To Pastures New

"To Pastures New" by Sir James Guthrie, 1883. Scottish Realism? It's lovely. The herded geese seem to be waddling right off the picture, looking to those new pastures.
I love this picture; my Dad found a print somewhere-he loved it too.
I'm looking for pastures new myself. God herds me along, sometimes with a switch, as the little girl is carrying.
Sometimes the stick, sometimes the carrot. I nearly called this post "Trust and Obey" after the old hymm, as that is what we are called to do: trust and obey God.
I get it wrong, just as King David did, and Moses and Abraham before him. Just like Peter, I tend to mess up in the trusting and obeying departments.
But God is GOOD, and, as it says in one of my favorite texts: "His compassions are new every morning."
So, before I even wake up in the morning, God is ready with compassion for this waddling goose.
By the bye, I'm opening comments again, at least for now. Ignore spam, but yump in if you like.

“Baptists Sure Know Their Bible!”

Welcome back, everyone-it’s been a bit of hiatus.
“Baptists Sure Know Their Bible!”
Once again, the‘feint praise’ someone trotted out the old bon mot of Bible knowledge to compliment a Christian whose theology was actually anathema to hers. It’s like a Lithuanian saying, “Those Estonians are sure a clean people!” (For a bunch of whathoozit troublemaking drunkards!)
Sure, we know the Bible, imperfectly-but only because we are known by God, brought into His family and taught by His Spirit. If not for God granting us Grace, making us Christians…the Bible would be as closed a book to us as it is to the world which hates God.
Ah, Grace.
Cultural Christians-those who grew up in a church which promised them that they were indeed Saved… cultural Christians are doomed. They have not been granted the Grace of God.
They are not born again, which Christ said is a must.
They may dance for Jesus, go to church, feel all religious on Sundays…but Christ will say to all who claim Him but have not been born again: “I never knew you. Go away.”
“It’s not important where you worship God-you can be sitting on a lake, watching a sunset, or sitting in a pew. God is everywhere!”
Not an exact quote, but the gist of it is right.
I can worship God anywhere, and I do-God accepts my worship because I am His child, known and loved by Him. Cultural Christians could live in a church building 24/7, singing and shouting prayers and still be ignored by God.
The problem with the ‘worship God through Nature’ scenario is it leaves out Christ, His redemptive work on the cross, His paying for my sins and yours by becoming an acceptable sacrifice to redeem His creation.
Not everyone is redeemed, and a Loving God does indeed send people to hell, because He is also a Just God.
What is unloving? Assuring people that they are saved, that they are in no danger of hellfire, when they are, according to God, doomed.
I’m not quoting Scripture here to ‘back up’ and support my point because it’s not about Bible knowledge-dear antagonistic Antigone claimed to know the Bible better than I do, and was as yet an atheist. By now I hope that God has granted her the Grace He granted to me 30 years ago. It’s about being quickened/born again/granted Grace by God.. That is it.
Bye the bye-it’s been five plus years since I started Fine Dry Wit, and Antigone and most others have moved on. I almost did myself, as mi vida loca was getting pretty loca. But I’m still infrequently here; as mentioned in the last post, I have shut down the comments-if you do have comment to make, email me at fine_dry_wit@yahoo.com and I will post your brilliance here.
May God make you my brother/sister and not my enemy.

The Return Of The Son Of Fine Dry Wit

Well, it is settled. Fine Dry Wit is back online, and will continue to host my ridiculous and fascinating opinions.
Those of my friends and family in the know understand why these past months have been tough for my family.
But that which is past is past, and now, every now which is not yet a was, is where I am.
One change at FDW: in the interim when I wasn't policing the comments, 'spambot comments' started infesting my pages. So I am shutting down the comments, sorta kinda. Here's  how you CAN comment, or talk to me if you want:
fine_dry_wit@yahoo.com
feel free to email me any comment you want to make; if you'd like it to appear in the comment page, I'll put it in.
So...here I am, back at FDW. I am still sick of politics, so please leave that...stuff...off my pages. Look for a post soon about how cultural Christians are doomed to hell. Ah, it's good to be back!

A Little ‘HELP’ Here?

I’m not a book reviewer, but sometimes you cross across a title which goes all mixedpop culture on your consciousness-for example, those Emily Bronte Zombie novels, where classics meet the undead with alleged hilarity.
So what is this post about?
A book, “A Little ‘HELP’ Here?” by Simon Tam.  Beatles meet Islam with comedic wackyness.
Tam isn’t much of a writer, but he does knock around the premise with some good gags. As I doubt anyone reading this would ever bother to find/read the book, here are all kinds of ‘spoilers’:

1969. Beatles are tops. Loved the world over, hotter than magnesium in oxygen. That is…until John Lennon, being interviewed before a concert in Kasmir, states that, “The Beatles are bigger than Allah!”
Big mistake.
Concert cancelled.
Muslim demands for Beatle blood rock the news.
Throughout the world, record stores selling Beatles albums are targets of jihad-Beatles albums are burned, Beatles fans found wearing their T-shirts are lynched, and within a few days all radio stations have dropped their music.
The Fab Four, smuggled quickly out of Kasmir by their tour manager, go into hiding.
Here Tam gets bogged down a bit with the infighting between the band members-I moved forward a few pages until the action stated again:
Ringo publicly converts to Islam to save his own skin, which breaks up the band.
George Harrison tries to reach out to the Muslim world by staging a concert for peace back in Kasmir.
While on stage with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell singing “Peace Train”, Yoko Ono comes on stage, embraces Harrison and sets off her suicide vest. Yoko the secret Muslim fulfills her destiny.
Back in hiding (in Salt Lake City-an Islam-free zone) John and Paul watch the scene on TV, horrified along with the rest of the non-Muslim world.
John wants vengeance with a capital “V”-whether for George or Yoko is left open to intepretation. Paul just wants to get high.
Lennon contacts President Nixon, encourages him to use the might of the U.S. Military to ‘solve’ the crisis.
Nixon does exactly the wrong thing-he NUKES the holiest sites of Islam-Mecca, Medina, and, just to show that there are no favorites in nuclear war, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
This ignites the FULL holy war which destroys Western civilization-the powers that had been in 1969 had no idea how many Muslims there were in the world, how widespread their were through every continent except Antartica. Game over, West. The end.


If Tam makes even a little profit for the publishing company, I imagine he’ll be set, writing this drivel for a long time. I think it’s safe to say that there will be no Hollywood film of “A Little ‘HELP’ Here?” They could recut the original movie “HELP!” with the lads from Liverpool running from Muslims instead of adoring fans, but maybe I shouldn’t give Hollywood any ideas. Joe Bob says don’t check it out.

Summer Fly Trakai Mist

Summer. Summer Fly (great song by Hayley Westenra). Trakai-a faraway I've noted here before, the Lithuanian castle island resort. Mist. We are as mist, here for a moment and then not.
Life is extremely transitory, and it only seems like a long time.
Yesterday I saw a baby 3 weeks old. The little guy will be running around in a few short years, immortal as all children are. Then, God willing, he will grow up and live a long life, but the actual number of days and years is immaterial-mist.
Where we go when we step off this doorstep of life is up to God. We either step into His Kingdom or are told, "Depart from me; I never knew you."
He has already chosen us (and you) for eternity-we only find out about the where while here.
I would prefer to go to heaven Now, while I am still young, than wait for the frailty of age to overtake me...but all whens belong to God. I'll be here until He calls me home, whether it's next week or 60 years from now when I'll be 111. Sooner bestest. If ever this blog goes dark, it will mean that I have gone Light. See you on the other side?

Uh-Oh!

Thoughtsrandomfriday

Haven't done one of these free wheelin' goofatrons in a whilst.
Continuing on ad infinicky item, who said, "We are here to go?" That's nearly succinct, except for leaving out the destination part. I'm going to Heaven. I am not merely here to go there. And 'here' isn't the treasure, the goal, the summation of why. It's hardly 'why' at all.
I don't feel like dipping my toe into the tarnished present political cisternations. But I will say that President Obama is failing, and it's kind of fun to watch.
So I'm perusing the iTunes store the other, and lo! and beholden, another part of my misspent youth has arrived in the audio bigtime: the Lensmen series by E.E. "Doc" Smith.
As this is just an old sci-fi space opera; they didn't spend a lot of money on the production, and the reader seems to be speaking English as his third language, so it's not like they got Kelsey Grammer to read Shakespeare.
For the record, I still have the books, and wouldn't spend a dime to have them read to me.
I WOULD like to plug the iTunes University, found through their store, which has so much free knowledge that it's almost like they left Fort Knox open.
Also, if you have iPod/iPhone or iPad...as our Aussie friends say, "Good on you.
Aussies Hamish and Andy are still on Winter break, but when they begin podcasting again next week, I encourage you to listen.they make me laugh, and who doesn't?

Other Wit...Other Wise

Democrat 23rd Psalm 1950


The Government is my shepherd
I need not work
it alloweth me to lie down on good jobs.
It leadeth me beside still factories
It destroyeth mine inititave.
It leadeth me in paths of a parasite for politic's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of laziness and deficent spending
I fear no evil.
The Government is with me-
Its Doles and Vote-getters
They comfort me.
It prepareth an economic utopia for me by 
Appropriating the earnings of my grandchildren.
It filleth my head with false security.
My efficiency runneth over.
Surely the Government shall care for me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in a fool's paradise forever.

Old Abe

Now, that was fun! I corrected the spelling, but that is basically what I found written on an old letter sent to my grandfather-'Old Abe' was a friend of his named Dan Kile. His tag line at the end of each of his letters:

"If you want to go through Life completely misunderstood, say exactly what you mean."

You Waltz In Here...

“Your waltz in here
With a handful of gimme
A mouthful of multiplies
I go home feeling empty
From all your signifies”

Fred Neil-”Handful of Gimmie”
“Bleecker and MacDougal”-1965

What a beautiful day! Even in the most grim, we can grin.
I love the contraction Fred used in the third line of his song:
“multiple lies=multiplies”-concise.
So yes, I am suggesting that President Obama has a handful of gimmie-in that he has constantly declared that he needs MORE power, MORE control in order to achieve his goals.
Not our goals-a stable economy, a secure border, Peace-
HIS goals-more more more of the world as he imagines it, less less less of the one we grew up in.
I think he’s beginning to believe his own press, which is dangerous.
Once upon a time there was another “Community Organizer” who wanted to re-set the world as he saw fit.
Unlike Obame, he was laughed at until he made a power grab which landed him in prison.
Very much like Obama, he wrote his autobiography at an early age, but from his jail cell.
But enough about Adolph Hitler.
Here would be a good rule of thumb for President Obama to adopt:
He should refuse/withdraw from any additional Presidential power which he would not like to see wielded by a Republican President.
Remember the Golden rule-”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Meaning that if President Obama wants to be a good President, he should treat others as he wants to be treated.
Too simple?
Right now he expends political capital making enemies of any and all who do not agree with his agenda.
Who refuses to budge an inch? Megalomaniacs and egotists who do not respect anyone but themselves.
And drunks. I just remembered a beauty-
Back when I was working maintenance for a ski resort, my duties included security. One January 1st, the day after you know what, I’d been herding sheepish drunks all night, working a 15 hour shift.
Ten in the morning, I’m driving down the road to our woodlot, and I find a young couple trudging along, heading nowhere.
Guess what? I was cursed and called a liar because the guy KNEW where he was going, and he wasn’t going to listen to ANYONE!
If he had been alone, he might still be on that trail, but his lady friend look tired and about ready to keel over. It took both her and I arguing with the great scout to convince him to get into the truck-I took them back to their resort, and though she thanked me, he had nothing good to say.
Going the wrong way down a dead end road…
Won’t listen to anyone…
Cursing those who disagree with him…
But enough about Barack Obama.

Here in the heart of Summer, a little Iceland to cool you off. I once saw lights from Iceland on the horizon as my ship passed by, heading from Greenland (don't bother) towards Europe. Iceland is home to Sigur Ros, among many other fine distinctions. Have a good weekend.

Sitting At The Feet Of Minds

The title doesn't say it all, but it is a start.
Without getting all mentalphysical on y'all, I've been thinking about a lot of stuff lately-habitual hazard when my 'work' uses approx 5% of my brain. The rest gets restless.
Just as steel sharpens steel, I think that we can learn much by exploring the minds/hearts of those who are sharp, bright, genius. We learn more listening to wise men than wisenheimers.
First and foremost, those of us brought into God's family, having His indwelling Spirit gain wisdom by taking in/consuming His Word. That is why you see us carrying Bibles-it is our lifetime school book and nourishment. Our capacity for learning of God in this life is weak, feeble...but understandable-we are merely men.
Example: one of my favorite Bible teachers is Charles Spurgeon. He dug deeply into God's Word with both hands-and was blessed with a fine ability to deseminate what he had learned.
But for all of his lifetime study of the Scriptures, I  daresay that he received infinitely more knowledge of God the milisecond he arrived in Heaven. And so it will be for all of us who will arrive there.
Now, through a glass, darkly...
But this post isn't just about learning from God. There is more.
When you listen to Mozart, to Beethoven, to Bach (or Bach, or Bach) you are enjoying how their minds worked, how each accomplished moving their audience in a unique way. Think of how much JOY has been brought into the world by those few men! 
Lately I've been going back through some of the Nero Wolfe mysteries-Rex Stout was a genius.
Thelonious Monk. Stanley Kubrick. Shakespeare. don marquis?
Each has improved my education through studying what they did, their 'art', showing how their minds work.
Good luck on your midterms.

Sometimes The Snake...

   Wins the battle of a day or a few days, but ultimately the snake loses eternally.
Or I could say 'loses, has lost Eternity'.
The very first Community Organizer to infest this planet was the snake in the Garden of Eden.
He told the community that they couldn't trust God, that He (God) was afraid that that they (A&E) would be like God if they wised up.
God was keeping the MAN down, you see. And Man should be angry about that, angry and mistrustful of God.
   Things haven't changed much. People are still allowing snakes (some in suits) to get them riled up and angry, snakes who channel and direct that anger to achieve Snake goals.
Snakes love chaos, and make great use of the baser emotions of fools.
   Do yourself a favor-next time someone tries to light your fire of indignation, to USE your emotions for his purposes...think twice and don't allow yourself to be used. One day, all snakes will be Hisssssstory!

National Day of Laughter

Okay-get it into your system. Laugh, and the world wonders what is going on.

Here's the heres: Life makes us laugh. It's a conditioned response to the ridiculalbaness of it all under a foolish emperor. You need a reason? To Laugh? Okayfiner:
Helen Thomas is now free to accomplish her bucketlist-for the first time in MY lifetime, she is gone from the front row at the White House briefing room where reporters toss fluffy little softballs at Gibbs and his Sith lord Obama. They might even feel a slight disturbance in the farce, with Thomas gone.
Speaking of which, I was talking today with a reforming liberal-he had been thrilled with Obama winning the Presidency, and now, a year plus later, he is nearly ready for his Jedi robe, having come over to the right side of good thinking.
Okay, this is here not because I am trying to twist scripture out of context, but only because it makes me laugh:
^"2A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left." Ecclesiastes 10:2 Cheer up-it will be worse!

With All Due Respect...

"Everyone pays for [public education, universal health care, municipal services], and everyone benefits."

Baloney. False premise built on vapor. Wrong.

Are there those who receive benefits but do not pay for them?
Yes.
Are they part of "Everyone"?
Yes.
Then 'Everyone' does not pay.
It is more honest to say that:
"Everyone who works and pays taxes on their income pays for public education, health care and municipal services which benefits many people who do not contribute in any way."
Go ahead...google this song:
"Middle-class Liberal Well Intentioned Blues" sung by a guy who actually became a Baron (sorta) and married a 'movie star'.

"It seems to me that liberals are kept up night after night by the fear that somewhere in America some conservative person is holding on to some of his money."