2:67, #371 Where You From?

Answer that question in your own mind before you go any further...now...

When I was in Amsterdam for a two-week stint of street preaching in 1991 I was "from America."
When I was in Augusta, Georgia visiting my brother in the army I was "from Pennsylvania."
When I'm at Camp Cornelius in my home State, I'm "from Philly"...yes, that's how we native American Philadelphians describe it.
When I'm among Philly folk, I'm "from Olney."
And, lastly, when asked by the Philly-knowledgeable, I'm "from Sixth and Duncannon."

Have you taken note that most of the world's problems are due to tribalism? All of world history is God using one "nation, tribe, or tongue" to subjugate another and through the upheaval introduce the fact that He is the Living and True God to folks to bring His Elect to a saving knowledge of Him...the book of Ezekiel says, "And then they will know that I am the Lord" about 246 times, I believe, both in Israelite and Gentile contexts. Who gets saved and who doesn't is left in His Spirit's Hands in all cases, in any event.

I've even noticed a North/South phenomenon in various places of world history. I get this germ of thinking (would that make it a disease?!!) from my American Civil War gene pool and personal interest. Even though we're coming up on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (or War of Northern Aggression as some say), it's pretty clear that there is a "them/us" view of things among the two sections of the USofA. But...I've learned that folks from Taiwan have a pseudo-Confederate view of Mainland China when they are called "Chinese" by us barbarians who can't comprehend the cultural and historical differences. (I wonder how you say "y'all" in Mandarin?)
And how do I know this fact? My adopted granddaughters have most assuredly straightened out my world life view!!

And for you Anglo/Saxon/Scottish roots types...the South of the British Isles tried to subjugate their Northern neighbors down through history. Old Edward Longshanks even got his shanks kicked at Bannockburn when he unwisely attacked on a Sunday in 1514 and lost the whole nation of Scotland as a result!! (He probably wasn't a fan of thistles, kilts, and haggis anyway.)

In the midst of this ramble, those of you from Earth That Was (Firefly reference #101)...that would be ALL who read this except, perhaps, if angels and demons are looking over my shoulder or read this blog...remember that your citizenship is in Heaven, as Philippians 3:20 says, and that you're actually on a diplomatic mission to Earth That Is as one of the Lord's ambassadors.
Got God's Jeremiah 33:3 phone number to phone home, E.T.?!!

2:66, #370: Gunga Din

My favorite poem by Rudyard Kipling is "Gunga Din," (pronounced "deen") written in 1892. It is the recollection of a bigoted British soldier recalling his days in India and his relationship to a lower caste "bhisti" (water boy) who saved his life. The theology is the world's, but I'd call it a tale of repentance on the one hand and a call not to look down on folks on the other! It reminds me of attitudes I've seen in The Church for 28 years and mixes some righteous indignation with some tears whenever I read or recite it when I think of a brother who'll be seated at The Marriage Feast, not "squatting on the coals." So here it is:

YOU may talk o' gin an' beer
When you're quartered safe out 'ere,
An' you're sent to penny-fights an' Aldershot it;
But if it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.
Now in Injia's sunny clime,
Where I used to spend my time
A-servin' of 'Er Majesty the Queen,
Of all them black-faced crew
The finest man I knew
Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din.

It was "Din! Din! Din!
You limping lump o' brick-dust, Gunga Din!
Hi! slippy hitherao!
Water, get it! Panee lao!
You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din!"

The uniform 'e wore
Was nothin' much before,
An' rather less than 'arf o' that be'ind,
For a twisty piece o' rag
An' a goatskin water-bag
Was all the field-equipment 'e could find.
When the sweatin' troop-train lay
In a sidin' through the day,
Where the 'eat would make your bloomin' eyebrows crawl,
We shouted "Harry By!"
Till our throats were bricky-dry,
Then we wopped 'im 'cause 'e couldn't serve us all.

It was "Din! Din! Din!
You 'eathen, where the mischief 'ave you been?
You put some juldee in it,
Or I'll marrow you this minute,
If you don't fill up my helmet, Gunga Din!"

'E would dot an' carry one
Till the longest day was done,
An' 'e didn't seem to know the use o' fear.
If we charged or broke or cut,
You could bet your bloomin' nut,
'E'd be waitin' fifty paces right flank rear.
With 'is mussick on 'is back,
'E would skip with our attack,
An' watch us till the bugles made "Retire."
An' for all 'is dirty 'ide,
'E was white, clear white, inside
When 'e went to tend the wounded under fire!

It was "Din! Din! Din!"
With the bullets kickin' dust-spots on the green.
When the cartridges ran out,
You could 'ear the front-files shout:
"Hi! ammunition-mules an' Gunga Din!"

I sha'n't forgit the night
When I dropped be'ind the fight
With a bullet where my belt-plate should 'a' been.
I was chokin' mad with thirst,
An' the man that spied me first
Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din.

It was "Din! Din! Din!
'Ere's a beggar with a bullet through 'is spleen;
'E's chawin' up the ground an' 'e's kickin' all around:
For Gawd's sake, git the water, Gunga Din!"

'E carried me away
To where a dooli lay,
An' a bullet come an' drilled the beggar clean.
'E put me safe inside,
An' just before 'e died:
"I 'ope you liked your drink," sez Gunga Din.
So I'll meet 'im later on
In the place where 'e is gone—
Where it's always double drill and no canteen;
'E'll be squattin' on the coals
Givin' drink to pore damned souls,
An' I'll get a swig in Hell from Gunga Din!

Din! Din! Din!
You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
Tho' I've belted you an' flayed you,
By the livin' Gawd that made you,
You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

Well, for all you Christian Gunga Dins out there..."Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
Got goatskin water bag?

Source: Bartleby.com Great Books On Line, [http://www.bartleby.com/103/48.html][cited 2/27/09]

2:65, #369: Virgin Olive Oil

Lunch just a little bit ago included some delicious Cook-made chicken salad, lettuce, and cornbread with butter...yeah, I could hear my arteries clogging even as I ate...and some more Bible reading. This time around it included Matthew 25 with the parable of the Ten Virgins, 5 wise and 5 not so much.

When I read that "at midnight there was a shout" that triggered the discussion between the have-oils and the don't-have-oils (all of whom were different from Popeye's Olive Oyl)...just exactly where did the don't-haves go shopping after midnight? Was there a place called Achmed's All Night Oil Emporium? Did Bertoulli's have any part of the Middle East market at the time, since the language indicates many who sold oil? And, if not, did some poor lamp oil salesman get rousted from a good night's sleep, assuming he went to bed at dark and did not use up his supply of product to stay up until midnight?!! It's not surprising that the no-oils didn't get back in time for the marriage gig!!

Gee, I wonder... if they had rubbed their lamps like Aladdin, would they have gotten a genie who could then have supplied them with lamp oil? But, would he then become homeless when his lamp was full of oil? Or would he have gone on a "Magic Carpet Ride" with Steppenwolf? Guess we'll just never know.

2:64, #368: Mount of Olives Stuff

I was reading Matthew 23 this morning with my Special K and had a few errant thoughts about the Mount of Olives where the scene takes place. It works out really well that the Lord had the place full of olive trees so that things connected with it sounded good. For instance, Mount of Olives and The Olivet Discourse have lyrical sounds to them.

Suppose the place was filled with zucchini instead. We'd be talking about the Lord's Return to Zucchini Hill or Gethsemane would be the Garden of Squash or we'd have theological discussions concerning the Zucchinette Discourse! Yech! ;p

Or even worse, suppose the place was filled with the red vegetables that were technically fruits by a scientific, non-Cook definition. Yes, there would be two distinct theological schools based on the ramifications, exhaustively argued, I would suggest, of ToMAHtoes vs. ToMayToes!! The Apostle Paul would probably have created a riot in the book of Acts NOT by saying he was a Pharisee who believed in the Resurrection, but a ToMAHtoe-ist who confirmed the vegetable view of the delicacy!!

Well, before this gets too out of hand and some Brit writes me and tells me to make like an olive and get stuffed, I'll sign off wishing you some happy salad days; which Wikipedia says "is an idiomatic expression, referring to a youthful time, accompanied by the inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, or indiscretion that one associates with a young person. More modern use, especially in the [USofA] refers to a person's heyday when somebody was at the peak of his/her abilities—not necessarily in that person's youth."
Got salad dressing?

2:63, #367: Step Away Occasionally

Jigsaw puzzlers are a special breed of individuals. Those who do them think we're inherently problem solvers, persevering, adept at analyzing shapes and colors, and generally quiet, get-the-job-done kind of folks. Non-puzzlers look at us as though we ain't right!

"Puppies On the Fence" is my current project, as you can see, and has conveyed a deep theological truth to me in the last two days. Yesterday I got a grand total of two pieces stuck in partly due to the fact that I've saved the hardest part for last. Today I've already put in six that have been sitting practically putting themselves in for the last several days. (OK, so I tend towards animistic thinking on occasion...so sue me.)

The deep lesson is that sometimes you simply have to step away from a problem and give it a rest so that you can look at it from a different perspective...as I say to Elfson in imitation of Aragorn's words to Legolas, "What do your Elf eyes see?" Well, the deep lesson is that sometimes you have to give "it"...whatever's got you stumped...a rest, much like Jesus told the disciples to step away from dealing with people in the deaconal situation in which they were and to get alone in the hills for a bit.

So...I don't know what's got you stumped as you read this, but step away from it and do something else for a little bit while simply saying, "OK, Lord, show me what's the answer!" Then see what He presents!
Got conundrum?

2:62, #366: Four Letter Ponderings

The Bible makes it clear that we are to "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear" in Ephesians 4:29.
Confederate General and staunch Presbyterian deacon, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (my favorite Civil War general, by the way) claimed that "there is no excuse for profanity."
I, on the other hand, back in my B.C. days, used to formulate imprecations for various occasions. Fortunately, only vestiges of that total depravity hang on when excuses arise to bring forth the natural man verbiage...usually while injuring myself while working on the Old John Deere.

So...when did curse words become curse words? What makes certain words in English offensive to God and mankind? Why is a consonant/vowel combination in one language simply the name of a city in South Vietnam and in English it is THE big curse word? Why are swear words four letter words, at least in English? Are imprecations always short, not so sweet, and to the point in all languages?

Why are Christian 20 and 30-somethings so afraid to use the four letter word "love" towards each other when everybody around them sees what they apparently don't see or are in denial about because of conditioning by their respective cultures?!!
Oh, yeah...and how is it we let Christians get away with "Christian cursing"...Friggin', Freakin', Shoot...and other euphemisms that were generated by their sinful hearts and only partially translated by their loose lips, and yet cringe mightily when they use the words the world uses so much these days?!! I guess the cringing part is good, at least.

Well, you're expecting some point, I suppose, so I'll have to devise one in the midst of this ramble through the mental ward of my mind. Here it is: "Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." (I Corinthians 13:4-8)
Howzzat as a checklist for the young and timorous to use to answer their interpersonal relationship questions?!!

2:61, #365: Interesting Day In History

According to The One Year Book of Christian History (got a copy yet?!!) and Wikipedia (hey, it's actually an article with 279 footnotes!!), February 23, 303A.D. was the beginning of The Great Persecution of Diocletian against Christianity throughout the Roman Empire when the Emperor ordered the new church in Nicomedia burnt to the ground. The next day he issued edicts calling for the destruction of Scriptures, forbidding Christians to assemble for worship, and mandating the destruction of places of worship. I wonder if this prompted folks to Scripture memorization programs?!!

Today In History has some other interesting entries for this date:

In 155AD, Polycarp, an Early Church Father was burned at the stake for refusing to deny his Christian Faith.

In 1744, David Brainerd, who got booted from Yale for saying that one of his teachers was as spiritual as a chair earlier in his life, wrote in his journal, "There is a God in heaven who over-rules all things for the best, and this is the comfort of my soul."

In 1836, the Thirteen Days of the Siege of Alamo (a former Christian Mission) began, ending on a Sunday that cost Santa Anna 33% of his army in casualties, as well as turning "Remember the Alamo" into a rallying cry that eventually defeated him at San Jacinto.

John Newton's letter of 1775 to someone not stated is a good note to end this post: "How great and honorable is the privilege of a true believer! That he has neither wisdom nor strength in himself is no disadvantage, for he is connected with infinite wisdom and almighty power."
That'll do for now.

2:60, #364: Sitting in the Gates & Gifts

I was talking to a young sister yesterday whilst I smoked a delightful cigar outside the classroom building in a sheltered, sunny spot that was the perfect place to be after lunch on a brisk wintry day...sitting "in the gates" to use Old Testament terminology. I do this for myself in my on-going practice of the "chief end of man" and the Lord inevitably brings the Saints across my path for any of a number of reasons He has that I really don't need to fathom, simple as that, but need to interact with in an Ephesians 2:10 frame of reference for both/all of us.

Turns out this sister has no idea what spiritual gifts she might have, so I suggested she Google the phrase "spiritual gifts test" and check it out. I decided to do likewise this morning and hit the first slot available that has a 140-question test and analysis that was pretty accurate in my case as I look back over 28 years' walking the Narrow Road by the Lord's grace. Now, this particular test mixes in some "gifts" that may or may not be akin to your particular theological world-life view, but it could be the very providential move in your life to change you a bit to more of His way of thinking about yourself and others. So, the link is: [http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/].

I mentioned to a Korean brother that I've interacted with folks from 51 different nations over the course of my Tour of Duty here at Camp Cornelius, so now I need to verify my statement to myself and do a little figuring to see if it's accurate. Later.

2:59, #363: You Aint Right, Boy!

This is a phrase that has been applied to me by my plumber on occasion, usually when I make a remark that doesn't jive with his normal way of perceiving things, like when I ask things like:

What ever happened to John the Baptist's head after Herod's wife's daughter got it on a platter? Did she and Mom stuff it and mount it like a deer head over their mantle? Did it have a smile on its face when it got axed? Did it keep prophesying like some spooky ghoul in "Tales From the Crypt?"

If we're supposed to keep alert, just exactly what is a lert? Is it furry, scaly, big, little...what?!! And how do you keep it? In a cage? Tied to a stake out back? In a goldfish bowl? Flying around the room so it can perch on a chandelier?

Then there's the sign, "In case of fire pull alarm." Where's the larm stationed? What's it look like? Is it animal, mineral, vegetable, or fig newton of my imagination and the sign's just messing with my head?

What prompted this ramble? This morning I read about "being of the same mind" as Jesus in Philippians 2, indicating that I should in essence be out of my own mind, as it were. Then I looked it up and noted a few things that really don't jive with our (notice I've pulled you in at this point) natural man/woman mindset:

"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus..."

Danngit, as Elfson would say...that's good stuff!! Since the orders are clear, I've looked out for your best interests with this word of encouragement. Now I'm gonna look out for mine and have a party day of reading, jigsaw puzzling, writing, and maybe even working at the odd thing here and there on this vacation day!

2:58, #362: 3:23am

This morning I saw the red light display of my clock at 3:23 and thought...Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men..." That's a pretty good bit of advice, even in the wee hours of the morning. (Is it morning then, or does the sun have to be up first?)

So whatcha got goin' today? I, for one, am constructing mail box pigeon holes since our enrollment is up at Camp Cornelius by 25 people. Then there's a door dog that needs to be fixed; which reminds me, I have to go post a note that the door's temporarily kaput.

Well, whether you're studying, doing laundry, baking, evangelizing the lost, just resting for a change, or any of ten million other possibilities, do it heartily!

2:57, #361: Pete's Mother-In-Law & One Leper

Yesterday I was reading through Matthew 8 and came across the section that talks about Peter's sick mother-in-law and cross references to Mark 1 and Luke4. Does it seem odd that the "first Pope" had a wife and mother in law and that the following Popes do not? If Pete was the First Pope, was Mrs. Pete (we never learn her name) the First Fish Wife, given Pete's trade? When Jesus "stood over her"...Mom in law, that is...(Luke), "touched her hand" (Matthew), "took her by the hand and lifted her up" (Mark) and "rebuked the high fever" (Luke) he was performing yet another Sabbath healing, considering he came out of the synagogue from rebuking an unclean spirit "on the Sabbath" (Mark & Luke). Have you noticed that many of Jesus' miracles took place on the Sabbath and that the Pharisees and Sadducees got irritated by that very fact?!

Oh...what did Mrs. Pete and Mom do the rest of their lives? Were they part of the financial support group of the Apostles? Did they form part of the Women's Auxiliary of the Early Church? Did the women who supported the Apostles hold baked good sales or maybe baked fish sales? These are questions on which a PhD could be constructed, methinks.

Likewise, Luke 5:12ff tells of a leper who approached Jesus for healing, who "fell on his face"...a typical posture for worship and supplication back in the day. My question is this: Did any parts of him fall off when he fell on his face?!! Notice that Jesus healed the guy immediately with a touch and a word...much the way He created back in Genesis 1 & 2!! And...he sent him as as ex-leper evangelist to "the priest" as a testimony to Jesus' Messiahship. I wonder if that guy ever got saved? Guess we'll have to ask around at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in between praise and worship choruses, Eh?

Hmmm...do ya think maybe the Lord will introduce us all to each other with some anecdotes He would feel appropriate as part of the festivities throughout eternity?

2:56, #360: Happy Artsy Heartsy Day!!

OK, it's Hallmark Heart Throb Day! All you Sweeties (thank you, Kaylee) make kissy face, huggy bear and live out Romans 12 the whole year long, and you'll have celebrations a-plenty. What more need be said?

God knew what he was doing when he brought together those of you who already are, knows what He's doing in bringing together those of you who are thinking about it, and knows equally well which ones of you are good just the way you are, so feed on His faithfulness and see what life He's got for you in either case. Remember, when Paul wrote, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" in Philippians 4:11, he must NOT have been for a while until he figgered out God's particular plans for him! So...to quote Emperor Joseph in "Amadeus"... "There it is!"
'Nuff said?

2:55, #359: Robert's Yer Uncle...

Captain Jack Sparrow uses this phrase in "Pirates of the Caribbean"...his pseudo-sophisticated twist on the usual "Bob's yer uncle." Research of the last ten minutes whilst listening to the soundtrack of said movie proves once again that phrases arise and ofttimes nobody knows from whence. The typical read is that Prime Minister Robert Cecil appointed nephew Arthur Balfour to political posts and "Bob's your uncle" meant he would be successful. (Have you ever heard of the Balfour Declaration?) Another one is that it showed up in the 18th century meaning everything is alright, or honky dory as we said back in the day in my neck of the planet; which, also has multiple origins, one around the Civil War, one of post-WWII Japan origin.

"Keep to The Code" is another phrase I like from "Pirates." The Pirates' Code is the supposed set of rules followed by pirates...traditional rapscallions, rogues, thieves, and otherwise n'er-do-wells...what Scripture calls "the wicked"...to govern their behavior and is frequently ignored since, to quote Captain Barbossa, "The Code is more guidelines...!" (I can just see folks in Hell saying, "But I thought the Bible was more guidelines!"

For you folks sharp enough to realize that Cap'n Jack says a bit more than "Robert's yer uncle," I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request of explanation in this medium...you "Pirates" fans will know that the italicized phrase means "no" if you should ask me to expound. Hey, check the movie, check the Internet, be enlightened...that's what I did! AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!

So on this day filled with stupid-stition that may or may not link to Jesus and the 12 Disciples here's my advice: If you're a Christian, Bob's Your Uncle (especially if I'm older than you), tell Satan you're disinclined to acquiesce to his B.S. (another double reference), and KEEP TO THE CODE...The Bible!!!
Got Spiritual Compass that always points to The Rock of Ages?!!

2:54, #358: Different Bad Luck Day

Well, folks, tomorrow is Friday the 13th. That, in case you couldn't figger it on yer own, makes this Thursday the 12th, also known as Lincoln's birthday, so HAPPY B-DAY, ABE!! (It's my presupposition that he's with the Great Cloud of Witnesses of Hebrews 12:1, so I can address him this way.)

Apparently there's Cheese In Cyberspace today because I have not been able to connect on more than one tab on my computer. I figger since Friday the 13th is usually a great day for me, the Cyberspace Gremlins are flying about my bit of The Black (shades of Firefly and Serenity) trying to frustrate me to no end. It hasn't worked! I think I'm going to call this Red "X" Day since I've punched that delightful little gizmo that simply shuts off the Evil Internet and let's me get back to my computer. By the way, even as I type, Tab Two is trying to load on Wikipedia's article on "Friday the 13th" and simply has the little icon circling to somebody's heart's content.

I even Un-Cheesed my computer with Disc Cleanup and TWO Disc Defragmentations this morning; which, working together for my good as always happens, allowed me to put some more pieces in Puppies On The Fence, my current jigsaw puzzle endeavor.

I'm wondering if the Killjoy Karma Demon finally gets around to annoying those of us not frightened by Friday the 13th on Thursday the 12th or Saturday the 14th. I remember the old Pogo comic strip when he'd comment that "Friday the 13th came on Saturday this month" or whatever day it fell on at the time. My Feng Shui is just fine here in the basement of the Big House, I've got the sound track of "Gettysburg" playing on my computer, and there's a chance when I hit the "publish post" button on this site it will actually do it.

Thanks for reading. Good providence on getting your part of The Black of Cyberspace to respond!

2:53, #357: The Thinker

Yesterday I took a couple more personality quizzes...yeah, "addictive" would fit...so sue me. ;p
Well, the one was "Who Are You?" so I had to find out, since I'm so conflicted and have so many issues...eeeuuuuwww!! Turns out I'm A Thinker:
"You love to think. You think about absolutely everything. You think about stuff like alternate endings to movies, being a prep, being emo, blowing up at your teacher, befriending a hobo. [Quiz-writer was 0 for 5 on these!] You think about deep things. What love is, the reason we're on earth...absolutely everything. You take pride in thinking and do well in school. Advice: think about having a little bit more common sense." Of course, being the common sense thinker that I really am, I edited the absolutely Teens/Tweens' paragraph from an e.e.cummings format to actual, functioning English!! But I digress...

Since I'm A Thinker, I thought about The Thinker this morning at 4am while sitting/thinking. Just what passed through that guy's mind while he was sitting on that rock? My hemorrhoids are killing me? When's Auguste going to give me a lunch break? Did I leave the gas on in my Paris flat? Will the marks in my butt from the rock stay there forever? Did Jesus really die for my sins?

Well, my presupposition apparently was wrong...the guy on the rock came out of Rodin's brain without a model other than Michelangelo's "heroic" style sculptures and was supposed to represent Dante dreaming up his Divine Comedy!! The Inferno part of the Comedy apparently impressed Rodin's work throughout the rest of his life.
Wonder if he ever came to faith in Christ? Guess I'll have to check out a biography.
Got any thoughts on the subject?

2:52, #356: Theories In the Gray Zone

I was curious after thinking about the Saintly Sweeties why hair turns gray, so I Googled it and once again decide I need duct tape to keep my head from exploding, as Glenn Beck would say. One of the articles says that the theories that a person's hair can turn white over night because of a shock or that the stress of life caused by having children causes gray hair "has been discounted." Ya wanna bet these same folks believe in the theory of evolution that has no definitive evidence to purport it?!

Back in Post #296, "The Wurst of Times," I mentioned my Heidelberg Grandma, Mrs. Finger. Well, she was living proof...if you're willing to accept the evidence, that is, in your presuppositional world life view...that hair can turn white overnight. Mom told me back in the day (don't know exactly which one) that Mrs. F. had learned her son was in the Battle of the Bulge and turned white overnight as a result of the shock.

One article talks about lack of B vitamins, smoking, anemia, and thyroid problems causing gray hair...sounds to me like symptoms of parenting brats that are the direct result of 6,000 years of in-breeding on the part of the human race! All the articles agree that the cause seems to be a gradual death, one follicle at a time generally speaking, of the stuff that creates your hair color. Soooo...you might say it's the Lord's early warning system that, to quote a line from "Fight Club," "on a long enough time line, the chances of survival are zero."

What I can't figure out is why the dying process can't be more esthetically pleasing...like my Fu Manchu turning ALL white instead of here and there. Oh, well, guess I'll just stop this self indulgence and go on to some other part of the day that the Lord has made.
Got gray?

2:51, #355: Saintly Sweeties

Back on August 3, 1988 I started praying Matthew 6:33, 34 for all Christian Singles; that, for those who needed partners, as they seek first the Lord's Kingdom, the Lord would match 'em up by twos...sorta like the Ark Experience, now that I think about it. I keep up the practice, so I get to observe what's cookin' in the Kingdom on the romance range every so often, to use a kitchen-metaphor. (Food seems to be a major part of my world-life view...much like the bear in "Over the Hedge.")

Considering this is Hallmark Match-up Month with Valentine's Day approaching in a week and that the Grey Haveners walked into a plethora of gaudy heart stuff yesterday on an outing to A.C. Moore...complete with a "YUCK!" issuing from somewhere near me that sounded almost angelic in tone...I was thinking about Love Stuff and Saintly Sweeties (thank you, Kaylee of "Firefly") early this morning before dawn...guess you could say things dawned on me! ;p

In twenty-three years of observing the lads and lassies here at Camp Cornelius, I've seen Sweetie Match-ups occur in the Lord's providence and have had the joy of jotting down double answers as they finally get around to deciding they're the Lord's choices for each other. Why, I even put up a homemade sign back in the day of the 80s for one couple who had a spot by the pines as "their" spot. (I was just loaning it to them for a time since it reverted back to part of my domain when they graduated...that way it's available to others.) So what's my point? Do I need one? This is self-indulgent, remember? I guess I'm just waxing sentimental, looking forward to seeing how the Lord match makes as time goes along.
Is that a Fiddler I hear On My Roof playing "Match Maker, Match Maker?"

Oh, Yeah...for all you Already Matched Up Sweeties: Romans 12 is my request for y'all, so get at it and start working it out into all the Doubting Thomas's English Muffin nooks and crannies of your lives!!

2:50, #354: Death Stuff

There's a great line in the movie, "Shawshank Redemption" that says, "Get busy living or get busy dying." It essentially draws the difference in one sentence between two world-life views of despair/pessimism and hope/optimism. The movie comes down on the side of the Carpe Diem Crowd..."seize the day" to "make your own destiny" but doesn't take into account the truth of the Gospel. No thought of the afterlife is given at all...typical Hollywood these days.

My reading today in Spurgeon's Beside Still Waters starts out, "Death is the end of dying." He goes on to encourage Christians to realize that when we "step through death's curtain" as I said a couple of posts ago, we're HOME, PERFECTED, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD!! No more of the world's bull chip cookies and soured milk! (OK...so that's my dynamic equivalent translation of Charlie's point...if you want accuracy, buy the book and read it yourself on page 222.)

Right now I'm listening to the version of "Amazing Grace" on the "Maverick" album...an upbeat, absolute GREAT version of my favorite hymn that's sung by The Maverick Choir, a collection of 25 Country Western All-Stars, James Garner, & Mel Gibson...THANKS, John Newton!! I told Archangel the other day that I wanted this played at my funeral REALLY LOUD!! (The classic version with drums and bagpipes would only make me cry as I was looking down on y'all and the Lord would have to wipe away the tears as He promised in Revelation 7:17, but, hey, what's the down side to that?!!)

Actually, when I kick off, kick the bucket, shuffle off this mortal coil, step through the curtain, or pass away, if some I.T. Whiz could grab the whole list of my New Mellow songs on my office computer and play them throughout whatever service is performed, we could have a good old time celebrating the fact that I had got busy REALLY living by dying! (Yeah, like it says at the end of "Second Hand Lions," those two men in great-grandfathers' stories REALLY LIVED!)

Well, the Lord hasn't sent me a memo to "cross over the River and rest under the shade of the trees" like He did Old Tom Fool For Christ (Stonewall) Jackson, so I'd best be getting about the rest of the day.
Y'all come back now, y'hear?!!

2:49, #353: Spring Semester Starts

I've often said...both hands up, waving fingers, Archangel!!...that I find it ironic that Spring Semester starts in February here at Camp Cornelius. Well, today it's starting under a blanket of snow and 11 degrees Fahrenheit...He who gives snow to one city and withholds it from another must be debunking the myth of Global Warming for us Middle Atlantic Staters. Oh, Global Warming is, in fact, on its way...around here in Pennsyltucky we call it April!! ;p

I've had a Spring-like contemplation these last several winter days about birds. The little guys in the bushes by the Kitchen...look through the front bush to the snow piles off the ground by the wall...wrens and sparrows, I believe...are hearty as all get out. I come strolling in to work usually before the sun is properly up and there's just a choir of birds praising away in their own little way. For some reason, they shut up when I get near even though I never make any threatening movements in their direction...must have Bad Bird Karma, I guess! ;p

My contemplation has involved sparrows, traditionally cared for in Matthew 6:26-34 and eagles, traditionally symbolic of Christian strength in the Jesus Junk Section of Christian Bookstores from Isaiah 40:31. Maybe we should start giving better press to the sparrows who hang around in the winter climate and get cared for by their Heavenly Father under all the difficult circumstances of bird life and start making posters with the little guys on the snow to symbolize how periods of our lives go. Just a thought.
Got daffodils poking up through the snow?

2:48, #352: Very Merry un-Death Day!!

Back on February 3, 1958 my Dad did exactly what I mentioned in my handwritten Journal #2 on 12/31/82 that I'm typing into my computer...here's the quote: "To live in this world to serve You is great privilege, joy, and honor, and to step through death's curtain into unity with You is even more incredibly promising and joyful than anything which is understandable in this life!"

Back in 1924 on this date, President Woodrow Wilson also "stepped through death's curtain" in God's Providence in his life as a solid Christian. The whole idea of the fragility of life is on my mind these days, so I thought I'd have to say something about it. If your day isn't here, have a very merry un-death day! Be prepared for it in Christ, and you can look forward to "stepping through the curtain!!"

Ahh...THERE'S NO GOD LIKE JEHOVAH, THERE'S NO GOD LIKE JEHOVAH!! Behold, He comes, riding on the cloud, shining like the sun, at the Trumpet's call, so lift your voice, it's the Year of Jubilee!!! ...And out of Zion's hill salvation comes! OOORAH, OOORAH!!!

2:47, #351: Ground Hog Dazed

I looked at my handy dandy pocket calendar today...yes, this troglodyte prefers paper to electronic...and noticed that it's Ground Hog Day. Hey...it don't matter if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or if Elfson Phil can walk on wet paint and not leave footprints...we're due for "vi" more weeks of winter weather until the Ides of March...maybe later, since I can remember snow on the lacrosse field of Muhlenberg College on the first week of April in the 1970s. Hey, I just had a thought...perhaps those Romans with bloodlust made a Julius Caesar Salad due to an extended case of the Winter Blues that culminated on The Ides?!! ;p

Well, nobody on the Internet wants to give me a definite derivation of why the Furry Fat Fellows are called Ground Hogs or Whistle Pigs, so I'll just have to extemporize my own thoughts...they live in the Ground and they're as fat as Hogs...thatzzit!! They're also called Whistle Pigs in the Adirondacks for some reason. Well, back in the day when I lived in Gettysburg (no, not during the Battle of!) and owned a 12-gauge shotgun, one Furry Fat Fellow (I guess the girls would be Furry Fat Femme Fatales?) ate a sapling I had planted, so when he later waddled past my basement window, I loaded Ole Betsy (thank you, Davey Crockett), stood by the corner of the smokehouse, whistled for him...causing him to halt and stand up, and then blasted him into Kingdom come!! Not to worry, I also gave him a decent burial down by the creek on my property so he could later fertilize some of the vegetation he had formerly eaten. (There's a scene from Mel Gibson's "Hamlet" going through my brain where he talks about Polonius' death and that of mankind in general with worms, guts, and passing through.)

Speaking of in general...Audiovisualman and I watched the FABULOUS "God's and Generals" last night for the twelfth time. I remember reading about the Battle of Chancellorsville that the animals ran out of the forest as the Confederates mounted their attack against the Union flank that crumbled under their onslaught. I wonder if any of the groundhogs bothered to look for their shadows?