terrible, but read on.

The Minnesota woman figured out that Bruneau wasn't legitimate, but only after letting the stranger into her home and after a lot of effort to get her there and provide for her. Goral sent Bruneau packing, not realizing the "victim" was not only a fake but a fugitive from the law for supposed fraud, grand theft and probation violation. Once Bruneau had been sent away on a bus, the police came to Goral's door the next day looking for her. Can you almost hear Ms. Goral falling through the floor?

Bruneau had originally gone to a Christian shelter in Nashville, Tenn. claiming to be a survivor, but in fact is from Tampa, Florida - on the run. Goral found out about her by posting her home on MN responds, a Yahoo! group organized for the relief effort.

Rachelle Bruneau gave Goral some clues earlier on. One was when Goral arranged for Bruneau to pick up a bus ticket to get her from Louisiana to Minnesota that was being provided for by an agency, and Bruneau was told that the code word for her to pick it up with is "Katrina." Bruneau laughed and said, "that's such a funny name, why did you pick that? Are you Russian?"

At that point, I totally lost it and could hardly finish the story. All I know is that she hadn't been caught by September 16, so beware! Just keep a lookout for a woman who's never heard of the name of the worst natural disaster in US history but knows her languages!

HERO

The person who is lambasted with criticism, though he/she is kind, generous, loving, considerate, and gives, and though he/she is intelligent, funny, brave, and creative, with no recognition. When that person is able to forgive and go on, to survive without bitterness, to come up off the floor time and time again, laughing and loving - that person is brave and a hero.

Hair in the 1980's - WOW!

Dynasty cast

Don Juans and Donna Juans, part 2

Go here for part 1. Would you be loved, or would you be great? Love is in contest with our pride. This was first played out in the garden with Adam and Eve. They had to choose between sweet love and security in God and actually being God. That they could be God was a lie, offered by Satan who himself believed that he could be God. God created Satan, though we still don't know why. God is God - eternal, infinite - beyond our comprehension. How could we be God? If we didn't drink water for over three days, we'd die. If we drink too much water, recent studies show that we'd also die. The idea, even the idea that we could be God is absurd. Satan said we could be like God, which is also ridiculous since God made us in His image. We didn't need to be like God because we already are. It was all a big deception.

But Satan said we would be like God in knowing good and evil. He really meant be like him and be an enemy of God, committing evil and learning to destroy, because God would have shown us the truth about good and evil.

Adam and Eve chose Satan's lie - something we do time and time again. We always have that choice to make between love and pride, which often means love over power. (Dire Straits would add: Love Over Gold.)

If you know that someone loves you, you have two choices. You can gloat over it - it's your victory, you now have power over someone because of their love. Or, you can choose to receive love and let it change you.

Billy Graham can think of himself and how great he is or he can be humbled that he is no better than anyone else yet was offered the opportunity to touch so many lives. Bill Gates can think himself a god and can use his genius to the exclusion of others, or he can be glad that he, along with other geniuses has made my writing, our writing so much easier because of the upside of technology.

Doctors can try to rob and manipulate people, or they can take advantage of their great opportunity to bring healing.

We always have two choices before us. The afore mentioned souls have had to make those choices. The powers of darkness stand by every minute to apply pressure to take the pride route, and sometimes the pressure is overwhelming.

When people are not raised on love they do not know how good it feels and they do not know how to receive it. They learn the patterns of pride, and the way of love becomes foreign and frightening to them. Pride is developed in the absence of love. What happens when a culture is full of such people?

The culture we are in has taken great strides away from love. The bible predicted a day would come when "most men's love would grow cold." That is this day! The good new is that God never changes, and God is LOVE.

But self love has taken a fall along with all the other love that has been drained from a society that centers on gaining property, proving the genius of man, and having power.

When you are satisfied with the love in your childhood, it lasts for a lifetime. In fact, celibacy can be achieved with surprisingly little effort, if one aspires to it, because emotional satisfaction has been achieved early. Emotional maturity, developed early, sets the tone. So says psychologist and author Gabrielle Brown,PhD, author of "The New Celibacy" - now out of print.

She compared the nuns and monks of today with yesterday, pointing out that it has become too difficult today for most to maintain a celibate lifestyle. In the past, before industrialization, our agrarian society stuck to simple family bonding and people found emotional satisfaction.

Isn't that amazing? Love is warmth. Warmth is physical. Simply feeling loved warms your body as well as your soul. Notice how The Passion of The Christ shows Jesus having a close bond with his mother? See, Jesus did not achieve celibacy in a vaccuum just because He was God in the flesh. God was subjecting himself to human weakness when he came. The truth is, even God in the flesh could not have been as healthy a soul at 30 as Jesus was without a healthy mom, dad, siblings and religious community. His mom, who we observe in the film - the warmth of her simple motherly love warmed his soul and his body - so He could more easily achieve a celibate lifestyle. God had to ensure that Jesus came to earth in the "love bubble" that he did.

Do you realize that being love starved makes you sex starved? Gabrielle Brown wrote her book in 1980! It was a time when lots of people living in Los Angeles were reacting against the sexual revolution and deciding to go "cold turkey" as far as sex. They were the neo-celibates. I met one while traveling in Europe in 1983. He was burned. He couldn't move himself to touch another woman and receive in his soul the impact of yet another involvement. He was from Los Angeles. I had just come from Los Angeles, but had managed not to let its control smother me. I left before it did. I did feel an impact but not like this man I met. We traveled briefly together and stayed in the same hotel room in southern France just to save money. I can assure you - he was a neo-celibate.

If this was true in 1980, what is true today?

Why is it painful to go back to the same person that Don or Donna has slept with instead of finding a new one? First of all there is shame. Both partners feel shame and don't want to face each other with the reality. Secondly, it is the pain of intimacy. We have to love ourselves and be OK with ourselves to be able to be intimate with someone else, and then it needs to be someone who is also OK with themselves. What "being OK" is would require more words, but you can just take a universal meaning from that. Avoiding intimacy is a way of avoiding knowing yourself or having someone else know you.

I respect John Bradshaw to some degree, another author of the past, yet he falls short. He tries to patch things up by saying, "let's just get smart here. Let's just raise better families and have better people." That was about as smart as just saying "no." We are beyond that, hello. Too late for "let's just........."

Let's just get something straight. We cannot do it. Whatever it is - we cannot do it. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the father of lights. Not one good thing can we procure from within. It's all a work of God's infinite grace, which becomes more infinite the more I know who He is. "Don't try, surrender," was what one Messianic Jewish friend I know heard the day he decided to believe in Jesus.

We need to stop trying, oh work ethic driven, performance oriented, workaholic folks. This can be far less popular, surrendering to "the cross." Ugh! You mean, just surrender myself to the death, the unbearable death of being lord of my own life? Clue: after death comes resurrection!

Families may have gotten sicker, but many have been sick for generations. There is only one way out - look up!

Gotcha!

What the young ones are saying today. For the older ones to rehearse and thus become more on the cutting edge!




"Gotcha!"
"Right on" (borrowed from my generation, but now used in a light, matter of fact way as agreement instead of as an exclamation)
"Cool" (also borrowed)
"No worries!"
"Rock on!" (probably also borrowed)
"It's all good!"
"Righteous dude"
"Righteous" (borrowed)
"Sweet"
"Dude!" (also borrowed)
"Shut Up!" similar to "you have got to be kidding!"
"like" You need to know, young ones that this "LIKE" thing goes all the way back to the late 70's in Southern California. It was used by young American girls, especially in the mall, and was immortalized by Frank Zappa in 1982 in a humorous single called "Valley Girl" referring to the San Fernando Valley on the other side of a hill from Los Anglee, California. That's why by now we all can hardly resist talking this way.

here is my own adjective, if only it could be injected into the mainstream:
"COLOSSAL!"

I'm tryin', I'm tryin' - to say "Gotcha" instead of "I see," or "I get it." And I'm trying to say, "right on," instead of, whatever, but it's hard because there was a time when I was trying to stop saying "right on" cuz it went out of style. Weird. He youngins! Be sure to remind me of any that are not listed.

Please be sure to remind me of any others!

Katrina Sept 2, 2005

My heart is broken for the suffering in Louisiana right now.

God directed me to several scriptures. Waking me from a sound sleep. I went to The Word. (Incidentally, night before last, I also woke from a sound sleep at the very hour Katrina was hitting, not knowing why, but I felt so restless and disturbed. Yow!)

Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains tremble in its tumult. God is our refuge and strength.

Psalm 107: Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men.

They go up to the heavens. They go down again in the depths. Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet. So He guides them to their desired haven.

When they are diminished and brought low through oppression affliction and sorrow, He pours contempt on Princes and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way. Yet he sets the poor on high, far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock. The righteous see it and rejoice, and all iniquity stops its mouth.

Psalm 18: He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He also brought me out into a broad place. he delivered me because He delighted in me.

Zechariah 9: 12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

Isaiah 41: 10 Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 31: Words to Americans who rely on man and not God. These are hard words and only for some.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots, because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord. Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster and will not call back His words.

Katrina is not God's judgment. It is a natural result of abuse of the environment. God has built natural consequences into the earth and unfortunately, we have foolishly challenged the limits. After all our polluting and now China's pollution, who knows where this leads? I admit - it's absolutely terrifying.

Our sin is that we are arrogant to the point of being abusive and careless and thinking God will miraculously wave a wand so that there are no consequences. People! God cannot keep on protecting us from all our foolishness. Sooner or later, consequences will come! Terrorism, if it is also a consequence, cuts much deeper than a natural disaster because it's people full of hate seeking to destroy us.

Yet, the sheer numbers in this disaster are staggering. I wish that all who are now safe from Katrina would mourn for those who are not, instead of trying to go on as if nothing happened, adding insult to injury.

Don Juans and Donna Juans

What is the truth about Don Juan? What was he like inside? We carry with us a myth about such a character, denying what may be true. This, from my own view is what Don (and Donna) Juan are truly like. Check each point to see how many of them describe you.

* They feel deep pain and worthlessness who have found worth through their beauty. The word beauty is used in a universal, "Hollywood" sense.

* They obtain admiration and affection through their looks, but in fact, feel no worth, no substance at all. They rely on something doomed to fail them and no one can offer assurance of the true value of their souls because it is hidden and they keep it hidden.

* They feel they cannot be loved.

* They let sexual thoughts and sexual urges go before other, more important things.

* They declare that sexual needs cause them to surge forward and find a lover, at all costs, and to "get Laid." Sexual need is a substitute for seeing the real need inside for which there is no solution or fulfillment, as far as they are concerned.

*They are never beautiful enough in their own eyes. They are always too ugly, too fat, their hair is never "right" - they are ashamed of their looks. If they are unhappy, before making any other changes in their lives they start a fitness program, starve, buy a diet, buy new clothes, buy a new car, change their hair.

* Beauty of the opposite sex speaks louder than any other human quality and the sexual excitement caused by someone "beautiful" distracts and rules! Note: if you identify with being homosexual (which in my opinion is not actually a "gay" situation) I have other writing specifically for you.

* Sex for them is desirable until the deed is accomplished and then something changes. Rather than get closer to the truth - to the real person - they would rather seek someone new. In fact, going back to the one they were with is a painful experience.

*They compare themselves with others of the same sex, cursed relentlessly with jealousy, and tend to be overjoyed when someone is jealous of them!

*Knowingly or secretly - they are in deep despair

* They live for lovers. Falling in love is so exciting, so new, they thrive on this ectasy. As John Bradshaw stated in his lecture on the family, who wouldn't like those first feelings to last? But they don't last. Don and Donna Juan know this and leave before the magic is over. They claim it doesn't matter - they don't believe in permanent relationships anyway.

* Hardly anyone knows them or deeply loves them because they've maintained an arms length from most. They want love but they cannot have it. Intimacy brings complications and neither they nor the ones they choose can abide the pain of it.

* Childhood relationships spelled out the disaster of intimacy and pain. A pattern of avoidance has been established.

* They expect a person of the opposite sex to be sexually stimulating, i.e. physically "exceptional" and expect the same of themselves. They must be attractive, they must be stunning, they must be "worthy." Anything that exists to the contrary: flabbiness, wrinkles, fat, is a traumatic threat.

They are terrified. Without beauty, perfection, they will not be loved, they will not be "worthy." The real love they could have without physical perfection recalls painful memories of intimacy gone wrong. There might be a feeling of claustrophobia. Love can be someone owning you, smothering you, using you, sucking the life out of you, which obviously isn't love. But Don and Donna have never experienced love and don't know that.

*Physical beauty is a safe, hard shell that a person can hide behind (until it is gone.) The world of exteriors is a place where many beautiful people hide from their fears. Physical beauty has a life of its own; it determines Don and Donna's boundaries and defines their lives. Movies and television have reinforced this.

In some ways, media has created this. If you can make things look good - your body, your car, your house - then things are good. If you look great with makeup and lighting on the screen, does it matter if you actually look very plain? Does it matter if you're miserable? At least you look good. Vicarious perfection is comforting even in its limitations.

* They don't seem to notice - people are happier who have love in their "ugliness." But what does it matter since Don and Donna can't face intimacy?

* Everyone they meet fits into the same pattern of escapism. They and their companions find intimacy impossible but can't understand why no one can stay with them.

* Women raised in love are a sharp contrast with Donna. They see themselves on the inside where they are loved. They have less use for beauty evident in what they project. Men are attracted and feel safe with them.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is my hope that in reading this you feel pathetic, if the shoe fits. Knowing you are pathetic and not cute, sexy and fantastic, in your game plan, if you are Don or Donna, is the first step towards recovery.

Don and Donna at some point may come to a dramatic dead end where they no longer find joy in the temporal, and realize they want love after all. They want it but at the present rate may not get it. At this point they are forced into an intimate relationship with themselves that is inescapable and the pain of it is indescribable. It may seem like an eternity before one gets to the end of the long journey back to understanding love.

For the journey you need a map and you need a guide. I don't recommend taking the journey without God at your side and a bible in your hand. The jourrney is going to a place where you love yourself the way God intended. Don't listen to the religious. They'll say everyone always loves themselves, even if they don't love others. Selfishness is not love and we do not easily love ourselves but instead, easily hurt ourselves. The bible commands that we love others in the same way that we love ourselves, and that's exactly what we do. We hurt others because we hurt ourselves. The journey leads to loving others as well.

This is continued in part 2.