Maker's Mark, Window Cats and ‘Meretricious Living’

Once more, NOT my cats, but an example of 'window cats'. Really, just google image 'window cats'
and see for yourself how plentiful they are.
I had dinner tonight in a bar restaurant in front of a bottle of "Maker's Mark" whisky. It reminded me
that we are made in God's image, our Maker has put His Mark on us, even though sin has marred our existence.
Sin is temporary and will burn away. God and His Mark are forever.
Part of our Maker's Mark is evident through our morality-we know right from wrong, even when we do wrong. Especially when we do wrong. God instilled in us His morality, and our cosmos, this corrupt world lives by that morality even when full populations of peoples reject God.
We mostly all TRY to be good. That is design.
Cats don't have any morality, being made not in God's image, but in the fashion that He designed. They know how to find the warm sunny spots, but are totally lacking a sense of humor. That's design,too.
In church tonight we studied "Pride vs Humility" and I was reminded of an exchange online the other day where this alleged pontificator attempted to impress us with his language- he even worked "‘meretricious" into his dismissal of someone else's point.
Fool's gold, blarney. I hide my education through language, and I haven't failed yet.
Live for real, don't act or sound big online if you're really a shrimp. Any Capuchin Monkey can be King Kong online...but no one is fooled for long.
Keepin' it real since the Eisenhower Administration. See you on the other side?

OURSTORY

44 years ago, I'm just a child, my family heading to visit friends in another town. Like most of the world, we listened to the report 'live' as Neil Armstrong made that famous step. I was looking up at the Moon through the rear window of the car as history happened.
History='Ourstory' as "Men" walked on the Moon. Not Americans. Not Caucasians. Not Democrats or Republicans. Men. We. Mankind accomplished the goal set by President Kennedy but dreamed of since man first looked up into the sky.
It was a great moment, it was spectacular...and now, to my shame, I needed to be reminded that it happened 44 years ago today. I'm watching Baseball when a graphic pops up on the screen, along with a note about Hank Aaron hitting number 755 on July 20th a few years later.
So, late to the party (will there be a party?), I celebrate this day in Ourstory when 44 years ago WE walked on the Moon. As a long time baseball fan, I lift my coffee cup in salute to Hank also.
Remember the Good.

Breathing Fresh Air

Ah, Summer-the lovely time of year when peoples stop complaining about how cold it is and
get down to the serious business of complaining about the heat. I just had the honor of cutting my lawn
and am now hiding from the sunburn.
I love living in a small town. This is also rummage sale season, and I do my part to move cherished somethings from other garages into mine. Eventually I'll have a sale and continue the process.
I can go to most any sale and ask, "Has Val been here yet?" and get affirmative. I have friends who are such avid rummagers that their three car garage is set up as a 'store'. I picked up a crochet quilt and a lawn chair from them a few weeks back.
Breath fresh air. Enjoy the day. Don't complain too much. 

Go See "Pacific Rim" In 3D And Thank Me Later

Just got back from playing hooky from cleaning-I was looking at movie info online and saw a positive note about "Pacific Rim". Quick! To the Dougtruck!
It was great. It was better than "Cats". I'm going to buy the 3D Blu when it comes out.
If you haven't yet warmed to 3D in the theater, this movie is immersive, meaning the 3D is fully integrated
into the film and all that you notice is how great it looks. For me it was worth the few extra bucks to enjoy
a pretty great film in three dimensions. Four if you count time.
I do not watch trailers or read reviews on movies I want to see, so I knew little about this film except that it was from Guillermo Del Toro. I won't say more, except that I think that if you seek it out on a 3D screen, you will enjoy it.

Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro

You're God Doesn't Exist

Not a misspelling.
Our God exists Greater than our Existence.
You are not God.
You do not run the world.
You can't save yourselves from hell.
Liars who tell you that you are superior to God
Are on their way to hell themselves and want company.
God on your terms is a fiction.
Don't be doomed by a fiction.
Seek the True God while He may be found.

May This Fourth Also Be With You

Absolute proof that we are conflixterated sapients: It's all okay.
"Psalm 37:1-7 (HCSB)
¹
 Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.
²  For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.
³  Trust in the LORD and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely.
⁴  Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
⁵  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act,
⁶  making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.
⁷  Be silent before the LORD and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans."

I would quote more of this wonderful Psalm, but the point is made in those few stanzas:
"Don't worry, Be Happy". 
Turmoyled.  If I were to look only at circumstances, this year in this world could win first prize for most
troubled and least improved.
But all of the BAD, all the frictis and cancer and deaths and economic crazy salad and war and personal
problems in existence right now...aren't able to negatize my life.
Here's the thing-despite all of the nastiness I trudge through every day...I'm happy.
Of course, some of the most unhappy people claim to be happy to be able to get through a day, but you'll
have to trust me on this-I am happy.
This Psalm is a refuge, a place where God spells it out for us: Do not be agitated, trust in the LORD, take delight in the LORD, Commit your way to the LORD and He will act.
Looking in at Christianity from the outside, you can't understand how comforting it is to be freed from Worry and troubles because God cares for us, takes care of us. It frees me from dreading what may come; I am looking ahead to the Day when Christ returns and cleans house on all of the Bad that stains this existence.
Until that Day...no fretting (without a guitar). No worries so 'all encompassing' that they ruin the happy.
Praise God for this day, this Fourth of July, when we remember how God set peoples free from a tyrant, guiding them to issue a Declaration of Independence, and making it so. 
I am free from the tyranny of worry because God made it so for me.
Happy Independence Day!  

Start Small...Smaller...Smaller Yet...Almost There...

Dig down, friends, deep deeply deeper down. Your life-view (and mine) is based on a number on accepted truths and assumptions regarding God, Man, and everything that exists in the multiverse.
Here's what I mean: if I mention 'politics', because it is me, Doug, here at FDW, you will instantly decide from past posts what my viewpoints are about politics, and whether or not you will agree with or dispute what I might say. Some of you (Hi Lu!) might already be assembling a list of my wrong headed beliefs, ready to jump on any alleged 'fact' that can be disputed.
Calm down, citizens-this isn't a political post. I may post on that subject again, but since the last Presidential election, there hasn't seemed to be much point.
No-you're safe from one of my political screeds.
Here's another test-abortion. Clang{!} go the bars of your mind, shutting the front door on anything I might say.
You can't argue with a made up mind, so again, there doesn't seem to be much point in bringing...that word...
up.
Deeper down, friends, below the surface world of accepted truths and assumptions, without regard to political positioning or bumpersticker non-mentalities...please, just one question I would like you to answer.
Is a fetus before it is born...human?