I have hobbies, and a dog, and I like to cook, read Scripture or lose myself in the evening in a good movie , Spring is here and the clean up of the garden is nigh, I love music and I love to sing. I turn off the laptop, do not carry phone as if its an appendage I was born with, Houseplants! Starting seeds, clean the house, walk the dog in the woods, throw the ball for him, look at the sky, take a hot bath and then a nap. Being aware of all that is happening in the world is very important, but it is also important to be aware of my little private life, which, through Gods grace, is peaceful and abundant.
Of all that was said by Christ on the Cross, as his body was dying, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do", is the tenet of Christianity. But read the words, Christ did not say "I" forgive you, He asked Father to. And so when I struggle with past offenses done to me, or see examples of very bad things done by others, as I pray, I ask God to forgive them for me, as I am unable to, and to forgive my shortcoming. "Forgive my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me". I fail time and time again, in my silent judgements, in my knee jerk emotional reactions (which are regulated, and silent). God's mercy is extended to my imperfection, but I do ask Him to forgive what I seem to be unable to.
Every time there is a display of northern lights, it is usually too cloudy, as it was last night up here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. I got to see them once when my son was little. I am also not that young anymore and staying up past midnight is never a good thing.
Our baptism as Christians gives us the Holy Spirit, we become Christ's own, and part of his body on Earth, it is the New Covenant, the new Jerusalem. Jews still have the chance to convert and get baptized, to become part of the living body of Christ. When Jesus said, the Temple will be destroyed, and then re built in 3 days, what he was talking about was his crucifixion and resurrection. When Jesus said that the scriptures would be fulfilled with him, he was not talking Old Testament and how he was there to lay down the law, no, he was talking about that the scripture had always prophesied a Messiah, and that the Messiah did come in Jesus the Christ. Do you believe that God in Christ is God? We are chosen to receive him.
He entered Jerusalem on a donkey, in church we would sing "All Glory Laud and Honor to thee Redeemer King", as children we would wave the palms and sing, Crown HIM with many crowns. As a child, it was hard for me to understand the joy of this, because I knew that in 4 days, the same people who cheered him on and declared him King, would cheer at his torture and demand he be crucified. It was a heavy lesson for a devout child, a lesson of betrayal from people who would cheer you in one place, and condemn you in the same place. It did not matter if they cheered or they slandered, HIS love never wavered, he forgave them, he promised they would join him in Paradise, (the two who hang on either side). As an old woman now, I have learned from contemplating the Gospel, sought the deeper meaning behind the few lines written, and have learned that it all sums up the condition of the human heart. Fickle in Faith, swayed by a trend, not to be trusted. My question to this day is, God in Christ knew all, he knew what would happen, he knew that the cross would be waiting for him, but he sat on that donkey and watched the crowds, as they lay down palms before him, an action done for the great, for a King. Holy Week begins. It will be a week of intense highs, and then despair, and then a miracle, the miracle was for us, not for HIM. Of course God is eternal, there was never any death waiting for him, but the body he took on, he took on to experience what a man must go through, the pain, the betrayal, the end of all sensation of a heartbeat. It made his love of us complete, knowing how life ends, knowing all the disappointment that we bring each other, he went in anyway, so that he may know us.My question then , who are we to seek approval and honor, when we know that can change on a dime, if it comes from mere men and women? It does not save us from death, the only thing that will is our Faith with a capital F.
Rubbish? Do you know how many times a day these tours take place with no incident? It friggin fell apart and he was low on fuel? While having the CEO on board, the CEO of a company with his very important wife? If you are not asking questions, there is something wrong with your thinking, not the other way around. It was tragic, no one is cheering this on, especially the children, but things usually just do not stop working all at once. Thank goodness he was over the Hudson River, and not over land.
As a care attendant, the higher toilets saved some of my back, in transferring a person from a wheelchair to the toilet, but there are also booster seats that are inexpensive, and can be placed on the bowl for this purpose, if a person needs it. I used one of those after a hip replacement, and it was wonderful, bending and standing to use the toilet gets harder as you get older, but, on the other hand, I am so damn short, my legs dangle on whatever I sit on. Instead of changing the design, and making so called universal adaptations, just get a booster seat, and for the comfort of pooping correctly, get a foot rest, no need to completely overhaul manufacturing to meet this years trend. By the way, childbirth is easier in the squatting position also, not laying flat on your back. It is the same principal, the body is trying to push something out.
When I cannot get local, I use Butcher Box, because the beef is guaranteed grass fed. Butcher Box gets its beef from Australia, because the climate there allows year round pasture, I imagine the same for South America. The USA so far, has lower standards, and there are enormous corporate controls over the industry. Very local beef is raised, and it is 4x more expensive, unless I buy half a cow and have it butchered and cut and wrapped locally, which is an option, some folks go half in on it. The local pork and chicken is also more expensive, but, I buy it. Trouble is, there are not enough Black Angus in this area, it is Vermont, a lot of dairy breeds, and the difference between Holstein, Jersey, and Black Angus is huge. Holstein beef just does not taste that good. Raising a a couple for my own use will not happen, they would just become hayburners and pets.
In Vermont it is supposed to change next month, but I still have a choice to not get one. If you have a passport, you do not have to get one, and the only reason I would need it would be to go to Canada, or to fly on a plane. My son should get one, but I have no plans to fly anywhere. My drivers license is still accepted as ID for operating a vehicle, to prove ID. Since way back I did not want my identity known to any Government agency, I even put off getting a drivers license till my 30's, when employers began to demand them. I had dreams of living an undetected, unnumbered life, for years my ss # and proof of address was enough. Pardon me, but I am not losing my religion, there are so many signs that the mark of the beast is nigh, I will take that seriously.
There was a breeder who was breeding Great Pyrenees , Malamutes, with German Shepherd dogs, and was getting very good results with the looks of it, bred for docile temperaments, the results were good with looks, and a fairly stupid animal. Where will these canines be useful, Zoos? How sad, really. If we want to make animal species come back, raise heirloom breeds.
I've worked with the disabled all of my life, as a job coach, residential manager in group homes, and for most of the past 25 years, providing care in my home. I would say that 40% of people who are receiving benefits should not. People apply for it and some receive it because of so called mental illness, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks etc, and then sit on their ass and play video games, watch tv, sleep all day and complain that they cannot afford groceries. The others who get it, like the man I care for, can do nothing for himself except hold a special cup to his mouth and drink. Those who are getting it for bad backs and such? I have spinal stenosis in 3 parts of my back, long term Lyme, and arthritis everywhere else. I still work. I can feed him, do his laundry, give him his meds, read to him, bathe him, etc. My son does the lifting and taking him out. I have heard people say, oh, they always turn you down, I know a doctor who will make sure you get it. There are "social workers" in medical practices who get a nice salary pushing through claims, thats all they do, push claims. Everyone , except severely disabled people, can do some sort of work, contribute somehow, yes, they may need coaches for awhile, yes they may need a wheelchair or a ramp, but there is still work that can be done by them. The unskilled work, companies import foreigners that come from agencies, and take all the jobs, ie: a high functioning person with Downs or anxiety can still work as a hotel chambermaid, a person with PTSD can still function enough to have a decent life, and working? Well, if a person who is getting a check for PTSD, and can drive, go out to the bar and drink, work under the table, etc, can find some employment, or at least something that contributes! You think all those Chinese assembling clothing and i phones are 100% in body and mind? No, they are not. We coddle people and it does not help them, not at all.
But what about the Fentanyl? It is produced there, and has been a very strategic weapon against our people. Now, Fentanyl, when used medically has been an invaluable tool for anesthesia, we could make that here. There is nothing to compare it to, under control in medicine, works quickly, knocks you out and you wake up quickly, with little or no after affects. But it has also knocked out a large part of our youth, is part of the human trafficking horror, and it keeps coming and coming, and not all through the borders, it arrives in ports, is cheap, and most of us could find a connection to get it by this afternoon, if that is what you are looking for. No community is free of it, and it takes over people, rendering them into zombies. I know you are talking about the big picture, but until the trafficking of drugs and women and children, are absolutely stopped, how will anyone be free to prosper? What this drug does is the equivalent of someone coming and just shooting 10% of the population now, and get it over with. that is how catastrophic this is. China never stopped selling opium to cripple the western people.
Silver down below 30 an oz and I could kick myself in the fanny for ordering 10oz at the beginning of last week, spent 38 per oz. Waited a few years for it to get that high, was sure it was headed for over 40. Well, I will continue to sit on it like a broody hen, just hope I am not trying to hatch a door knob (I had a hen that did that).
Lighting has so much to do with our moods, and these damn lights are depressing, the brain processes the lack of shadows as 2 dimensional. I used to work in residential mental health, checking on people who were living independently but needed follow up and support. We would get calls from folks having a hard time,even though they were managing themselves well,occasionally we would get calls from someone going through a crisis, usually their voices were really bothering them, or they had lots of fear. One of the first things I did when going to their apartments, was check the lighting, and making it warmer, turning off the damn flourescent lights in their kitchens, illuminate some dark corner, talk with them as I did this. It helped change the ambience of the room, thus effecting them psychologically. Some of these new bulbs give me the mood like I am watching Eraser Head, which I could never finish because it was visually disturbing, due to lighting. A few years ago I was searching the internet for a black market where I could buy incandescent bulbs.
silver is down too, which is puzzling, when the market drops, usually metals go up. watching today as I always buy on the dip, but just a few days ago it was so close to 40 an oz, it dropped big, down to 30 oz this morning. I have no money in stocks, and no 401 k, what I have is equity with zero debt and savings and silver. I'm simple, maybe stupid, but I do not put money into systems I have little understanding of.
I do know that high protein is hard on the kidneys, if they are weak. I know this goes against all the pro carnivore folks, but, if the kidneys are compromised, they do not need to be burdened with also processing the protein, that is why the creatinine is spilling and not being utilized. When a dog or cat's kidneys are failing, you limit the protein intake. I will just leave this here.Turmeric and Ginger, Cranberry, all good. Fish is a good protein, blueberries and oatmeal, and yes, watch the sodium for now. God bless and good health!