.
[Also, 'THE LAST WALTZ' - Part 2 Of 2]
Continued from PART ONE.
[Also, 'THE LAST WALTZ' - Part 2 Of 2]
Continued from PART ONE.
 |
| 'THE RISEN CHRIST' - YARNELL, ARIZONA |
You can think of this blog bit as a combination book review & personal State Of The Union address. The book is ‘THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD'. And by “a personal State Of The Union address”, I don’t mean my opinion about the condition of the country right now. (You don’t need me or anyone else to tell you about that! You can see and feel it for yourself.) What I mean is my view of the condition of my own personal mind, body, and spirit union.
One night I was reading some book reviews when I came across a review and some comments posted by a guy named Micah who went by the pseudonym The Heavy Revy. In a couple of comments directed to certain individuals, he wrote the following:
I'd also recommend the book "The Problem of Life with God" by Tommy Nelson. It is the greatest book I've ever read and I've read thousands. If you are struggling with the hard things of life, this book will bless your heart and strengthen your faith. It is a MUST read. … If I had to recommend one book for every Christian to read, it would be this one. It is an awesome book. Hope you find a copy and enjoy it. God bless.
Micah
Well, 'The Heavy Revy', Micah, seemed like a really nice guy with a heart for God. And an A-list book recommendation like that is something I simply couldn't resist, so I purchased a copy of 'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD: Living With A Perfect God In An Imperfect World' by pastor Tommy Nelson (2002).
After reading the book for the first time, I felt disappointed. The Heavy Revy's enthusiasm for the book seemed so stellar that naturally my expectation was unrealistically high. I was anticipating something mind-blowing that was going to instantly transform my life. But when I finished the book, my thinking was more like: That's it? That's the greatest book amongst thousands? Gee, what a letdown.
But then about two days later a funny thing happened. And by “a funny thing” what I mean is that God pulled a great, Divine trick on me. Illingworth was right – no matter what move we make on The Chessboard Of Life, God has a way of responding that can turn the board completely around. God is THE Master of masters when it comes to the game of chess ...and life.
A couple days after I finished 'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD' and felt the disappointment with it, I suddenly got the urge to look up some little detail in the book. When I say a little detail, I mean something incredibly stupid, Stupid, STUPID!...
Numerous times in 'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD' author and pastor Tommy Nelson mentions “Rocky Road ice cream”. Now lemme tell ya sumpin': I loves me some ice cream! I could happily live on nuttin' but ice cream. However, I have never particularly cared for 'Rocky Road' ice cream. I mean, it's OK, but it would perhaps be the variety of ice cream I would buy ONLY if NO other choice was open to me.
But for some totally incomprehensible reason I suddenly felt compelled to locate the very first place in the book where Tommy Nelson mentioned 'Rocky Road' ice cream. I had NO IDEA why I should look for that, but the urge was completely overwhelming. So I took my book off the shelf again and started flipping through it. And here's the “little miracle” that God performed: He HID the first reference to 'Rocky Road' ice cream from me! I did find that type of ice cream mentioned in several places but I could tell by the wording that these were not the FIRST mention of 'Rocky Road'.
I kid you not, I spent literally a couple HOURS trying to find what I HAD to find, but I couldn't find it. Now I was ticked off because I'd wasted hours of my time and had scanned every single page where it had to be. I mean, I was going through every chapter page by page but if it was on any of those pages it was completely invisible to my eyes.
I'm a fairly easy-going guy, but I DO have a stubborn streak that arises from time to time (got it from my Ma who got it from her Pa) and God knows this about me. Buried below my usually calm exterior is a stubbornness and a strong will that can make me as determined as a dog digging up a yard because it KNOWS it buried a good bone somewhere in that yard.
So, finally my frustration built up to such a peak that I got angry and thought: FINE! I'll just read this whole damned book again and find that first reference to 'Rocky Road' ice cream!
And that is the ONLY reason that three days after completing 'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD' I read the entire book a second time, cover-to-cover!
But guess what! After reading the book a second time, already knowing everything in it, so I had no unrealistic expectations, I found that I REALLY LIKED THE BOOK! Apparently, God had intended for me to give the book a second chance, and so first, He planted this unexplainable compulsion (NOT “compelsion”, Barney!) in me to find the initial mention of 'Rocky Road' ice cream in the book. Then He literally HID the reference from my eyes, and utilized my stubborn streak to force me to read Tommy Nelson's book again.
Below are just some of the passages that I particularly enjoyed, passages that really said things that I KNOW I was meant to read again and take to heart:
'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD:
Living With A Perfect God In An Imperfect World'
by Tommy Nelson (copyright 2002)
The book of Ecclesiastes is amazing. It answers some of the most troubling questions we face as men and women:
…
How can I keep from becoming bitter toward God?
How do I deal with the uncertainty of life?
What do I do when I'm not sure of God's will?
…
As a pastor, most of the heartfelt questions I get asked have to do with what is called the problem of evil: If God is sovereign, He is powerful enough to eliminate evil. If He is good, He would. Since evil clearly exists, God must not be sovereign or He must not be good.
~ page 1
Nature is not heading toward a climactic point but is performing an endless cycle of the same thing every day. You can almost hear the “pocketa pocketa” of the cosmic machine's gears and pistons in motion.
~ page 14
What is the most important verse in the Bible? That's easy. It's Genesis 1:1 - “In the beginning God...” If you want to understand reality, you have to start with God.
~ page 39
In some ways, we'll have as much of a problem with God as we had without Him in the first few chapters [of Ecclesiastes]. That's something I love about the Book of Ecclesiastes: Solomon is brutally honest.
~ page 43
Yet God turned the most evil thing that has ever happened into the best thing that has ever happened. Today we can celebrate Jesus's suffering and death because He triumphed over sin and rose from the grave. For three days, it didn't make sense. On the third day, everything became clear. Jesus had been “delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23)
~ page 57
Can't [God] take your situations and use them for His good? Will He explain it all to you? He will not. God doesn't promise that there will be a “third day” when we will understand all the bad things that have happened in our lives. But He does give us the promises we need to place all our trust in Him. He requires one thing of you in the face of this uncertainty: Don't let what you can't control destroy what you can enjoy.
~ page 58
God has rigged life so that we have to trust Him even though it doesn't always make sense.
~ page 60
Solomon reiterates his earlier point: Do not let what you can't understand destroy what you can enjoy. As encouraged in the previous chapter, go eat some Rocky Road, find some good friends, and read a good book. Go catch a baseball game. Choose a beautiful afternoon, grab your friends and go sit in the stands, get a cold drink and a Snickers, and enjoy the game because we're all going to die someday.
Do you know what the word “lot” means in [Ecclesiastes 3] verse 22? It means a heritage – an inheritance. God gives you fun times right now. God gives you Rocky Road – that's the Hebrew. Don't live in constant fear of what might happen.
~ page 63
[“Most things I worry about never happen anyway”. ~Tom Petty / 'Crawling Back To You']
We are always shaped by pain.
~ page 98
A wise man knows God can change things in a heartbeat. Anytime God wants to, He can turn your world upside down. So a wise man rests in the sovereignty of God, rather than taking matters in his own hands.
So if you have trouble that is heavy on you right now, know that it's all in the sovereign purposes of God. Change what you can change. Be wise. But in what you can't change, rest in the sovereignty of God.
~ page 132
Remain poised. ...Keep listening. Take the first fruits of your wealth and give them to the Lord. Spend time every day in your Bible and prayer. Check yourself for moral purity.
On things you can't control, you can rest.
~ page 133
I know I'm not in control. If the results depended on me, I'd be worried sick. But it's not up to me, it's up to God, and He's a lot more dependable than I am.
I know Who holds tomorrow even if I don't know what tomorrow holds.
~ page 134
In a game of chess, different pieces occupy squares all over the board. The pawns, bishops, rooks, knights, queens, and kings have different abilities and positions of power. But at the end of the game, where do all the pieces end up? In a box.
Solomon says that life is the same way. The righteous and the unrighteous, the moral and the immoral, the goody-two-shoes and the low-down, no-good[nik], egg-sucking dog – they all die. Every last one of them will end up in a box.
~ page 145
Have you asked God to forgive you and surrendered your life to Christ in repentance and faith? Let me encourage you to deal with this issue right now.
If you evaluate this world based on the here and now, you'll be frustrated, confused, and depressed.
Even in difficult times, remember that your day will come.
~ page 155
But how do you live confidently and boldly when you're not sure how things are going to turn out?
~ page 174
Solomon is saying to live boldly and let the chips fall where they may. Live fearlessly in a life you can't always control. If you live scared, you won't have a life. … Still, you have to find balance. Don't let your boldness make you foolish. You can't gamble everything because nothing is a sure bet.
~ page 175
God will get you to His destination, but en route He makes sure you go through things that force you to trust Him.
~ page 176
Too many Christians freeze because they don't know what God wants them to do. They suffer from a paralysis of analysis. When facing a decision in their lives, they want God to tell them exactly what their choices should be. Does God have to tell you what to do? Will God tell you what to do?
~ page 178
I feel the following paragraphs address the idea that I, personally, was MOST meant to take away from Tommy Nelson's book, although there were plenty of other important lessons for me to meditate upon which I found within this excellent publication:
There is a difference between right or wrong decisions and right or left decisions. In the Bible, the will of God always refers to moral choices – decisions where one path leads to sin and the other to righteousness. For these right or wrong decisions, we can know the will of God. It's found in the Bible. We need to pray and pursue the path of righteousness.
For the right or left decisions, God is under no obligation to reveal His plan to us. More than likely, He will not. That's why in Ecclesiastes Solomon says you just have to be bold and act.
Too often, Christians are looking for a no-fault deal. We try to do insider trading with God to get some information that will show us which choice is best for us. But God doesn't do insider trading. He does not reveal His plan to men. ...
God won't tell your fortune; He has already told you your duty. If it's a right or left decision, pray about it and then boldly follow your heart. Instead of withdrawing, let the uncertainties of life make you more faithful.
~ page 179
You have to venture out boldly and let the sovereignty of God be your comfort, not your excuse. Try lots of different things. You never know which ones God will choose to bless. Give yourself every chance to succeed.
Let God be God. Do what you have to do and then trust God's sovereignty.
Even when it doesn't cooperate, life is still an amazing adventure.
[Yeah, I'm looking at you, Nitro!]
~ page 180
We ask, “Should I take this job or that job?” Which job do you want to take? Take it.
If something is not against God's law, you can do it just because you want to. God wants us to enjoy life. We don't always have to turn everything into a mystical decision. If you love God, do what you want to do. God will control things in His sovereignty.
Quit being a worrywart. You can't enjoy life if you're always scared. Live large, go for it, and have fun within the context of holiness.
~ page 183
Read your Bible all the way through every year.
[This recommendation I've already been doing for about the last 20 years. No matter how disheartening my life has become over the years, I never stopped reading The Holy Bible. I can say that much for me.]
~
page 185
There's a story told on pages 204 & 205 that brought a tear or two to my eyes. It's about a Russian woman in Paris encountering a pastor's wife on her way to Detroit by way of Chicago. [Sounds like it could be a pretty WILD SONG.]
But I've decided not to tell that whole story here. If you want to know it, buy Tommy Nelson's book 'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD'. I'll just type the closing few sentences of that nonfiction story below:
You don't have to have great faith, but rather the simple faith of trusting Him with childlike innocence. No matter what you are going through, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
There's a story told on pages 204 & 205 that brought a tear or two to my eyes. It's about a Russian woman in Paris encountering a pastor's wife on her way to Detroit by way of Chicago. [Sounds like it could be a pretty WILD SONG.]
But I've decided not to tell that whole story here. If you want to know it, buy Tommy Nelson's book 'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD'. I'll just type the closing few sentences of that nonfiction story below:
You don't have to have great faith, but rather the simple faith of trusting Him with childlike innocence. No matter what you are going through, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The Bible can sometimes seem overwhelming. But the entire Bible was written to bring you to one point.
~ page 205
DON'T WAIT FOR GOD TO REVEAL YOUR FUTURE; OBEY GOD AND FOLLOW YOUR HEART.
We ought not to be paralyzed by fear of the future. We know that God cares for us. If we are seeking to love Him, we ought to follow our dreams and step out in faith to serve Him.
~
page 209
God will determine the outcome. It's our job to walk faithfully with Him along the way.
In the New Testament, there are 1,934 verses that quote the words of Jesus. Almost ten percent of these contain an Old Testament quotation or allusion. Jesus knew the Word of God. … Are you actively applying God's Word to your life?
~ page 211
One problem for me is that I’ve always been expecting this one big moment to occur when God would reveal His plan for me and help me to achieve it. But Tommy Nelson (and Tom Petty) have set me straight on that:
Tom Petty: “Everybody’s waiting on something that hasn’t come yet.”
‘YOU CAN STILL CHANGE YOUR MIND
(You Can Change Your Feelings)’
God will determine the outcome. It's our job to walk faithfully with Him along the way.
In the New Testament, there are 1,934 verses that quote the words of Jesus. Almost ten percent of these contain an Old Testament quotation or allusion. Jesus knew the Word of God. … Are you actively applying God's Word to your life?
~ page 211
One problem for me is that I’ve always been expecting this one big moment to occur when God would reveal His plan for me and help me to achieve it. But Tommy Nelson (and Tom Petty) have set me straight on that:
Tom Petty: “Everybody’s waiting on something that hasn’t come yet.”
‘YOU CAN STILL CHANGE YOUR MIND
(You Can Change Your Feelings)’
It's gonna be another hard night
You wanna take it all alone
You wanna face up to your trouble
You wanna face up to your soul
And, baby, you can have it any way you want it
You just get a little lost from time to time
Sometimes it gets a little crazy
Somewhere down inside
But you can still change your mind
You can change your feelings
You can change your mind
Everybody wants all the world can give 'em
Everybody wants to get all they can get
Everybody's waiting on something
That hasn't come yet
And you can hide it for a little while, honey
You can try and just lose it for awhile
Then it's gonna do something to ya
Somewhere down inside
But you can still change your mind
You can change your feelings
You can change your mind
Yeah, and it gets harder by the minute, girl
Oh, it gets harder every day
Listen to me, darlin', oh, you don't have to wait
It's alright, you can still change your mind
You can change your feelings
Just hold tight, EGBOK
If you change your mind
You can change your feelings
God bless Robin, because she seemed to echo and verify messages I felt I'd already received from God via the books 'GOD OF HOPE', 'BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW', and 'THE PROBLEM OF LIFE WITH GOD'.
In the Numerology Chart analysis that my friend Robin Emailed to me (as mentioned in greater detail HERE), she included the following insightful paragraph:
Once again, the 5 has popped up. I like "this vibration is called to transform our daily lives." When you achieve the destiny of the 5... kaboom. Yes, it is in conflict with your Life Path (that dratted 4 that longs for security), but when you can let go and just let those horses run and trust the double 7s to keep you spiritually grounded your life will be one huge adventure. You just have to LET GO. That 4 in the 14 isn't helping you achieve this destiny, so be very aware of it.
(Me – GIRL WONDER)
Well, in walking away from this blog, in vowing to return to daily meditation sessions, and in abandoning the security of life in Airheadzona (no matter how much I dislike life in Airheadzona) and making the bold move to start life over again in a state where I've never lived and in a city where nobody knows my name, I believe I am indeed following the advice to “let go and just let those horses run and trust the double 7s to keep (me) spiritually grounded”.
This is a “right or left decision”, so I am going to “pray about it and then boldly follow (my) heart”.
On this 'Thanksgiving Day', I am thankful for the ability God has given me to start over and to choose to more fully align myself with Him ...again.
I love y’all – every single one o’ ya.
(Yeah, and I mean YOU, too!)
Ladies and gentlemen (for now anyway),
"Stephen has left the blogging."
We
Have Fallen Asleep In God's Embrace,
Having A Nightmare That We Are Elsewhere.
May You Bless And Be Blessed!
Having A Nightmare That We Are Elsewhere.
May You Bless And Be Blessed!
 |
| ADIOS Y... |
 |
| ...VAYA CON DIOS. |
"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
~ Jeremiah 29:11
(aka Denleilu 03:18)
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
POSTSCRIPT:
I will continue to publish and respond to comments left on this 'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends' blog for as long as I'm able to (see 'Ye Olde Comment Policy' below). I also intend to keep my blog STMcC Presents 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' operational for as long as there's an interest in it. I post new music “Battles” there on the 1st and 15th of each month. Feel free to meet me there, to comment and vote. I'd love to interact with you, whoever ya are.
YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
As you know from my Sunday Messages, God deals with me in many of these same ways. He has to break the stubborn dependance on our world-view to allow us to move as we should.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the deal was always control. I had to get to a point of almost letting my life fall apart a second time before I looked around me at a dilapidated trailer, a plunging thermostat, and a set of frozen pipes- and a lady and a dog depending on me, I thought- and say, "Y'know what? I need to let someone else take care of this. Someone who's SUPPOSED to take care of it." From that point on, I have looked at things on a need/no need to control basis, and things go a lot better.
I want you to know I appreciate your part in my walk. You have challenged me, more often than not, and a challenge from a fellow pilgrim is better than all the back slaps from people heading the other way.
I pray that your move and changes are successful, but please remember, it's not the place that makes the difference, it's the person. In trying to re-connect with God, be assured that you will have to re-connect with yourself as well.
"Remember, self-reflection is never a negative task for a wise man..." paraphrasing the Vision to Captain America.
My hope is that, when you come out the other side of this, you will share- if not the circumstances, for they are yours- the lessons that come from it.
The Jeremiah verse has brought me through a lot of things. And reading it out of context messed me up really good, too. Remember the Kalko Rule- ten verse on each side to get the context.
Now it's time to work on me- and the reconnect I need to do. May God richly bless your walk.
BROTHER MARTIN ~
DeleteThanks for the very nice comment.
>>... a lady and a dog depending on me
Hmmm... All my ladies WERE dogs.
Ha! That's total bovine excrement but I couldn't pass it up. You know me, I favor a fair joke over a great truth most of the time.
I always figured you hated me challenging things. Goes to show what I know. (Nuttin' 'bout NUTTIN'.)
I well remember that great line: When you get there, the first person you're going to meet is YOU. (That's why I've decided not to take me with me.)
I'll be OK because I know God cares enough about me to send signs and warnings (and sometimes little miracles). And Jesus actually came for me when I wasn't looking for Him or even thinking about Him at all. He saw that I was screwing up my life and actually stepped out to haul me in. So... I don't even think He would permit me to mess things up too badly (thank Heaven!)
The Jeremiah verse... yeah, very comforting. And there's a story behind that, part of it being that the Jeremiah verse abuts my butt. (It's engraved on a metal plate on my wallet - a wallet that came to me under odd circumstances and which I believe was truly meant as a message from The Master Chess Player to me, to help me in this time o' trouble.)
Thanks again for the cool comment, CW, it's much appreciated.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Oh, and I ordered the book.
ReplyDeleteI assume you're referring to the Tommy Nelson book. You will like it.
DeleteBut I still think 'BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW' is the best book about Jesus (aside from The Bible) that I have read.
If you've not read Eldredge's book, I simply can't overhype that one, it's so good.
~ McDogg
Stephen, I wish you all the best and I hope your re-connection turns a spotlight on the next path for you to follow. Above all, believe...when your belief falters, have faith...
ReplyDelete“This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”
― Corrie ten Boom
CHERDO ~
DeleteUhm... you mean my parents weren't really from the devil after all?
I'm kidding. I had a really great relationship with both of my parents. They were also best friends of mine.
Thanks for the encouragement!
It sounds like you think I won't be around anymore. Not so fast, Sister! You can put that champagne back on ice. Just because there will be no new blog bits HERE doesn't mean I won't still leave smart-assed comments on other people's blogs. You haven't heard the last of STMcC!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Whew! I can breathe again. (Ha ha ha).
DeleteI've told you for years I'd be bummed to see you go, Stephen, but you NEED a change of scenery.
ReplyDeleteWhile it was nowhere near as bad as 1998-1999, my last two years in Philly I was in kind of a funk-failed relationships, growing apart from friends I'd had since kindergarten...I needed a change.
And while my mood then (1993) was nowhere near as dark as yours has been the last couple of years, I did what you are about to do-moved where no one knew me and I knew no one, to a place I'd never lived...and it was the best move of my life.
The first change (two years in Connecticut) was bad, both in situation and financially, but it set me up for the move to AZ, which was a good one on all levels.
While I regret a little bit being as distance as I was from my parents for their last two decades, their comment the one time they came to visit was that they had not seen me happy in years, and that made the distance worthwhile for them.
So I'd encourage you to get out of Dodge.
What's the worst case scenario?
You like the new state even less than Airheadzona.
So what? There are 47 others for you to try.
It seems to me that that same Chess Master you blog about above always seems to provide the necessities, and you've covered the foolishness of worrying, so there's nothing holding you back.
You need to find your way to happiness, my friend.
Life truly is a gift, and He truly is a generous God, and even in these Obama-infused times there is much to love about this country and no reason to stay in a situation that does not agree with you.
There's a line in the movie "The Bucket List," which would make my favorites list these days, that goes something like "find the joy in your life."
I truly want that for you, my friend.
You deserve it, and God put plenty in this world that will help you experience it.
You just have to go look for it.
HOWEVER....moving out of state does not get you off the hook for those Blizzards you owe me! I'll be up one of these days to collect.
MR. D. CONNECTED, it is my sad duty to inform you that Stephen committed suicide using a raw artichoke, a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup, and a Korean War dog tag. (Don't ask - believe me, you don't want to know!)
DeleteHey, wait, LC, don't go away! It's really me - dead and loving it!
Where I'm going, I'll probably be able to scrape your Blizzards right off my front yard. And you can eat 'em on my porch 'cause I ain't lettin' ya in!
[:-)}
>>... What's the worst case scenario? You like the new state even less than Airheadzona. So what? There are 47 others for you to try.
First of all, it's completely beyond my imagination that the new state could be worse than THIS state (which is a state of stupidity if ever there was one). Secondly, according to America's president, there would be 57 states remaining for me to try, having already given up on the other 3 that make up our total of 60 states in the onion-- ...union.
60 STATES IN THE ONION
Seriously, thanks so much for the very good wishes.
I'm just too old to feel this miserable. You'd think a quart of vodka a day would make me happy, but it's just not enough, and I can't afford more on the paycheck I receive. I need a better paying job because I need more Joy In A Bottle. And we both know I ain't gonna earn enough money to keep me joyful in THIS state.
Plus, as if that weren't enough, I want to shoot a man just to watch him die, but you KNOW I can't do that in Phoenix because that just ain't the way the song goes.
~ McDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Well that's your problem....the vodka.
ReplyDeleteRussians drink a quart of vodka a day, and have you ever seen a happy Russian?
But a quart of tequila a day...have you ever seen a sad Mexican?
Ole!
Well, to be honest, my quart-of-vodka-a-day habit was not inspired by the Russians, but rather by Warren Zevon, and Zevon always seemed rather inspired. Ahhh-Wooooo!
DeleteYou're right about the happy Mexicans. But I tried a quart-of-tequila-a-day just once and wound up in a Mexican jail with a bunch of happy Mexicans. Only drawback was... I was NOT happy. So I guess I just don't have the quart-of-tequila-a-day DNA.
Switching to bourbon beginning now.
Hell, a-quart-of-SOMETHING-a-day ought to make me happy.
You know, I'm a White guy, so obviously the tequila doesn't work. And I'm not a Rock star, so apparently vodka isn't my cuppa joe either.
If the bourbon doesn't work, I may take my Whiteness to Starbucks for a quart-of-joe-a-day. Hell, Whites seem to love Starbucks, and I've never felt affluent enough to step into one, but maybe it's time I Duck Dynasty-ed less and Starbucks-ed more.
"Say, pardon me, but could you spare a Starbucks for a fellow American who's down on his luck?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwVP-8kLMGQ
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I'm surprised the tequila didn't work...drunk Mexicans sing "La Cucaracha," a love song to the cockroach, and are always smiling while they sing it.
DeleteThat's happy!
Just watched the video clip--loved the original but the "enhancement" was pretty funny, too!
ReplyDeleteWell, hell, who doesn't love a cockroach? But the tequila made me hit a happy Mexican ...and that made both of us sad.
DeleteYou know, I'll bet I could make a good chunk of money daily if I stood at a freeway offramp with a cardboard sign that says:
Homeless son of a Veteran. Need a Vanilla Latte from Starbucks. Any change helps. God or Whatever bless you.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I'm about half way through part two. Just so happens your post gave me some ideas for my paper (I'm back in school ya know).
ReplyDeleteI throught a lot on this
He requires one thing of you in the face of this uncertainty: Don't let what you can't control destroy what you can enjoy.
Kids are a calling, as usual. How do I get the time I get to read this. Oh, that's right I almost never do.
Br'er Marc
Three kids six and under. Emphasis on under.
Hey, fantastic to hear from you again, BR'ER MARC!
DeleteHave been thinking about you and miss your input. Very pleased you found time to stop in and have checked out The Last Of F-FFF.
You were always a loyal reader but, believe me, I do know how life can get messy and mess us up. I've been pretty messed up for a couple years now. ...Well, that's why I stockpile prescription sleeping pills. ;-)
~ D-FensDogg
'Rolling Over And Out'
I finally made it all the way through this (better late than never, right?) and while I'm sad to see f-fff finally go, I'm glad to hear that your journey goes on in a direction that (hopefully) gets you closer to the big man upstairs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if The Problem of Life with God is in the same conversation as Beautiful Outlaw, I'll have to check it out. I particularly like this passage you highlighted.
For the right or left decisions, God is under no obligation to reveal His plan to us. More than likely, He will not. That's why in Ecclesiastes Solomon says you just have to be bold and act.
Too often, Christians are looking for a no-fault deal. We try to do insider trading with God to get some information that will show us which choice is best for us. But God doesn't do insider trading. He does not reveal His plan to men. ...
God won't tell your fortune; He has already told you your duty. If it's a right or left decision, pray about it and then boldly follow your heart. Instead of withdrawing, let the uncertainties of life make you more faithful.
As I believe I mentioned to you before, I knew a girl in high school who would pray over everything, I mean EVERYTHING, and one day I witnessed her praying to God to ask Him which sandwich she should take because she was insistent that she follow His plan for literally everything, including what she should eat. Somehow God came through in the clutch and recommended the tuna sandwich. Personally, I think she just really wanted the tuna.
So really, I've always felt more in line with that passage, that God intentionally doesn't tell us those things. I mean, after all, isn't that the joy of life? Getting to experience things for yourself and making your own decisions? Exercising free will? If I could ask God on the fly what I should do today and He just told me, "Well, first you do this, then you do that, then you do this," what fun is that? That's no life.
So that's the longwinded way of saying I'm glad to hear you're being gutsy and trying something new in the interest of attaining God's plan. Because no matter what that plan is, it won't be found sitting on our butts doin' nothing.
~6B
BROTHER BEER BOY BRYAN BODYGUARD BETTY (6-B) ~
DeleteMan, I remember when you were only 3-B. Of course, you weren't as good a friend of mine back in those more B-less days. And that was before you had received your 18 karat gold engraved invitation to join 'THE RETRO THEATRE' club. (You did get that gold invitation in the mail, didn't you? If not, you are not officially authorized to be watching the officially authorized TRT movies with us at the same Bat Time and Bat Channel. In other words, you B an Outlaw!)
>>... I witnessed her praying to God to ask Him which sandwich she should take because she was insistent that she follow His plan for literally everything... God came through in the clutch and recommended the tuna sandwich. Personally, I think she just really wanted the tuna.
No, I have zero doubt that God really did tell her to go with the tuna. God has had a thing about fish ever since He had one swallow Jonah and then had His Son help His followers catch 153 of them after He was supposedly dead. (And, by the way, I loved the way John Eldredge described that scene on page 6 of 'Beautiful Outlaw' - a man-made book that stands alone on the topic of Jesus, even though God obviously wanted me to read 'The Problem Of Life With God' twice instead of just once.)
It was definitely past time I quit this blog. I tried my best for years to shine a light on political (and Spiritual) truth here, but it was very frustrating, and in the end, I feel I only truly reached a few people (although they were good people, fo' sho').
When I think about the fact that all this time later, what is totally obvious to an Aussie bloke about THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING HOAX, but which 99% of the Americonned Sheeple still can't see, it becomes clear to me that I wasn't really meant for this "Edgeukating The Americonned Sheeple" gig, and sawing wood is probably more in line with what God wants me to do (when I'm not munching on tuna sandwiches).
I really don't know what I'm supposed to do, but I DO know I gotta get outta phukin' Phoenix, Airheadzona, and try to reestablish my Meditation link with God and Christ.
And that's EXACTLY what I aim to do... right after I have one more Cruzan Black Strap Hot Buttered Rum for the road.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
What, no F-FFF Christmas Edition?
ReplyDeleteGetting lost somewhere between Chicago and DeKalb was no fun. It’s wide open and flat around there; an agoraphobic’s nightmare. It didn’t help that my GPS has Alzheimers so I was a little on edge trying to get nowhere fast. And then 'Ballroom Blitz' came on the radio and I wondered if that voice was really Ed Wynn or Brian Connolly Then I wondered why I hear Steve Miller breathe so loudly now. Suddenly I was calm again. As it turned out, there’s nothing difficult about re-finding Route 88. It’s not too far from Route 66 actually.
I think about you more than you might imagine. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been married for 20 years…to a girl. Just recently someone was showing me pictures of their latest trip to Jekyll Island and I remembered that it was your review that convinced me to buy the book, and eventually find this blog. Last week at the library I was searching DVD’s under “A” for American Beauty or American Graffiti or American Hustle and lo and behold a misplaced ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ was sitting right there. And every time I come across a Gideon’s Bible in one of those cheap motels, I no longer quickly shut the drawer like I’ve just seen a cockroach. Most importantly, I have a much better understand of events, both political and spiritual, thanks to you putting your thought out there for some of us to contemplate.
It’s probably a little disheartening when you never really know the impact of the message you are trying to get across over the years. The “pebbles” that you tossed into the pond may have created ripples that will eventually change the shape of the coastline. If you never know, you’re probably not meant to.
>I guess sometimes the best thing – or only thing – we can do is start over again from scratch.
Should be mandatory. Babies right out of the womb should be forced to sign a contract stating that starting over at least once in a lifetime is required. Honestly, I hate stepping out of my comfort zone. They call it “comfort” for a reason. I’m forced to do it on a regular basis though. God’s plan, I’m sure.
>As some of you already know, I am intending to move out of Airheadzona in three months.
I hope you do, and I hope you are moving to a less populated place. I just read the book, ‘One Second After’. It’s fiction but the science is very…non-fiction; sort of a cautionary tale which some believe could set this country back 200 years in an instant.
>But for some totally incomprehensible reason I suddenly felt compelled to locate the very first place in the book where Tommy Nelson mentioned 'Rocky Road' ice cream.
>FINE! I'll just read this whole damned book again and find that first reference to 'Rocky Road' ice cream!
Too funny! And classic STM. The hand of God or remnants of OCD, whatever, at least I know that I’m not alone.
>”God will get you to His destination, but en route He makes sure you go through things that force you to trust Him.”
So true. You have listed so many great excerpts it just reminds me of how important it is to immerse myself in those positive thoughts on a regular basis.
”Mr. Gower cables you need cash. Stop.
My office instructed to advance you up to
twenty-five thousand dollars. Stop.
Heehaw and Merry Christmas Stephen.”
Sig Wainwright,Too
I’ll have to hold off on sending that 25k for now. My pony picking system is still giving some mixed results.
Part 1 Of 2:
Delete>>... Sig Wainwright,Too
As Noah said to God: "Right. Who is this REALLY?!"
SIG! SIGWainwrightTOO!
I knew it was you!
I could tell by the writing style. (That's a compliment, as I'm sure you know.)
Been thinking about you a lot recently and I was going to reach out and touch someone (YOU). I just hadn't decided yet whether I was going to Email you before sending your Christmas card, or send the Christmas card first and then E.
Yep, been working on my Christmas cards and have one I'm gonna send ya. Did you ever want to see what STMcC looked like at about 7 years old and missing one of his two front teeth? Well, yes, of course you did - who wouldn't? Well, you'll get that photo of me, and Brother Nappy and my Sister Bonehead (scared stiff) sitting on Santa's lap in about a week.
How was your year? Did you ever teach that damned Monkey to behave properly, or is he still throwing his feces?
Man, my blog 'STMcC Presents "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" is still going strong, and it's the one blog I don't intend to close down until people stop coming around to vote and comment.
I have put together some really A-list "Battles" on that blog, and many's the time I've wondered: How would SigToo have voted on this one?
I'm so pleased that you made it back here to see my "Long Goodbye" (movie reference for ya there... you know I like to drop all kinds of allusions and illusions into my stuffs). It was a long time in coming, but it finally got here.
I also hope that every time you see a Gideon's Bible you think of poor Rocky Raccoon who's still recovering from the gunshot would he received. That damned doctor, stinking of gin, was of no help in good Rocky's revival!
You may have been gone for damn-near a year, but you sure came back with a winning comment! 'Ballroom Blitz', Ed Wynn, Steve Miller's heavy breathing, 'American Graffiti', 'Koyannisqatsi'. (Was that true, you found 'Koy' under "A"? Some "coincidence", eh?)
Continued Below...
Part TOO Of 2:
DeleteYou mentioned "God’s plan".
Right. ...Who are you REALLY?! (Ha!:-)
Yes, Reno is definitely much less densely populated than phukin' Phoenix! That book, 'One Second After', is that yakkin' about an EMP attack?
In an old BigBitch.com review of the book 'PROPHECY 20/20: Profiling the Future Through The Lens Of Scripture' by Chuck Missler, I wrote the following:
Did you know that an Old Testament Bible prophecy certifiably written at least three hundred years before the birth of Christ foretold the EXACT DAY He would ride that donkey into Jerusalem and proclaim Himself the King of Israel? Did you know that an EMP attack could, in a matter of minutes, blast the United States back into the 1800s? (Do you know what an EMP attack is?)
>>... The hand of God or remnants of OCD
Ha!-Ha!
I say T.H.G.,
you say O.C.D.,
let's call the whole thing O.F.F.
I loved, Loved, LOVED your quote from 'It's A Wonderful Life'. Love that movie, Too, Sig.
Fun True Fact: I remember you once axing me about residual payments from episodes of MASH I appeared in back in the early '80s. I told you that I have received checks for as little as one penny (several times), and sometimes more like in the neighborhood of a hundred dollars.
Well, a few weeks ago I received one residual check for exactly $375.55 gross. That's the biggest one I've gotten in decades. And I swear that one second after I saw that amount I thought of you, and then thought: Where the hell's SigToo for me to brag to? (Ha!)
But that was the total on a ton of showings of 3 different episodes. When you break it all down (as they do on the residual check statement, knowing I'm not near smart enough to do the math myself) it comes to $12.95 per showing of each episode. Which is still pretty good considering how long ago that work was done. But... how much Alan Alda be haulin' in daily?!
When Uncle Scam murders me, I hope 20th Century Fox will begin sending my residual checks to Brother Nappy. He'll need 'em.
Sig, I don't think I ever knew that it was my review of 'The Creature From Jekyll Island' that led you to my Blogspot.com blog(s). That's really nice to know! I guess all my finger-yakkin' had a purpose after all.
I hope yer back to stay... for the most part. Your votes and comments would always be appreciated at 'STMcC Presents BOTB' - new installments appearing on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Don't be a stranger, SigToo.
["Who is this REALLY?"]
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
After reading a few comments, I seriously hope that “DIXIE chick” finds a CT scan or MRI in her Christmas stocking this year, or at least has one scheduled in the near future. I’m not a doctor but I play one on the internet. I’ve been told to have my head examined on many occasions.
Delete>Yep, been working on my Christmas cards and have one I'm gonna send ya.,
I always look forward to that and I don’t just toss them like some folks do. They go right on the STM section of my bookshelf. It’s not a shrine, just a section.
>Did you ever teach that damned Monkey to behave properly, or is he still throwing his feces?
I wish. The last conversation that I had with him was several months ago while I was wiping feces off my face. I said, “ I thought you weren’t going to do that anymore!” He just looked at me matter-of-factly and said, “I’m a monkey and that’s what monkeys do.”
>Yes, Reno is definitely much less densely populated than phukin' Phoenix! That book, 'One Second After', is that yakkin' about an EMP attack?
Reno? That’s sweet. Good luck with your fingerprint analysis/gold panning/pizza business.
Your PROPHESY 20/20 review Amazon was another really good one. Not surprised you had a handle on EMP attacks. Most people just give me a blank stare when I mention it. I guess the one with the most toys (with hardened electronics) wins. Talk about setting ourselves up for disaster. Reminds me of our beloved monetary system.
Jonathan Cahn came out with another book called, “The Mystery of the Shemitah”. Let me know if you ever review that one somewhere on the internet. It is a Shemitah year I think so I may have to exchange a few of my “calls” for “puts” sometime in the coming months. “I’m a monkey and that’s what monkeys do.”
Well, a few weeks ago I received one residual check for exactly $375.55 gross.
That really is a bragworthy amount. You know I can appreciate that since I can pick you out of a scene faster than anyone else on the east coast. That MeTV station has been running MASH episodes twice a day, six days a week so that means they can get through a full season in two weeks…and that’s been going on for about three years. They don’t seem to have rights to the last season for some reason.
Good to hear that BOTB is still on-going. I remember a post that you had done regarding something that I thought was really subtle in a Dylan song. I could probably read it again and again and never really totally get it. Even so, it’s another noteworthy skill that you possess.
>Who are you REALLY?!
Not sure, although I’m kinda glad I’m not Bill Cosby right now.
The Sig of Christmas Past…Too
SIG-TOO ~
Delete>>... the STM section of my bookshelf. It’s not a shrine, just a section.
It's not a shrine?! Then it's a one-way ticket to hell, boy!
>>... Your PROPHESY 20/20 review Amazon was another really good one. Not surprised you had a handle on EMP attacks.
Well, thanks! A lot of the Christians - even those I strongly disagree with, which is plenty of them - are hip to what's comin' down.
You might find the following interesting. I'm not necessarily backing it because I haven't even read the entire piece yet, but just skimmed the first few paragraphs. I plan to read it in its entirety at work tomorrow night:
http://moneymorning.com/ext/articles/rickards/25-year-great-depression.php?iris=254985
We KNOW they eventually plan to "level the playing field" so we Americans will grasp at the salvation straw they offer us (which will mean a totally global economy), so I have no trouble with this speculation right out of the chute.
>>... Jonathan Cahn came out with another book called, “The Mystery of the Shemitah”. Let me know if you ever review that one somewhere on the internet.
I was aware of it but I have not obtained a copy and read it. Have you read it? If so, please tell me what YOU think of it.
>>... That MeTV station has been running MASH episodes twice a day, six days a week so that means they can get through a full season in two weeks
I don't think I ever even heard of MeTV before, but that would explain the check, because I have NEVER seen so many episodes listed on a single residual check before.
>>... I remember a post that you had done regarding something that I thought was really subtle in a Dylan song. I could probably read it again and again and never really totally get it.
Hmmm... Not sure what you're referring to. But I know I've posted one or two versions of my analysis of the song 'IT'S ALRIGHT, MA (I'M ONLY BLEEDING)', which I think is probably the most lyrically complex and astounding song ever written. Maybe that's what you have in mind.
I thought I had 'It's Alright, Ma' figured out once, but then later realized that the rhyming scheme was even more complex than I'd first recognized. I may have posted a second, updated analysis somewhere.
>>... I’m kinda glad I’m not Bill Cosby right now.
Yeah, I hear ya. That's really sad because I liked Bill Cosby; he was a part of my childhood. I still have 'The Best Of Bill Cosby' on CD and there are lines I still use from some of his old comedy skits.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
As always, you've covered a great deal of ground, and I don't have a clue where the best place to start is. So, I will just jump in, probably double back on myself, and maybe meet up with my point somewhere in the middle... or the end. Whichever comes first.
ReplyDeleteF-FFF changed my life. So, I guess that means YOU changed my life. I believe that we don't find the message, or believe the message, or sometimes even really SEE the message until we are ready to open our ears and hear the message. I, like so many other frustrated Americans, allowed the Right-Left Theatre Show occupy a great deal of my thought energy. It was exhausting. Yet, there was hope in it, too. If the Republican party were the Good Guys and the Democrats the Bad Guys, the battle was still winnable. That vote at the voting booth had MEANING. Nothing was predetermined in the political minefield... but in the hands of the people, though a great deal of them prove themselves morons each time they open their mouths. BUT, all was not lost.
And then I read F-FFF and this guy (aka you) was yakking about how there was no difference between the Right and Left and how TPTB (see The Council on Foreign Relations and International Bankers) really made the decisions. It took a while to truly accept this version of reality. Who wants to believe this shizzle is true??? No one.
I must say that this revelation was particularly discouraging as it arrived at a time when God, Jesus, and I were out of touch. Well, I was out of touch. They were as accessible as they'd always been. I was simply not wanting to talk. Feeling rather peevish about having been sick so long and yada yada yada. But, this Revelation about how it was all going to turn out made me re-think it. If the Really Bad Guys are in control down here, where do I want to expend my energy?
Of course, you say it all the time. Get right with God because in Jesus is your deliverance. All of this is just a show (truly) and that is what's important. So, I started going to church again. I cracked my Bible again. I read Beautiful Outlaw after you recommended it. And the desire of my heart began to change. I wanted a Relationship with Jesus... something I don't think I've had for a very long time. And, even when I did it was very limited due to my own lack of understanding. I loved Jesus, but in a way that you love something huge. Something out there. Something beyond me. Unfortunately, all that distance and largeness of Jesus didn't allow me to know him. It is impossible to love someone you don't know. That was one of the most mind-boggling things I learned in the Eldredge book. That book allowed me to peek in a window that I didn't even know was there and SEE him. And to KNOW him. It was a relief. It was a miracle.
Part 1 of 2???? We'll see...
From what you've written here, you seem to think that this blog has been mostly wasted energy on your part. I strongly disagree. I realize that I am just ONE person, and maybe that doesn't feel big at all. But you changed not only my political perspective, but my entire relationship with God/Jesus with the words you printed here. In my life, that is huge, and I am so thankful for it.
ReplyDeleteI'm very saddened by the fact that you feel like you haven't made enough of a difference to continue here. Or maybe that it just sucks too much of your soul to carry on in this space. I hope that someday, when you feel your own soul restored and healthy, that you change your mind and dive back in here. You simply don't know how many people you will reach until you've reached them.
As for you, I'm thrilled that you're taking the plunge and making the move. I have to believe that this will turn out well for you. Maybe you will "find yourself" in the best sense of those words. I read CW's comment about finding yourself wherever you go. I think that maybe you need to find a part of yourself that you've lost along the way. Why do we lose the best parts of ourselves?
I will put this book on my reading list. Thank you for sharing your experience with it. I found that bit about the Rocky Road to be very funny. God really does have the best sense of humor.
Remember what I said earlier about me not really seeking out God, but God always being there? I was living in a dark night of the soul when that TV show Joan of Arcadia came out. I watched it again on DVD (and I was still in the dark night... just deeper). I cried through the entire first season as I watched it back to back. God will reach out for us from any place that he can. I am convinced that JOA was just one more tool he was wielding to speak to me. He did it again with the first season of the show Everwood. I bought it on DVD and watched it within a matter of days. More crying all the way through. There was one show about mid-way through that one when Treat Williams' character was sitting in church, alone, talking to God. He felt abandoned by God and was a just a bit mad about it. I knew the feeling. I believe I bawled during that scene.
Right-Left Decisions
Crisis of Faith
Ripples That We Leave Behind
The Burdens of Our Emotions
Letting Go
These are struggles that we all face. Thank you for sharing yours. You know I wish you The Best in this move. As LC said, "If this doesn't work out, there are 47 more states for you to try." Life is uncertain. Happiness is not a destination but a manner of traveling. However, there are some places that make us happier than others. I hope Reno is that place for you.
Yep, 2 of 2!
GIRL WONDER(!) ~
DeleteWhat a comment! Hokey-Smoke & Hoo-Wee!
I read both parts of it and I WILL respond ASAP, because, boy, does this comment deserve my best response!
Today is done for, because I have a tree to decorate and about 4 to 5 hours of sleep to catch before the series of graveyard shi(f)ts begin again, tonight at 7:30.
So, I probably won't find the time to reply here as I should until my next days off (beginning Monday after 6 AM, through Wednesday). But if I can't get back here to you before then, I most certainly will during my next work-free days.
For now, just... THANKS! You made my day, and I'm totally serious about that.
Yak Again When I Can, Girl Wonder Robin.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Part 1 Of 2:
DeleteGIRL WONDER ~
I'm so sorry it's taken me 6 days to properly reply to your comment here. Lately life has been 3-H: Hard, Hectic and Hellish.
First thing I want to say is that if this is not the greatest comment ever, I have no idea what would be. I have been blessed with some really good blog readers - small in number but A-list quality readers, thinkers, and commenters. And thus, I've received so many fabulous comments over the years, and they are scattered all throughout these F-FFF blog bits. But this one...
How many people ever have a person tell them that they changed that person's life, and mean it in a positive way?
I was blown away by this 2-part comment of yours and my lateness in responding most certainly should NOT be interpreted as a lack of appreciation.
As you know (because I said it enough times), my whole point in blogging all along has been to (hopefully) point readers toward God and Christ our Savior. The goofy stuffs was just meant to entertain and maybe acquire some readers who would later discover what I was really all about.
Having changed your perception of politics AND your perception of, or relationship to, Christ Yeshua makes every minute I've spent blogging totally worthwhile.
SigToo has also mentioned that he has a new respect for The Bible due to things he's read on my blogs over the years. And Sheboyganboy Six (already a religious / spiritual man) has had his political understanding altered as a result of my blogging also. So, I sure can feel good knowing that I did accomplish some noteworthy things by blogging.
>>... It took a while to truly accept this version of reality. Who wants to believe this shizzle is true??? No one.
That sounds so much like what SBB-6 also wrote once. And, yes, it's a tough sell trying to give away the truth because it's not a truth anyone WANTS to be true. But your outlook, going from exhausting yourself attempting to change things from within a system that CAN'T be changed, to refocusing instead on the great Spiritual Truth that doesn't need to be changed, only recognized, is a very positive thing. You ain't no dummy!
>>... I read Beautiful Outlaw after you recommended it. And the desire of my heart began to change.
I only regret that I didn't mail a copy of it to you. But you got to it anyway, and that's the important thing. What a book! I wish I could give a copy to EVERYONE, but especially to people who feel anger toward God and turn away from Jesus, due to misperceptions about Him that have practically been engraved in the public consciousness.
>>... I wanted a Relationship with Jesus... something I don't think I've had for a very long time. And, even when I did it was very limited due to my own lack of understanding.
Had Jesus not come and got me, I too probably would have gone to my grave not really understanding Him, and neglecting Him because of that. I certainly wasn't in the least looking for a re(a)lationship with Jesus when I surprisingly underwent a Spiritual Baptism by His grace.
Continued Below...
Part 2 Of 2:
Delete>>... you changed not only my political perspective, but my entire relationship with God/Jesus with the words you printed here. In my life, that is huge, and I am so thankful for it.
And I am thankful that you TOLD ME this. You have no idea how it warmed my heart to read this in your comment.
>>... I found that bit about the Rocky Road to be very funny.
Yeah, it kinda was. God knows how to play me like I'm a Stradivarius. But then He created me, so He should know how.
>>... Right-Left Decisions
Crisis of Faith
Ripples That We Leave Behind
The Burdens of Our Emotions
Letting Go
The one thing I want to clarify here - although I'm sure you already know this - is that what I have been experiencing isn't really a "crisis of faith" - at least not in the sense that most people think of when that expression is used.
I have never ever doubted God's or Christ's existence. I have had way too many encounters and personal experiences to EVER doubt Their existence. (I even firmly believe I have been visited in my life by 3 genuine Heavenly angels. They came in the forms of an old woman, a middle-aged woman, and a little girl. In fact, the "little girl angel" encounter occurred in the late 1990s, and it was only yesterday, while thinking about it, that something I'd overlooked until yesterday dawned on me. It was very, very significant WHERE she appeared to me. When it hit me yesterday, it was one of those *SLAP-MY-HEAD* moments: Of course, you big dummy! How could it have taken you THIS long to make that connection. Uhp! I'm an idiot!)
Back to my point...
The "crisis of faith" (to use your term) that I've been experiencing has been that I've questioned just how much God and Christ have been working in my life over these last 3 years. If They have seemed less active in my life, it's my own fault though, because I've gotten away from some of the things that I used to do that really quickened my Spiritual life and connection to Them (e.g., meditating, for one).
So, I have no right to moan about this because it's really been of my own doing. I recognize that fact and need to do something about it, I need to get back on the Train track.
Anyway, thanks again, Robin. Your comment pretty much made my year. Not an exaggeration. And your reaction to my F-FFF blog ALONE was worth all the time and effort I put into it.
>>... As LC said, "If this doesn't work out, there are 47 more states for you to try."
Nah. This move will be my last to another state. If I can't be happy where I've dreamed of living for so many years, then I won't be happy anywhere. And besides that, I'm simply too old and tired to ever again make a move like this one is going to be.
God bless you, my Friend! Thanks for being HERE when I needed you.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I will probably work my way backward through this comment, because that is simply how I seem to do things.
Delete<<<---I need to get back on the Train track.
I don't know if you capitalized Train on purpose, but you made me think of a song that I should've included on that HERE'S TO YOU post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93JEfLikbwQ
Well, it sounds like my life wasn't the only one affected by your blogging endeavors. I think if you had the time/energy/patience for it, you could reach more people through this forum, BUT that is just my opinion. Besides, I have faith that if you're meant to blog here, you will. It's a Rocky Road thing.
I chose each one of those Joan of Arcadia clips because they addressed the "list." I will try to comment on your comment over at my place to let you know (specifically) what made me think of you in each one. Or why I thought you'd appreciate it.
<<<---You ain't no dummy!
Well, I don't know about that. I still go through periods (mostly when I get a whiff of "the news"). There was something on tonight, because I was actually watching the news with my mom. To be more accurate, I was sacked on the couch hoping I'd keep my dry toast down. Anyway, stuffs were said and I felt my blood pressure rising... and then my mom said something, reminding me that she remains clueless about the Big Picture (and chooses to remain so... and I'm okay with that because she and Jesus are fast friends), so I limited my commentary to "I wonder what they're trying to hide now by shining the light on this bogus crap." And then she had to say, "I wish I could just see the Big Picture."
I said, "No you don't. I've told you about the Big Picture and you say it makes your brain (and stomach) hurt."
So she says, "Okay, I just want The Big Picture to change."
And there it is. No one wants to believe this shizzle because it's unacceptable. Of course, the disciples didn't want to accept Jesus' solution to "the problem" either. No one likes the tough answers. I feel like I'm in a bit better company when I think of it that way.
Now, if I can just get you to start watching Joan of Arcadia... we might be even. Well, not really. But I will have done something good for you when you've done so much good for me.
In any event, we'll still have Battle of the Bands where we can Sing Together.
P.S. I saw you saw that Donna Hole called you The Sexiest Man Alive. I'll have you know I laughed so hard it hurt (not a difficult feat after stomach flu, but still...) Your comment was even better. Oh... and I didn't laugh because it was/wasn't true, but because I know how much you dislike it. Funny how those things we dislike just linger forever.... The next time I make it out to Vegas, you MUST meet me there. Then, I can end the argument once and for all with a blog post of my very own. Is he or isn't he The Sexiest Man Alive.... hahahaha.
Part 1 Of 2:
DeleteG.W. ~
That was a nice little song, and another touching one considering the context.
>>... I don't know if you capitalized Train on purpose...
Oh, c'mon, Sister! You did my Numerology chart, so you know I do nearly everything with a purpose.
I capitalized "Train" because I have often thought of Jesus symbolically as the engine or locomotive of a Train, and if we just attach ourselves to Him, He will pull us through. (I tend to think of myself as the caboose on the end of that Train. But hopefully not "a caboose with square wheels.")
And by the way, and interestingly, the "little girl angel" from the late 1990s whom I referred to in my comment above - I said that WHERE she appeared to me was very significant but it wasn't until just the other day that the connection dawned on me. Well, guess where this took place. ...Yep, you guessed it. On a train.)
>>... I think if you had the time/energy/patience for it, you could reach more people through this forum
I have often entertained a certain idea for a new blog. Don't know that I'd ever actually follow through with this but... when I get myself relatively settled and when I get my Spiritual act back together again, it's not entirely outside the realm of possibility or pissability that I could start a new blog that would be devoted solely and SOULY to the discussion of serious Spiritual matters including personal experiences, religious viewpoints, Meditation experiences, and a deep study and analysis of The Holy Bible from essentially a metaphysical angle (something that I feel God and Yeshua have particularly blessed me with the ability to engage in). It's doubtful I'll ever do this, but it's not 100% out of the question.
Continued Below...
Part 2 Of 2:
Delete>>... I have faith that if you're meant to blog here, you will. It's a Rocky Road thing.
Ha! You know what? I think that would make a really good expression or euphemism for something of a Supernatural act on the part of God. You know, like the phrase "Jumped the shark". Most people know what it implies but a lot of people have no idea how it originated.
So imagine someone saying:
There I was stranded on a dark, desolate, desert highway at three in the morning. Suddenly I see these headlights approaching. This guy pulls up, gets out and says, "Car trouble?" I said, "Yeah, it just suddenly died on me for no apparent reason. There's plenty of gas in the tank, I know that."
So then the guy gets under my hood, grasps a couple wires for about fifteen seconds, closes the hood and says, "Have a safe journey". He gets in his car and just drives back the way he came from. I turned the key in the ignition and my car fired right up. I drove home without a single problem after that. It was totally bizarre, just Rocky Road ice cream!"
It would be really cool if that expression took off and gained a life of its own, and hardly anyone would know how it got started.
>>... And then she had to say, "I wish I could just see the Big Picture." I said, "No you don't. I've told you about the Big Picture and you say it makes your brain (and stomach) hurt."
Ha! Good call, Robin!
>>... Now, if I can just get you to start watching Joan of Arcadia... we might be even. Well, not really. But I will have done something good for you when you've done so much good for me.
I just added Season 1, Disc 1 to my NetFlix queue. It says there's a "long wait", but I'll wait.
>>... Funny how those things we dislike just linger forever.
Yeah, like Disco, Madonna, and Mariah Carey.
>>... Then, I can end the argument once and for all with a blog post of my very own. Is he or isn't he The Sexiest Man Alive.... hahahaha.
I can tell you the answer right now:
Yeah, I am the sexiest man on the planet... if you close both eyes, cover them with a rolled bandana and turn the opposite direction.
Sheesh! Could a 5'8", 55-year-old greybeard whose hair is beginning to noticeably thin out on top even remotely be considered the sexiest man on the planet? The pissability of it boggles the mind. (For the official record, I'm not even the sexiest man on my street, let alone my entire block!)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Glad you liked the Train song. It's funny how you were thinking Train (one thing, so it's capitalized) and it made me think Train (another thing capitalized) and then the song, Sing Together, which was perfect for this conversating bit. Another Rocky Road thing?
DeleteI don't know what to say about your experience with the little girl (angel) on the Train. Obviously, she redirected you in some pivotal way. I think that's pretty darn cool. I know I've been redirected by the strangest things. One of the more odd was a bumper sticker on a car at a time when I didn't even want to be in the car. Go figure. I can't remember now even what it said (oh, the migraines!) but I knew--even then--that it was meant for me in that moment. It's a very strange feeling in a good sort of way.
When you feel like you are in the right space to begin that blogging project, you will. Until you get there, you won't. However, it sounds like a good idea. One of the folks I've been getting to know more and more through church said to me recently, "We are meant to struggle with The Bible. There are times it should twist us up and fill us with anxiety. If we aren't asking questions, we aren't doing it right." He also said that in another conversation with someone else, that person said to him, "People should come to church wearing crash helmets." It should be such a life-changing experience that a crash helmet is required. Oh the joy. The angst. I think I told you I'm in a Bible study that's meeting weekly. One of the things I like best is that the folks who go are critical thinkers. And it always comes back to "How does what I've read change MY life?"
Accepting that we are by nature sinful people who constantly rebel against relationship with God... and that God constantly works to bring us back into relationship... not all that easy. However, it is relieving. Thankfully, God is bigger than us in every way, including patience, understanding, and love.
Part 1 of 2 (I think)
It's a Rocky Road thing. I like it. However, I think I've proven with pissabilities that you need a much larger following to get something into mainstream language. Maybe Biggie can help us out????
DeleteNah.
But, some folks will get it:)
Interesting about you ordering JOA on Netflix? Did you do this before or after my comment????
One note about Season 1, Episode 1 of JOA: There's going to be one thing that God says in his first encounter(s) with Joan that will irritate you. I know, because it did me. Just push through it. I get what the writers were aiming for, but it was a bad choice. If you are like me, of the reoccurring God-personas that appear to Joan, the little girl will be your favorite. Of course, they all are appropriate for the message (which is so God... and one of the things the show does really well).
Well, since you dislike The Sexist Man Alive moniker, expect it to never end. ha! THAT will be the thing that lasts into infinity that no one knows how it began!!!
Part 2 of 2
I probably could've gotten all of this into one comment... oh well.
Part 1 Of 2:
DeleteR., G.W. ~
>>... the little girl (angel) on the Train. Obviously, she redirected you in some pivotal way. I think that's pretty darn cool.
To the contrary, she actually seemed to be verifying for me that I was on the right (Train) track. (Too bad I'm now off the track, but I'll get back on it again.) It was a very bizarre thing, and looking back on it, I became nearly convinced that no one else there (it was a large crowd) ever saw or heard the little girl. She acted as if she were speaking to the gaggle of other little girls there, but I know she was really speaking for my benefit, and I doubt anyone else even knew she was there and heard her.
By the way, guess where I was when that idea about Jesus being symbolically represented as the locomotive on a train first came to be.
I was in Reno, Nevada - yes, the very place I'm moving to. I was really at a personal Spiritual high point at the time, and I took a photograph of a passing train below through my hotel window (I was on, like, the 11th floor or more). After I got the photos developed, that one picture showed a beam of light shooting down from the top of the photo and landing on the train's locomotive. It looked like a beam of light from Heaven illuminating the engine. Apparently it was some strange reflection that the camera lens picked up through the window (but I couldn't see through the viewfinder).
After studying the picture, it struck me like the Father above was beaming down on His Son, the Engine or Locomotive, which was pulling a lot of train cars behind it. I thought: Ah-Ha! Jesus is the engine and we are the cars attached to Him. Me, I'm the caboose (hopefully without square wheels) hanging on for dear life at the end.
Continued Below...
Part 2 Of 2:
DeleteI don't really believe that The Bible should be a struggle. For sure, we should be asking a lot of hard questions but, for me, once I got started reading The Bible, it seemed like a ton of insight came to me naturally - or Supernaturally. I eventually came to believe I had copied The Bible multiple times by hand, as I think I was a Jewish scribe in the time of Christ. So going back to The Bible was like going Home to me, and my mind was just flooded with ideas and insight that I don't take credit for. (And this would explain my Spiritual passion, my Biblical insights, my strange Spiritual Baptism seemingly coming out of nowhere on a highly significant day in the life of Jesus Christ, and... whatever writing ability I may have.)
>>... "People should come to church wearing crash helmets."
Ooh! Ha! I like THAT one!
>>... Accepting that we are by nature sinful people who constantly rebel against relationship with God.
No, no! We are NOT by nature sinful people. We are by nature created by God, of God, and in God. We were created by God in His own image. That doesn't sound very "sinful by nature" to me. When we sin, because it's easy and we are in an imagined fallen state, we are actually acting AGAINST our natural state or condition; we are acting contrary to our "R.E.A.L." (Real, Eternal, Active, Love) identities.
>>... It's a Rocky Road thing. I like it. However, I think I've proven with pissabilities that you need a much larger following to get something into mainstream language.
That's OK. I think I'm gonna use it anyway, and those of like mind will follow my example. And those who don't... well, they were already going to hell anyway, so, so what? (Ha! If I actually believed even half of the carp I spew...)
>>... Interesting about you ordering JOA on Netflix? Did you do this before or after my comment????
I did it after you commented, but I had already decided I was going to do it BEFORE I read your comment.
>>... The Sexist Man Alive moniker, expect it to never end. ha! THAT will be the thing that lasts into infinity that no one knows how it began!!!
Ha!-Ha! Unfortunately, you're probably right.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I just came back after posting my HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY post, which is mostly a kiss good-bye to this blog. So, prepare to set aside about an hour to get through it. And then FAE threw some links in with her comment. So, add another 15 minutes or so for that. I guess will hear your thoughts on all of these things next week!
ReplyDeleteG.W. ~
DeleteYou will indeed hear my thoughts, and you won't need to wait a full week, either - Monday or sometime Tuesday at the latest.
I have visited and played the Treat Williams video and the Chorus Line song twice, each. Will get to all the rest soon'z possible.
I truly do feel honored, to say the least. And greatly appreciative, too. I have good Blogland friends, that's for sure.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Graveyard Shi(f)t Worker'
Wow. All I can say is if you're truly bringing this blog to an end, you sure have ended it on a high note. This, THIS, is the kind of post you were meant to write. This two-part post rings so true, so pure, so from-the-heart meaningful, and unlike political rants, it uplifts and enlightens, and causes neither angst nor heartburn.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you. We're all pilgrims here, and it's so important to understand our path. I'm glad those books (among other things) helped make things clearer for you. God bless you. (I know... He already has.)
SUSKI ~
DeleteWell... I thank you. ...I think.
I'm pretty sure that over the course of three blogs, beginning in May of 2008, I've written a few blog bits that were from-the-heart (although admittedly none immediately come to mind), however, if this final 2-parter has failed to cause any angst or heartburn, this 2-parter has... failed.
I jest. ...I think.
[:-)}
Thanks for being one of my readers over the last 2 or 3 years. We had some fun and interesting exchanges in the comment sections.
I'll still be hovering around here in Blogville.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I'm also sorry to find out that this is the grand finale for
ReplyDeleteFFFF. I saw Robin's tribute to you, and had to come over to wish you good luck on your quest. This is a beautifully written exit, which makes me feel sad that I hadn't met you sooner. I hope you'll find what you're looking for in the next chapter of your spiritual journey. Fortunately, I'll still look forward to your wonderful Battle of The Bands posts!
POSTSCRIPT: (I've always wanted to say that!) Sorry I ran out of room. Where was I? Oh, I was trying to cheer myself up. So as one door closes, you will continue to enlighten us with Battle Of The Bands! Stephen, though I've only known you for a short time, you've been a wonderful blogging friend, and you continue to amaze me with your vast knowledge. Wishing you all the best on your upcoming journey!
ReplyDeleteJulie
GEM JULIE ~
Delete>>... This is a beautifully written exit, which makes me feel sad that I hadn't met you sooner.
Thank you very much! But not to worry - all you missed was a bunch of political rants.
Of course, then again, Robin said, "F-FFF changed my life. ... you changed not only my political perspective, but my entire relationship with God/Jesus with the words you printed here. ... this Revelation... made me re-think it. If the Really Bad Guys are in control down here, where do I want to expend my energy? Of course, you say it all the time. Get right with God..."
If I had a 'HALL OF FAME' for comments, Robin would have been inducted into it on 12/11/2014.
She made me feel much better about this blog because it was clear from her comment(s) that she understood the underlying purpose for it, and for her, it actually succeeded in accomplishing its goal.
>>... you've been a wonderful blogging friend, and you continue to amaze me with your vast knowledge.
Thanks so much, Gem J.! And I wish I'd discovered your blog sooner too.
(Does this mean that your head has already stopped spinning due to this blog's shock value alone? Say it ain't so! Ha! I still love that remark. I trust you've seen that I placed it permanently in my sidebar where I recorded "What People Are Saying About Stephen T. McCarthy And His ‘Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends’ Blog".)
The good news: a new "Battle Of The Bands" installment in just two more days! Woo-Hoo!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Ecclesiastes is a favorite. I read it when I want relief from a burden I know is not mine to carry. He reminds me that my simple frame is for a reason. How else will I know goodness, truth, and light - as I am not the source. All of everything is vanity. ("Dust in the wind - all we are is dust in the wind.") Proverbs gives me "pause" while I contemplate a decision. I just read along, verse upon verse - knowing by the time I've finished reading it - the answer is closer."Pause" meaning: Dix, get outta ya' head. Just read out loud and listen. Faith comes by hearing..- I know you understand, sir.)[I just realized, I don't know what you prefer being called. I hate leaving that wide open;)]
ReplyDeleteSecondly I didn't want to tell anyone but I'm having problems typing. Normally I'm an "electrical" kind of person. The kind that changes red lights, and knocks out street lights.(Hang on - point coming.)Some place in Arizona wanted to "study" me years back... Freaked me out - I never went. So when one of your commentors spoke of EMP, that's when I realized I might be having a problem due to metals in the air or signal issues. (Please don't think I'm crazy.) I can barely type three word without having to stop, go back and make corrections. So when I left a comment last week, instead of corrections, I began to delete whole sentences. A couple of paragraphs too. It slowly made no sense although originally it was a jokey remark.
It feels like something is pressing down on me. As I type this it is easier and maybe the battle is sitting here, recognizing it, giving it up to the Father , finding relief. It's not the usual dcrelief - that was my 'handle' for incognito posting at one time on political articles. Fear made me jump ship. Anyway feels like a lifetime ago now.
Besides your post is wonderfully planned... He does a great job whether we're engaged with the post or not. Just like Proverbs: In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths." Like sitting here, asking Him to help me type this. Help me explain to you that my crazy questionnaire was just, "jumping on the band wagon - for a laugh." I didn't realize you did life over here too. I don't know how to explain what I mean. Oh well - the Christmas tree is waiting for a last thing or two.
I sent someone questions about BOTB - but can't remember now which person it was. (long day) I'll check back over the blogs in a couple of days. Thank you. Good night.
DIXIE POLKA ~
DeleteYeah, I do "life" over here. Or I "DID", anyway.
I've always been "all over the map", but the real goal was always to turn people on to the fact that God and Christ are real and The Bible's message is accurate.
>>... "Dust in the wind - all we are is dust in the wind."
This is not meant as an argument or criticism in the least, but I should simply mention that for many years now I have taken issue with Kansas about 'Dust In The Wind'. What I want to say is that, no, we're not dust in the wind. In fact, we were created by God and in His image, and I'd scarcely call that "dust". True, the physical body returns to the earth, but that's not our authentic identity anyway (as you obviously know). Kansas focusing on that part of us which turns to dust is overlooking the eternal Spiritual aspect of our identities that we ought never to lose sight of.
By the way, when Kerry Livgren left the band, do you suppose he ever said "I'm not in Kansas anymore"?
That electrical thing about you is interesting. I've heard of that sort of phenomenon before.
Where I work, we have a whole bunch of motion-activated security cameras, but not any motion-activated lights. And yet there is one outdoor floodlight that always changes any time I get near it: If it's on, it will turn off; if it's off, it will turn on.
It's just that one light, so I seriously doubt it has anything to do with me, but for the longest time I've been meaning to ask a few of my co-workers if they experience the same thing with that light.
You asked Robin about BOTB. I know that because I was just over there at her place and was reading some of the comments.
You're certainly welcome to join us if you'd like to. The more the merrier - merrier regardless of the season or month.
~ D-FensDogg
'Local American Underground'
"By the way, when Kerry Livgren left the band, do you suppose he ever said "I'm not in Kansas anymore"?"
DeleteLOL! Wouldn't have been fun to see him join Toto?
Ha! Good follow-up, Brother Martin!
DeleteWhat a great concert idea that would have been, with one of them opening for the other.
~ D-FensDogg
>>"I guess sometimes the best thing – or only thing – we can do is start over again from scratch. And now I know I have to step out in the darkness and take a chance.."
ReplyDeleteAs you know, the very day you wrote this blog bit, I had sent you an email teasing you about how you always threatened quitting the blog but never did. I was CERTAIN that you would be continuing for some time yet. You had not shared with me just how profoundly bad things were getting.
Then I heard you really WERE quitting, I was prepared to complain and squawk and try to convince you otherwise. But after reading this blog, I know quitting is the right thing for you for now.
You are led by God. I know THAT from knowing YOU over the last 5 or 6 years. (I guess... I don't remember when I first got to know you.) You listen for God's direction. Your motives are pure and you test them against what comes into your experience. You take nothing for granted nor rely on what you see at first glance.
Robin - the Girl Wonder - wrote poignantly about the affect you have had on her life. You have had a profound affect on my life, as well. While I cannot say what she said with QUITE the overwhelming emphasis she did, I can say that it has been staggering and eye-opening.
I think that politically I was close to you all along, but I was uninformed. I tended to deal with philosophy more than politics, but since bumping into you, you have swayed me politically more than anyone in my 59 years of life.
As for religion: I feel we have much in common, but we also have a few differences that will remain. No matter. (Ha!) However, your constant focus on God and his work in your life always reinforces my own faith in and love of God.
You deserve all that God supplies to his beloved children.
"We Have Fallen Asleep In God's Embrace,
Having A Nightmare That We Are Elsewhere."
Wake up, McBuddy. You are NOT elsewhere... God is always with you. You know that, but sometimes you may forget, as I do. Biblical Joseph must have felt - at times - pretty low at what had befallen him. But he was fulfilling God's plan. So are you.
"And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life."
I think God "did send you" as His emissary also, as you have directed many people towards Him. And finally, I think that you will continue to fulfill God's plan wherever you go.
SHEBOYGANBOY SIX ~
DeleteNo, no, no! You're way too late with this comment and these compliments. Refused - Return To Sender.
Aside from the lateness, these are the wrong sizes - they don't fit me properly. Plus, I don't like the color red and I NEVER wear horizontal stripes! (I thought you knew me better.)
Ha! Nah, I'm kiddin'. You know I'll gobble up all the compliments I can get - size, color, and direction of stripes notwithstanding.
Thanks, Sixgun Brother.
>>... As you know, the very day you wrote this blog bit, I had sent you an email teasing you about how you always threatened quitting the blog but never did. I was CERTAIN that you would be continuing for some time yet.
Just when you thought you had me figgered out, huh?
>>... You had not shared with me just how profoundly bad things were getting.
"Profoundly bad" is putting it very, Very, VERY mildly. "Maximum Security Hell" is more like it.
>>... You listen for God's direction.
Are you kidding? I am god. I just let the devil win some rounds so he won't quit on me and deprive me of my fun.
>>... Your motives are pure...
Tell that to the woman in this house! She hates me. (The way I look at it, anyone who hates me MUST be of the devil himself, because I really ain't a bad guy.)
>>... I can say that it has been staggering and eye-opening. ...since bumping into you, you have swayed me politically more than anyone in my 59 years of life.
Shit! You're 59?
Had I known you were geriatric I wouldn't have had anything to do with you. It's not good for my hipster 55-year-old reputation to be seen yakking with old dudes like you.
Yeah, sorry about screwing up your previous political worldview. But someone did it to me too, so I decided to start doing it to others also. Misery loves company.
>>..."We Have Fallen Asleep In God's Embrace,
Having A Nightmare That We Are Elsewhere."
Wake up, McBuddy. You are NOT elsewhere... God is always with you.
Yep, I knows that. When He seems far off, it just means we're deep in 'Rapid Eye Movement Nightmare Shitty City'.
Yes, I've thought about Joseph, and there must have been times when he felt his dreams had been a bunch of hooey.
>>... I think God "did send you" as His emissary also, as you have directed many people towards Him.
Look, how many times I gotta tell ya, I am god! ...Er-- no, check that. I'm dyslexic is what I ma.
>>... And finally, I think that you will continue to fulfill God's plan wherever you go.
Woof!-Woof!
In all seriousness... I thank you most sincerely. You are way too kind but... "Please, sir, I want some more".
You, SBB-6, have truly been a good friend and I have appreciated all of your support and excellent comments over the years. Long may you run!
~ Rupert J. Van Oslow
POSTSCRIPT:
DeleteHow much is that doggie in the (comment) window?
I do hope that doggie's for sale.
Woof!-Woof!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Sorry I am so late commenting on the final blog bit. I told you that I'd get here, but would be late. However, I am so late that few or none of your readers will get to read it. That's OK. They all know it, anyway.
ReplyDeleteWow! She hates you??? That is pretty harsh! Of course, you are probably a pain in the ass to live with. I know I am and you are probably as bad as me.
When I said your motives are pure, I don't mean that in the puritan sense. I mean that when you wake up, you want to do the right thing. Some people wake up and want to the WRONG thing. Most people wake up and don't care about what the heck they are doing. You do.
I picked the story of Joseph for a reason. Several reasons, of course, but one in particular was too appropriate to pass up using it. Like Joseph, at least you weren't killed! Just sold into slavery!
SBB-6 ~
DeleteHa! Honestly, I think I'd have rather been killed.
I understood what you meant about "pure motives".
Yeah, "hates". But you know what? I'm OK with that. For one thing, I'm not far from the same feeling, so I think we balance each other out pretty well.
For another, I do believe in the saying "One is known by their enemies". If she hates me, I must be doing some things right. (I don't want to air too much of my laundry in public but I will say that this woman is, without any question whatsoever, the single most ungrateful person I have ever personally known. She's also one of the very most self-centered. I take her hatred as a compliment.)
And no problem at all about the lateness of your comment. I was just giving you "the business" because I wouldn't be being myself if I didn't. But I was totally joking.
You're an outrageously busy guy with a lot on your plate, so I understand fully. Plus, your comment was so A-list that it would have automatically rendered the lateness irrelevant anyway, even if the timing bothered me... which it DIDN'T at all. (I'm an easy dog to hunt with.)
Thanks again, Brother Six, for this, for that, for everything.
~ Rupert