Sheepherders

It's not right that the United Sheepherders Union can contribute uncapped amounts of cash to political ads that elect parties who increase the money given to union workers.

What did you say!

We live in a generation of the perpetually offended.

Harvest

I prayed to be a harvest worker, but I have never been called.

Hard Readings

One of the readings from the one year challenge today was 1 Corinthians 6, a hard reading in the modern world; however, the dreaded part about homosexuality is followed up in the very next section by Paul telling us that everything is permitted.  The other hard reading was from the morning office, Abraham is to sacrifice Isac to God, a favorite of Atheists.  Recently, I said that love is sacrifice.  So, this is fitting and good timing.  For Abraham this showed that he loved God more than anything.  Traditionally, I think, this is how this reading is viewed.  Abraham is being tested.  But, could it be foreshadowing the crucifixion?  God is showing Abraham, and us, how much he loves us.  He gave His Son to save us!  Wow!  BTW Atheists, God did not let Abraham kill Isac, FYI.

Island

Another sleep, another strange dream, this time I was in a boat.  I found an uncharted tropical island, just big enough for a house.  There was an old man, and some kids that lived there.  The kids had a dark complexion and they wanted off the island.  They disappeared from my dream and then it was just me and the old man.  It turns out that he didn't want to leave the island because he was a Nazi war criminal, in his 90s probably.  He told the story in flash back of arriving on the island to hide; strangely with me in it.  The whole thing was in a movie, and I tried to send a message to the audience watching about his age.  In a move that stunned me, I offered to hide him in Brazil to live out his days, because he was afraid to leave the island....

Warming

"I'm not convinced that the evidence supporting Global Warming is conclusive."

"Witch!  Burn him!"

"I think the Earth goes through natural cycles of warming and cooling.  If the Earth is warming, I think your evidence that it is man caused is circumstantial."

"Any idiot with half a brain can see the connection that the girls started to have fits after talking to the slave woman!  Why can't you see this?"

Love

In my 40 short years, I have learned: Love is sacrifice.  Selfishness is unilaterally doing whatever it is you want. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sponge Bob Abraham

What if there are only 20 people LORD?  What if there are only 10 people LORD? Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Horse

I don't understand why people let themselves get so worked up that women don't play professional baseball.  I can enjoy going to the race track;  I don't lament the fact that I can never be a horse.  But seriously,  I'll never be a jockey.   I'm too big.  I can still enjoy the race. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Rah

Decisions decisions...

William Ramier Manufacturing Shokucho AISIN CANADA INC. 180 Wright Blvd Stratford, ON, N4S 0A9 Cell: 519-535-8027 wramier@aisincanada.com

One more post is needed to make the total number a nice odd number.

Three More Dreams

I was the captain of a ship in space, trying to convince a fellow captain that if would be better for our crews to travel together in a sort of crossover between BSG and Voyager; I was an imposter infiltrating a bikers' gang; I ran over a cyclist in a head on collision that was super real.  Vivid dreams are superreal.

Versions

When arguing with Atheists, one thing that often comes up is Bible validity due to the number of successive translations.  The point I make is that they are translated from original texts, not the preceding translstion.  It's not the telephone game.  That being said,  modern translations have received heavy criticism from Christian groups due to changes made to key doctrinal scriptures.  For example, virgin being changed to young girl or removal of the Blood of Christ or the nature of sin. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Bad Joke

I used to jokingly say that I wanted Cindy to die before me so that she didn't have to live without me/be alone, a terrible joke.  I wouldn't want to be without her. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Blessed Are The Greek

I started the One Year Bible Challenge, possibly in part due to a comment made by Fr. Andrew OSB that disturbed me; he said the he wouldn't consider opinions of Christians who had not read the whole Bible.  But, I digest.  Today's reading included The Sermon on the Mount.  The most famous speech in the history of the world, The Sermon on the Mount holds so much within it--so much knowledge.  It is a true treasure. 

Wrk

This week has been a very trying week at work.  It's the kind of week that pushes one to the edge.  It makes a hard job harder.  I wish more people believed--and put into practice--what I believe; who you work with makes a huge difference in making work tolerable.  Complainers only make it worse.

More Readings

I started the one year Bible challenge Sunday.  I'll give it a go.  I've never read the Bible cover to cover--not the way it's supposed to be read--and I'm going to try.  Genesis is surprising me.  Did you know that Noah took seven sets of two of some of the critters?  Did you know that Adam was warned about the tree of  knowledge before Eve was created?  Did you know that God created animals during the six days of creation and then formed animals for Adam after the six days of creation?

Ahh

Between the noon day demon and Asmodeus, it's awful sometimes.

Today's Readings

Could Psalms 105:8 be a time line?  Romans was interesting too.  Are there enough unpronouncable names in chapter 16?  Going back to politics in the Church though, Romans 16:18 made me take notice.

Romans 16:18New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

¹⁸ For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,^[a] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.

2 New Strange Dreams

First one, an onion was coming into ACI and I was at the nomination meeting for officers.   The second I was a vampire.  I met another vampire and he moved far away.  His servant came to me after his master was killed by a vampire hunter and I killed the servant.  Tying up loose ends? Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

NDD

The noon day demon is often much worse on Sunday nights.   A full week of widget making looms before me.  As a result, Sunday's have become a time of bitter reflection and job postings reading.   It's a time of anxiety and irritability.  A claustrophobic sense of shortness of time sets in.  This is accompanied by an urgent sense of unfinished tasks to attend to.  In this time of reflection, I always come face to face with self judgement regarding personal worth in relation to my contribution to society.  I used to be so proud of the fact that William means defender. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

To Sleep, Perhaps More Dreams

Yet another strange dream, yet again I have failed to write it down before I've forgotten most of it.  I remember that a big truck flipped over.  I entered the cap and there were two people, a man and a woman I believe.  The man was dead.  I didn't want to get involved this time, like the car crash on the highway that I was on.  I didn't want to go through it again.

Why?

I was over at my brother Paul's place after I dropped Cindy off at work.  He was watching Captain America II and I watched it with him.  I don't watch movies much anymore.  I find them a waste of time, not that I don't waste time in other ways; but, they are a dedicated block of time.  I especially hate movies like this, as they make me realize lost potential and failed dreams.  I had a visit from the noon day demon.  Then, on the way home, I saw an old man sitting on his walker/stool watching the kids swimming at the Lyon's pool.  I thought he might be lonely, nostalgic.  I drove on.  I started thinking that I should stop and talk to him, make small talk, get to know him.  I thought that it was a strange thought to have and I'd likely scare the crap out of him.  Then I started to analyze it and over think it.  I thought that the chances of me doing that are slim, out of character.  "I won't do that," I thought.  That's not me.  "I've done something spontaneous like this before," I thought, when I played catch with total strangers at the river; but, I love baseball and that's different. I thought I'd scare the old man if I walked up and started talking to him.  I won't do it anyway, it's not the way I'm hard wired.  So, I turned around, almost all the way home.  I found myself hoping he wasn't there when I got back.  I thought about the stories his life held.  Maybe he was a soldier, maybe a corporate executive.  Maybe he was a factory worker.  Maybe I was being led by The Spirit.  I started to rehearse how I would approach him, body language, word choice, so as not to alarm him.  I got there and he was gone.   Why had it happened?  Then I started to think of my action and the ripples, like a non temporal Butterfly Effect.  What would this cause or what would I miss?  Where might I be for something or not be?  Was there still a reason?  The noon day demon returned on the ride home again.  I thought of blogging it all.  I've heard that if you can question your sanity, you're safe.  I'm going to have a beer; I think too much.

Diego

Despite all it's ups and downs, I've had a better life than Diego.  I haven't had more opportunities.   I've just made better choices. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Dreams

Two more nights,  two more strange dreams.  I dreamt that I was part of a black ops team in one.  I was sent back in time to infiltrate my own unit on the farm, as myself a la Quantum Leap.  In the second it was confusing as to who I was due to third person perspective,  the serial killer I was hunting or a member of the FBI's BAU.  My dreams are so vivid and seem so real.  Although I never killed anybody,  so I must have been the agent.   Strangly, there was a lot of Kung Fu fighting. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Mature

I've done some terrible things.  I've done lots of bad stuff.  I've done some pretty stupid things.  The difference between me and Diego is that, if you want to provide a good life, at some point you have to stop doing stupid $h1t. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Welfare Respect

If respect is earned and not given, what does that say about welfare bums? Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Pluralism

Jesus didn't say to believe whatever you want.  He didn't say it's all good.  He said that only God is good.  He said that He was the way.  Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Matthew 22:36-40 NRSV from Bible Gateway

Matthew 22:36-40 NRSV

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

wramier@yahoo.com shared Matthew 22:36-40 NRSV with you from BibleGateway.com. To sign up for daily verses, devotions, and Bible readings from BibleGateway.com, click here.

The Law

I think I've commented more on my Asmodeus post than I've blogged this month.  Regarding the law:  I'm sure that St. Paul wasn't just speaking about food and holidays.  I think it was broader than that.  Whether the law is Mosaic or modern man made (religious law), it is still subject to my constitution, which is:  Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  This is the first and great commandment.  The second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.


I'll post it from Bible Gateway.

A Different Day

Why not write about it now?  You...voters, lawmakers, Church leaders...you created the society in which the Church founders.  You put liberal values before love of God.  You made social engineering your idol.  Right or wrong, that's what you did.  You sought to include outsiders by white washing everything until it was bland.  You erased our culture.  You removed the Sunday closing acts and wonder why people are busy on Sunday morning.  You removed prayer from youth education, and wonder why generations are churned out who know not their heritage.  Who is Jesus?  Some Christian guy.  I heard a liberal once ironically exclaim that they were saddened that they never use my BCP anymore and I wanted to scream, "You did it!  It was you!"  So, we worship Gaia in the Church now.  Didn't Jesus say not to worry?  Don't worry about your next meal, what you will wear, or about wars and famine?  Don't worry about global warming?  Why not?  I wouldn't mind concentrating on God at Church.  Couldn't hurt....












Separation of Church and State?  I'd settle for leaving politics at the parish door.

Politics in The Church

You don't like to deal with me because you have convinced yourself that your political agenda is what God wants, and that if I was really found/Christian/saved/Anglican I would believe it too.  But it's not what God wants.  It is what the world wants.  God is unchanging.  I feel rough and abrasive like John the Baptist in the wilderness must have been perceived.  It hurts to kick against the goads. 

I am sick and tired of the Church trying to remain relevant in society.  That ship may already have sailed (and in large part due to the liberalizing of the Church and society--an argument for a different day).  Christianity was originally counter cultural.  That's its roots.  We need to be in the world and not part of it.  Then, God's light will shine.

?

Even David Myles says, "Livin' in the system conditions the poor."  Yet, people still vote liberal.   Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android