Managing Expectations

Managing expectations is an interesting concept, and I wonder if it means:

1. Not expecting anything at all

2. Hoping for the best while expecting the worst

3. Desire dashed with bruised feelings and a hurt heart

4. Accepting that what a person wants and what comes their way, may not be the very same thing; which leaves one disappointed and disillusioned 

5. Knowing that a wish list is probably out of sync with real time possibilities

It took me to write out 5. to get to the starting point. of where we are headed in this piece of writing. 

As a Christian, reading The Bible has always filled me with awestruck wonder. Christ is magnificent and when I read of him, how merciful, kind, and powerful he was in human form, representing his kingdom, while walking the earth, I have been filled with longing. To meet a man like Jesus, would take my breath away, and yet, they are few and far between. I met one elderly gentleman long ago, that seemed to touch heaven with his words, and the thought of him makes me teary every time I revisit the brief encounter. The only other times I have had the astounding pleasure of meeting godly men, is in the pages of books, written by the likes of Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, C. S Lewis, and of course, the Holy Spirit filled men that were divinely inspired to write scripture, apostles and disciples, like Paul, John, and one of my favourites, the half brother of Jesus in the flesh, James.  

I haven't any expectations now, when I meet other humans: I do not anticipate people loving the truth, openly and joyfully proclaiming their love for God, nor do I think them likely, to live in a manner that shouts, I am wholly dependent upon God, for all of his blessings and benevolence. I don't believe that when someone calls themselves a Christian, that they actually are Bible reading, follow in Christ's footsteps, lovers of the Almighty... real Christians are few and far between, and each one, must do the work, of reconciling self, with the Lord of glory on a daily basis, since we all fall short of said glory, more often then not. 

All this to say, that to attribute Christ like character traits to other humans, is an err in judgment at this point, because there truly are, expectations hitched to our beliefs, that can lead us down a weedy garden path, to misery and perpetual unrest. Christ is the ideal, not only because he was perfect while in human form, but because he was God incarnate while in the body, and it is virtually impossible to be created in his image, and not feel as though we are far from the archetype, and yet...

And yet... there is hope, always hope, dear one! The expression, When you know better, you do better, is such a sweet source of encouragement. Humanity is indelibly stamped with the Makers water mark, and we are capable, we are capable I say, of living like Jesus! Being like Jesus! Loving like Jesus! Men and women of God have dotted history, that lived and loved like Jesus to the point of being persecuted and having their blood shed for their faith, and this is happening still, and will of course, continue until this world is rolled up like a scroll and all stand before The Lord of glory, on judgment day. 

I know I will be found wanting. I am confident many will find themselves condemnable. I also know that God is longsuffering and merciful toward the repentant, and there isn't a soul living or dead, that will be spared his righteous judgment. 

You know yourself, dear one. You know all about your own twisted, wicked, nasty character traits and flaws. You know when you are being kind and generous, thoughtful and honest. You are capable of being a horrible person, and you are more than capable, of being loving and sweet. You choose the demonic or choose the saintly side, and it is up to you, to be honest with yourself:

Are you, or are you not, like Jesus?

If you are like him, how will any of us know this to be true?

Do you expect to be like Jesus anytime soon?

How will you ensure that your life, looks like his did, while he walked the earth?

I don't expect much anymore, when I meet a new person. I am not attached to them behaving a certain way, or believing certain things, but I will tell you this: I am delighted each time I meet a sweet and sincere human, that says what they mean, means what they say, and follows through each time they make a promise. This type of person can be counted on, and when I meet someone of this calibre, I get a glimpse of God's glory, and a little taste of heaven on earth. 

Soul brushing and embracing, enriches both parties. Expectations do not have to be managed, when we meet our others, because love closed and fills in the gaps that separate. Your others, dear one, are few and far between, and when you meet a kindred, you will know it, because your spirit will sore heavenward, and your heart will fill with gladness. 

Listen now, to the godly wisdom, of Paul the apostle to the gentiles: 

Romans 12:10-18

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulations; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 

Crooked Root

Infection had set in, and an extraction was the only solution. The dentist explained what she planned to do, to remove a molar that was compromised, with sick tissue surrounding it, causing pain. Three roots imbedded the tooth, and one root in particular, was curved - the hooked root may pose a problem, she explained, but her hope was that the tooth would come out whole, with each root, intact. 

With finessed strength, the good doc managed to draw out the tooth. That tooth did not want to leave the mouth it had known for almost eight decades, but with concerted effort, the dentist managed to coax it to leave its post; that hook though, in its twisted state, resisted, and broke off from the rest of the structure. The curve, the part that ensured remaining in place for year after chewing year, was useful for a very long time, and I cannot help but go into the metaphor that came to mind as I watched the procedure, that crooked roots are difficult to extract, and resistant to letting go, because they serve a purpose in manifold and often duplicitous ways. 

Hidden from sight, buried in gum tissue and founded in jaw bone, a crooked root is beyond detection, until x-rays reveal its nature. So too, dear one, with the twisted of heart, that present as pleasantly appealing, whilst infection has taken root in their thinking, in their heart, in their being. I find it fascinating how dangerous an infected mouth can be to a human when untreated. I summarize here what I learned from a quick internet search: bacteria that infects gums, cause gingivitis and periodontitis, and the very same bacteria also travel to blood vessels elsewhere in the body... blood vessel damage, tiny blood clots, heart attack and stroke may follow. 

Think with me, what a twisted and perverse heart that has been infected with the roots of jealousy, avarice, covetousness, deception, self-aggrandizement, selfishness, looks like to an all seeing, all knowing, benevolent God. When deeply rooted and untreated, these soul rotters, damage the entirety of the person, and show up as character flaws that infect relationships, and destroy entire families, and communities. Can God uproot these infectious bacteria, and remove them from a person and family? Yes, he can, but a person must be willing to be subject to the remedy he proposes: a person must go to the Great Physician for what may be, a rather painful extraction, that takes time and effort, in the submitting to the cure. 

Resistant hooks, persistent clinging to our own ways, deeply rooted beliefs and ways of life, can keep us stubbornly imbedded in our own badness. Perhaps a major part of you would like to be reformed, but there remains a tiny bit, that prefers your perverted, and crookedly rooted ways. God sees this, and he doesn't need to take x-rays - he gave you a conscience so that you would tell on yourself, come clean, and give way to the Sovereign hand that removes what injures, and heals what causes infection. 

Jesus, dear one, is the Cure, and he straightens what is twisted, and makes honest people of those that previously, were crooked. All we need do, is hear truth, love truth, speak and live, truth, and trust in him to heal what ails us, in a soulful and satisfying way. 

The root of bitterness, the very one that resists God's goodness, must be extracted, dear one, to save not only the body, but the soul, housed therein. It is corruption that temporarily serves in what I hinted, were manifold and duplicitous ways, but this is precisely what damages rapport, trust, and intimate sharing with those we profess to love. 

You and I both know when we are being crooked and self-serving. We also know precisely, the where and the why of what we do, even if we try to pretend that we are being thoughtful, generous, or altruistic. We know the difference between serving others and thinking of them first, over putting ourselves first in line, at life's pleasure store. It is humility and being willing to be vulnerable, that soften us from the inside out, and man alive, it is a great wonder, to see how quickly relief comes, when soul infection is treated, and crooked roots are removed. 

Ezekiel 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 

Enemies of Christ

It is insane really, to be counted as an enemy of God Almighty. It is ludicrous, truly, to turn heel and walk away from the One that made you. It is beyond the pale, meaning: a person's behaviour is completely unacceptable, improper, or outside the bounds of good judgment and morality, to present a back, when face to the ground bowing, is apropos.  

Enemies of Christ among men, include: enemies to his sovereignty, to his cause, to his people; such as will not have him to reign over him, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 719. 

Maugre is a word I picked up while reading Matthew Henry's Commentary on The Bible: here is the word used in context:

... God declares the eternal duration of the dominion and divinity of his person: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, from everlasting to everlasting, through all the ages of time, maugre all the attempts of earth and hell to undermine and overthrow it, and through all the endless ages of eternity, when time shall be no more. This distinguishes Christ's throne from all earthly thrones, which are tottering, and will at length tumble down; but the throne of Christ shall be as the days of heaven, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 718. 

Maugre means in spite of, notwithstanding. Dear one, the enemies of Christ can try with what little might they have, to spitefully shake their tiny fists at the living God, and trick themselves into believing that their efforts matter, make a difference, or will some how thwart God in all his majesty - but they are shamelessly mistaken, and this grand delusion is what keeps them obstinately ignorant, and willfully disobedient too. 

And what of you and I, dear one? Do we, as subjects of The King, actually believe we can run counter to his claims on us, and get away with our prideful self-indulgences? I know how things turn out for me, when I do not heed biblical warnings and wisdom. I know the price I have paid in the flesh, for doing as I will, and not as he commands. What about you? What price have you paid for being an enemy of God, and are you paying it still?

Maugre is in spite of. The enemies of God are spiteful toward him, and their evil ways influence and impact others, destroying lives. Quote: Christ never did any thing to make men his enemies; he has done a great deal to make them all his friends and his Father's friends, and yet he has his enemies, Matthew Henry. 

We can point fingers in multiple directions and say, Him/Her, over there, they act like enemies of God, but this is counterproductive, when what each person must needs do, is look at themselves, assess their own heart and fleshly inclinations, and ask, Where do I need cleansing, and God, please purify me, a lowly servant, subject to your will. 

Christ's throne is distinguished from all earthly thrones. All the would-be kings and queens of this world are facing their demise, date stamped with inevitable decay and death, but God is the forever and ever, Amen. 

There are enemies in the flesh, and there are enemies in the spiritual realm, and maugre their attempts, they will one day, be footstools of Christ. 

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Faith is built on a foundation God provides, and is beyond reasonable argument or controversy, meaning: anyone arguing against God is unreasonable, since proof of him is everywhere. Christ in the flesh performed signs, wonders, and miracles, and it is by his power, his authority, his might, that his disciples and apostles were enabled to do the very same. It matters not to followers of Christ, what comes their way in the form of persecution: their indestructible faith in him as their King holds them stedfast, not because the path of suffering is an easy one, and the faithful feel no physical, emotional, or spiritual pain, but rather, it is in the knowing of the Saviour as the Redeemer of souls, that forsaking him would feel like a persistent and wanton soul sickness, that can not be escaped, and is without remedy or cure. 

Look with me again to the top of this page...

Enemies of Christ, deny, ignore, disregard, his Sovereignty

Enemies of Christ, denigrate his cause, by living as heathens and haters

Enemies of Christ, mistreat, maliciously attack, and kill his people

Enemies of Christ, will not have him reign over them

Dear one, we have a simple picture painted for everyone to understand, when they find themselves confronted by an enemy of Christ. We also have a quick view, of the horns down ramming of the wicked, that dare to attempt to take out God (this is a laughable concept to indulge), or his people. The great divide is evident and obvious, and the gap between God's people, and Christ's enemies, is widening daily: perhaps you see this too? 

Your faith must not be built on stilts that are easily snapped when a gentle breeze or hard wind blows. You need not suffer the insecurity of lack of confidence in Christ, as you walk this world. You can fortify your faith daily, with daily doses of the Word of God, where he is revealed, and undeniably so. We cannot know God without knowing his Son first, and it is off to The Bible we must go, to learn of the Sovereign, that rules and reigns in the hearts of his heirs, and in the running of the entire world, on which we depend currently, for our aliveness. 

Be not an enemy of God, dear one. See him for who he is, and you will start to see, what he has done for you, that no other, can or has done before. The Author of life will one day demand what so many were unwilling to give: he will have them bow down, and it is perilous to wait until judgment day, to do so.  

True Love Resurrects

There, in the middle of the pot, sat a clump of tiny bulbs, sprouting white tips of newness. Beneath the surface, life was resurrecting, and to me, a miracle that had previously been hidden out of sight, was taking place.

I am an ignorant suburban, city dweller. I was never taught the ways of the earth, and if I was, perhaps in grade and high school, it meant nothing to me, because food wasn't something my family grew in the garden, food was something served up to me on a plate, that I didn't have to think about, or contribute to in any way. Plate, knife, fork, food in mouth - what a sad state of affairs, when I think about it now. 

I am a budding human being, learning to grow. I am an accidental gardener, schooled as I go. Some people grasp concepts by reading about a subject, I understand experientially, and as I stated a sentence ago, accidentally. Those lily bulbs sprouting threw me for a happy loop, when I discovered them protruding, and readying themselves for their next gorgeous, winter display of purple splendour.

The bulbs were dormant for a time, and I know I risk sounding like a citiot (this word is a combination of city and idiot: put the two together and you get what country folk, call citiots - people that haven't a clue about nature) when I type this way, but hear me out, dear one. Lately, I feel like I am autumn dormant; lately, I feel as though the quiet of nature outside my kitchen sliding doors, wants me to comprehend, that when the cold infiltrates the house, it doesn't mean all growing stops, it means I get to embrace a different pace with less urgency: in other words, dominant doesn't mean dead. 

It is a strange thing that with the fall, we feel more sleepy, and lazy like the dying bees that land listlessly, losing their flight strength, and children are made to get up early without the presence of the sun, to go off to school and sit still, or listen attentively, for hours on end. September is a time of cooling, and our bodies respond in kind, but we go against nature in so many ways, that we feel utterly guilty for not being "productive" continually. 

What about being fallow? Here is the biblical meaning of the word fallow:

Fallow refers to unplowed, uncultivated, or idle land that has become hard and overgrown, yet holds the potential for a rich harvest once it is broken up and prepared. 

The formula can look like this:

1 Rest

2 Break up dry ground that can become hard and packed tightly with weeds

3 Prepare the earth by ploughing

The Bible talks about having childlike faith, and as an adult, I feel as though all that I am learning, is delightfully happening via discovery of the natural world. No one could have prepared me for the ugly truth, that iridescent, stunningly beautiful Japanese beetles, were the life force sucking enemy, for a variety of my precious trees, plants, and garden flowers. Ahhh, the Devil in disguise, showing up as a creature of de-light, makes sense to me in so many ways! I drown hundreds of those beetles this year, seeing them as a detestable, useless nuisance. and annoyance. Die buggy die, is something an old friend said once, when she killed a creepy crawler with a shoe slam, on a hotel wall in Mexico... but I digress. 

All of the above, is to say this: true love, always resurrects. The calla lily that was given to me by my childhood best friend at Valentine's last year, went limp and lifeless, and I thought I had somehow killed it with my ignorance. The pot I had replanted it in remained as I had left it, outside, without water, without care. When I decided to plant something new in the very same pot, imagine my surprise to see the sprouting. It makes me weepy to write the metaphor, that while my friendship with my childhood bestie had remained dormant for over a decade, it was resurrected a couple of years ago - it hadn't died, it was just sleeping. 

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14).  

Awake, thou that sleepest

Arise from the dead

Christ shall give thee light

Dormant isn't dead... sleepy isn't half gone... love, dear one, always resurrects, with the newness of life everlasting.

May the light that is Christ, awaken your sleepy soul. 

Too Healthy for Onion Rings

The onion rings got me. I bit, I chewed, I swallowed, and I felt the oil slick at the back of my throat, sliding its way into my stomach, where it decided to make me nauseous the next day. It only took one onion ring to have that grossed out greasy feeling, but just to make sure I should never eat them again, I ate another offender to confirm my suspicions, that it was a sickening culprit. Yes indeed, that second deep fried onion ring coated in batter and fried in canola oil (I just looked up what kind of oil Harvey's uses to fry - no wonder my stomach started a revolt!), was just as naughty as its previously consumed circular friend, and the tandem pair of trouble makers helped me understand, that I am just too healthy to eat fried pretend foods - my tastebuds, the back of my throat, my stomach, my sensibilities for goodness sakes, are refined at this point, and it is sheer stupidity to force the issue with franken-foods, that act like invested promoters for antacids. 

Oversized meals make for oversized children and adults, and fast food is oversized everything; too much of this, and all too much of that ... it isn't food you are buying when you saunter into a fast food joint to make a purchase, or hand over cash through your drivers window in exchange for a suspicious looking bag... you are spending on slop no where near good enough for you, and you may resemble what you eat, if you have been eating fast food consistently, for any length of time. 

Lean fit bodies are no accident. Form follows function, meaning what you do to and with your body, affects how you look and feel in it. You know you are reading truth right now, and perhaps you have been considering taking your health into your own hands, and reigning in some of your not so helpful activities and indulgences. 

When once in a while becomes frequent and then a habit, good, and alternatively  bad, things happen: 

When once in a while workouts become three days a week scheduled events, you will change your body composition and mind set over time.

When once in a while trips through the drive through become three days a week events, you will change your body composition and mind set over time. 

Frequency increases the likelihood of a behaviour becoming habitual, and dear one, the evidence of clean eating and active living, is undeniable; then again, the evidence accumulates rapidly as body fat and sluggishness, with extra calories and inactivity. You may think me cruel speaking this way, judgmental even, as a fit person, but I tell you this, I have had to work really hard to change my eating and exercise habits, and I tell you this too, that it is easier to open a bag of chips and mindlessly munch through the lot, or devour a chocolate bar, then it is to plan, prepare, and cook meals, that my body craves and appreciates. The chips and the chocolate taste great, but make me look bad... and feel worse: options are endless for wholesome foods, and you and I can happily forgo fast food for the rest of our lives, if we so choose. 

I have a client that is transforming her body with every work out and with every meal she eats. While tracking calories, this client was astounded when she realized just how many were in a Tim Horton's bagel breakfast sandwich, and ice cappuccino. Shocked, she made a decision to not purchase and eat so many calories in one sitting. If you consume fast food, and have yet to look at how many calories are in some of your favourite and frequently eaten items, perhaps now is the time to start doing some math, and figuring out just how many pounds your calories will add up to by the end of 2026. 

Let us do a little math together, shall we?

One pound equals 3500 calories.

A breakfast bagel with bacon, egg, and cheese = 450 calories

A medium ice cappuccino = 330-360 calories

That's 780-810, just for breakfast; and if you are like most people, you have three meals a day. An average female that is moderately active does not need more than 1600 calories daily, and it is really easy to overeat, especially when calories are not counted, and especially when drive throughs are used as a quick way to get a meal prepared for you. 

Most people that hire a personal trainer mean business: they want results, with proof that their hard work, their sweaty efforts, are paying off. My client got a scale that measures BMI, and as she continues to train and count her calories while staying within her weight loss range, she is enjoying the progress she is making, and the charts that measure her muscle gain, and fat losses, are very satisfying for both of us to review. O, and she is steadily losing weight, and her clothes aren't hugging her body the way they did not that long ago - how exciting!

You can do this too dear one! You can take your health seriously, and start the process of transforming, one meal, one workout, one app entry at a time. You can choose to change for your own good, and wouldn't it be fun to see the fast food restaurants replaced with health food stores that compete with one another to entice customers to eat their wholesome, earthy, health enriching produce and products? 

We have a vast variety of fast food restaurants for a reason: they are making money in exchange for consumers health, wealth, and well-being - the cost is exorbitant for eaters, and big business owners know that if they can get people hooked on their pretender foods, they may have an over-consuming cash cow customer for life. 

When once in a while becomes frequent and then a habit, good, and alternatively  bad, things happen. Choose the good, dear one. Work out, count calories, choose real food that fuels your body, and in no time, you will feel fantastic, and confident in your abilities to do yourself a good turn, by taking control, and getting healthy. 

You can, do this. 

Challenge:

1. Weigh yourself. Using a scale increases accountability and is an honesty check - you can accuse your scale of lying to you, but the darned things are only capable of truth telling. Record your weight using a tracking application. I recommend MyNetDiary - the free version is fantastic, and for detail fanatics, I am confident the premium version will satisfy their cravings for trackable stats. 

2. For one week, eat food that you have prepared. Buy fresh produce, meat that does not have additives or preservatives, and other items with short ingredient lists, that haven't been tampered with, and look like they did when they were growing into their edible state. 

3. Refrain from purchasing packaged "snack" foods, like chips, chocolate, cookies, candy, ice cream etc. We are talking one week - you can live without these items for one week, isn't that right? O... and forgo pop and alcohol - they do nothing for you but rather, impede progress. 

4. Do the math. Count calories eaten and calories burned by tracking them. Check in on yourself and see how you are feeling and what changes you are noticing with your tastebuds, your satiate, your energy levels, and moods too. The shifts may be subtle at first, but by the end of the week, it is possible that you will notice great and measurable changes, that let you know that your efforts are worth while. 

5. Do the other math: you will spend less money when grocery shopping, and when you are out and about during the day. Put aside the money you normally would spend on fast food, or drinks made at a restaurant, and see the dollars piling up. You can save for a tropical vacation, and some gorgeous swim wear that you feel great in, with all the cash you are saving yourself! 

6. Consider hiring a personal trainer that is an expert with weight training, and understands how to navigate your current and perhaps de-conditioned physical state: an expert trainer will establish a progression plan, as you become stronger, and more co-ordinated. Three months worth of training is bench mark, with  changes being noticeably obvious - just image the six month, the nine month, the twelve month benchmark moments, dear one!

One meal, one workout at a time. 

You can, do this. 

Post Script: If you are considering hiring a trainer, look for one that actually looks like they lift weights. The best trainers live a fitness philosophy, and model a lifestyle conducive to good health. 

Sidewalk Statues

He caught my eye with his stock-still frozen in time, locked into place, positioning. I took my eyes off of the road several times, to look at the man, all the while, willing him to move, hoping against hope to see an arm lower, his head swivel, or perhaps, witness a foot taking a step forward. I left him behind last night, but this morning, I think of him with deep sorrow, a man relieved of living, publicly beyond reach and help, because whatever he injected or inhaled, made him a prisoner in his own body. 

Hate, hate has humans wanting to maim and kill and murder alive. Xylazine - from what I have read - is a powerful veterinary sedative that is often mixed with opiates: men and women can be seen dotting sidewalks after taking these, or similar chemical combinations, in what is referred to as a fentanyl fold, hovering in space while somehow existing, without twitching or showing signs of life. When the alive but dying death grip is released as the drugs wear off, these broken souls re-animate with one goal in mind: they want to relieve themselves of actually living, and over and over again, they misuse their bodies via a drug induced coma of sorts, so that they do not have to think, feel, or suffer their physical existence. 

Seeing a human statue, or many of them, littering the streets with the visible demeaning of their natural state, is disconcerting, and devastatingly sad. A demonic grip on the soul has these lost ones temporarily frozen in time for bouts of nothingness, and nowhere to be found emptiness - shells of themselves, they see not, hear not, know not, and are susceptible to the elements, while making everyone around them extremely alarmed and uncomfortable.

Hate is the fuel that spills from drug dealers: it just so happens that the government of Canada sponsors with taxpayer money, the killing of the living dead, Avarice coupled with malicious intent, turns humans into monsters, and monsters devour prey minus conscience. 

The drug induced stock still statues play a massive role in their own demise, and they care not the burden they put on citizens that soulfully suffer on their behalf, or pay for them at the hospital til: but they had help along the way, each time they had easy access to the substances that numbs and dumbs them out of actually living. The druggies are walking talking evidence of things gone horribly wrong in society, and when the streets become dangerous with homeless people wandering in and out of moving traffic, hoping to get a handout for their next fix, we are headed in a direction that does not bode well for future generations. The median beggars, with their cardboard signs asking for help, get money from passers-by, and this is a form of aiding and abetting a criminal act against the soul of the beggar that wants to yet again, fry his brain with ingestible's that ought never to enter in. 

I think of the man, frozen for a time, in time and space, on a busy downtown street, and I cannot help but weep anew. There is a God crafted soul in that body of his, and I wonder, will he ever know how precious he is to the one that made him? Will he ever be set free from the demons that have him locked in a sick holding pattern of dying while never really living? Will he die this day, because his heart could not take one more dose of poison? Will this be the day that he leaves the earth to go into permanent torment, without one more chance to be redeemed by the Saviour? 

What help can there be for these poor beggars, dear one, except from God? 

God saves. God is merciful and kind. We are required, it is our duty, to pray, and pray often, for the salvation of souls. I don't know who the man was that I saw last night, but I do know he was created in the image of God, and that somewhere along the way, he swapped out his purpose for nothingness: God can redeem him, and rescue him from the dark dungeon in which he currently resides, and it is my job to think of him as a lost lamb, and to pray for his return to the fold. 

Luke15:3-7

And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing, And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

NOTE: The fentanyl fold is telltale. I am not at all well versed in the drug ingesting world, all I know is that people are on substances that demean and dehumanize them, and they need prayer. 

Resisting the Truth - Full Circle

Those who resist the truth are guilty of folly, yea, of egregious folly; for magna est veritas, et praevalebit - Great is the truth, and shall prevail. Though the spirit of error may be let loose for a time, God has it in a chain. Satan can deceive the nations and the churches no further and no longer than God will permit him: Their folly shall be manifest, it shall appear that they are imposters, and every man shall abandon them, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 680. 

The paragraph above was plucked from Matthew Henry's commentary on a letter sent to Timothy from Paul, instructing him regarding how to live and preach the gospel, and what to look for in men that attempt to corrupt the minds of others, to draw them away from Christ and the truth. There are amongst us, resisters of the truth, and spotting them is getting easier and easier, isn't it, dear one?

Satan is an imposter and runs a school of sorts for deceivers. Satan can, and does, deceive the nations and the churches, but only for so long, and only to a certain point - Satan is, on a chain - think canine in a backyard, with a dog collar around his neck, linked to an invisible fence boarder that shocks when the boundary is crossed - Satan can only go so far, before God yanks the chain hard and eventually nullifies the evil one, for all eternity. Before we go off on a tangent blaming the Devil for wreaking havoc as a solo act, note that it is his spirit of deception, his desire to stir up chaos, that is welcomed into humans that not only resist the truth, but diligently practice the art of trickery. Satan is a spirit and to do his dastardly best, he requires humans in the flesh, to perform the duties he assigns them, thus the deception we see in the nations, and in the churches too. 

I feel the fullness of the circle, the closing of the gap happening, with the two ends meeting up. What was globally experienced during the cv assault, was utter depravity coming to fruition - people had denied the truth, denied God's word, long before they were tested and tried, long before 2020, when they were instructed to don pretend self-preservation masks, long before they fell for the social distancing nonsense, long before they were wreck-less enough to not only get injected, but go out of their way, by standing in lines, or waiting their turn, to have strangers insert sharp and pointy objects into their arms, to shoot in manmade toxins meant to harm. 

Explain to me, dear one, how this happened, en masse, globally?

My explanation, is the vapid, vain, unreasonableness of non-thinkers. I type this and I know how harsh it sounds, but this, dear one, is exactly how propaganda works. People purport or pretend to be professionals, and authorities, and other people decide, Well I just don't have to research or think about this issue, since the experts, scientists, and doctors, have done this for me... The Bible makes it very clear that we are to use our judgment in decision making; it is also clear that there are many deceivers, and that we are to use our discernment for self and soul preservation. The Bible describes deceivers, their tactics, their slick and slimy antics and activities in detail, and it truly is foolish to ignore the book of wisdom - it is folly, egregious folly, to resist the truth. 

The full circle feeling I have comes from witnessing the loudness of the truth that is prevailing on social media. The monsters that manipulated the masses are mercilessly mocked and muted, by those that saw the truth, heard the truth, and spoke the truth, even when it was dangerous socially and economically, to do so. It isn't only the truth tellers that are being heard, the liars are turning viciously on one another too - there is no safety, when you are numbered amongst a pack of thieves, liars, cheats, and murders; the wicked can count on their colluders to ditch them as soon as the heat is turned up on their own burner. 

I sometimes try to resist the low lying fruit of Trump's idiocy, but I have to use him as the perfect example, of a wicked man, that resists the truth, and is now seen as the clown he always was. I lost friendships when I spoke what I saw about Trump, and I admit, I have some satisfaction in being RIGHT about him. Let us clear up a tightly held misconception about rightness and wrongness here and now: there do exist in reality, a right and a wrong, because we do have, truth and lies. I am more than comfortable saying when I have been wrong, and when I am right. I was right about Trump, and it would please me immensely to get a couple apologies from people that denigrated me for being bold in my pronouncements about him, and that fiercely protected this reprobate man. 

Full circle... we are seeing full circle, and I pray that everyone that was covid coaxed into believing lies, now is willing, with God's strength, to embrace and live, for the truth, which will, set them free. God always forgives the contrite in heart, and God willing, you will resolve with him, what needs to be resolved, for the everlasting benefit and blessings, of your soul.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Believe this, seek his face, and you will have the peace of Christ wash over you, dear one.