"Judge Not..."

Over time I've seen a Southsider, not a Fountainer (as they are extinct), but a 5 pointer, that I once judged as homeless, then a streetwalker (hint-hint intended), now I've no idea, & have finally stopped trying to label. Pretty slow for a Christian, eh? Once, I brought a flier she put up on the telephone pole by Bell Bottoms (near the bus stop) to Greg to read (because I thought it would amuse him. He didn't seem to find it all that funny like I did, but it was fun just to do. This was the first of it's kind I'd seen since high school. It lamented that "so called" Christians could do very thoughtless things.
Well, amen.
Not so long ago, I saw her put up another one I knew better (as a good Christian) not to take down to show anyone. This was not one I'd ever seen the like of since grade school when fliers were a new thing (in Southside). This one warned parting ladies to always have enough gas to get home as they were vulnerable to creepy guys (her words) at gas stations. As a good Christian I knew not to take it down to show anyone. As a good Christian I knew that if I took t down (even if only to show it) that would hinder it being read. Right by Bell Bottoms. Good place for it. They have female jello wrestling & male cage fights. Might want enough gas, ya know?
So, I've finally stopped trying to judge what she is or was or whatever, and am now judging Bell Bottoms. Something it never entered my mind to do until then. No, they aren't the only bar in town, they're just where her flier is located.
"...people in whose heart is My law"
--Isaiah 51:7
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"Busy,Busy..."

"Be still and Know..."
--Psalm 46:10
It's quite a busy time it seems. I've been intentionally doing almost everything I can to stay at home to heal from oral surgery while still working. It's tough. Errands I used to take for granted as not that big a deal to perform, now boom at me their necessity & laugh at how tired accomplishing them make me. I truly feel like a hypochondriac. Every temptation I used to take for granted as not that big a deal to overcome, now boom at me their necessity & laugh at how tired resisting them make me. I truly feel like Layman Damien of the Cross.
An example would be how sending out birthday cards late... would make me feel awful. It would happen every now & then. Now, I don't feel so bad about it (now, that is awful) Now, I understand why some refer to it as a ministry. It now has all the hallmarks, light though they may be in comparison to facing violent hindus in India (Mark Gobel's friend), violent muslims in Africa (the Oldeyes), & every trip to the Holy Land(s) (insert name here). I had face violent Christians as a child, but neither on either side knew enough about Christ to know how off they were to threaten in His name. No, It never came to blows. No not because they thought I was Qui Chai Cane or whatever David Carradine's name was in Kung Fu.
Oopps, a tangent!
It's quite a busy time it seems. Daylight savings, Palm this & that, St. Patty's, Purim, spring equinox (try that word at Scrabble), etc... Then there is, of course [sigh] more later...
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"A Long Gone Civilization"

"...nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies"

-- I Timothy 1:4

It dawned on me the other day that most stories about elves came from the English, inheritors of countless Scott, Irish, & Welsh (as well as obviously, their own) tales of advanced, magical peoples-- now vanished back to the magical realms from hence they came. Supposedly they left "Man" because they [elves, etc...] felt called back home due to their work there[the Brit. Isles] was completed. These elegant and graceful creatures were never to return, only they were to leave behind the influence of their impact via such things as implements of great craftsmanship, techniques for doing certain things, and the Arts. I'm sorry, but does anyone else see this as a comparison to the fall of the Roman empire? The more technologically advanced, master craftsmen & engineers-- w/ their high morals (doubt it? Just ask 'em) and regard for the Arts... loftily traipsing back to Avalon/Rome.
We may debate which came 1st, the chicken or the egg, but we know that elves tales came before the Romans. We also know that the Romans were anything but finished w/ the Celts when they had to return to defend what was left of the Eternal City. Yet, did the poet/historians borrow so heavily, that the similarities seen are merely do to that? I've rarely seen such a round robin... every time I chalk up one theme to another one I see it's connection to something older & not just in the sense that that is true of most things in general. Throw Christian prophesies and themes in, too and it's fascinating hard hard it is to get out of the mire! :)
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"When God Is: Speed"

Where were you when I...?"
Job 38:4

It was not so long ago that folks used to wish eachother "God's speed". Things today have the potential to go at speeds that impress us & though we bragg about this in comparison to olden days when things weren't able to go as fast, we are still impatient for them to go even faster. The truth is the reason things are at the speeds they are today in our modern/post-modern time period is because those that came before us were not satisfied with the rate at which things were going and invented all kinds of stuff with open ended improvement capablity. Though the current idea of "right now" may be more immeadiate than our forebear's idea, it is their impatience we've inhereted. When they wished one another God's speed it was not always for particular instences. It was, after a short while, a way of just saying goodbye. Yes, it is their impatience we now have as a legecy.
Folks no longer wish eachother God's speed. The word "cool" is much older than "groovy", but still in full swing. Is "God's speed" outdated due to how long ago it was coined? The word"cool" argues against this (though it may just be too cool to leave usage). The folloing is the most right wing conservitive Christian thing I've probably ever said:
we no longer wish one another God's speed because we're A.) increasingly Godless and B.) both the Godless & spiritual alike (see... noticed even i said "spiritual" & not "Christian etc... we're are becoming increasingly Godless) where was I? Oh, yeah-- and B.) both the Godless & spiritual alike quite simply have found God to be too slow!
You may issue me my flag lapel & parted on the side hair style, now...
Oh, wait. I already have those.
As society uses political correctness to remove more and more of things God in public, little wonder a catch phrase that has Him in it has fallen out of usage. This is why many find political correctness a less than innocent thing. As usual it is an original good thing, become corrupted.
That is A.). B.) is the doosy. It was not so long ago, that things like sudden storms, very, very often attributed to the LORD, were examples of how fast He can be (see Job). Yet, as we've become the give it to me NOW generation, nothing is ever fast enough. As for God's speed? We Christians are always wanting Him to improve us. We want to sin less, and I don't know, I guess "shine" more. Yet, God takes His time and we fidgit. Though trees are an example of nature (ie... God) being slow not fast, a better one is us.The deal is God made us and He knew what we would be like if we ever fell (which we did). Broken things resist quick-fixes. Those are for rare situations, even they of which are usualy temporary-- needing more intensive attention down the road. The LORD must be saying:
"God's speed? You can't HANDLE God's speed!"
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When God is: "Pins & Needles"

"Where were you when I...?"
--Job 38:4...

When those that have strayed from the path have the Lord back in their life, they seem invigorated and happy. I cant help but think, however, that for those that've let their souls go to sleep and were numb because of it (like when your foot went to sleep and was numb because of it) God comes flowing in feeling like pins & needles!
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"Where were you when I..."
-- Job 38: 4...

Once when lamenting like St. Paul, how our fallen nature so often doesn't want to do the Lord's will, I realised how God got his nickname "The Almighty". No, this is not about why there is only one l in it. Though, like in Job, God's responcible for great creations, what is truly a sign of His great power is that His will is still continuing to be done in the end against an entire planet of people with free will choosing most of the time to do the opposite. Now, that's power!
Buy Bonds & ...so, about that centering prayer thing w/ the kids...

"Forgivness & Altruism Prt. II"

Okay, okay, OKAY:
A.) We don't merely infer that we forgive because God 1st forgave us from Paul's epistles concerning the way we love because God 1st loved us. Paul' epistles actually say it.
B.) An important part of altruism is that it's positivity is unconditional.
C.) Love, forgiveness, etc... don't have to take place as some form of transaction, this would fly in the face of altruism's nature of being unconditional.
Why say these things with a bunch of "okays" like I'm excited about some new evidence? Because no more than a few days after I blogged about this, sun.'s meditation for the whole congregation came from the smaller class & made clear these additional/ corrective items. How cool is that?
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