#1821: Theophany of Complexity, Mire and Muck of Living

To Live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.

- Oscar Wilde

Topic: Theophany of Complexity, Mire and Muck of Living

            This writer has learned that in most books, scientific, historical, even biblical we are exposed to a truth--not the truth.  Men write their interpretation of a truth. In the "crash test" of life, like the Venus Flytrap, beyond the reach of embarrassment, choking on the life of the past, we may get swallowed up. Most of us are chained to the games of life, to our own personal ideologies of living. I have known men whose entire existence was punctuated by sports...they would drive long distances, spend much money, to watch a small white ball knocked around on expensive, green, realestate. I have known men whose life interest were in a deck of playing cards...winning and losing at the gambling table. I have known men who have lived for the winning and defeat in business prices...stock market, realestate. "Just another good season" - Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger.

            It is important to decide which side you are on. We live in a nebulous world want someone to take care of things. Those who have supported the communistic theories of a Sanders or a Clinton , "more free stuff", always believe that they just have to call 911 and some government official would take care of their problem.  When the grid is exploded, when there is no electric power anywhere, when the store shelves are empty, when there is no gas in the tank or at the service station, when there is no one at the hospital or funeral home, even the Whitehouse, who "cares about you", they are all in hiding. You will find out what life is all about.

            On the farm, as a young man, we fattened hogs on a cement-bottom pin for meat in the winter, it was such a nasty place. Hogs don't mind wallowing around in their mire and muck. They have no respect for self or one another. Their whole entire life revolves around eating, drinking and sleeping (someone doing everything for them). They were probably pleased when I went into the pen with a large shovel to clean out the muck, but they really did not care indifferent. When my father went to the pen, at hog killing time, to shoot-bleed out, one at a time to take to his scalding vat. Those with whom they spent their time did not care...just kept on eating...it was much the same way when he caught them for me to hold one by one, as he castrated them. They were just stupid animals, good only for their meat product. There was no sexual attraction between them. No concern for one another. There was no humility-integrity-morality. Hogs, cows, horses, even pets such as dogs and cats, Just the property of their owners. Reproduction came from the sex act at their season. Mother hogs, cows, dogs, even cats, did have certain care for their young for a short time after birth. Now, do you realize the nebulous world into which mankind has emerged? We have assumed the posture of the lower animals, we just want someone to take care of us...free college, free housing, free food, free healthcare, free retirement checks.

            America, and many other nations, have become parentless societies. Four out of ten children, born in America, do not know either mother or father. Among blacks, 70% do not know their father. The liberal, god-less, political animals, are astounded that so many young black men are in prison.  Face it, we have mostly "test-tube parents" and pretend to raise children in a God-less society. It is not just the aborted baby that is lost to the world.

            Old cemeteries, graveyards, have always been fascinating to me. Do you ever read the tombstones, the names and the dates? There is a new app on the Smartphone, you can aim your Smartphone at the tombstone, and your phone will come up with a biographical sketch of the person buried in that grave. In my lifetime, 85 years, the world has changed completely. The generations before me, entered in these graveyards, did not have ancestors who were drug dependent. They had the theophany of diligence. Knew some muck of sinful living, but well acquainted with the mire of hard work and hard times. Character determined their destination.

                                                                                                  

#1820: Flip Flops

Topic: Flip-Flops

KJV Proverbs 12:10: 10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

                        11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

                        12 The wicked desireth the net of evil  men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth  fruit.

          Never trust a man until you have seen him weak, beaten down with disease-distress-dependency. When he is weak and holds on to his trusting God, then you know he is honest. A man who persists never questions the word of God. He does the best he can with what he has.

          Once, on a nearby farm, some boys were showing me their "rabbit-box" traps. In one of the traps, there was a opossum. When the opossum came out of the trap their hunting dogs went wild, jumping at the freighted animal, but this wild animal had the survival instinct all the opossum posses with which to fight is his mouthful of sharpened teeth, a dangerous "whipping" tail. The tail was going wild and dangerous as the opossum never backed off from the dogs, ready to get a hold of one with its sharp teeth. Every animal, from one cell to many cells, has this survival instinct. The animal may be microscopic, a germ or virus. It may be a small insect. The chain of life is made up of cells with survival instinct. Man is the only animal who knows he is going to die. Who, is given the reasoning ability to protect himself and to make decisions about his life preservation. For all other animal life, just survive by basic instinct.

          There are many interesting aspects in studying the health sciences...health care professions. Those studying, publishing, publicizing health care are always giving learned advice. "Exercise in order to live", "Do not use tobacco products",  "Limit your use of fats", "Do not buy any product that has words you cannot pronounce". Until 1900,  most Americans and indeed, most people in the world, lived in rural areas. Foods came directly from nature. The "good Earth" was full of chemical elements, nutrition needed for life. With the depletion of the soil, with the invention of chemical and synthetic products, toxins (poisons) were introduced into the life cycle. Insecticides poisoned everything about our food...from the ground, to the cooking pot, to the serving plate. We know that plastic plates and cups are made of dangerous chemicals...that bleaches chemicals into the foods and yet we eat it. Then, we cannot understand why we have so many strange illnesses. We know that chloride and bromide are poisons yet, we allow our local politicians to put such poisons in our municipal water systems. We know that radium is a poison, and yet, we cling to radium therapy for cancer treatment. We know that chemicals start the cancer cellular divide, but we use chemotherapy for treatment of cancer. Flip-flops have become the "standard of living". 

          We flip-flop in our attitudes towards our lives at the church house, the courthouse, the schoolhouse, even at your house. Young parents do everything possible to show their love and concern for their child. They read the self-help books, work night and day to provide for their child. Parents teach their children to speak correctly, to show good manners, want their child to live a productive life, yet after the sanctity of a healthy home, they will send this precious child to a "hell hole" called a public school, where they are exposed to every pagan-heathen practice known to man. In the sensitive years when a child is adjusting to their own sexuality, because of the "gay agenda",  because of the Democrat party objectives; their child is totally confused by the "political correctness" and the sexual confusion of adults. What a flip-flop. Laws, traditions, common sense, all tossed aside in order to accommodate a flip-flopping-Diocletian, indifferent heathenistic-attitude towards the future. This writer honestly believes that a  culture has been spawned and conjured, which wants to destroy civilization as we know it. The dogs in the alley-the wildlife in the jungle-possess as many morals, have as much integrity, as many of our fellow "homosapiens" around us.

          Where are our fellow human beings with the academic knowledge, the scientific backgrounds, the knowledge to give us the absolutes of right from wrong? Just a few years ago, lobotomy's (a surgical operation involving incision into the prefrontal lobe of the brain, formerly used to treat mental illness) and electric shock treatments were used for mental disorders; flip-flop, were we crazy? A few years ago, we were told about the horrors of eating chocolate and coffee; flip-flop, now chocolate and coffee are "good for you". A few years ago, "stay away from fats"; flip-flop, unsaturated fats are good for you. A few years ago, running was good for you; flip-flop, running is dangerous for your knees and joints.  A few years ago, Marijuana, a "gateway drug" was a curse to humanity; flip-flop, Marijuana is being sold by states as a medicinal drug. We know that every alcoholic started with the first drink. We know what alcohol does to people; destruction of the human body, destruction of the family, #1 cause of divorce; flip-flop, some states are in the business of selling alcohol to their citizens. If a disease, such as alcoholism--diabetes--heart attacks--stroke--cancer--does not affect me, it is permissible to flip-flop and use the tax proceeds from those who are effected to make my life easier. The tax on cigarettes from those captivated by nicotine, can only make life easier for the flip-floppers who once grew the weed, helped many families, universities, even hospitals become rich and famous from the deceit and defeat of their fellow man. Duke, Wake Forest, etc. There is no flip-flop like governmental flip-flops in finance, immigration, controls on everything. In the land of the free, home of the brave, your every action is controlled by a permit or a license.

          There is no flip-flop like that of a spiritual one. We play games with everyone; the tax person, police officer, your doctor and lawyer. At the courthouse, we swear on the Bible and then a lie. The school house, such a need for education, has become a place of indoctrination. The greatest tragedy, flip-flop involving the future of mankind, pretending and performing at the church house.

#1816 Tones and Drones

#1816 Tones and Drones

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

-Romans 1:20-

         

            Pictured, the entrance to Harvard University  where the word 'VERITAS' meaning truth is on display. There was a time when universities, scientific groups, foundations, even religions were interested in truth. We knew that  the truth would set us free. Liberty of body, soul and mind comes from truth. Jesus, himself said, "I am truth". John 14:6. In my lifetime," political correctness, compromise, just going through the motions"...And government, science, even religion, " the end justifies the means". AND, everyone follows the money trail.

            Truth is truth whether anyone believes it or not. In an age of compromise, when most people would prefer believe a lie rather than the truth, when success with individuals and nations is measured by the best liar, we find that truth is in short supply.'Truthers' must be willing to be ridiculed. Those who speak truth recognize hopelessness...Whether in lifestyle or national diplomacy.

            The scientists, even the family doctor, knows that aspartame is a poison, and yet we see 'diet' drinks all around us. Diet is really a four letter bad word. We know that sugar is the most addictive substance know to man. There is a teaspoon of sugar in almost everything we eat...even the lowly hotdog. We know that vaccines are poisonous...causing autism. We know that radiation causes cancer and yet we think we can use radiation to cure cancer. At the church house, schoolhouse, court house, Whitehouse, (perhaps even in your house), Whether we follow Gods word (the Bible) or not, we have that innate conscience gift to know right from wrong...An absolute that no scientist or psychologist has ever been able to deny.

            Man is the only animal who knows he is going to die. At my age, 85, I know the sunset is not far away. Why should anyone, knowing the uncertainty of life, not prepare for death.

            This writer has known several funeral directors- morticians. I asked one of my friends, a well know funeral director, do you have any fright in handling the bodies of dead people? Does it bother you to know that you are trusted with the final care of a  families loved one? I realize that the funeral industry has become a very large and profitable business; In the 1920's , many lost confidence in the funeral home and those who profit from death. Have you noticed that there are so many cremations-so few large funerals? So many families that just want to "get it over with".

            My friend, (the mortician),  said to me, "When I was in embalming school, we were to taught to be aloof with a dead body by using a very dead lifeless piece of timber. We used a six foot long, 2"x 12 " rafter, such as you use in the construction of a building. This piece of wood had no soul, had no personality-looks. All dead people look the same, ugly. We would place the piece of wood in a casket, would even go the graveyard and exhume a casket with a piece of wood.... It all became very impersonal...just a job. Of course, with the corpse or a piece of wood, we observed privacy, honored the deceased by covering with a sheet". He further told me over the years, "I have seen families become indifferent to death. Most family members never even look at their deceased love one. They will pick out a casket by phone, send clothes down for burial or cremation. Simplicity seems to rule, they just want to get it over with". This writer has seen the impersonal attitude towards death all over the world...The funeral pyres along the holy Ganges in India, rituals of Buddhists in the Himalayas, the total lack of anything pretty (flowers or a casket) in the barrel process of Muslims: just digging a hole and putting the body in it, usually wrapped in a sheet. The tones of death are always with us. I so remember as a child the family graveyard, where a grave had "caved in". This showed that the coffin had rotted. There was always dirt piled at the edge of the graveyard with which to fill in the graves.

           

            Perhaps Americans, like so much of the world have become immune to sorrows involving the death of loved ones. Soldiers were buried wrapped only their flag. Sailors were launched, in a flag,  into the ocean depths. Americans no longer respond to 3000 innocent babies aborted each and every day, flushed into the sewer system.

            The heart of this old-blind-veteran is wrenched with the knowledge that 24 veterans commit suicide each day. Suicide is such a waste. More young people die of suicide than die in car crashes. Veterans know that their government knows " it is cheaper to bury a vet than to care for one".

            Every life, rich, poor, smart, dumb, beautiful or ugly (and I have traveled the world, passport stamped in over 150 countries have an avalanche of problems. Small and big things, like the snow flakes, can become an avalanche. This writer has known poverty now as in the past has had his share of problems. I have seen poverty all over the world- have talked with people with problem. Yet, I have yet to meet one living human being (genus homo) who wished that he had  not been born, had not been given the gift of life. Life is a hectic interlude in an otherwise peaceful non existence. There are a few people, we often call fortunate that do not have the problems of the rest of us... Poverty- disability-slow learners-disease- But, if you have no problems, be patient, they are on the way. Pain and sorrow, disease and despair, is no respecter of persons. Living the Christian life is 90 percent raw courage. Living life, here on the uncertainties of this earth is almost 100 percent courage.

            As difficult as life is at its best, while we as individuals and as nation make it so difficult for others. Warfare until WW2 was very up close and personal. Using rocks- sword- bayonets is up close and personal. Dropping explosives on women and children from drones is not personal until you learn the results of what you have done. Most Human beings have seen the results of sin whether disease or destruction they simply do not want to recognize such.

            Do we as individuals or as a nation think we will escape...out own concern-difference to what we have done to others? One of my best friends was the assistant to a congress person. He said, " The tone of our entire day is scheduled by the buffets-cocktail parties to which we are treated by lobbyists". Those politicians- bureaucrats who spend time- treasure- (it cost 13 million dollars to buy a center seat, 1 billion to buy the oval office) talent to gain the excesses of Washington DC would be careful. Don't they have sense to know that they are in the target of the bitter- vindictive minds of the world. Years ago, after fighting with government agencies, over many things, recognizing the shame of their unconcern, in a dream, I saw Washington leveled... just a marble column standing here and there.