Tuesday 18 December 2012

The Quigley Formula

I recently resumed reading Carroll Quigley's book Tragedy and Hope (available in pdf online). I began it a couple of years ago, but got sidetracked, sigh. So about three weeks ago I've been having that book crop up in my thinking a few times, gentle nudges....ok, yes, I do need to read it. So about a week ago I began at the beginning, reading a few pages here and there, now and then....and today I stumbled onto this video:



The lecture is based around the following quote from his book Tragedy & Hope, pp. 1247-1248:

"The National parties and their presidential candidates, with the Eastern Establishment assiduously fostering the process behind the scenes, moved closer together and nearly met in the center with almost identical candidates and platforms, although the process was concealed as much as possible, by the revival of obsolescent or meaningless war cries and slogans (often going back to the Civil War)....The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can "throw the rascals out" at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy. ... Either party in office becomes in time corrupt, tired, unenterprising, and vigorless. Then it should be possible to replace it, every four years if necessary, by the other party, which will be none of these things but will still pursue, with new vigor, approximately the same basic policies."

***************

G. Edward Griffin also goes into the CFR, roundtable groups, and names many names (I was surprised, and then not so, that Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, Cokie Roberts and  Barbara Walters all belong to the CFR. He also names corporations, former presidents, etc, etc, many, many tentacles. But he is also careful to explain that many of these people do not know the origins of the CFR, they have been groomed by this system, and do not realize much of how it works, just as I working for the company that I work for do not know everything they are involved in, and if they are involved in nefarious schemes, I do not know about them, although my working for the company assists them in their diabolical endeavors. So it is with these people. They have been chosen by these groups because they hold to ideals that work well with the goals of the group. He also talks a little about the Federal Reserve. It's a little over an hour long, and very interesting.

The Seen and the Unseen



I've somewhat been avoiding reading or listening to the reports of the recent events that occurred in Connecticut. I just didn't want to hear about it and give my little bit of added fuel to that fire...however yesterday, I did look around to see what some of  my favorite blogger friends had to say about it, and of course also picked a Phil Johnson sermon to listen to. What Lyn had to say about this topic put it back into the greater context for me, and the Phil Johnson sermon reminded me that this is a spiritual war. Lyn mentions that Obama's little "reaction" is deserving of some kind of Golden Globe (interesting typology) award. I did see a clip of Obama's little comment on the Connecticut incident. The little swipe of the finger of his left hand at an imaginary tear was quite touching (not!). But again, all these things are things I can see on the outside, which cover a much much bigger and uglier problem on the inside...the unseen blackness of what God sees throughout all of this creation.

I've still been having problems at my workplace, and my DH also has been going through some ugly things in his work environment. I often only focus on the seen, the people that become the focus of my irritation. I often forget about the larger context, the deeper, unseen element that is causing the little bit that we see of it, the scattered incidents here and there.

I once saw a movie on television of an adaptation of H.G. Wells "The Time Machine". In this story, a  scientist invents a machine that can carry him forward and backward in time. He travels to a future time where there are gentle "Eloi" and terrifying "Morlocks". The Eloi are beautiful and live peacefully, eating fruit, above the ground. The Morlocks are monstrously ugly, and live underground. Once in a while one comes out from underground and snatches an Eloi, whom he drags back underground, and has Eloi supper that evening. I think this movie is almost a parable of the hidden evil that is always there, just under the surface, and once in a while comes out in terrifying ways. We can live with the evil, as long as it "behaves in certain ways" and makes itself unseen, or serves the purposes we want from it. That fact in itself shows the hidden evil is there within us all.

Every time an ugly thought rises up in me, that is a Morlock rising up from the hidden depths, out to the light of day, and there is no way to beautify that ugly thing... it is ugly. All I can say is "God have mercy on me, a sinner".... And He does. :)

Friday 7 December 2012

Ecummenicalism




I've been listening to Phil Johnson online lately, and LOVE him. ( I still LOVE Kent Clark too, don't get me wrong, will be visiting his congregation this weekend, Lord willing). In the audio that I'm listening to this morning, Pastor Johnson speaks on what is wrong with the modern trend of evangelicals wanting to merge and embrace the Roman Catholic Church. He concisely lays out what is happening right now, and the reasons the supporters give for why they believe Jesus wants us all to embrace each other, in Jesus. After he gives their reasons, point by point using the scriptures that they stress, he then explains exactly what is wrong with this "unholy union". Great topic, great speaker, and I hope time is made to listen, pray, and pay attention to what is happening all around us. This one is on SermonAudio.  It is 1hr 15min in duration.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=926101731329

Yes we are to get along with all people as much as possible, but our doctrine IS important, and to remain doctrinally pure requires that we do NOT link arm in arm with the world and it's religions. We are "in the world but not of the world". The differences between the true life found in Christ, and what is found in today's churches, particularly the ecumenical ones, is vast. We can reach out with the truth of the gospel, however, walking in lockstep with them and smiling and nodding when others "make shipwreck of the faith" is not loving. Yes, we need to love them, but love does not always agree (and I hate the term "agree to disagree" because usually both end up smugly thinking they are so holy in doing so). We need to stand strong for the truth. That doesn't mean we need to argue something to death either. I won't "agree" to disagree, or agree on ANYTHING with error. I will put forth prayerfully what is true, and pray that the Lord will bring them (and He will if they are truly His) to the full knowledge and acceptance of truth. Not "my" truth, but something much higher and better and holier than that. It needs to be "THE Truth" not "yours" vs. "mine". Doctrinal distinctives are being blurred and brushed aside. Doctrine does matter. Seducing spirits will tell you and I that it is not important.

Let us be loving and patient and kind....AND let us remain vigilant, I pray. It is from Jesus that this strength (and thereby perseverance) must and can only come from.

Thursday 22 November 2012

Signs...In the Heavens and on the Earth...part 2

All that is shown on the video clip below occurred the first quarter of 2012. I think much of the stuff might be attributable to HAARP experimentation, like birds and whales dying, weird clouds, increased earthquakes, weird noises in the sky...

The tornadoes on the sun, WOW!

....and why are those trains transporting A LOT of tanks and military vehicles....??? Are they anticipating something? Martial law lock down? A war on the American people? It seems they've been practicing for it a few years now (check posts about G20 and riots, I'll link to them at bottom of this posting)



http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/08/riot-provocateurs.html

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-riots-and-then-google-troubles.html

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/05/g20-pennsylvania-riot.html

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/05/g20-toronto-riot.html

Monday 19 November 2012

Transhumanism

What in the world is "Transhumanism"?

Transhumanism, abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.[1] Transhumanist thinkers study the potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies that could overcome fundamental human limitations, as well as study the ethical matters involved in developing and using such technologies. They predict that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman".[1]
Wikipedia

I had heard this word used before but hadn't looked into it. I'd taken a break from looking into "conspiracy theories" because, frankly, I thought I had exhausted what was "out there" about it, and thought it better to focus on what God says, on things that are uplifting. True. However, the Lord also gives us many warnings of things that are to come, and tells us to be mindful of all things, and to not be snoozing without oil in our lamps. I can look at all that is happening with "the mind of God", remembering that He knows all things, and that we will go through a time of suffering and darkness, but that we are protected even if they kill our bodies.

So, let's face what is coming, and is already here, head on, doing all we can in the Spirit of our Lord and by His might and protection, and after we have done everything we can, to stand firm (Ephesians 6).

So what is transhumanism? I was a little surprised to find out, but it fell together, and I realized that I had been seeing many of the pieces of the puzzle, and not quite seeing the greater picture. Here are some videos that reveal the greater picture.

The first video documentary is in two parts, and is presented by the transhumanists themselves. Of course they want you to think this is all good for us, but with the eyes to see, already the picture they give us is a disturbing one:










This next is a film about transhumanism made by people who understand the darkness that is inspiring this technology, and explains the occult underpinnings of the age old desire to become like God.



And here is an article that maps out the goals and strategies of transhumanism (from a Utah conference), and more info on the changes (remember Obama promising CHANGE?) here: Forcing Change

Eph 6:9bGird up your loins in the armor of God and the power of His wisdom and might, so you can stand strong against this enemy who wants to rob each one of us of our souls. 
Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Eph 6:21  But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
Eph 6:22  Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
Eph 6:23  Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 6:24a  Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.


Sunday 18 November 2012

Signs....in the heavens and on the earth...

A video of strange things that took place the beginning of 2012...I thought maybe HAARP might have something to do with birds dying and the ground shaking, and even those weird tsunami shaped clouds...? But what about those dark balls shooting off of the sun???? What is that????




Friday 16 November 2012

Joseph Farrell Interview

Very interesting and long (almost 2 hours) interview with Joseph Farrell on Project Camelot. He mentions and documents the Nazi underpinnings of what we see going on all around us today. His hobby is physics so he goes into some of the things the Nazis worked on, which continued on here through project paperclip, NASA, etc (yeah I've heard all that before too, but he ties up some of the loose ends, wow) and near the end they touch on Obama's visit to Berlin (of all places) before becoming the prez....and he says it all is VERY disconcerting for him....and from the comments I gather he is not a Christian, but he is looking at this in a rational way, connecting dots of things that are known to be true and not merely speculated, however he does offer many speculations and theories that he formulates from these things that are verifiable.


The Times of the End

I've been watching some youtube videos by various peoples, including a new ager, about what is going on with UFOs, alien abductions, transhumanism, and also found this little gem:



and this one:



They'll be perfecting this thing soon, imagine a New World Order with this thing running after you, hunting you.

Also, revisited alien "conspiracies" and transhumanism:


I'd listened to Tom Horn before (once or twice) so it was nice to see him in this one. He mentions the genetic research that is going on, and gives documentation of it, and tells of one of the guys that is involved in the research who told of waking up at 3am to visions of widespread bloodshed that will happen as a result of this research...that he wrestled with these thoughts, fears, images, and decided that it is research that needs to go on (!) and that it is worth the potential death and destruction.

Some of his comments in this lecture took me in other directions which led to looking up the latest of some of the things DARPA is doing:


Snipers are a dangerous threat in hostile environments. DARPA's Counter-Sniper Program is working on technology to automatically sense, track, and return fire on snipers. The C-Sniper system will operate day or night from a moving vehicle and give the operator information to make split-second decisions.

 I saw something on PBS about the recent military advancements and the effects it has on military personnel. It showed one soldier who could "go to work" on the battlefield from a remote place through a computer site. He could view his terrain on a computer screen and kill people like they were computer generated people, but these were real people he was killing, like it was a video game. Then he would go home to his family at night, and leave in the morning to do it again. They said these soldiers sometimes break down and have something similar to PTSS because a part of them knows they are killing real people, even though they are completely detached from the horror, the blood, the "clean up" (if there is any) etc.

And then there is this by Russ Dizdar:




One of the links I listened to either yesterday or the day before yesterday, I don't remember the link anymore, made an interesting assumption or theory. The speaker said that in the Bible the king who would attack from the north is referring to a "king" that comes from a spiritual realm and not a physical country. To make his case he said that when the Bible speaks of "height, and depth, and length and breadth" the "height" refers to a spiritual realm, and that satan and his angels have not yet been cast to earth but that when that time comes all hell will literally break loose, and that is when the king of the north will come to attack us on the earth. There is already a lot of "contact" with these entities, so the time is coming soon.

We need to be aware of what is going on here, and also remember all the while:


1John 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

End Times Religion



For whatever reason my youtube videos won't go full screen, therefore if you'd like to view it that way, watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDBoBhIqfwQ&feature=related

I need to keep reminding myself of the devil's subtlety and craft. He's been doing this a long time, he knows how to keep us distracted, and how to dilute the truth. The last two minutes of the clip are especially good at giving a visual of "taking pieces of the truth to form the lie" ... it seems so harmless... don't we WANT everyone to get along? Yes, on the TRUE foundation, not on the shifting sand, not singing and holding hands while we watch people dance through the wide gate. Sobering thoughts.

One of the pastors mentions that we need to stay on Israel's side and to do everything possible to protect her, and pray for her. I agree that we are to pray for her, but only God can, and will, protect her. We are not to meddle in that with guns and bombs. God will perform such a miracle that there will be no denying of His love for her. It is not by our might, but through His will.

I also posted this two hour film on the emergent movement:

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2012/03/real-roots-of-emergent-church.html

see the two hour youtube video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UfLjAh-mWso

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Halloween






I am no fan of Halloween, but simultaneously I do not feel called to stand on a soapbox to denounce it either. I feel led to live my life as quietly as possible in thanksgiving to God. I have always struggled with whether I should still hand out candy even though I personally believe it is something I should not be involved in...but I live in an apartment complex and previous years here we have been rather untrafficked by little Halloweeners (Halloweenites?) . I think they tend to go to the neighborhoods where they think they will reap the most candy, which I suppose isn't here. It does help me with my avoidance of this issue of what to do or not do regarding this thing. If any Halloweeners do happen to show up, I have fiber/nutrition bars available to hand out. At least I can try to make it a bit healthier than a Snicker's bar. I have also seen it advocated to put Christian tracts into the little gremlins and witches bags. I'm not sure if that falls into the category of casting pearls to swine, because I'm certain the little "darlings" won't appreciate getting jipped out of some great treats...

What will you be doing for Halloween? What about "All Saints Day"? I have a friend whose birthday falls on "All Saints Day" (November 1st). I do say "Happy All Saints Day" at least a couple of times on November 1st and it usually gets a puzzled look in response.

Happy All Saints Day!!!

Friday 19 October 2012

The Worm That Won't Die






Isa 66:23  And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:24  And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all fles
h.



I awoke this morning thinking about my flesh, my worm...that Jesus felt like a worm (and was a worm?), as foreseen by David written by him in Psalm 22:

 Psa 22:6  But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.



It got me pondering about this passage:

Mar 9:43  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:44  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:45  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mar 9:46  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:47  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Mar 9:48  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 


What is my worm...was Jesus a worm too? I thought of butterflies. A butterfly starts out as a caterpillar, a worm. It has to die in a chrysalis in order to be a butterfly. If the worm doesn't die, it won't be a butterfly. That transformation is miraculous. A worm does not die and become a butterfly by willing it to be so, it is surrendering to something that causes it to be so.

The worm in the picture above is kinda cute...and maybe I imagine "my worm" that way, kinda cute and loved by God...kinda reminds me of this guy (from the movie "Labyrinth"):



and in the movie, this little guy strikes me as an old fella, one that decided to pass on becoming a butterfly ...but to get back to topic, my worm is something terrible and offensive to God. I might want to imagine that it is cute and cuddly and inoffensive and having something that is redeemable in it. But God in His word says it is terribly wicked and needs to be killed, it needs to die, and be transformed into a NEW CREATION. Something completely new and whole. Something as different as a butterfly has absolutely no resemblance to the old caterpillar that it was before.

I've been noticing lately what a struggle my flesh puts up. It does not want to let go. It wants supremacy. It wants me to be noticed and get credit for my just due....but my just due is hell. That is what my flesh deserves. Do I want my worm to keep living? Do I want to get what my glorying in myself deserves? Or do I want that worm, that flesh, to die?

Lord, I know I cannot make it happen, only you have that power to perform such a miraculous thing. I pray that you will cause my worm surrender to You. Make my worm to die, so that the fire is quenched and my soul refreshed in You.

Some other previous posts about butterflies:

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-is-flutterby.html

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/03/fragility-and-strength.html


http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/03/sinister-side-of-butterflies.html

 http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/04/sinister-side-of-butterflies-ii-monarch.html

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/05/sinister-side-of-butterflies-iii.html#comment-form

Thursday 13 September 2012

Does Humor Have You Cracking Up?

Yeah, ok, maybe not one of my better titles for a blog entry (as a segue for the link to cracked.com, get it?). Thought I'd share a site that you might find humorous, albeit a bit sarcastic, and sometimes off color. They do have lots of interesting bits of useless information that you can impress your friends with. :)

Like the article that is titled 5 Pieces of Junk that Turned Out to be Invaluable Artifacts

The tale about the Stradivarius is incredible! And if you follow the link you will see that it is documented and true. Truth can be stranger than fiction, as the saying goes.






Saturday 8 September 2012

It Depends On How You Look At It





The last few weeks have been times to reflect what I think, how I perceive, and what I think the Lord wants me to consider valuable and important. I realize that often times what I think is most valuable and important really isn't anything special in "the grand scheme of things" and what truly is important often gets trampled underfoot, and thrown out. (I think this is why I am such a clutter bug/hoarder. I'm always afraid that what I throw out will be thing thing I will really regret throwing out and soon after throwing out discover that I really needed it, sigh) .

I've been trying to pay more attention to those things that speak huge truths quietly, to listen carefully to sermons, and not just throw a sermon out because I disagree on one point....and who knows? I might be off (probably am) on my full understanding of that one point and how I should actually deal with it. Instead, I want to really listen for the gems that are there, that the Lord knows I need to hear.

Lord open my ears that I might hear, and my eyes that I might see, those things that you see I truly have need of. Help me to not shut my ears to you because the bearer of your message to me disagrees with me on one point.

...and Romans 8:28 always comes to mind. :)

A wonderful sermon that truly blessed me:

Exercises in Missing the Point

Wednesday 29 August 2012

When to Keep Silent




Let me just say right off the bat that I have a problem with keeping my mouth shut when it is probably best that I do. Is my saying something every time I feel the urge to do so really that important to God? Speaking the truth in love, even when it seems unloving to the world is certainly important and necessary, is it not? Yes, AND, however, the Lord also wants us to do so with wisdom and compassion and love with the eternal consequences ever before us.

A long while back, a friend in the Lord gave me this illustration to help me understand what I was doing wrong. He said:

Say you have a cat. This cat loves fresh salmon. One day you put down a dish of fresh, yummy salmon for your cat, and your cat decided, for whatever reason, that he wasn't hungry yet. You, on the other hand, decide that it is time for the cat to eat the salmon you have placed before him, and you want him to eat it NOW. So you take the cat by the scruff of the neck and start jamming this yummy salmon down the cat's throat. This cat might never want to eat salmon again, especially if it is coming from you. 

Sigh. Wise words.

James 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Now having said that, I don't want to confuse the saying or not saying with something that is similar but ever so different. I also see this being done today, and it is just as wrong as saying things that need to be left to the Holy Spirit to convict the person of in His own time. What I mean is, it is also wrong to not say something because one wants to feign being "loving" but it comes out of a fear of losing the other person's affection. We are to speak the truth in love. That doesn't mean going on and on about something when the person stopped listening hours ago. It also doesn't mean not saying anything at all. It is somewhere in the middle. We need to have the wisdom to speak the truth in love, once, maybe twice AT MOST, and then leave it with the Lord to do His work in the life of that person, and just show that person how much you love him in the Lord.

Have I perfected this? No. It is still something the Lord is working with me on, to develop that wisdom of when to speak, and when to STOP IT and let Him do His work...this is difficult for me, extremely so. I go from one extreme (to go on and on about something) to the other (to not say anything at all, and do a "loving act" phoney as can be).

Thankfully, the Lord knows what to do with a few measly loaves and fishes (my feeble and much less than  perfect offerings), and make them abound with His good nourishment for the soul. :)

Thursday 9 August 2012

Pictures 2


Looking through photos this morning, thought I'd post a few. The above was taken April 3, 2011 at the ferry going from Marine City to Canada. Too bad people had to drop their trash there :( Can you see the bits of snow and ice floating on the water? If you click on the picture, you can view the pics in this posting a bit larger (if you are like me and benefit from the larger images)

Also found some beautiful shots of trees:




the above 2 were taken of the same tree May 3, 2011, in Detroit, MI
about a half hour before I was to clock in for work that day :)


 taken May 3, 2011  
a couple of streets over from where the pink tree is in Detroit, MI


I took this one November 9, 2011 same area in Detroit, MI
(a few blocks from where I work)...
this (red brick) home on the corner looks empty/abandoned


the red tree is what inspired me to take some pictures that day (November 9, 2011)
I decided to stop that day before going in to work, since I had a few minutes to spare


I have many more pictures stored in my computer, but I have so much to get done today...maybe another day I'll post more of them.



Tuesday 7 August 2012

Through a Child's Eyes



I wrote this for my college composition class. We had to write about a memory. This memory is about our move from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1964. I still wonder at how different things looked back then, compared to now. I'm having trouble with how it is formatting to this blog...been fighting it for over an hour, sigh...


The Redwood Trees
My car idles gently as I sit in my car watching a train whisk by in front of me with a thunderous
whoosh, and I can also feel the pulse that accompanies the sounds of clacking wheels. The rhythmic
sounds and the blur of the passing train cars transport my thoughts back in time. I see myself as a 
little girl nine years of age holding a shopping bag with all of my most treasured belongings. 
Dad had already made sure our big trunks, which contained the bulk of the belongings we chose to bring with us, would be taken to the train's baggage car.Mom had my little brothers in tow;Fred was four years
old and Patrick was only two. Chicago, the doctor had said, was bad for my mom's mental and
physical health, and therefore had advised my parents to move to a new location. We waited and tried to 
occupy ourselves until it was time to board our train. Dad had shared the picture with us that was on the 
brochure he had brought home from a travel agency. The picture showed tall redwood trees, a whole forest 
of them, and he proclaimed excitedly “That's where we are going, Susan!”. Living in a forest of redwood 
trees had filled me with anticipation. I wondered what would it be like
 to live in a forest. We had always lived in a city, however, before we came to America the buildings 
were nowhere near as tall as they were in the city of Chicago.
 Living in a redwood forest would be a completely different way of life, and it would be a whole new
beginning for us.
Just before reaching the station dad had gotten us a little carton of fried rice, one of the little “to go”
boxes, from a Chinese food restaurant. We had all shared a few bites of it while we were waiting. That
rice was delicious, however, I was still hungry after those few bites because it was dinnertime and those few bites weren't enough to fill my hungry tummy. I held on to my daddy's hand with my right hand as my left hand still held onto my grocery bag's handles tightly. It was finally time to go to our train. We hurried to the platform where our train awaited us. It was going to be a long ride from Chicago to California. I set my bag at my feet in front of me, and then leaned back into my seat. I was seated in a middle seat, and was not by a window, but there really wasn't all that much to see out of the window. People were scurrying this way and that on the platform as they rushed to board the train. I reached in front of me and dug into my bag. I had put
some Hopjes coffee candy into my bag of my personal treasures and the hunger in my tummy now
urged me to find them. I first had to move my Chinese wind chimes that were made of delicate glass. 
 
The chimes had to be placed on top of everything so that they wouldn't be crushed and be broken by
the weight of the rest of my stuff. I loved the sound of the musical tinkling of those chimes. Maybe I
would be able to hang them from the branch of a redwood tree. The chimes would look so lovely
hanging on a tree. They tinkled merrily while I held them up with my left hand, and dug through my
bag with my right. 
 
The candies were way at the bottom, beneath my sweater and underneath my favorite doll, the only doll I was allowed to bring with me. There were several other dolls and stuff that the
limitations of what we could bring on our move had forced me to leave in Chicago. When I found the
candy package I removed one piece, and then returned the rest of the candy, and my Chinese chimes,
carefully into my shopping bag.I had taken a ride on a train once before. When we first came to America from the Netherlands, we came to the U.S. by boat. The exodus of that previous time took us through Ellis Island, and from there, we quickly transferred onto a train headed west for Chicago because my mom insisted that we could not remain in New York. She did not like what she had heard about that big city. She did not realize that Chicago was also a big city with huge, intimidating high rises. In all her life she had never seen such buildings, and she felt suffocated by them. The highrises blocked out so much of the sky, and
they were dirty and gray. I thought about the big redwood trees. Those huge trees would also be very
tall and would block out much of the beautiful blue sky, but redwood trees are beautiful and natural,
and they are not at all like the ugly buildings of concrete and glass. I pondered these thoughts as I sat
there enjoying my coffee flavored candy. 
 
I had been given a coloring book and crayons at the train station. Sitting quietly in my seat, I sud-
denly got the urge to do some coloring. Reaching back into my bag my tinkling chimes had to come up
again, this time to seek out my crayons and coloring book. I would reach into my bag several times
during the trip, sometimes during the middle of the night, to the consternation of the other train pass-
engers as I blessed the sleeping passengers with the beautiful sounds of those tinkling chimes.
The train ride seemed to go on and on forever. My dad changed seats with me so I could look out
through the window as we continued on our long journey. Whenever we came to a curving bend in the
train's tracks, I could look back and see other train cars behind ours, and when there was no bend in the
tracks, I could only see the countryside. Mostly I saw farmlands with green plants in long and pretty
rows, or I saw cows grazing in pastures. Sometimes we passed through wooded and hilly areas, and
then everything would go dark while we went through a tunnel that went deep into the inside of a
mountain. Then we would come out of the mountain tunnel on the other side, to see daylight once
again. 
 
When my gaze turned from the window it  almost seemed as though we were not moving at all. The
low rumbling sounds of the wheels moving along the tracks, and the vibration of our movement with in the train car were the only things, other than the view of passing scenery seen through the window, that
gave evidence that the train was constantly moving.
Hour after hour we continued on toward our destination. Santa Fe All the Way, was the slogan
printed on my coloring book, and on the inside were outlines of a little Indian boy tracking a bunny
rabbit. The Indian boy that was pictured on the inside pages of the coloring book was the same little
boy who was pictured on the train company's logo. 
 
I noticed that the sounds of the wheels were slowing, and outside the window I could see buildings
and streets. We were stopping in this town so I tried to see if I could find any glimpse of the redwood
forest. There was not a trace of huge trees anywhere, so I looked at my dad with a questioning look. He
smiled knowing my thoughts and said “We are in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We still have a long way to
go.” I sighed as I settled back into my comfortable spot. I had grown tired of coloring. I had colored
almost every page of my entire coloring book. I put the coloring book back into my bag . My eyes
grew heavy and I fell sound asleep. 
 
Wake up, Susan” It was my mom telling me it was time to leave the train. We had arrived at our
destination at last. Oh the excitement of it, I would get to see those beautiful reddish brown tree trunks
of the huge redwood trees. I held on tightly to my bag as we were herded off the train. My legs felt a
little funny and wobbly from being in my seat for so long. It was good to be standing again. “Where is
daddy?” I asked my mom. “He has to get the rest of our luggage” was mom's answer to me. I could
hardly wait to leave the station so our eyes could celebrate the vision of those beautiful trees.
When we stepped outside of the station, there was hardly a tree in sight. The trees that I did see
were hardly more than large shrubs compared to the trees that were pictured on the brochures. I asked
my dad “Daddy, where are the big redwood trees?” He simply laughed at me and said “We are in Los
Angeles, honey.” I had to simply accept the fact that this was something only grownups would know the answer to, and not a little kid like me.
 
Now that I look back, I chuckle at my innocent naivete. The picture of the redwood forest on the cover of 
the brochure was not a picture of our destination, but it was simply a picture of something California is 
famous for. It was just one example of the many things that I would get wrong, like the time I believed that 
using a certain shampoo would make my comb float through my hair all by itself, just like the comb floated 
through the woman's hair in the commercial after she used that shampoo. Life was going to be different from
 how it was before, but it would also be very different from how I had imagined it would be.
The clacking sounds of the train grow softer and softer, and slowly fade into the distance. The 
  gates that separate my car from the railway tracks slowly rise up. All the cars around me begin to stir 
  as if coming back to life again. Looking at the clock on the dashboard I notice that almost five minutes 
  have gone by while I was waiting for the train to pass. As I rush over the tracks I hope to myself that
  this little interruption in my day does not cause me to be late for work. Maybe if I hurry I can make up 
  those lost few minutes and still make it to work on time. 

Check out links to info about railways:  http://www.lariverrailroads.com/

Friday 27 July 2012

Answered Prayers


In Ma's comments yesterday I wrote:

I don't go for the "name it and claim it" stuff, but the Lord does want us to be persistent in asking, [however] sometimes He has something else in mind than what we are asking for...only He knows the full picture, we only see it in part, and then we ask amiss because we narrowly desire something that misses that bigger picture.

It is truly a trust issue, where even if our prayers seem to fail, God never fails in doing the right thing.


Lucy has been improving, Praise the Lord! She looks much different from that picture (above) taken about a year and a half ago. Her latest test came up clear of cancer, and the fact that she still lives is of course truly a miracle. 
However, if we don't get what we ask for, if Lucy had passed away, could it be because we didn't ask enough? Or didn't say the "right words"? Or because God forgot about showing us His mercy in her situation? 

There are many times He answers "no" to our requests for healing. Why is that?

A young woman I work with recently had a surgery to try to solve her sleep apnea problems. She is a beautiful person, inside and out. She always had kind things to say about others. She had a beautiful laugh and a gorgeous smile. She's an architect who just prior to her surgery, did some work for FEMA. She loves helping people. The day after her surgery a few months ago, she lapsed into a coma. She came out of the coma a couple of weeks later, barely functioning, barely and only sometimes able to follow simple commands. We who know her beg the Lord for a healing touch to restore the beautiful friend and family member to us. So far the answer has been "no"... or maybe it is "wait". 

I think about the lessons Jesus taught with His life while He was here amongst us. Why did He wait until Lazarus was completely dead before restoring him? Weren't his sister's faithful enough in their prayers and their grief? And what about those who do not ever have their loved ones restored to them in this life? Does it mean that they (or the Lord? we know this would be impossible, but there are those of course who blame to Lord for not giving them a "yes" to their requests for healing) were not faithful? Does the Lord always allow sickness for the reason of displaying His awesome power of healing through answered prayer? If He doesn't heal is it because we are doing something wrong?... because He is angry with us over some other thing that He is punishing us for? Is it to teach us patience and trust in Him, even in losing such precious loved ones?

I really don't know the answer to these questions. I don't know why He sometimes answers "yes" and other times in seemingly identical situations the answer is "no". Certainly we need to continue to be persistent in our asking.

Luk 11:5  And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
Luk 11:6  For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
Luk 11:7  And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
Luk 11:8  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Luk 11:9  And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Luk 11:10  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Luk 11:11  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Luk 11:12  Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Is this promising a complete healing in this life, of body, mind and soul? Or is this talking about something else?

But, like I stated in Ma's comments section, we might not know why the Lord does (or doesn't do) what He does, but He does know what He is doing, and He does it perfectly even when it isn't the way we think it would best showcase His love and perfection. He is perfect. Our understanding of that is not perfect, not even close. Everything, the good, the bad, and everything in between, will end up for good in those who are His and called according to His purpose. I cling to that promise. (Romans 8:28)

Added thought:

 ...thinking more about this....what disturbs me about this is that it seems like we look to God as a genie that we have to "rub the right way" to get what we want.... like we are his experimental creatures along the lines of "Pavlov's dogs". I know this isn't what our relationship with Him should be, however it often strikes me that often what I see is that kind of conditioning in how we are to ask and receive, and I don't think that is what the Lord desires of us at all.
 

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Pictures

I confess that I'm not very good at the techy part of picture taking, it took me almost an hour just to figure out how to unload my memory card onto my computer (I usually wait until I get someone to do it for me, sheesh)....

The first image is one I took (in Michigan) July 17th. I decided to stop at the store after work. When I came out of the store, pushing my full shopping cart, I looked up and saw a gorgeous cloud capped with golden light. By the time I got to my car and got the camera out, the golden top had reduced to a small outline of what looked so glorious a minute before:






Sorry I missed it, If I only quit shopping a minute or two earlier!

A few that I took July 9th (also Michigan):









Some pictures I took two and a half weeks ago while in Canada turned out kinda nice. I've been wanting to take some pictures of farms and barns. Here's a sampling:











These were "snapped up" while driving. You can see a bit of motion blur in the foreground.

These were also taken the same day, just driving around:










and a couple of pictures of someone's little home that I just love:





 and these that I took just before leaving Canada (St Claire, Ontario):






and on ferry , leaving Somba, Ontario back to Marine City, Michigan:



Thursday 12 July 2012

Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt

I received the following email and agree that this is information that needs to be shared and passed on, so I am:
First of all, I hope that you don't mind me contacting you. My name is Guy Evans and with my co-host James Wilson, we have started a podcast called 'Smells Like Human Spirit'. The podcast, which is designed to be informative and entertaining, discusses world events, the current state of human consciousness, cultural trends, and more. 

I thought that you and your readers may be interested to know that on Wednesday 11th July, we interviewed Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt, author of 'The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America' and Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education during the first term of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. In our talk, we discussed, among other things:

The deliberate intent of those in government to use the classroom as a springboard to promote collectivism over individualism;
The shifting focus in Education from that of true learning to workforce training;
How operant conditioning is used to establish a stimulus-response culture in schools;
Why the self-proclaimed 'elites' view human beings as resources to serve economies;
The internationalist approach to Education and its link to proposed world government. 

The episode is on Youtube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G3xAb9wI1w The mp3 for download is up on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/smells-like-human-spirit-podcast/id530984313); while people can also access www.smellslikepodcast.com for an archive of all episodes of the podcast, and join the podcast community page at www.facebook.com/smellslikehumanspirit.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could post this on your blog, and let me know what you think.

Many thanks,
Guy.
I hope you will take time to look up other Youtube interviews with Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt. She is a very bright woman that got a "behind the scenes glimpse" of what is going on, and who doesn't mince words. Also, if you glance to the right side bar you will see some links that I keep posted there on this topic  :)

Like Dorothy said to Toto: "I don't think we are in Kansas anymore".