No Trace Of Bitter

Just saw the news that Westburo baptist leader Fred Phelps has died. The interwebs mock crews have been cheering for this to happen the past few days. Not me.
Life is precious. If you hate him for all the hate that he and his group have spewed, how are you better?
Sure, they are a vile group. He was not a good guy. But right at this time I will not cheer for anyone's death, not even Phelps. 
Life is precious. The picture above is titled "Our Lady Grace" and I like it. If confronted by something ugly, look for beauty.

No, This Was A HAD TO Repost

I missed an opportunity to crack wise about "Beware the ides of March", but that's okay. Consider this a free post to comment on Bert Lahr's snappy chapeau.
I won't write (today) about the persistence of memories from childhood getting a new layer of introspect due to seeing iconic movie players as themselves but partially dressed as we remember.
Margaret Hamilton is not dressing as "Ghostface". And exactly who Frank Morgan is looking at we will never know.

Another Old One From PCD

IF YOU
GO SEARCHING THROUGH THE WORLD
LOOKING HARD TO FIND, TO SEE
ANY REMNANT OF GOOD
IN A LOST HUMANITY
KEEP SEARCHING.

DIGGING THROUGH THE RUBBLE-
ANY KINDNESS THAT YOU FIND,
YOU WILL TREASURE MORE.
ANY FORGIVENESS FOUND IS GOLD
WORTH DIGGING FOR.

KEEP SEARCHING-THIS WORLD
IS NOT ALL DROSS.
THERE ARE DIAMONDS IN THE CLAY TO POLISH
LAY BEFORE THE CROSS.
ANY SIN STRUCK SOUL BEFRIENDED-
MET WITH CHRIST BEFORE ALL CHANCE IS ENDED...
CAN BECOME A PRECIOUS STONE IN HIS HOUSE.
KEEP SEARCHING.

FOR YOU WERE TAKEN FROM THE MUD-
REACHED WITH WORDS YOU KNEW WERE SPOKEN IN
A SPECIAL CHRIST-LIKE LOVE;
YOU MAY HAVE BEEN UNLOVABLE
TO ANYONE BUT GOD,
BUT HIS LOVE SENT SOMEONE SEARCHING THROUGH THE WORLD,
AND YOU WERE FOUND.

Scarier Than Putin

Oh sure, thing looks scary. Black Flying Fox, also known as the "Fruitbat". Saw this online and the common tators noted that the AUSTRALIAN man with the stick is holding the fruitbat closer to the camera for a bit of forced perspective fun.
But still...the fruitbat of nightmares. I've been having some doozies lately, and this thing might join the shade population of my sleeps.
They LOOK scarier to me than Putin. He is just a man. No matter what troubles he brings on our world, his power is finite, and his day will end just as surely as Hitler's did, Napoleon's did.
See if this little epitaph fits Putin and the others like Hitler who so troubled the world:
"Those who see you will gaze at you, 
 They will ponder over you, saying,
 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
 Who shook kingdoms, 
 Who made the world like a wilderness
 And overthrew it's cities,
 Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?'"
Isaiah 14:16-17

That verse wasn't talking about Putin, of course, but about satan, who raises up such Putins and
Hitlers to trouble the earth.
In "Despicable Me" terms, satan is "Gru" and the Putins/Hitlers his minions.

So don't fear Putin. Pray, as I do, for the return of Christ to set this world right, to end the dominance of Man, pray that every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing when He rules the world with Truth and Grace and makes the nations prove the Glories of His Righteousness.

Okay, How About This?

Oncet uponish a time, I was given grief for comparing President Obama to Adolph Hitler.
How about this? In the config of 2014 current events, Vladdie Putin is casting himself in the Hitler role, invading Ukraine as Hitler did Poland.
This is President Obama's moment to shine as a world leader. He can do the right thing and champion the people of Ukraine who are threatened with subservience...or he can follow the example of Neville Chamberlain. 
Chamberlain was the dovish PM of Great Britain who, in the name of world peace, caved like a mountain climber rather than a speleologist. That is to say, this dove's weak action, winning a peace accord from Hitler as meaningless as a basilisk's smile, made it necessary for hawks to take to the skies.
But Wars Will happen in this shoddy cosmos where Man acts up and causes grief to the world.
Such will be the case until we all sing, "Joy to the world, Our Lord has come! Let earth receive her King!"

Honoring Our Heroes

Egon is gone. Farewell to Harold Ramis. We do lose our heroes eventually, but one of mine who
has recently been promoted I will see again. May you be so fortunate.

It Is Simple

It really is simple.
 "⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6

If you have not been called to repentance by Christ, if He has not opened the way to the Father 
for you, you are doomed. False churches such as Catholicism claim Him...but do not know Him.
A thousand and one other religions can claim to represent Christ-but they have no place in His Kingdom. 
How can you know? Who can you trust?
You certainly aren't going to take my word for anything-I'm just a guy at a keyboard.
If you trust in your own wisdom to discern truth...you are a fool. 
If you trust in the religion that you happened to be born into you are someone else's fool.
In either case, you are spiritually blind, and cannot see the truth.
But if you seek Christ, not through your own wisdom, not through your own religion, but through
His words, asking for discernment...there may be hope for you yet. 
The Bible is a spiritual book which can only be understood by those who have their eyes opened by
God. 
The simple graphic above is a test. How you respond to it and the Bible verse beneath it shows you 
exactly where you are. 
May God open your eyes, make Himself evident to you.

A Beautiful Song Or Two

I hardly ever post videos, but I want to share this one from Joni Erickson Tada, "Alone, Yet Not Alone".

And...if it works, this one by Gabriela Montero and Ruth Palmer. They met when their cars had a fender-bender; Gabriela wrote this piece of music for them to perform together. I've noted it
here before, but it bears re-watching.

Just a reminder that 'the world is not all dross'-there are some things Beautiful.

Aokigahara, Or Random Thoughts Tuesday, Wednesday Edition

Haven't done a random thoughts for awhile, which is proof to the 'Random' in the title.
First on the page-the irrelevant yammerfest of last night between a Creationist and a
Scientist.
Didn't watch, didn't care.
The Olympics begin soon; from reports read on the intrawebs, Russia isn't ready.
At all. Hilarious!
Speaking of 'isn't ready', reportage concerning the affordable care act highlighting the continual
vapoi of bad intentions meeting horrid implementation is my favorite sitcom of the season.
It goes like this-if it reported that the ACA will cost America 20+ million jobs, the "White House" 
will declare proudly that the ACA will create 20+ million American jobs!
If the ACA 'roll-out' is reported to be a complete failure, the "White House" will tout it's smooth
operation. And great success. While saving you money!
}shrugs{
Okayfine, I'll admit to feeling a bit miffed. Just read that there is going to be a movie concerning
Aokigahara. I guess it was too thematically potent for Hollywood to miss. I see no good coming from this-I hope that the filmmakers are respectful and do not exploit Aokigahara.
Dun

Compassion Forgiveness Restoration

It's funny-I've spent the last few hours avoiding writing this post.
I read something yesterday that was disturbing, which prompted this.
A man was caught with child pornography on his computer.
The man worked in government.
The man committed suicide after leaving a measured, completely rational suicide note.
He claimed that he had been abused as a child, which scarred him emotionally.
As an adult he was functional, detail oriented, one who was always in control.
But when he first saw child pornography, as he wrote in his suicide note, he "didn't turn away."
Suddenly he was not in control anymore. And it destroyed him.

Why I am posting about this? That note.
He explained clearly what had happened to him, what he had done, that he regretted his actions...
and that at the next opportunity he was going to kill himself.
Functional. In control. Rational. Suicide.

Here's the thing-no matter how black our sins, they CAN be forgiven.
God forgives sinners. Jesus Christ came to make that Salvation possible.
Even for pedophiles.
For anyone haunted by guilt (which means all of us, as we are all guilty of something) it need not destroy you..

I once knew an assistant Pastor who was later discovered to be a pedophile. He ran away, and I had promised that if I ever saw him again, that I would give him a beating.
That is all over. Now I'm more of the forgiving type, as God has forgiven me for so much.
No sin is greater than the Grace of God. If you are living with a secret hurt, if you have carried some issue inside for a lifetime which makes you feel unworthy of God's forgiveness...it's been paid for by Jesus Christ, and there is Forgiveness available for you.

Speaking Of Old Stuff...

Yeah! I was doing mirror 'selfies' back before there was a Pinterest, before any Facebook, back when the
"Internet" went by the name "DARPA".
So there, America!

More Of My Old Stuff

I've decided to put more of my older work online, at both this blog and FDW.
This is a song written back in B.C. (Before Computers).

Holy Of Holies

Holy of Holies,

Be not far from me-

I pray that you answer at my call

(Hear my cry)

I pray that you answer at my call.

It is of the Lord’s Mercies that

We are not consumed,

Because His Compassions fail not

(Never fear)

Because His Compassions fail not.

The Lord is my portion

Saith my soul-

Therefore I will trust in Him

(Only Him)

Because his Compassions fail not

(Never fear)

I pray that you answer at my call

Hear my cry:

“The Lord IS my Portion”.

Best News Of The Day

You know me through these posts. I've loved Baseball for longer than I can remember. In the late 1980's/early 1990's I began watching WTBS and WGN while living in Vegas. Specifically, MLB-the Braves and the Cubs/White Sox. Even back then I had no use for New York teams, so I never invested much time in WOR.
But I became a Braves fan, and, when Tommy Glavine, John Smoltz, Steve Avery or Greg Maddux was pitching, they usually won. Maddux came in later, but he fit into the rotation quite nicely.
Congratulations to Glavine and Maddux for being voted into the Hall of Fame. Well deserved!

Thumbprint Meta Ikon

Sometimes an image pictorially exemplifies an emotion. Case in point above.
Whether or not the dog is happy, it LOOKS happy, and that shows how I feel
right now.
You may have heard of the "Peace that passes all understanding" with which Christians
are Blessed through Christ.
Here's the thing-if you were to look at my life, dissect all components...you might not see much
reason for happiness or Peace.  Logically, I should be UN-happy. 
But I have Peace and I am happy.
Cynics might ripost with:"Truly happy people don't proclaim it-Doug must be putting on 
a happy face to hide the truth."
Nah.
A few posts ago I wrote one of my darker items, the "Christmas Angel Parable". It was about a very real someone who does not share my Peace and happiness.
But even if such sadness and darkness are a part of my life...I am still at Peace, and am still
happy. 
Even if I can't figure it out.
May God Bless you in this new year.