Category: Uncategorized

BEEN THINKING ABOUT Black Lives Matter and White Privilege.

I was watching a Pod Cast of a Conservative talking about how *underprivileged* people in Eastern Kentucky are.  Nine of the worst counties in the U.S. are in Eastern Kentucky and yet it is predominantly White.  But no one talks about Eastern Kentucky in the news.  He showed present day pictures of living conditions there.  It is like third world country.  The life expectancy is 7 years below the U.S. average.  The drugs are rampant as well as suicide. A very small percentage of the population has a Bachelor’s degree.  But these are White people.

Then he spoke of what he considered his own *privilege*.  Yes, he is white but he did not consider that as important to his success in life as his childhood, being brought up by both parents who stayed together and are still together.  He had parents who put their children’s welfare above their own, making sure they had healthy food, adequate shelter and clothing and most important Spiritual training and loving discipline.  That is a privilege he experienced that many Black children never have.  So what causes that.

OK, we will talk about the Elephant in the room.  During slavery Black men were moved around from female to female to breed the same as one only needs one rooster or bull to breed with up to 10 females (or more).  Eventually, the black men who could produce the most offspring without caring about being torn from the family unit, became prized as slaves.  Within about three generations, this became a norm in the Black population and still exists today.  We see healthy, intelligent Black men going from woman to woman leaving more unsupported children in their wake with no adequate support or a male role model to guide and direct them.  The boys brag about how many “baby mamas” they have and even the girls expect to have babies by a number of different men. 

The pod-caster named fatherless homes as a Black disadvantage.  I think we are also seeing this as a growing trend among the White population.  The pod-caster asked, “What do we do about it”. 

God is not three different gods.

I worship a Triune God. I do not worship three different gods. I recognize and worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). But that is not three different Gods.

Confused? No, let me explain in simple terms. My son-in-law is a professional MLB coach. That is his profession. When he is on the job, he acts like a Coach. To his players his name is “Coach”. They relate to him as a Coach.  He trains them and observes their techniques and gives correction and advice as needed and all the things coaches do.

To My grandchildren he is “Dad”.  They call him “Dad”. He relates to them as a Dad. He provides for them and does things that dads like to do for their children.  They look to him for the things they have grown to expect of him as a Dad.

To my daughter, he is her husband.  She calls him either by his actual name or other terms of endearment they use with one another.  She does things for him such as a wife should do and expects things from him that a husband should do.

Coach, Dad, Husband, he is not three different people.  He is one person with different roles and functions.  Sometimes the roles overlap.  He may act like a coach with the children or treat a player in a fatherly manner.  But the division of roles still remains.  

God the Father or as some call him Creator God, is the source of all energy and matter among other things. 

God the Son or as He is first shown to us in the Bible as the Word of God, spoke the Heavens and Earth into existence.  At least nine times in the First Chapter of Genesis we read the words, “And God said . . .”  Some of the attributes of the Son are especially spoken of in the book of Colossians, where he is again shown as being present in the creation (Col 1:16) and a physical image of God (Col 1:15) & (Col 2:9).  And the Book of John says, ” 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ” KJV

It would take many books to fully address the office of the Son but most of us understand his sacrificial death for our salvation. 

Then there is the role of the Holy Spirit.  We see the Holy Spirit manifested many times in the Old Testament where He came down and entered into individuals to empower them to speak truths (Gen 41:38), enable with special skills (Exodus chapters 31 & 35), and many other abilities even worship (I Sam chapter 10).  Jesus addressed Him as a comforter who would guide and lead us into “all knowledge”.  Through the Spirit of God we are actually able to communicate with the Godhead.  Humans can actually talk to God as a father or brother.

These roles also sometimes appear to overlap as God works with mankind.  So we see that Christians do not worship three separate gods but One God who reveals Himself to Man in three different ways.  For children and the simple minded, whom God loves dearly, He simplifies by dividing those roles so they can relate more easily.  But to those who “Diligently seek Him” (Heb 11:6), God gives the opportunity to know Him even better and understand Him more clearly.

 

Cooking for One

After over 60 years of cooking for a family and then a diabetic husband, I am now cooking only for myself. At first it was difficult to get inspired when it was only the two of us but I find I do not really need to cut back the amount of what I cook. I only had to obtain lots of freezer containers in single portion sizes.

For instance, I love the “Breakfast Bowls” that can cost upwards of $2.00 each. Doesn’t seem like much but when you multiply that times 30 days in a month, you are spending $60.00 a month. So, instead I set a little extra time for breakfast one morning and and make about about a four portion size. I eat one portion fresh out of the pan and then divide the remaining portions into three different containers. I date and label them by applying masking tape on each container and write on it with a black Sharpie. If I don’t do that, I’m liable to forget what or when I filled it. Slip them in the freezer and I guarantee you that whether it is like the Bacon/Spinach omelet pictured or a single serving of soup or stew, it will taste good microwaved for two or three minutes when you really don’t have time or inspiration to cook.

Sometimes when I pray. . .

I feel like a little girl whose Daddy has called her over to his chair and pulled her up onto his lap, gives her a hug and says, “Tell me what’s going on in your life”.  I can talk to Jesus about all my problems and activities.  He lovingly hugs me and may say,  “That sounds like it was fun.”  or He may say, “I’m sorry that happened to you.  Let’s talk about how to avoid that happening again.”  or “So, what are your plans?”.  He really wants to know what I am thinking about.

There is no reason for me to lie or try to hide something from Him.  He is already aware of my problems and issues, faults and virtues. I know not everyone feels that way about Jesus. Not everyone had a dad who gave them that experience. I’ve read that our experience with our earthly father will effect how we perceive our heavenly father. I was so blessed to have a father who doted on me. He was 46 years old when I was born. He started going blind when I was about six years old. He was too poor and old to give me material things but he did give me his love.

As I became a teenager, I was shocked to find my father no longer seemed to hold me in that regard. I have since learned that moral men who do not have a good relationship with a wife in the home will often become distant with their pubescent daughters. The father is so appalled at the idea of ever having an immoral thought about his daughter, he “shuts her out” to avoid that possibility. Of course, at the time, I never imagined that was happening. Not having a mother in my life was hard enough but then I felt like I was also losing my dad.

At the age of 15 I became troubled about my own path in life. My dad recognized what my need was and suggested I start going to Church. There, I found another Father who never “shuts” me out. Jesus is always there for me. Always listening, always loving.

But like a child, I’ve had to avail myself of my new parent’s wisdom through His Word. I feel like the Bible is God’s love letters to me. We discuss things I need to learn and he shows me by relating incidents where others also had lessons to learn. He warns me and admonishes me and encourages me to keep trying when I fail. He assures me of His love but even more of His ability to handle things I can’t handle. He tells me to “wait” and believe He is in control.

I pray that others may be able to develop at least as good a relationship with Jesus as I have and that I grow more aware of His desire for my life.

All the people who can’t post on Facebook any more.

A very well informed Facebook friend, Mike Booth, has been blocked from Facebook.  She had a lot of Conservative connections in Washington and kept us up to date, on what was really happening, ahead of even Fox News.  It isn’t just the big sites Facebook is blocking.  She did have over 4000 Facebook “friends” but she did not have a commercial site and just posted like the rest of us.  Looks like I may have to start posting things here that are Political and just put a link on my facebook timeline.  Here is a link to one of the last things she was able to post.  She had put a link to this in a comment.  Deep State Revealed

Don’t Save a Tree!

Every time someone suggests not using a paper product so we can “save a tree” it makes me cringe.  There are more trees in North America today than when there were when only Native Americans were here.  Paper companies plant millions of trees, cultivate them and then harvest them, mainly to make into paper products.  Then they plant them again.  Farmers plant acres of trees as a cash investment for the future on land not needed for farming.  Trees also mean jobs for a lot of people who work in the paper mills producing paper products.

And don’t get me started on Christmas Trees.  How many farm families depend on the sale of their Christmas Trees to put them in the black for the year.  Again, these trees are planted, cultivated, harvested and replanted on land that might otherwise lie fallow with weeds.

Trees are a renewable resource.  Much more so than the plastic from petroleum by-products.    Paper dissolves within a year when exposed to the elements; Plastic takes centuries to break down.  Don’t save a tree, save a job, our planet, our economy.