Himmelblå

If I were a dog, this is what I would look like.
Just dumped a screed which didn't actually need screeding-I do often edit myself, believe or don't.
I will say that I am very thankful to God for His continuing to draw sinners to repentance- He adds to His family by adoption through Jesus Christ.
Seek Him while He may be found.

33 Years Come Back To Me

Ah, Memories!
Was just partaking in the dirty vice common amongst my townspeoples:
Snowblowing my driveway and the sidewalks around my house-as I'm on a
corner, I get to keep two sidewalks open.
I found these frames buried 2.5 feet down at the end of a sidewalk which had been
plowed shut by a city snow guy.  Didn't find a head.
33 years ago this very month I had an incident with glasses.
Actually, it goes back farther if I'm going to tell this right.
40 some years ago my family had a dog that was killing chickens or something, so we had to 'chain him up' which my Dad did by stretching a cable from a tree to a telephone pole so that the dog could run around back and forth.
After the dog was over that rainbow, the cable was cut and it wound up in the tree but way up so that it wasn't a danger to most mortals. Cable quickly forgotten.
33 years ago this month my Dad, brother and I are taking turns, tooling around the  property on a snowmobile.
I'm having a great time, roaring around, then I'm on the ground and my face hurts.
Standing up on the snowmobile I was within the cable's clutches, so to speak, and off I went.
Broke my glasses in half, gave me a nice Heidelberg across my nose which might have broken-already been broken a few times, so I don't recall.
Thing was...I kinda need my glasses, and I was moving to Las Vegas in a few days, so...Dad drove me to the big city and we found one of the first "One Day Glasses" places and I was set for my journey which I am still on.

Izzy's Comfy Chair Predicament

Izzy, woken by pain, could breath a bit. Her eyes, when they could, focused on the smiling woman at the desk.
"Back with us, Ms. Castile? Good-you nodded off there for a moment."
Izzy noted her wrists were still zip-tied to the chair. She flexed her arms- she was stuck.
Not wishing to look at Ms. Granie, smiling in her office chair, she looked up and to the right of the woman, at the portrait of the Emperor Larsen, Emily the First.
Mindi Granie  held up the card.
"Really, Izzy-if I may call you Izzy? Really, it is SO simple. All you have to do is read this card, just one little sentence into the camera, and we can both go home.
Wouldn't you like that, Izzy? To go home?"
Izzy had already read and torn up the card, which led to her beating and the zip ties.
"Here-I'll read it to you: 'I, Izzy Castile do swear on my honor that I fully comprehend that Climate Change is a problem which we must work hard to solve.'"
Izzy shook her head, which turned out to be a bad idea.
"Why? Why am I here? I have never publicly stated any opposition to Climate Change, nor have I mentioned the subject to anyone here at work."
"But...Izzy. You are a City employee, and yes, you DID make such ridiculous statements. Come clean, Izzy."
"Never in public, never here in the City offices. It never happened!"
"Izzy. Do you expect me to believe that your comments on the "ChairComfort Social platform" were NOT public?"
"Comments made at home, from my HOME Computer, on my personal time, with the use of a proxy server to protect my privacy!"
"Well, not much of a proxy-as a City employee you should know that WE will maintain order and a unified front, which means that we must be vigilant regarding statements made by our Workers."
She held up the card again.
"One sentence. Into the camera, to be kept in your file. Read it."
Izzy spit on the desk just as Ms Granie pulled the card out of harm's way.
Granie still smiled.
"Dear, could I get you anything? Some sour wine, perhaps?"
"I'm fine. Let me go."
"The wine might be a good idea."
"I don't drink alcohol. I wouldn't even take water from you right now if I were dying of thirst."
"Just a cup. I promise-it's only sour wine."
Izzy was going to remain silent, but after a minute a thought occurred to her.
"Granie. Ms. Mindy Granie-the Emperor Larsen recently appointed you 'Grand Climate Inquisitor', isn't that right?"
Granie beamed.
"Yes! And you are the first case on my desk, so lucky for both of us."
"Both of us? How?"
"Because the Good Emperor Emily Larsen is 'Results oriented', and so, if in this very FIRST case I deliver the result she wishes...but here is why we are both lucky.
Because you are going to read this card, and I am going to have a gold star achievement awarded to me! Win/win!"
Izzy's head was starting to ache again. Her feet felt like concrete. Everything in between hurt.
"I will not read that stupid card."
"Finger."
"What?"
"If you do not read this card, into the camera, with a BIG smile on your face...I will take a finger."
"That's CRAZY! Why would you even threaten me like that? You're just a civil servant, like me!"
"But I have a mandate. And a lot to lose if you don't read this card, so, yeah. We'll start with a finger."
"You wouldn't dare. Not over something stupid like reading a card!"
Mindi Granie and her smile froze for a second, and then she pressed the button on the desk and Ferdy Argone stepped into the room with one hand behind his back.
"Ferdy! This lady is crazy! Call the cops and get me out of here!"
Ferdy looked at his assistant zip-tied to the chair and shook his head as he brought the pruning shears from behind him.
"Izzy, I'm sorry, but she told me I owe her TWO fingers if I don't take one of yours. Read the card for Emperor's sake!"
*************
Right before the weather on the morning News it was reported that a city employee-name not released until family could be notified-had a blood alcohol reading of twice the legal limit as she was found in her car which had cascaded down and submerged into Miller Creek in Lincoln Park. She was 27.

Ben Ev O Lence

Benevolence is described as "Desire to do good for others"; and it usually comes about when someone else gives an example of benevolence to a person.
That person shown favor and good wants to pass it on to others.
We Christians only have our 'Name' because of the Benevolence Christ has showered upon us.
His making it possible for us to be restored to fellowship with God through His cross is the ultimate example of Benevolence.
The best benevolence that I can share is that God is still redeeming souls-every saint is but a sinner saved by Grace; while there is life there is still Hope that God will extend His Benevolence to us.
May God richly Bless you today.

Wait For Iiiiiiit....

Forgive, please, but this is how my mind works.
Object lesson lands in our laps, we use it.
Above picture is a mosaic of Nan, Chuck and Joe.
If you were to ask them if they believed that President Trump
is guilty of Impeachable offenses, I'm pretty sure that they would
"YUP!".
Okay yah so, let's say that it IS TRUE~that President Donald Trump IS
guilty of whatever he has been accused of.
REALLY Guilty. 
Not just assumed guilty-really, really guilty.
If President Donald Trump sought forgiveness from God, all of his guilt,
all of his offenses would no longer be held against him.
THAT is Grace. That is what God does for those who come to Him
through Jesus Christ.
Even Donald Trump.

Blessing For You

Short and sweet.
Whether you accept it or not,
whether you like it or not
Jesus Christ is still offering
Salvation to those who need it
Which is all of us.
No sin or sinful life is greater
than His ability to save you.

Illegal Aliens Rant

Pretty picture, sun setting on the Grand Marais harbor.
As the title of this post is "Illegal Aliens Rant" you probs assume that you
and your opinion are all set; you don't even have to think about the subject.
But you are wrong.
Not talking about Border Security or Walls or any of that.
The Illegal Aliens I'm talking about are the encroaching horde who attempt to
invade the Kingdom of God.
In the here and now, that means false Christians who
infiltrate churches and pretend that they belong to God.
They are not citizens of Heaven if God has not made them citizens.
Most of the New Testament books warn against false believers, warn Christians to be wary of such pretenders.
Jesus Himself stated that there would be false believers who would be cursed:
²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 
 ²²“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 
²³“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’Matthew 7:21-23.
I see them.
I see false brethren with blatantly blasphemous theology gaining footholds and authority in churches that are not spiritually discerning.
Responsibility falls on the leadership of the churches-if they are not guarding their flock against 'illegal alien false Christians'...they will answer to God.
Not to me, not to any other Christian.
But God will hold them accountable.
Read Colossians. Ephesians. Galatians. 1 & 2 Peter.
Read Ezekiel, chapters 1-12 and see how God dealt with false believers.
Christians, protect your homeland~become spiritually discerning, which means that along with clinging to the GOOD...reject the BAD. 
Honor God by keeping your church free of illegals.
Ask God for discernment, and don't just assume that you have it, have had it for years and don't need Doug barking at you in a post.
Someone stated that "Discernment is seeing all subjects as black and white without any shades of gray."
Be like that. For the sake of your church and for God's Glory.

Skating Away On

Last night when I should have slept, my mind was working on this analogy:
Hockey puck on the ice.
Has no ability to get into the net on it's own.
Just a puck.
We are the hockey puck, and the net is heaven.
God is the hockey player who, with his stick, guides the puck towards the goal.
The stick buffets the puck on the left and right, right and left~the player is
protecting the puck from the other team,
which wants nothing more than to steal the puck away and drive it into hell, the opposing net.
All that the puck knows is that it is being hit-it can't see the whole ice.
But God is a master hockey player and skillfully keeps the puck heading towards the right goal. The other team ALWAYS fails~God lines up His shot...
He SHOOTS! He Scores!

Secularius Terrarimus

You do not have to live in a submarine to be part of a sub-culture.
A societal sub-set of humanity has been quite vocal in their Secularism:
not only do they not believe that God exists but also, (quoting a wiser human)
that 'Man is the measure of all things'.
They are rational people, generally good people, who suffer a HUGE blindspot in their visualization of the cosmic all: they can't make sense of a Creation which HAS a Creator.
So they choose to live in a sort of "Secular Terrarium", an existence barren of any thought of God.
As God (in their thinking) does not exist, MAN must step up and solve all of the problems of the Creation.
But MAN is the CAUSE all of the problems, so it's a Mess of a world.
Here's where they kind of get it right-they believe that the majority of humanity, (at least the smart ones)-agree with their Secularism.
Too true.
In this fallen world (hey! Watch that 'fallen' stuff, Doug!)-the majority does embrace the Secular imperative.
So Christians, those belonging to God ARE the minority, the few, the unfallen.
We are the sub to this culture. Absolutely.
For the road and gate are narrow that lead to Salvation. 
But this Secular world has an expiration date.
But we Christians will one day live eternally with our Creator and guess what?
God is still calling sinners to repentance.
There has never been a Christian taken from the ranks of Angels-we all, without exception, come from the ranks of those who have been dismissive of God, angry with God, trusting on our own righteousness.
Seek Him and leave the world behind.

Count Your Blessings, Pilgrim

A recent post by the Spurgeon Library caught in my head:
"It tends to excite gratitude in our hearts if we remember what the Lord has done for us. It is not wrong for us to think of all that we still need from God, but it would be exceedingly ungrateful if we were to forget what we have already received."
Charles Spurgeon 

Kindnesses and Blessings~may we always remember them and forget their opposites!
Yes, I'm Blessed with a cat, even though Natasha is a cat.
Over a decade ago a friend (Sarah, who is here on Facebook!) knitted a 'cozy' square for me on which to rest my glasses at bedtime. I have used it every night since, and appreciate the gift and the giver.
There's a lifetime of more Blessings, but enough~
I am Blessed, and thankful, even for a cat.

Hurry Up And Get Young

Just a bit of relaxing on a Friday night. Caught a moment of "That 70's Show"
recently and remembered that Mila Kunis famously fibbed that she was older~from her IMDB page:  
"Auditioned for the situation comedy That '70s Show (1998) at age 14. Though actors had to be at least 18 to get the role, she truthfully claimed she would be 18 on her birthday, not specifying which birthday, and won the role."
So what is Ella Mae Morse doing in this post?

"Signed by Jimmy Dorsey at the age of 14 (she lied about her age and said she was 19) and was subsequently fired after discovering the truth about her age."
Both Ella Mae and her Mom swore that she was 19-she went on the road with the band until her school sent Dorsey a note saying that he was responsible for a minor.
Why all this?
After the mad hurryrush, teenagers wanting to be older, we become older and...that is that.
I am very happy to be my age, and to have so much of my journey behind me.
Simply enjoy Life. Whenever you are.

Bad Duncan! Bad!!

I don't news much, but I just came across this item.
Duncan Hunter, Republican Representative from California has made a royale hash of his life.
Public/campaign funds used to maintain a lifestyle which allegedly
included affairs with 5 different women.
Not bad enough? Here's a pull quote from the Yahoo article:
"Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were charged last year with improperly using more than $250,000 in campaign funds for family vacations, their children's private school tuition and other personal expenses. Margaret pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this month, but Hunter, who was reelected to his sixth term in November while under indictment, has refused a plea deal."
When someone does wrong, it is wrong.
A Christian ministry leader years ago decided that HE did not have to pay taxes.
He ended up in prison, and that was well deserved.
Duncan Hunter may end up there.
"But Doug! He's a REPUBLICAN! Circle the wagons! We NEED his VOTE!"
Nope.
Wagon circles are fine if someone is innocent.
But protecting the guilty because of political affiliation only encourages bad behavior.
Bottom line-keep to the straight and narrow, be honest and REMAIN honest, especially if people have invested confidence in you.
Don't be a Duncan.

But Then,Teacher, WHO Is My Brother?

Borrowing from history~~the picture above is of the Hovelson brothers, circa 1910 or thereabouts. Not a real car, though they were truly brothers.
Heard a sermon today about "Falsity In The Family"~the Family, of course, being the Family of God.
Conundrum Corner~if some are false, are they actually, truly IN the Family?
Jesus Christ, Paul, Peter, Jude and others all warned against 'false brethren'.
No where in Scripture can I find it stated that false believers will be with the Family of God in Heaven.
So...we pray that that God's Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Would you consider it God's Will on earth that we welcome false brethren and teachers into the Lord's Church?
Or, as is stated throughout Scripture, are we to be wary of such false believers?
Even, perhaps...confronting them, and NOT fellow shipping with them?
Paul stated to the Galatian church: 
"⁶I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 
⁷which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 
⁸But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 
⁹As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"
Here's the thing-there are dead churches full of unsaved false believers which have oodles of theology promoting a different Gospel. 
Paul doesn't say, "Y'know, there are some true Christians in those churches, so we should fellowship with them even though they have a wrong Gospel."
Some may say, "You can't play God, Doug! You don't know who is or isn't saved!"
No, but it's not about me. I follow the God who said,
" ²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 
 ²²“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 
²³“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' "

Nana's Daughter

Oh what fun! Memr'ies! Thank you, parcel shipping company!
Watching television tonight: a shipping company commercial promoting their new Robotic Delivery of Parcels service with a song: "He Needs Me" by Harry Nilsson.
Sung by Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall) regarding Popeye (Robin Williams) in the best movie musical based on a comic strip that Bob Altman ever did.
Don't know if this will work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ji0RvwjntA
I mentioned 'Memr'ies' above~~
1961/62. One of my earliest memories is of my parents convincing me to eat my spinach because Popeye loved the stuff.
"Well, if HE likes it, I'll eat it."
Fast forward 18 years~I'm a sailor...in port in Chicago when the "Popeye" movie
premieres.
I loved it then, and though I haven't seen it for a few years, I love it now.
BTY~the cute little bundle of joy in Olive's arms in the picture above is Robert Altman's grandson; 'Swee'pea' turned 40 this year.  Probably loves Spinach.