The Past As Prosecutor

When the thought, the past as prosecutor, came to mind, I laughed a little, and then cringed a little, as I looked here and there to see if anyone bore witness to my discomfort: Who heard that, and can they see what I did way back when without me verbalizing? 

I told a client recently that shame is a good sign that points us in the direction of reflecting on missteps and choices we made that we now regret. When I visit my past it is to pick-up and examine peculiar objects that I now object to, as though what I said, what I did, were things of disdain ... and many of them are, dear reader! 

What if sins as a collective collegian cohort. whose main purpose is to pull us down, suddenly turn traitor on themselves, throw on a halo, and begin to prosecute as though they were the "good" guys. This, in a nutshell, is what happens when someone like say, you, or someone say, like me, recognizes that all those sins, first conceived and then committed, start screaming from the prosecutors side of the court room, Guilty! the evidence will prove that you are guilty as sin! 

Christians know the moment they compare themselves to Christ, how very fallen they are. To dare to compare is sinful, and is something Jesus would not trifle with:

... who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11)

Imagine being without sin! impossible isn't it? You and I know in our quiet alone moments that we have done things we have a hard time thinking about now because just the thought, makes us uncomfortable and prone to blushing. Brushing off thoughts doesn't always keep them at bay, in fact, they seem to pop up when we least expect them, or want them around. Which brings me to my point. We all have moments in time that seem frozen in our memories. They are there for a reason; if we allow them to enter into our consciousness for a bout of objective observation, they can teach us a lesson or two about ourselves and others:

1. We are wilful

2. We can stop ourselves from doing what we ought not do

3. We can do what we know will cause ourselves and others harm and grief

4. We feel regret and remorse when we do wrongly

5. We can ignore painful thought and action consequences

6. We can pay attention to thought and action consequences

7. We can repeat our stupidity

8. We can learn from our stupidity and resolve to never repeat what causes strife, mental anguish, emotional upheaval, relationship rupture, and shame in front of the One that knows and sees all

We get to choose, for goodness, or for badness, sake! That prosecutor called the past does not have to taint and tell me, or you, what our future will look like. We don't have to play into the trap of, Oh well, this is how I am and I can't change. Yes, you can change, in fact with or without your approval, you are physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, changing every single day. It is how the changes are showing up that let everyone else know what is going on inside of you. What is in the heart comes out of the mouth. What is in the mind shows up symptomatically in the body. You are one unit: your spirit animates your physical being, and your beliefs dictate the directions they want you to take. Sounds so simple to me, and hopefully to you too, when it is put into these terms. 

Now, perhaps it is time for you to examine your conscience, so that it can air the longstanding complaints it has against you. That sentence made me laugh ... picture your conscience as your therapist, sitting with pad of paper on their lap, pen poised to take notes for your review upon departure. How much fun this little honesty session will be for you, dear reader (stated tongue in cheek). 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)

The purpose of the exercise is not to stew in the sorrow and sourness of a past that cannot be changed. The purpose of this exercise in self-examination is to be made free! Doesn't that sound inviting, dear one? 

1. Look to the past

2. Pick-up and examine your sins

3. Feel the sting of remorse and regret

4. Confess your sins to someone you trust after speaking them on your knees to God

5. Feel the freedom of forgiveness washing over your soul, cleansing and clearing your spirit of unrighteousness

6. Feel too, the chains drop from your hands, from your feet: you are no longer tethered and trapped; you are free because of your humbling of self before your Maker

7. Walk with the Lord, and sin no more, so that your future is bright and is not filled with regrets that hurt and harm

1 John 4:17

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world

Hebrews 10;26-27 

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 

NOTE: OJ was guilty as sin and everyone, including his defence lawyers, to their shame, knew it. No one can hide from God, and OJ found this out not that long ago. Judgment day is real, and we will really, truly, meet our Maker, each one of us, one day soon. Let us not make a fiasco of the one life God has graciously granted. 

Covid Craze

Mind your language. Did you ever heard this expression coming from someone that found your foul mouth to be offensive? This was something a parent, teacher, or person of authority, might say after hearing expletives ushered from a youth or underling, turning the air blue with profanity. 

Minding language is vitally important, because language colours our thinking and eventually, our doing is impacted. It occurred to me the other day how influential the repeated refrains, shelter in place, and misinformation, have been. Someone made up the phrase shelter in place to induce a fear response; someone else added the prefix mis, to information, to suggest we are ill informed by anyone that has an alternative explanation to the propaganda perpetually pushed. The Devil does this kind of thing through his ministers of mischief. When we buy into messy messaging, we buy into the emotions they are meant to evoke. 

One outstanding outcome of the covid craze was the sudden sorting that occurred. Christ followers did what Christ followers will always do, no matter the circumstances. Real Christians did not do as they were commanded by ministers of mischief; real Christians carried on with the work God gave them, kept their businesses open, churches open, and feared not the reprisal of men when they went out into the world to buy and sell, and share the hope of the gospel. You need only read the book of Acts to see for yourself, that the apostles spoke Christ, and Christ crucified and risen as fulfillment of prophesy, despite threats of violence, and actual violence, committed against them. Conversely, this is not so for hundreds of thousands of people that prior to the covid craze, called themselves Christians: they did as they were bidden to do by the media mafia, sheltering in place - meaning home, until the okay flag was waved as a You are safe to come out now, cue - and being vigilant not to heed the warnings of those that spread misinformation (not a real word) that went against the grain of the propagandists.

I learned quickly from experience with the many people that moved in and out of my life, who was filled with fear, and who weakly caved into the covid craze, because it was the popular thing to do. Gee whiz, it was the popular thing to do, dear reader ... people perceived as authorities acted as bullies broadcasting bad news, and they relied on peer pressure to engage their prey in the behaviours they wanted to observe. In simpler terms, this means the school yard recess bully strong armed the weaker kids that didn't want to get punched out, to harass and harangue everyone out on the field to do his bidding. Have you ever been bullied, dear reader? I have, and one day I screamed, LEAVE ME ALONE ... hahahah, the bully was utterly shocked and shut down, everyone heard, and the bullying stopped ... imagine that?

Matthew 16:23

But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan! Thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 

Jesus had to rebuke Peter because Peter did not like what Jesus had to say. Jesus turned on his disciple and spoke to the devil in Peter, Satan, that dared to challenge the living God/Man. Peter's words were offensive unto the Lord, because Peter savoured the things of men over the things of God. This is precisely what happened during the covid craze. Many a professing Christian spoke and acted as though they belonged to Satan rather than to Jesus. 

We are tempted, we are tried, and we are found wanting and yet, and yet dear one, we are redeemable when we recognize that we did not trust in God's Word but rather, in our own understanding, and when we repent and live as God commands. The covid craze is something that happened to all of us; the survivors are here still and given time to think, to assess, to acknowledge where and when they went missing or rogue, wandering away from the shelter of the sanctuary of God, into the supposed safe place of sheltering in their abode. This is not our eternal home, and must not be seen as such. We must remember that getting to heaven is our purpose, and that we must hold as suspicious, anyone and anything, that suggests otherwise. Clinging to this life will ensure destruction of the soul in the next: clinging to Christ as fearless followers, preaching and teaching gospel truth as we go, no matter the threat to our physical well-being, is the quintessential freedom for which we were placed on the earth. 

Covid is seemingly over, but are the repercussions? I think not, I know they are not. A close friend pointed out that with all the hype, it now is done, and yet, she has some ill effects from the injections that she must permanently deal with ... and what of her children, she asked me. What will happen to them if as their mother, she dies ... the thought sends me immediately into prayer and petition, pleading for mercy from the God of mercy, for souls that now hear, and are beginning to comprehend, the Truth when it is spoken in love. 

God is my sanctuary, my shelter, my sacred place to which I remove to be revitalized. The world is his creation and it delights each of us when we take notice of the care he takes in perfectly shaping and forming all that we see, taste, touch, savour. No one and no thing, can take away from the glory revealed in creation, and the Hand that crafted all majestically. 

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork

NOTE #1: If you went along with the crowd and did the popular trendy thing when covid was the craze, you can ask God for help in dissembling all the lies you believed. You can ask God to shine the light of Truth to illume your mind and filter through to your heart and soul, so that you too, can be set free from the grip and grasp of demonic forces that desire to pull you in their direction as they are dragged toward eternal damnation. God is the Author of life, and he wants none to to be lost.. Let your worst enemies, your sins, not be the reason to keep you from saving grace. God's love covers a multitude of sins, and yours can and will be forgiven through Christ, if you humble yourself before him and pray for their remission. 

NOTE #2: The shot in the forehead image I selected is apropos. The Devil first works on the mind, with our thinking, using language that manipulates and instills fear along with suggestions that, Surely you will not die. This readies us for the next insinuation, that there is a solution to the problem of possible imminent illness and death; during the covid craze, it was a shot in the arm, and then many more to follow, that would resolve the issue. 

Do notice in the image I selected, that the target in red is aimed where the brain is cradled in the skull. A sharp shooter aims to kill, and a perfect kill shot is directed straight through the forehead, shattering and scattering bone and brains all at once. Satan is a murderer and so are his ministers of mischief. Being subjected to the humiliation of having your temperature shot by a gun thermometer, and having to pass a standard set by maniacal men, is a wickedness that must never be tolerated. Satan is subtle until he no longer has to be because humans have acclimated to his wizardry, and have fallen under his spell, doing all he suggests. Obvious and in the face offences without resistance to his impositions, gives him great cause for glee. Humans need not be subjected to this type of demeaning, and can wax boldly when they speak rebuke, as they have been taught by the Saviour, Get thee behind me Satan, in the name of Jesus! 

Get thee behind me Satan: these are the words each Christian must speak when tempted to go along with the crowd that is somehow hazed and crazed. 

An Obstinate Infidelity

For it is certainly true that God never leaves any till they first leave him, Matthew Henry 

My mother used to refer to refusal to adhere to wisdom as a spirit of contradiction. Here are some examples to sample: You say Black, I say White, you say That's not funny, I say, It is hilarious. You say, White lies are reasonable, I say White lies turn 

relationship into a murky smirky black mess. You think it acceptable to mock faith, and that is when I stop laughing. 

Author: C. Austin Miles, 1868 - 1946

I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me, and He talks with me

And he tells me I am His own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

He speaks, and the sound of his voice

is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing

I'd stay in the garden with Him, 

Tho' the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; thro' the voice of woe

His voice to me is callling

And he walks with me and he talks with me

And he tells me I am his own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known 

I didn't know, dear reader, that I am a foodie. I didn't know either, that there is a gardener in me that delights in whimsy. I am perhaps a cook and baker in training, and a late blooming tender of uniquely wonderful plants. My backyard is a sight to behold, and I am understanding the parable of the wheat and the tares. I am learning that they do in fact grow side by side, but to distinguish them, one from another, takes time. They must reach for the sun in unison, growing stronger all the while, before I can determine which to leave flourishing, and which to pluck up as unwanted weed. I dare not do this with souls ... the flowers God has planted will bloom at his command, and who am I to determine which is wheat, which is tare?

Except for this ... there are those among us that have the spirit of contradiction, or as Matthew Henry calls it, an obstinate infidelity. They do not walk with Him, they do not talk with Him, but rather, they grind there teeth, shake their heads to dislodge what He says, and walk or run away, muttering and cursing His name. Those are the tares, the ones that reject relationship with Truth, that refuse joy and laughter in his presence. Theirs is a dissonant song that is out of tune with the majestic voice that woos and wins souls.

Please do, have a listen to the song, the hymn, In the Garden. It is so lovely and sweet, and if it just so happens that if you too are a late bloomer, the song will make you weep in wonder, and have you longing for a bit of tarrying time with the Lord of creation in the garden of your soul. 

Little Boys & Grown Men

I know four little boys and in the summer time, they swim once a week in my pool. Three of the four are now deep divers. The shallow end of the pool holds little to no interest for them. Once a person dives deeply, it is nearly impossible to suffer the shallows, the easy entry points. These young ones dive and jump and pencil straight drop into the deep, over and over again. They throw in rocks and bring them to the surface, and sometimes their lungs hurt from breath holding and from their intense efforts. They do not think about how many times they throw, dive, retrieve, surface, they just do what they do best, and have learned they can manage; repetition has given them the strength to endure and has taught them to almost endlessly continue. Hunger interrupts them, otherwise there would be no end to their diving endeavours. The pool is their watery life training ground. I have never met children like these; they are a rarity, because their parents are a rarity. These children are being trained up in the ways of the Lord, and the world is their playground. Fear, is not a factor, for overcomer's like these.  

The eldest of the four made a sign years ago: it reads, Jesus loves you. He stood on the grass outside his home and held the sign up for passersby to read. He loves Jesus, and wants everyone to know what he knows. White board, markers, message, a sign of faith extended to the lost, those that may not know yet about a Saviour, The Saviour. Is this bravery? Is this young one acting boldly? I tell you no, he is not. At the early age of nine, and he is now eleven, this little darling became a messenger. He doesn't know quite yet, that people like him are targets to be persecuted by an unbelieving bewitched world that hates Jesus. He has yet to learn, what being as gentle as a dove and wise as a serpent means. He has been taught about sin, repentance, forgiveness, and that Jesus died on a cross for the sins of the world, including his. Thus far, he has been shielded from the voracious viciousness of wicked men. I pray he remains unaware for a very long time, and that God will give him and his brothers strength to face the heart ache of loss and betrayal, when they realize what vileness is in mankind. 

Now let us address together, dear reader, the weak and cowardly grown men that know Jesus died a bloody brutal death at the hands of corrupt criminals that hated the Christ, men that call themselves pastors, supposed men that soften the blow by refraining from speaking veraciously, about the Living Sacrifice, The Lamb of God, the Only Begotten Son, that takes away the sins of the world. What are we to make of these hirelings, that want bums in seats rather than noses in scripture? What are we to make of pretenders that take Jesus out of the gospel, to patronize the people that they think will run the other way when the Truth is spoken, and actually heard? 

I call them pathetic prophets of doom. I say they are unsavoury saps, imposters and degenerates that wake up as dead things that do not know how to speak Truth because they do not have the Truth within. They don't have the Holy Ghost animating them and moving them toward heaven, so that those that follow their lead, can travel the unseen highway to heaven too. For shame, calling yourself a pastor and leaving the Bible out of pulpit or off the stage, where pleasant performance as a weekly gig, matters more than submitting to the will of God. 

I can attest to the fact that those that hate their own waywardness, long to hear the Truth, and long to have someone speak it plainly. The pastors and ministers, priests and reverends that do not plainly profess Christ as Redeemer, the only begotten Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontils Pilate, crucified, died and was buried, was raised on the third day, for the sins of the world, are not men of God. They steal from listeners, staying superficial, skimming the surface, refusing to dive deeply and take people with them, so that they can feel breathless and like they are drowning in a sea of their own deadly sin. 

It is when we recognize the weight of our own sin, that bore down on the perfect Man/God, that we can no longer swim mindlessly in the shallow end. Deep calls to deep, and wading in isn't an option when the magnificence of God's mercy hits the heart hard, breaking up the stone, so that we are free to give our all to him, because he gave his all for us. 

Psalm 42:7

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me

We have very little time to waste now dear reader. Souls are cut, bruised, battered, and wandering in the dessert. People do not know God, and yet they need him for their very next breath. It behooves us to love the people we know to the cross of Christ to see him hanging there as the sole sufferer for the cumulative sins of the world. It is our responsibility, if we call ourselves Christians, to pray and plead for the lost, to know Jesus as Saviour, and to repent and ask for remission for their sins. 

Death and hell or the gapping holes we humans have dug for ourselves, and what people don't want to hear, is that they are heading in that direction without Jesus as their soul Saviour. Given the choice, I will always choose the purity of my little squirrels, the little boys that profess love for the Lord, and display their love without any signs or hints of self-consciousness, over men that feign love for God that put words in Jesus' mouth that do not belong there. Praise be to God for the little children filled with faith. 

But Jesus said, Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14)

My New Cologne: Stench

It's great being me. If only everyone knew how great being me is: they would want to be me, but too bad, it is really too bad, because being great isn't for everyone. People can be great, it is true, but not everyone is. There are some people that are and we know them. They are excellent, make a lot of good decisions and they have made a lot of money. They are successful, they are very rich, and I am friends with them because they can be great people to know. 

I made a cologne, I swear buy it. Buy it now, for only $249.00. Buy it for a friend, or a family member, your co-worker. Buy it for yourself of course. It is my signature scent, and I call it Stench. If you want to be like me, smell like me, be great like me, you can buy Stench and wear it to be successful. I stink of success, I can't help it. I reek of riches. Rich people have a certain way, a certain scent. Why try too hard, just buy Stench and you can smell like me, and it will be great for you, even if you aren't me, it will be very very great for you.

I have other products that you can buy. I highly recommend all my products because they have made me very, very, very rich. I am so rich that my name trump's other names. My name is great, and on buildings that tower high, high in the sky. Looking up to me is good for you, very very good for you. Not everyone is as successful as I am. That's okay, you know, have you heard of my daughter Ivanka?  She is very smart, very very smart, and she has some designer clothes that women can buy to feel better about themselves. My children are smart and successful. 

Buy Stench, you will smell great, and feel great. It's great, just great, to be stinking rich! 

Synthetic Hyaluronic Acid

WARNING: READER BEWARE

This blog has been taken over by an unknown alien advertiser. Upon reading this ad in its entirety, you may feel the urge to enlarge the lips attached to your face.

Russian doll lips. Pucker up kissers. Larger than life say Hello smackers. You too, can have enhanced features. We have a solution to your unpleasant hard to look at problem. Answer these questions to see if you qualify as a candidate:  

• Are your lips too small for your taste buds? 
• Are you displeased with your appearance?
• Are your eyes drawn to your lips when you look in the mirror, causing you extreme displeasure and concurrent mood altering pouting? 
• Are you willing to do what it takes to change how you look?
• What about needles? are you okay with sharp objections aimed at your face? 

There is something you can do about those lips of yours that will make you feel beautiful. Hyaluronic acid is a compound the body produces naturally to maintain moisture. something that helps you and I look filled in, in a youthful kind of way. We can filler up, to give you that adorable baby face fullness you long to achieve. Old, as you know, is ugly, and old people die, so let's not go there any time soon. Let's make sure you look good and hold on tightly to what you have, and if what you have isn't what you want, we have the answer to your aging problem. 

Hyaluronic acid can be simulated, and we have mastered the magic of synthetically manufacturing hyaluronic acid (HA), to compensate for you drying out like an old prune. We simply inject HA into your currently teeny tiny almost non-existent and sad looking lips, to plump and perfect, giving you that sexually appealing pouty puss. 

Listen, about the needles. You can close your eyes and imagine the results as you relax in luxury in our well appointed zenny spa atmosphere. In no time, you will be out in the sun - we do recommend sunscreen and have it available in our gift shop; you can buy some and apply before leaving - puckered up without any effort on your part. Those new and improved lips of yours will lead the way, get you noticed, and have you wanting more. Remember: bigger is better; new and improved is progress; you do you; perfection is possible and lastly; the fountain of youth is real, and you have just discovered it!

NOTE: We do make every effort to get to know our clients. We are concerned regarding your state of mind, your mental health as it were. We want to ensure you are sound before we do any life and face altering tweakments. This said, we will ask you some questions regarding your Why. Don't worry, we won't be too intrusive: we know how valuable your privacy is, and we wouldn't want to alienate you, or have you feel overly exposed in any way. 

By the way, we have done these tweakments on ourselves, and the entire staff have had a little something done here, and there. You can't even tell, most of the time, but if you want what we do to show, we can do that too! You get to decide, subtle, or super in your face! 

We look forward to booking your Make Yourself Young & Beautiful appointments. Remember: An empty syringe means you got your fill, and now you feel and look fabulous. 

Don't just sit there imagining how sexy and gorgeous you will look and feel. Call now! 

Clinical Trial Double Speak

Doctor: It doesn't look good. We have tried all that we know how to do. But ... 

Patient: But?

Doctor: Well there is a clinical trial that I recently researched. The initial findings are promising, but there are risks and no promises that this will work.

Patient: Let me get this straight. I am dying anyway, so maybe, just maybe, this thing you are looking into, may save my life?

Doctor: It may, there is a chance it will, but we can't guarantee results. You can think about it, but we need to know soon, because your condition left untreated will worsen quickly.

Patient: Okay ... thanks, I mean ahhh, okay.

I have been watching Grey's Anatomy. There was a craze regarding this show when it first aired on television, and people were obsessed about watching it. I resisted, but recently, I decided to see what all the hype was about. A fast paced, exciting, trauma drama of professionals saving lives while ruining their own, is my short and sweet synopsis. Two main characters, former lovers still in love but not together as a couple, except of course when their eyes meet and speak volumes of desire, are working as a team to cure a form of cancer that causes tumours in the brain; the big research hit and miss project is called a clinical trial, and I find it so obviously humorously unfunny, that they are injecting a virus into brain tumours to kill the tumour but not the brain. Laugh with me a little would you? A virus injected into a tumour with the expectancy that only the tumour will be affected? like the virus is going to follow doctors orders and obey to stay where it is put.   

The Bible indicates the life is in the blood. Blood flows through you and me, through all parts of our bodies, from our heads to our toes, unless of course, there is something in there that does not belong, that impedes progress throughout our beautifully designed system. A tumour, a clot, a foreign object or substance introduced ... these things are trouble makers, and cause malfunctioning. Surgeons are necessary helpers, improving life quality when a person needs assistance. Clinical trials though, dear reader, are double speak for the sick minded amongst us that use the terminology as a cover for what they really intend to do: experiment on living beings. 

Injecting a virus. Vaccines are the injecting of a virus, and man alive, they have made us all sick in one way or another, haven't they? Grey's Anatomy introduced ideas to inject them into the thinking of the every day person that suddenly falls ill and needs medical assistance. Grey's Anatomy with its hustle and bustle quick witted character actors sounding like professional medical men and woman, flawed and failing, rising up and then shining, while they withhold and then blurt their inner turmoil and personal trauma, suggests to the viewer that the frailty of life is exposed honestly and without "judgment", but dear reader, if we slow down while watching shows like this, we can see how the deep and devilish dives these episodes take, can impact the psychology of the vicarious pleasure viewers. 

That was a very long sentence/paragraph, but how could I break up the thought train? What you just read you might want to reread, for the sake of clarity. Alas, the previous paragraph is packed with layered messages, and that is exactly how TV shows like Grey's Anatomy work. They send clear and then messy messages that are hard to sort, unless of course, there is some analysis. This said, I will break down what I just stated, for you and me to easily pull out the points I aim to deliver. 

• Medical professionals inject viruses
• The viruses sicken the injected
• Television shows like Grey's Anatomy introduce ideas that train viewers to think a certain way
• Viewers that become patients are taught to trust medical professionals that contradict physical reality. Question: does it make sense to inject healthy bodies with not only viruses, but other strange non-natural items that do not belong in human flesh? 
• It is viable to be an expert in your profession while being an emotionally disturbed and wanton wreck in-between working and being off the scheduled clock
• Judging is forbidden and discouraged, conversely: finger pointing at perceived hypocrisy to shut down and shut up those that may be inclined to make moral statements, is encouraged and becomes protocol
• The devilish dives displayed in portions of the show are mixed and matched with heroic humility, as a form of counterbalancing wicked choices and behaviours
• Vicarious pleasure viewers are psychologically impacted by the sexually rabid, work hard, play harder, boundary-less atmosphere of hospital staff and their wanton patients. Anything and everything goes is the message, as long as you do your best and get your work done when there is an emergent case to face
• Lastly. The show is so action packed and emotionally charged that the viewing audience gets pulled here there and everywhere, by the comings and goings of the characters. I think it is vitally important for us to listen for undertone and for the cues that the writers are setting up as points of sale for consumers. 

Television shows aren't real life, and yet, with Grey's Anatomy, there is something to be said about the writers and their ability to capture and then impart, the inner workings of mankind. In all our majesty and malignancy, people are on display, and Grey's Anatomy does a very good job highlighting how unresolved trauma, can cause tremendous drama, in those that refuse to do their emotional and spiritual homework. 

My final note here: Take heed what enters into your thoughts. Question what message is being delivered and better yet, ask yourself: Who is underwriting what you are hearing and seeing. Grey's Anatomy is very clever. There are some convoluted God messages, a mixing and mingling of the God of The Bible, and the god of the universe, so to speak. There is only One God, and to say or suggest otherwise, is devilish. 

Galatians 1:6-12

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God: or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Let us not be perverted or poisoned by what we hear and see, dear one. 

Black Bird Brigade & Skunks

I saw, I heard. 

The black bird brigade that owns my backyard dove and pulled up. In unison, they kept a close watchful eye. They called their agitation, chirped their offences, and warned the intruder. They chattered and swooped to show their displeasure. Something, or more on point, someone, was in their territory, and they didn't like it. I looked to see what was causing the commotion and there he was: a skunk. 

Now why, I ask you, were the birds so incensed by the intrusion of a skunk in their backyard? The little waddler wove its was in and out and around the plants in the garden. Four birds took to branches in a tree overlooking the scene, and periodically chirped their irritation. I cautiously watched from behind a screen and some window panes, fascinated to see the critter while feeling slightly trepidatious at the same time; after all, this potentially odious visitor could be a stinky menace, and the last thing anyone wants when they see a skunk, is to be sprayed. 

I talk to animals. I call them Sweetie or Cutie and tell them Hello. I feed animals. When I make "milk" from almonds, I put the ground almond meal outside for my little backyard friends to nibble. Some people tell me that this is an unwise practice, and today, I am wondering, Are they correct? Should I refrain, since perhaps, skunks are now looking for a quick snack left out by moi? I wondered at myself, not saying Hello to the cute critter in his black and white every day costume. Was I afraid of him? 

The birds and their backyard. The skunk and his ability to wander wherever he likes. Ants and snails, worms and potato bugs, they all live freely, and really do not think much about the humans that invade their homes and habitats, digging up and dropping down things that do not belong. They, the creatures, don't think, and yet, they react. Those birds this morning own what I pay for in property taxes. The backyard is their domain and they are territorial for goodness sakes ... they will naturally defend and protect what belongs to them, and will do what they can to intimidate interlopers and unwanted's. I found two baby birds dropped dead on the concrete in that backyard, and I have my suspicions about who the culprits were; I point my unfeathered finger at the black birds that were eye balling the skunk this morning, as backyard guardians and protectors of what is theirs. While humans see fences as lines of demarcation, marking off where they start and stop and someone else begins and ends, the birds freely fly into any and every backyard they choose, marking and policing the land as only animals can. 

I liked that little skunk, but did not feel inclined to engage with him. The birds didn't like the skunk at all, and while they swooped near a couple of times as a form of harassment, the skunk was nonplussed, and went about his sniffing business, touring every bit of the border lined with gardens. What is my point, you ask? It is the skunk and how it was designed, not as a cuddly creature that one can make into a stripy pet to be embraced. The skunk is to be avoided and when you or I spot one, we stop dead in our tracks, and cautiously back away, or run after shrieking, while hoping the stinker isn't alerted to our presence or startled and irritated enough, to lift tail and aim in our direction. 

Dear reader ... there are some people that are odious, skunks in disguise. Birds, without being sprayed, instinctively know that skunks are somehow a threat, contain in them a hazardous waste stink, and that messing with them will make them odious too. What animals have in the form of instincts, humans have in the form of discernment, a skill that can be taught and learned, provided one is willing to pay attention to warning sounds and sights, and submit to wise instruction. Behaviour never lies, and skunks have a scent that is off putting. Since behaviour never lies, and skunks give off an odour that is off putting, I thought you and I could take a look at the tells of skunky people: 

Tells

1. They talk too much and when they listen, it is to snatch snippets of information for the sake of slander. 

You might get the feeling that you can trust them, or that they are treating you as a confident because you are special to them. Don't be fooled, they tell everyone everything, including what you have shared. Your gut warns, and you must heed, or get sprayed.  

2. They talk about other people in a critical manner, and share personal information that they have been asked to keep in confidence. 

This one piggy backs on #1. If someone is talking about other people and they appear to have more information then seems normal, know that they enjoy gossip and that you will be a topic of conversation soon enough. Make sure you do not follow suit by either joining in the criticizing, or repeating the gossip to someone else. Everyone gets a turn with this skunk, and the stink coats all participants eventually.

3. They hunt for information and ask questions to gather fodder for a gossip session and burn fest of those that trust them. 

By now you may see the layering effects of the skunky activities. They sniff around for something delicious to chew on; they add their own flavouring, misconstruing and misrepresenting, to defame anyone that has shared intimate details with them. They like nothing more, than to spread the stank when ever and where ever they can, while maintaining what looks like, a black and white innocence. 

4. When they have been caught speaking out of turn, or playing a role in lying and manipulating, they easily and quickly cover up their wrong doing with explanations of their innocency: they are smooth talkers. 

This one is tricky. If you are an honest sort of person, it is almost impossible to believe anyone can feign truth telling, while being utterly duplicitous. Facts and behaviours don't lie, and when two people get together and compare their personal notes regarding the experiences they have had with the skunk, they soon discover all the skunker's lies; once this occurs, and the skunk has caught wind of the truth about him being revealed, he will usually waddle away. He skunk may be out of sight, but let me tell you, his stench remains in the nostrils of the offended for a very long time; it is hard to de-stink once we have been sprayed. If you suspect someone is lying to you because they change their story or the details in their stories, then chances are good, you are dealing with a skunky liar. O, and if other people are treating you differently after spending time with the skunky manipulator, know that the stinker has been spreading their vile scentiments about you. 

5. They say what they think will get them closer to getting something they want: they use people to scratch an itch or fill a void or, to get a low down and dirty desire satisfied, at the expense of whomever it is they have latched onto and leeched off of. 

Skunks are needy greedy opportunists. They will ask more of you than they ought, and try to make you feel some sort of obligation to comply, when they think you are about to say no. If you feel compelled to do their bidding but would rather not, listen to your discernment - it is trying to protect you from over giving to someone that soaks others for their own benefit without a care in the world what it might cost you emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or physically. 

6. They are usurpers and peace thieves. They cause strife by undermining leaders and getting others to see the leader under the colour of disapproval, or by questioning the leaders decisions, morals, ethics, values ... they sow seeds and weeds of discord where none were previously. 

The skunk might actually admire you, and that may seem like a good thing, until you realize, they want what you have, and since they cannot have whatever it is they covet, they will do their damnedest to destroy what they admire. Taking down a strong person may make them feel powerful and brilliant, but it is a sign of a maliciousness that is deeply rooted and dangerous; dangerous for their own well-being, and dangerous for those that they want to tear apart. Talking behind someone's back and being kind to their face is quite the party trick, and people that do such things are devilishly devious. Make sure this kind of gal or guy does not have access to your backyard, front yard, or anywhere else you happen to be.   

7. They steal attention and spot light moments ... they cannot stand being outshone, or highlighting anyone else's abilities and achievements. 

The showboating skunkard gets drunk off of attention, and they adore themselves so much that they will do anything to have all eyes on them at all times. That feeling you get, the one where you feel as though you cannot flourish around them, is a warning that they will stunt your growth, clip your wings, stomp on your new beginnings, thwart your give it all efforts, throw rocks at your wheels, dirt in your eyes, and muddle your mind with their insatiable demands to be #1. This person throws shade on your shine because they cannot stand the light you emit, and they want to dull, dim, dismiss, and dash it to pieces. If you have been around someone like this, you know exactly what I speak of. Don't give them any thought or attention because that only feeds the beast in them. They are attention hogs, and this kind of skunky behaviour will not change unless of course, they get whacked hard with a humility stick. 

8. They lie. 

They tell untruths, omit facts, tell half truths, suggest things that cause doubt; state falsehoods as though they are an authority on whatever the subject happens to be ... it is kind of crazy to see this sort of skunk in action. They can be really convincing, and the more they talk, the more you ought to suspect somethings aren't making sense, or measuring up. Why do they need to convince with endless words, if what they are saying is true? 

9. They never say they are sorry.

If someone will not say they are sorry, they are a sorry excuse for a skunk. When a person will not say sorry, it is because they are not; it is that simple. 

10. They move on from one group to the next, repeating their performance, and growing their reputation as a skunk that ought to be circumvented, avoided, and prevented from making their rounds in trust circles. 

Skunks are unpopular, despite their adorable appearance. When a skunk enters an area, everyone watches almost breathlessly, while anticipating its departure. I have never heard of anyone rushing a skunk to get rid of him. We do not shoo shoo a skunk away, we wait for him to go. And this, is true of skunk like humans too: they cause such chaos, kick up such a fuss and stink, that they eventually waddle their way out of the vicinity to sniff out fresh ground, and new people to perpetrate against. If and when you inhale the pungant scent of spray, wafting your way in the air, I hope it gives you cause for pause, and time to make a quick decision to steer clear to keep the stank off you, and yours. 

I admit, this was a fun bit of writing for me: nature is an educator and the black bird brigade's behaviour when affronted by an unwelcome skunk in our mutually owned backyard, entertained me greatly. Animals have a certain something we as humans do not possess: they are candid, if I can use this word to describe them. Humans make excuses for their bad behaviour. Humans accommodate other humans that lie and kill and steal. Humans appropriate time and talent belonging to others, and some humans are very comfortable and content when they cause pain to their fellow man. It is a sorry state of affairs for humans to drop other humans dead onto the hard concrete, or for them to mislead people so that they lose their minds, their health, their employment, their homes. The black birds are territorial: humans act like tyrannical terrorists, despite their ability to reason and understand the golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).

There are skunk like humans amongst us, roaming freely, unhindered and barely challenged, if at all. Skunks are God's creatures, and they have their place in the animal kingdom ... but human skunks will not be given entrance to the Kingdom of God. They will not waddle their way in where they do not belong, and you and I do not have to keep them company.  The stench is repugnant and almost unbearable, and dear one, you get to walk away, or run, when you see a skunk heading in your direction. 

God With Out

Pride: Put "em UP

Truth: Put what up?

Pride: Your fists; put 'em up in front of your stupid face, cuz I'm about to pound you, and you can't say you weren't warned

Truth: I am not fighting with you. I don't have anything to prove

Pride: The hell you don't, the way you've been talking

Truth: Perhaps consider bringing your arms down and think, think about what I said

Pride: O no, not this again. You are judgmental, and prejudice, and think your way is the only way, but it isn't, and I am sick and tired of you trying to tell me what to do

Silence: ____________________________________________________

This is the flatline silence Truth speaks when unheard by Pride. As I typed just now, finishing what Silence had to say, a spider dropped onto the mouse area of my laptop. I squealed and laughed while swatting it away; I grin while I continue to type. When I go to sleep tonight, will the creepy crawly drop onto me once again, and will I be aware enough to swat it away?

Don't you just love when a metaphor drops right onto your lap? 

During the great oppression of covid, there was much hysteria. I am not inclined to the exaggerated emotional state labelled as hysterical; I am irritable at times, yes, but never hysterical. I stay calm in storms, and have a tendency to soothe others when fear overrides their minds, and chaotic thinking inclines them toward rash decision making. Does this mean I am not easily influenced? Absolutely not ... I am just like the next guy or gal that has been hoodwinked, only to learn further on down the pick-fence-lined-lane, that I erred in my judgment, and consequently, cast my pearls to swine. It is ever so irksome to be headstrong and resolute, only to discover that pride leads where angels fear to tread. Sin is subtle and insidious and its cohort pride, generally speaking, can be found lurking in the shadows as agitator and instigator, when we do what we ought not do, because we think we are right, when we couldn't be more wrong. 

When I see the road I took to get to my current position regarding political matters, I recognize that along the way, I really did want some of the gum flapping candidates to actually be good guys; and so, I temporarily talked some of them up, defending them when really, they were/are, all the same (I know, I know, this blanket statement may clearly indicate to a few readers that I am ill-informed about some of the guys and gals that really do love God and want to serve his people ... I challenge you to go ahead and name them, and change my mind. When there are exceptions to a rule, I suggest these people are divinely placed. This said, I will celebrate when you give me names and prove me wrong: be forewarned, that if the person neglects to speak of God and Jesus as Saviour, I hold them suspect immediately, thus making it virtually impossible for you to change my mind ... Go figure this game out in your free time). If a person does not speak righteously with justice as their platform and truth as light chasing away darkness; if a man or woman does not freely and often speak of God and scripture, I now suspect them as completely without God, and here is why: 

Acts 4:15-20

But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 

To speak of Jesus as The Way, The Truth, The Life, is impossible to resist when a person is truly his. All the globalists and commentators do not speak of him, because they do not belong to him. They are not morally and ethically inclined, because they do not have justice as their rudder and righteousness as the place they prefer to moor. 

God with out. Think with me for a moment on this idea, dear one. When God is not in a person, it is because the person wants to keep him out; they are without God, and it shows in their speech and conduct. Listen. It takes a lot of work to be consistently disobedient, to fight God at every turn; to stand tall and effectively tell him to shut-up and stop talking. He may very well stop talking to a human, not as a result of them instructing him to do so, but because he has given them over to their own destruction. Plugging our ears to what we don't want to hear, and then going about our wicked business, knowing we are committing the crime of sin, eventually turns off conscience, in favour of pride being fully voiced and embodied in all we say and do. Do you know anyone like this? a person that is so committed to damning themselves via doing all God has said not to do, that nothing said to them has them hesitating and considering consequences? I do: I know many people just like this; I also know they have to engage in various distraction tactics to keep the ear muffs and plugs in place, and that silence and quietness is their mortal enemy, because that is when their sins scream so loudly, they become painfully impossible to ignore. 

Let us return to the drop in spider from earlier in this piece of writing, shall we? 

• Is truth a creepy crawly to you dear reader? 
• Does it invade your thinking on a silken thread, only to be swatted away? 
• Is there a web of pride filled lies you have told yourself that act like a trap, that can be ignored by day, only to befuddle you as you lay in bed at night, wondering when you may feel the tickle of trouble that a spider like bite may cause when you rest? 

I always feel hopeful when people suffer with regret and remorse that leads to repentance and remission of sins through Christ as Lord of lords, King of kings.

I always feel saddened when people are prideful and protect their perversions and proclivities toward continued disobedience, that leads to declaring themselves godless. 

Look at the rulers in the scripture above that admit to a miracle that the news got hold of and spread like wildfire. They knew they were dealing with men of God, namely in this case, Peter and John, and yet, they wanted to shut them up, and threatened violence if they did not heed their command: not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 

Laughable. It is absolutely laughable to a Christian to be told to not speak of Jesus and to actually heed. We cannot, we will not, and we must not ... and dear reader, you can use this little blog as your truth litmus test for whether or not someone you know is a Christian: 

They will say they are a Christian. They will tell you what they are reading in The Bible. They will tell you who their favourite Christian authors and commentators are: and which books influenced them most and why. They will talk about God and his saving grace every chance they get. They will tell you how much of a sinner they were and may still be, because they are ashamed and grateful at the very same time for coming clean before God and man by the blood of the Redeemer. They will act like their Saviour in the most modest and wonderful ways, and you will feel good around them because dear one, they will pray for you and love you to Christ. 

God within is the Holy Ghost; and man alive, every real Christian, not those that profess him and act like the devil, but those that really know him, live to tell of him, and what they have been saved from via the cross of Christ. 

Galatians 6:14-16

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 

Herod's, Eaten By Worms

In this chapter we have the story, I. Of the martyrdom of James the apostle, and the imprisonment of Peter by Herod Agrippa, who now reigned as king in Judea (v. 1-4). II. The miraculous deliverance of Peter out of prison, by the ministry of an angel, in answer to the prayers of the church for him (v. 6-19). III. The cutting off of Herod in the height of his pride by the stroke of an angel, the minister of God's justice (v. 20-230; and this was done while Barnabas and Saul were at Jerusalem upon the errand that the church of Antioch sent them on, to carry their charity, and therefore in the close we have an account of their return to Antioch (v. 24, 25). An except taken from Matthew Henry's Commentary, Volume 6, Acts to Revelation, page 118.

James - ordered to be executed by Herod Agrippa; martyred for preaching the gospel 

Peter - imprisoned by Herod Agrippa, the very same man that murdered James; Herod was the ruling and reigning king in Judea 

Miraculous deliverance - A ministering angel delivers Peter out of prison. God has heard the prayers of the saints, of the church, and answers their pleas of mercy for Peter

Herod cut off - The stroke of an angel kills Herod at the height of his pride. A minister of God's justice does his bidding

Barnabas and Saul - Barnabas and Saul are in Judea on a mission to deliver relief to the brethren. A famine is foretold by a prophet named Agabus, and in anticipation of there being no food for the poor believers in Judea, funds have been collected and sent to ensure their survival and maintenance when tough times of lack occur. 

Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch

Dear reader, some things, never change. That was my thought early this morning. The some things I considered are these: 

1. Christians will always be persecuted and martyred/murdered for loving God and speaking of him

2. Christians will be imprisoned and miraculously ministered to, and also released, by the Authority that determines what he wants them to do next, upon their angelic deliverance

3. The prayers of the saints are a sweet savoury scent and holy sacred sound, that rise to the nostrils and ears of God

4. Prideful men that accept praise from other men as though they are God, are cut down, cut off, and dropped low in the most obvious of ways when they least expect it. God is forever just, and he meads out justice without prejudice. 

5. God's people hear his voice, heed his warnings, and share their visions and prophetic instructions with other believers for their mutual safety and benefit. Agabus warned of a coming dearth, a famine that would result in death via starvation. Provision was made for God's people, and dear reader, The Bible has many a times repeated this very theme: God's people, in life, in the afterlife following death of the body, are always provided for. The Bread of Life ensures our continuance. 

In my heart of hearts I long to live like the early Christians. Recently I read the idea that our purpose is to get to heaven. If our work is to believe in the one whom God hath sent, namely Jesus Christ as Saviour, and our purpose is to get to heaven, as stated by Charles Spurgeon, then I feel as though I have my marching orders. And yet ... in my human heart, there appears to be invisible and massive logs strewn hither and thither when I attempt to proceed forward; I slam into these chunks of wood with both shins, and fall face first over top of them, far too often. Is that how the splinters and motes get into our eyes, dear one?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye (Matthew 7:3-5)

It is Herod that has me hankering for justice. The Herod's of this world have me wanting to fight back with my female sized fists. I want to pound them in the face, knocking them off the high horses they ride while trampling the people that cannot defend themselves. There are many self-aggrandized Herod's; they are self-appointed kings, that smirk and side-eye cast disparagement on those they perceive to be beneath their consideration. They believe they have the right to choose who lives and who dies; who eats and who starves to death. They are the rulers that currently reign, but alas, I need not do the work of the Almighty: he determines what justice looks and sounds like, at his appointing and with his perfect timing. 

I am a non-violent person. The thought of punching someone in the nose or stomach does not appeal to me. One time, I held my little sister down while laughing at her. Somehow she got loose from my grip, ripped the chain from my neck, and punched me in the gut. I still laugh at the thought of it, but man alive, that hurt: better still, it shocked and surprised me. 

Here is what happens to Herod, in the Book of Acts 12:20-24 

And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sion: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 

But the word of God grew and multiplied ... 

There is a comparison we can make at this point dear one. God's people are provided for by Province. Those that belong to earthly kings as surfs and suck-ups, look to mere men for their meat. The dirge, the famine, the want, the need for filling, is either the stomach that resides within the human body, or the soul that hungers and thirsts for the manna that falls wafer light from heaven. When you are with people, do you search their eyes for signs of life; a flicker of feeling and understanding of the essence of our existence? I do ... I try to make eye contact and look for a way to ask, Do you know Him?

Herod was turned into worm meat just after receiving praise as a god, from people that filled their bellies by feigning their devotion to, and appreciation of, him as king. He was a proud man that believed he had the right to decide who got fed, and who got imprisoned and killed, based on who bowed deeply before him while denying God as Almighty. For shame: he made a massive murderous fool of himself publicly after a speech in all his pompous kingly array, and the Herod's of this world ought to heed the warning, that this too, will be their fate, soon enough. 

What hurts more, dear one, a punch to the gut, or being eaten alive by worms? I will leave you to ponder the question, and make of it what you will. 

PS: I found a halo effect picture ... how much fun is that? 

Also, it is not hypocritical to want justice. I pray for people to repent and if they will not, I pray for their removal. The logs I sometimes stumble over can be called impatience and irritation, when I witness the suffering of souls. More prayer, plus more prayer on top of that, is required; never ceasing, always beseeching, our God as Ruler that reigns forever and ever more, AMEN.