Posts
The other day, I told the story of a blogger whose views on Christ were a bit different than mine. Not a big deal in and of itself. One of the posts I read was how she felt that the phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin" was unbiblical and wrong. Amidst several other comments on this controversial idea, I had added Matt. 5:43-48-
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Because while she did have a rationale for her position, in a rambling sort of way that included posting several chapters at the end of Job involving God's response to Job, I felt she was conveniently forgetting the weight Jesus lent to this concept.
It got deleted.
I think this person sees herself as a crusader, but Jesus didn't send crusaders, Pope Urban II did. In fact, the person who pointed her out in the first place to me had commented on the post, trying to defend another commenter who disagreed with her. For his trouble, he got a scathing response littered with accusations and "people like you"s- and quite frankly, if I'd have gotten such a response, my reply would have ended with, "...and the horse you rode in on". So I went over there, with the intention of just deleting her from the reading list.
Anyway, she followed this up with a post in the same vein regarding not praying for the fallen based on Matt. 10:14-
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
What she failed to consider in her post was that THAT was to be a last resort, after doing everything in one's power to bring people TO repentance. I think she has a lot more Jonah in her than I do. In fact, I think Luke 9:54-55 describes her perfectly.
54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”[a]
55 But He turned and rebuked them,[b] and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”[c] And they went to another village. I think, though, while her nature is pretty clear, Jesus' nature is not very clear to her. And, not surprisingly, that is how my readings went this week- a look at the nature of Jesus.
Monday, Isaiah 49. Particularly, verse 6:
Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Jesus is not some limited, parochial deity- He is the light even to those who HAD NOT SOUGHT HIM. Everyone gets a shot. Before we decide on who "will not hear", one better examine the message with which they try to reach them.
Tuesday, Matthew 27, the trial of Jesus. "Are you the King of the Jews?" asked Pilate, and Jesus answered, "It is as you say." And this wasn't a king of wrath- this was a king that loved His people enough to die for them soon later. As Paul said, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH, death on a cross.
Wednesday, Luke 8. Herein he heals an arch-demoniac, a woman who bled for 12 years, and a little girl who had died. Not only giving healing to one who had faith (the woman), but to one whose family laughed at Him (Jairus' family), and another who accused Him of tormenting him (Legion)! JESUS WAS ALL ABOUT HEALING.
Thursday, I Corinthians 3. Paul explains here that, whatever we do, Jesus must be THE FOUNDATION of what we hope to accomplish.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
One of my commenters on my earlier post noted that this blogger I mentioned was engaged in "picking and choosing" what she chose to believe rather than seeing the wider context. And that wider context is that we are to emulate Jesus, and Jesus came with mercy, humility, and healing, not a sword and condemnation. Yes, He condemned the Pharisees and others; but they HAD the Word, and KNEW, or should have, what God wanted from them. How many times did they bring to Jesus sinners they themselves had condemned, only to watch Jesus forgive them? If you are going to preach against mercy for sinners, you'd better be darn sure you've given them every chance to repent.
Friday, Acts 22, Paul's defense before the Jerusalem crowd. Here, he tells for the first time, his version of his conversion. Here, Jesus is THE ONE WHO CALLS US. Is there any question that Paul was an enemy of God and Christ on a scale that this blogger would have "shook the dust from her sandals" on? Jesus made him the greatest Apostle of all. Who would you give up on?
And Saturday, the beginning of Job. Satan is told to "Consider My servant Job," which he does with contempt. "Of course, he's loyal to you, you've hedged him around! Take away Your protection and see what he does!" So Satan saw Job's faith as based on the protection. But at the end of the day, Job proved that the protection was based on his faith as well as God's mercy. IF WE ARE FAITHFUL, HE IS OUR PROTECTOR.
So who is Jesus?
-He is the one who brings us light before we even know we need it;
-He is the one who goes to the limit for us;
-He is our healer;
-He is our sure foundation;
-He calls us to new life, never giving up;
-He is our protector when we rely on Him.
How much of that is possible for someone busy looking for reasons to exclude us from mercy?
I think I'll try posting a link on the blogger's site to this. Maybe I'll get through, or just get a scathing response.
More likely, I'll get deleted.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Time Machine #59
Today is March 15th, 1971, and we really have a case of the bookends of history. It is claimed that the first internet chat room, of sorts, was launched today. I wasn't able to find the details, but it may have had to do with an interactive connection between the U of Michigan and Wayne State. The coming of the future was balanced with a passing of the past- CBS cancelled the Ed Sullivan Show. Citing the aging demographic and sliding ratings (which were still in the 11 millions in 1970), the last show that wasn't a special or a rerun aired live on March 28th, and featured among the guests Melanie and opera singer Joanna Simon- sister of Carly Simon.
Welcome to Time Machine, where we fill the vortex with sweet music. This week, Gordon Lightfoot to Paul McCartney, via Dolly Parton, in six degrees; the Class of '55; the Three Stooges meet the Where Are They Now Victim; and a great big catch of birthday songs. Hop in and let's spin!
We have 12 debuts in this week's hot 100- but despite a handful that we might see (or hear) later, I'm only going to mention 2. The Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose enter at 92 with Treat Her Like A Lady; and Ocean, a Canadian gospel band led by Gene MacLellan (who wrote Anne Murray's Snowbird) with Put Your Hand In The Hand at 84.
That brings us to one impressive rack- of songs that hit anniversaries this week. Turning 30, Bob Seger's Even Now; Naked Eyes with their Bacharach-David cover, Always Something There To Remind Me; and good ol' Bryan Adams and Straight From The Heart.
Turning 35, Peter Brown and his dance hit Dance With Me; one of my favorite Billy Joel tunes, Moving Out (Anthony's Song); The ungrammatical song Too Much Too Little Too Late by Johnny Mathis and Denise Williams; my all-time fave Aerosmith tune- which of course means it charted low- Kings And Queens; and one more that has a odd story to it. George Benson's cover of the old Drifters' hit On Broadway debuted 35 years ago this week- and the original debuted 50 years ago this week! An amusing addendum- when James Taylors redux of Up On The Roof charted, Casey Casem always referred to it as "the old Drifters' tune", which I- being an idiot at the time- turned into "the old drifter's tune" and wondered why drifters would go around singing that particular song.
Turning 40 this week, Steely Dan's Reeling In The Years; Clint Holmes' Playground In My Mind (which I used to think was Three Dog Night); and a pair of your more unusual instrumental hits- mentioned last week, Edgar Winter Group's Frankenstein; and Dutch band Focus with Hocus Pocus (trust me- if you were around then, you'll remember it).
Turning 45 we have one of my more bizzarre favorites- Four Jacks And A Jill with Master Jack; Tom Jones with Delilah; and the Irish Rovers with their delightful faerie tale The Unicorn.
And finally, joining the Drifters in turning 50, Peter, Paul, and Mary with Puff The Magic Dragon (I don't know why, but the thought of that song being 50 brings tears to my eyes); Gene Pitney's Mecca; and Little Peggy March (who's a not-so-little 65) with I Will Follow Him. Blow out the candles...
The big jumper this week is Glen Campbell's remake of Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream), climbing 29 to # 47. The big dropper is the recent top 40 Just Seven Numbers by the Four Tops, falling 27 spots to 69. That brings us to # 50 and our Where Are They Now Feature.
This week, we find another cover, this time of the Jackie Wilson classic Lonely Teardrops, served up by Brian Hyland. You know the story of Brian- made a name with the novelty hit Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (which wasn't about a teenager, but the songwriter's 2-year-old daughter), hit the heights again a couple years later with the sweet ballad Sealed With A Kiss, then a comeback with 1970's Gypsy Woman. While the hits didn't exactly fill in the spaces, Brian was recording an eclectic range of genres including folk, country, ballads, and you-name-it. Nowadays he's still on the road, touring with his love/writing partner/performing parter Rosemari and their drummer/son Bodi. In addition to recording new music and collecting old, they are collecting stories for a book about life on the road. He has also been involved in a lot of charity projects, including special recordings, original pen and ink artwork, and performing for groups like Special Olympics. Oh, and Brian is a cousin by marriage of Larry Fine of the Three Stooges. Nyak, Nyak, nyak!
Another five songs enter the top 40. From 43 to 40, the Chairmen Of The Board hit the forty again with... The Chairmen Of The Board. A twelve notch climb for Freda Payne with Cherish What Is Dear To You (While It's Near To You) at 39. BJ Thomas moves 9 to 38 with No Love At All; a four-spot climb for the third version of the Love Story theme, this one by the Francis Lai orchestra, the actual original score. Finally, Paul McCartney is up 12 to 36 with Another Day.
Our lookback takes us to the big mover in 1955 this week- Carl Perkins with the original Blue Suede Shoes, which moved from 28 to 11. Unlike most of the tunes we've hit on this feature, this one went straight on to the top. Perkins was a member of a poor Tennessee sharecropping family. He and his brothers worked in the fields after school and 12-14 hours a day in the summer for 50 cents a day. Hearing the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, he wanted a guitar which the family couldn't afford- he made one out of a cigar box and a broomstick. Later, a down on his luck neighbor sold him a beat up guitar with worn strings that he had to tie when they broke because they couldn't afford replacements. Moving nearer to Memphis, he finally got a chance and was signed by Sam Phillips at Sun Records, and toured with the rising stars Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. In March of 1956, he and others in his band- including his brother- were in a serious accident which lead to him nearly drowning and ending up with a severe concussion, three fractured vertebrae, a broken sternum, and various cuts. His brother ended up dying from complications of the accident. His songs were hits for others- of course you know about Elvis' take on Blue Suede Shoes, but he also wrote hits like Cash's Daddy Sang Bass. Though BSS was his only pop hit, he had 9 songs make the country top 40- the last of which was Birth Of Rock And Roll, a cut from the lp Class of '55, featuring himself, Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison, in 1986. Perkins passed in January of 1998.
Two songs enter the top 10, two drop out. Dropping are Rose Garden (4 to 13) and Sweet Mary (7 to 22).
Wilson Pickett has picked himself the #10 spot and is staying there again this week, with Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You.
And right away, here's the six degrees game!
Gordon Lightfoot falls from 5 to 9 with If You Could Read My Mind. This appeared on the lp Sit Down Young Stranger, which also included the second-made recording of Me And Bobby McGee. That famous tune was written by the famous Kris Kristofferson and the lesser-known Fred Foster. Foster's big claim to fame was producing most of Roy Orbison's big hits, as well as the first charting single for Dolly Parton- 1967's Dumb Blonde, which hit 20 on the country charts. That came from her debut lp Hello, I'm Dolly, and was written by one Claude "Curly" Putnam, Jr. He was not only known for his hand in the hits Green Green Grass Of Home, My Elusive Dreams, D-I-V-O-R-C-E, and He Stopped Loving Her Today, but his country home was the inspiration for the Wings' hit Junior's Farm after their visit while recording in Nashville.
Holding at 8 is Jerry Reed with Amos Moses.
The Temptations blast their way in at #7, up 5, with Just My Imagination.
The aforementioned Me And Bobby McGee, this time by the late Janis Joplin, moves 7 to #6.
Tom Jones roars up from 9 to 5 with She's A Lady.
The Partridge Family move up 2 to 4 with Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted.
CCR holds at 3 with Have You Ever Seen The Rain.
The Jackson Five slip back to #2 with Mama's Pearl.
And returning to #1 after a one-week break...
... The Osmonds with One Bad Apple!!! Maybe it should have been One Bad Penny, since it came back! (ba-dum-DUM!)
That's it my friends! See you next week!
 |
| Ed and frequent guest Topo Gigio, worldwide mouse star. |
We have 12 debuts in this week's hot 100- but despite a handful that we might see (or hear) later, I'm only going to mention 2. The Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose enter at 92 with Treat Her Like A Lady; and Ocean, a Canadian gospel band led by Gene MacLellan (who wrote Anne Murray's Snowbird) with Put Your Hand In The Hand at 84.
That brings us to one impressive rack- of songs that hit anniversaries this week. Turning 30, Bob Seger's Even Now; Naked Eyes with their Bacharach-David cover, Always Something There To Remind Me; and good ol' Bryan Adams and Straight From The Heart.
Turning 35, Peter Brown and his dance hit Dance With Me; one of my favorite Billy Joel tunes, Moving Out (Anthony's Song); The ungrammatical song Too Much Too Little Too Late by Johnny Mathis and Denise Williams; my all-time fave Aerosmith tune- which of course means it charted low- Kings And Queens; and one more that has a odd story to it. George Benson's cover of the old Drifters' hit On Broadway debuted 35 years ago this week- and the original debuted 50 years ago this week! An amusing addendum- when James Taylors redux of Up On The Roof charted, Casey Casem always referred to it as "the old Drifters' tune", which I- being an idiot at the time- turned into "the old drifter's tune" and wondered why drifters would go around singing that particular song.
Turning 40 this week, Steely Dan's Reeling In The Years; Clint Holmes' Playground In My Mind (which I used to think was Three Dog Night); and a pair of your more unusual instrumental hits- mentioned last week, Edgar Winter Group's Frankenstein; and Dutch band Focus with Hocus Pocus (trust me- if you were around then, you'll remember it).
Turning 45 we have one of my more bizzarre favorites- Four Jacks And A Jill with Master Jack; Tom Jones with Delilah; and the Irish Rovers with their delightful faerie tale The Unicorn.
And finally, joining the Drifters in turning 50, Peter, Paul, and Mary with Puff The Magic Dragon (I don't know why, but the thought of that song being 50 brings tears to my eyes); Gene Pitney's Mecca; and Little Peggy March (who's a not-so-little 65) with I Will Follow Him. Blow out the candles...
The big jumper this week is Glen Campbell's remake of Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream), climbing 29 to # 47. The big dropper is the recent top 40 Just Seven Numbers by the Four Tops, falling 27 spots to 69. That brings us to # 50 and our Where Are They Now Feature.
This week, we find another cover, this time of the Jackie Wilson classic Lonely Teardrops, served up by Brian Hyland. You know the story of Brian- made a name with the novelty hit Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (which wasn't about a teenager, but the songwriter's 2-year-old daughter), hit the heights again a couple years later with the sweet ballad Sealed With A Kiss, then a comeback with 1970's Gypsy Woman. While the hits didn't exactly fill in the spaces, Brian was recording an eclectic range of genres including folk, country, ballads, and you-name-it. Nowadays he's still on the road, touring with his love/writing partner/performing parter Rosemari and their drummer/son Bodi. In addition to recording new music and collecting old, they are collecting stories for a book about life on the road. He has also been involved in a lot of charity projects, including special recordings, original pen and ink artwork, and performing for groups like Special Olympics. Oh, and Brian is a cousin by marriage of Larry Fine of the Three Stooges. Nyak, Nyak, nyak!
Another five songs enter the top 40. From 43 to 40, the Chairmen Of The Board hit the forty again with... The Chairmen Of The Board. A twelve notch climb for Freda Payne with Cherish What Is Dear To You (While It's Near To You) at 39. BJ Thomas moves 9 to 38 with No Love At All; a four-spot climb for the third version of the Love Story theme, this one by the Francis Lai orchestra, the actual original score. Finally, Paul McCartney is up 12 to 36 with Another Day.
Our lookback takes us to the big mover in 1955 this week- Carl Perkins with the original Blue Suede Shoes, which moved from 28 to 11. Unlike most of the tunes we've hit on this feature, this one went straight on to the top. Perkins was a member of a poor Tennessee sharecropping family. He and his brothers worked in the fields after school and 12-14 hours a day in the summer for 50 cents a day. Hearing the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, he wanted a guitar which the family couldn't afford- he made one out of a cigar box and a broomstick. Later, a down on his luck neighbor sold him a beat up guitar with worn strings that he had to tie when they broke because they couldn't afford replacements. Moving nearer to Memphis, he finally got a chance and was signed by Sam Phillips at Sun Records, and toured with the rising stars Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. In March of 1956, he and others in his band- including his brother- were in a serious accident which lead to him nearly drowning and ending up with a severe concussion, three fractured vertebrae, a broken sternum, and various cuts. His brother ended up dying from complications of the accident. His songs were hits for others- of course you know about Elvis' take on Blue Suede Shoes, but he also wrote hits like Cash's Daddy Sang Bass. Though BSS was his only pop hit, he had 9 songs make the country top 40- the last of which was Birth Of Rock And Roll, a cut from the lp Class of '55, featuring himself, Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison, in 1986. Perkins passed in January of 1998.
 |
| The Killer, Perkins, the King, and Johnny, back in the Sun days. |
Two songs enter the top 10, two drop out. Dropping are Rose Garden (4 to 13) and Sweet Mary (7 to 22).
Wilson Pickett has picked himself the #10 spot and is staying there again this week, with Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You.
And right away, here's the six degrees game!
Gordon Lightfoot falls from 5 to 9 with If You Could Read My Mind. This appeared on the lp Sit Down Young Stranger, which also included the second-made recording of Me And Bobby McGee. That famous tune was written by the famous Kris Kristofferson and the lesser-known Fred Foster. Foster's big claim to fame was producing most of Roy Orbison's big hits, as well as the first charting single for Dolly Parton- 1967's Dumb Blonde, which hit 20 on the country charts. That came from her debut lp Hello, I'm Dolly, and was written by one Claude "Curly" Putnam, Jr. He was not only known for his hand in the hits Green Green Grass Of Home, My Elusive Dreams, D-I-V-O-R-C-E, and He Stopped Loving Her Today, but his country home was the inspiration for the Wings' hit Junior's Farm after their visit while recording in Nashville.
Holding at 8 is Jerry Reed with Amos Moses.
The Temptations blast their way in at #7, up 5, with Just My Imagination.
The aforementioned Me And Bobby McGee, this time by the late Janis Joplin, moves 7 to #6.
Tom Jones roars up from 9 to 5 with She's A Lady.
 |
| PRE-sent BRAS! |
CCR holds at 3 with Have You Ever Seen The Rain.
The Jackson Five slip back to #2 with Mama's Pearl.
And returning to #1 after a one-week break...
That's it my friends! See you next week!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The true nature
Lately I have had the pleasure of meeting a couple of bloggers who have a fierce and faithful Christianity. One thing though where we are different is the conception of Jesus. You see, they believe in Jesus as Messiah, and Savior- but not as God. They do not follow belief in a Trinity, and have several good arguments to back them. However, that concept makes me... uncomfortable, and I do not buy into it. I would like to explain why.
First of all, I have explained my concept many times before that if we are made in God's image, and we have a mind that leads, a body that does, and a soul that dreams, then why would not God be the same, on a much grander scale?
Second, John 1 goes in depth in the idea that Jesus was the Word of God, and the Word WAS God. The Christ is the action that springs forth from the Mind of Father God. He was there when all things were made, and nothing was made without Him, John says. And too, the Spirit was there:
These things do not seem possible to one who was merely an "agency" used by God. Not to me, anyway.
Third, while God's own manifestations were either hidden (as when He showed His back to Moses) or outright invisible (as when He showed Himself to Elijah), we have at least two times when the Christ manifested Himself physically to Abraham (Once as Melchizadek and the other as the Angel of the Lord who spoke to him as the other angels sent went on to Sodom), and once to Jacob (who wrestled Him). I believe, as many do, that these appearances were pre-incarnate (before Christ was born into humanity). Some will say they were "mere angels", others might say that it was a "time-travelling" Jesus (since God is above and beyond time). I'll go with what makes sense to me.
Fourth, John 8:57-58:
Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I AM!
Do you think someone acting as an agency to God would be able to name Himself with the Most Sacred Name of the faith?
Now, I want you to understand, I am pointing out my disagreement with, not denigrating, their conception. I can see where, due to our limited mortal perceptions, either one or both could be accurate reflections of The Truth. Indeed, Jesus always named Himself the "Son of Man". The (almost) only other time you hear this phrase was the Spirit speaking to Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a man inbued with the Spirit of God; perhaps this is a parallel. I choose to look askance at anything that seems to put a "limit" on what God can do or be. But as I lost the election for Pope, I can hardly be considered an expert. But I feel better for expressing my views on the matter.
First of all, I have explained my concept many times before that if we are made in God's image, and we have a mind that leads, a body that does, and a soul that dreams, then why would not God be the same, on a much grander scale?
Second, John 1 goes in depth in the idea that Jesus was the Word of God, and the Word WAS God. The Christ is the action that springs forth from the Mind of Father God. He was there when all things were made, and nothing was made without Him, John says. And too, the Spirit was there:
When he set up the heavens, I was there. When he traced the horizon on the surface of the ocean,
when he established the skies above, when he determined the currents in the ocean,
when he set a limit for the sea so the waters would not overstep his command, when he traced the foundations of the earth,
I was beside him as a master craftsman. I made him happy day after day, I rejoiced in front of him all the time,
found joy in his inhabited world, and delighted in the human race. (Proverbs 8:27-31. This is my interpretation of the Spirit, take it as you will.)
Third, while God's own manifestations were either hidden (as when He showed His back to Moses) or outright invisible (as when He showed Himself to Elijah), we have at least two times when the Christ manifested Himself physically to Abraham (Once as Melchizadek and the other as the Angel of the Lord who spoke to him as the other angels sent went on to Sodom), and once to Jacob (who wrestled Him). I believe, as many do, that these appearances were pre-incarnate (before Christ was born into humanity). Some will say they were "mere angels", others might say that it was a "time-travelling" Jesus (since God is above and beyond time). I'll go with what makes sense to me.
Fourth, John 8:57-58:
Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?
Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I AM!
Do you think someone acting as an agency to God would be able to name Himself with the Most Sacred Name of the faith?
Now, I want you to understand, I am pointing out my disagreement with, not denigrating, their conception. I can see where, due to our limited mortal perceptions, either one or both could be accurate reflections of The Truth. Indeed, Jesus always named Himself the "Son of Man". The (almost) only other time you hear this phrase was the Spirit speaking to Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a man inbued with the Spirit of God; perhaps this is a parallel. I choose to look askance at anything that seems to put a "limit" on what God can do or be. But as I lost the election for Pope, I can hardly be considered an expert. But I feel better for expressing my views on the matter.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Still surviving...
...even though that cursed Gerber machine of mine is still acting up. Actually, it was fine today until noon. After lunch, it ate four attempts at the first thing I tried to make, practically doubling the amount of fabric needed and quintupling the time to cut it. After shutting it completely down twice, and shutting down the program I was using down twice, it finally admitted it was having another Gallil card error", and straightened up right after. It's like an alcoholic- once you can get it to ADMIT what's wrong, it does fine...
Anyway, I was just over at my handy-dandy hockey score site, and wanted to give a vague update on what's going on. Everybody but Finland and the UK are now officially in the playoffs. And so...
The Czech league is in the quarter finals, along with Sweden, Switzerland, and Slovakia. More on them as teams get booted.
The Asia league has a four-team playoff, and traditional Korean powerhouse Anyang Halla is getting trounced by season champs Oji Eagles of Japan, who lead 3 games to 0.
Austria is down to the semis, and my team there, Rekord/Fenster/ VSV Villacher got knocked out by Linz. Vienna, Salzburg, and KAC Klagenfurt are the rest of the final four.
France has made it to the quarterfinals as well, with the big three of Angers, Rouen, and Briancon doing fine. Fourth-place Chamoix, though drew 8-14-4 Epinal- and are getting clobbered.
Speaking of teams that only show up in the playoffs, Italy's 6th place Asiago is about to do it again. The original "just enough to make the playoffs and then we'll get serious" kids have beaten top seeded Val Pusteria 5-2, 6-3, and 6-2, and are one away from disposing of yet another higher ranked team. Another win puts them in the finals again.
Krakow in the Polish league is much like that. They finished the season just 2 games over 500 in sixth place- and knocked out 28-6-4 Sanok 4 games to 2 to advance to the finals. There they face 2nd-ranked Jastrzebie.
In Norway, Lorenskog finally finished off pesky Lillehammer, and will go on to face season champ Stavenger Oilers in the semis.
The German DEL finally started their rather odd playoff bracket today. They have six teams getting a first round bye while just two series play. One of them is my Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg- who snuck into the playoffs on a last-game win- versus Nurnberg, who beat them 3-2 today.
In Russia, SKA St. Pete finished off the Steelers of Cherpovets 4 games to none, and await the other three teams in the semifinals. Dynamo has Red Army down 3-1, and the Meteor guys are also up 3-1, but it looks like the Russian Snow Leopards and SYU are going to go seven.
One last note- Laurie is a background check away from being gainfully employed again! I sure hope they don't catch that meth bust in '03...
Anyway, I was just over at my handy-dandy hockey score site, and wanted to give a vague update on what's going on. Everybody but Finland and the UK are now officially in the playoffs. And so...
The Czech league is in the quarter finals, along with Sweden, Switzerland, and Slovakia. More on them as teams get booted.
The Asia league has a four-team playoff, and traditional Korean powerhouse Anyang Halla is getting trounced by season champs Oji Eagles of Japan, who lead 3 games to 0.
Austria is down to the semis, and my team there, Rekord/Fenster/ VSV Villacher got knocked out by Linz. Vienna, Salzburg, and KAC Klagenfurt are the rest of the final four.
France has made it to the quarterfinals as well, with the big three of Angers, Rouen, and Briancon doing fine. Fourth-place Chamoix, though drew 8-14-4 Epinal- and are getting clobbered.
Speaking of teams that only show up in the playoffs, Italy's 6th place Asiago is about to do it again. The original "just enough to make the playoffs and then we'll get serious" kids have beaten top seeded Val Pusteria 5-2, 6-3, and 6-2, and are one away from disposing of yet another higher ranked team. Another win puts them in the finals again.
Krakow in the Polish league is much like that. They finished the season just 2 games over 500 in sixth place- and knocked out 28-6-4 Sanok 4 games to 2 to advance to the finals. There they face 2nd-ranked Jastrzebie.
In Norway, Lorenskog finally finished off pesky Lillehammer, and will go on to face season champ Stavenger Oilers in the semis.
The German DEL finally started their rather odd playoff bracket today. They have six teams getting a first round bye while just two series play. One of them is my Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg- who snuck into the playoffs on a last-game win- versus Nurnberg, who beat them 3-2 today.
In Russia, SKA St. Pete finished off the Steelers of Cherpovets 4 games to none, and await the other three teams in the semifinals. Dynamo has Red Army down 3-1, and the Meteor guys are also up 3-1, but it looks like the Russian Snow Leopards and SYU are going to go seven.
One last note- Laurie is a background check away from being gainfully employed again! I sure hope they don't catch that meth bust in '03...
Monday, March 11, 2013
Chris' turn to bitch
You know it's a Monday when you hear on the radio, 1) "traffic is heavy already at Colisseum and Lima, things are moving slow, avoid the area" (Untrue in the least somebody early-morning pranked Kayla on WOWO), and 2) "the chase ended when he crashed into a parked driveway" (I guess that second cup of coffe was a little late-acting, eh?).
I haven't really given any breakdowns on bad days at my new job, because I really do appreciate it, and even at its worst is better than most days at my old job. HOWever...
I- First thing after changing the clock and greasing the gerber (my CNC cutter), the head wouldn't move. Had to shut down and push it out into the middle, then turn it back on (because it would not budge while it was on).
II- Someone else worked Saturday, so my scissors ended up far from my machine, our markers (made of a flimsy melty chalk) were not in the freezer (where I keep them), so they were flimsy and melty, and of course we COULDN'T have possibly got me ahead on windshield patches, could we?
III- The scourge of this machine is that something called a galli card is going bad. This means it likes to slam to a stop and request to be reset. Or it clunks, and keeps on going. Either way, lately there is a 50-50 chance that when it does, it will lose its "home", and the cut it makes at one end of the panel will not match up to the other. We have a plethora of ways meant to alleviate the problem, NONE of which were working this morning. I do not believe I cut one cover in the first three hours that at least one panel wasn't messed up. Talking 3.3 yards of wasted fabric a pop most times.
IV- Somebody changed the cursor on the screen that shows what is cutting (which we call the marker). Normally, everything that finishes cutting lights up when the part is fully cut. With the "magnifying glass" cursor on, the part only lights up until the screen moves down- then it goes back to the way the rest of the screen is, so I couldn't tell what was being cut. I only discovered the solution because the little magnifying glass was annoying me.
V- At least two rolls ended with a couple of small pieces to got before I was done with the color- thus meaning I had to put up a new 80-yard roll to cut six feet of fabric. Also, several splices in the fabrics showed up at inconvenient times. At least fabric defects seemed to contain themselves to places where the gerber had already FUBARed the panel in question. Of course, it FUBARed so many, the odds were in favor.
VI- Last week, my printer died, so they gave me the boss' printer. Today, they gave me a brand new one. Of course, there was a half an hour of back and forth with a guy at the home office before it worked right.
VII- Shut the gerber completely off three times to get it to stop acting up. Last time, there was a reset right afterwards- and despite jogging, homing, and RE-homing, the first panel it tried to cut missed its mark by a full inch. Cut it out and showed it to the boss. Of course, since the problem was that someone at corporate didn't get the right level service contract from Gerber and thus they won't rush right out and fix it, all that accomplished was annoying him. Pretty much what I wanted.
VIII- Tried to get one last cover cut before end of the day, but not only was there a splice in the fabric before I could get the whole cover done, but the last piece I tried to get was 8 inches shy of what I needed. Needless to say, I turned the damn thing off and went to leave.
IX- Usually I call or text Laurie I'm on my way. Just as I put my coat on, my phone let me know it was out of juice.
X- And once home, Laurie had me locked out. Go figure.
There. I feel much better now.
OH, and again thank you to everyone who are responding to yesterday's prayer request. I do have the BEST readers!
I haven't really given any breakdowns on bad days at my new job, because I really do appreciate it, and even at its worst is better than most days at my old job. HOWever...
I- First thing after changing the clock and greasing the gerber (my CNC cutter), the head wouldn't move. Had to shut down and push it out into the middle, then turn it back on (because it would not budge while it was on).
II- Someone else worked Saturday, so my scissors ended up far from my machine, our markers (made of a flimsy melty chalk) were not in the freezer (where I keep them), so they were flimsy and melty, and of course we COULDN'T have possibly got me ahead on windshield patches, could we?
III- The scourge of this machine is that something called a galli card is going bad. This means it likes to slam to a stop and request to be reset. Or it clunks, and keeps on going. Either way, lately there is a 50-50 chance that when it does, it will lose its "home", and the cut it makes at one end of the panel will not match up to the other. We have a plethora of ways meant to alleviate the problem, NONE of which were working this morning. I do not believe I cut one cover in the first three hours that at least one panel wasn't messed up. Talking 3.3 yards of wasted fabric a pop most times.
IV- Somebody changed the cursor on the screen that shows what is cutting (which we call the marker). Normally, everything that finishes cutting lights up when the part is fully cut. With the "magnifying glass" cursor on, the part only lights up until the screen moves down- then it goes back to the way the rest of the screen is, so I couldn't tell what was being cut. I only discovered the solution because the little magnifying glass was annoying me.
V- At least two rolls ended with a couple of small pieces to got before I was done with the color- thus meaning I had to put up a new 80-yard roll to cut six feet of fabric. Also, several splices in the fabrics showed up at inconvenient times. At least fabric defects seemed to contain themselves to places where the gerber had already FUBARed the panel in question. Of course, it FUBARed so many, the odds were in favor.
VI- Last week, my printer died, so they gave me the boss' printer. Today, they gave me a brand new one. Of course, there was a half an hour of back and forth with a guy at the home office before it worked right.
VII- Shut the gerber completely off three times to get it to stop acting up. Last time, there was a reset right afterwards- and despite jogging, homing, and RE-homing, the first panel it tried to cut missed its mark by a full inch. Cut it out and showed it to the boss. Of course, since the problem was that someone at corporate didn't get the right level service contract from Gerber and thus they won't rush right out and fix it, all that accomplished was annoying him. Pretty much what I wanted.
VIII- Tried to get one last cover cut before end of the day, but not only was there a splice in the fabric before I could get the whole cover done, but the last piece I tried to get was 8 inches shy of what I needed. Needless to say, I turned the damn thing off and went to leave.
IX- Usually I call or text Laurie I'm on my way. Just as I put my coat on, my phone let me know it was out of juice.
X- And once home, Laurie had me locked out. Go figure.
There. I feel much better now.
OH, and again thank you to everyone who are responding to yesterday's prayer request. I do have the BEST readers!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
A request for help...
I am not normally one to ask for prayer on my blog, but for those of you who pray I have three requests that are big on my mind today. In no particular order...
We have a family member who has suddenly had to deal with a mental health issue. Not for me to explain further, other than it has been a struggle to get him to accept the help he needs- in particular, taking medicine. How horrible it is to not be in control of the one thing that controls you- your mind. Pray that his troubled mind will be calmed, that he will accept the help he needs, and that the family will be able to hold up under yet another stress.
I have a friend whose son's future is being affected by Congress and the damnable sequester. Again, not mine to explain, other than it is leading towards depression and the shaking of his faith. Pray that God will surround him with wise counsel and enable him to deal with the challenges set before him.
Third, at last not in my personal circle, but someone who needs prayer. In the Swiss B-league hockey playoffs, a player from Olten was checked into the boards and hit head first. It is likely he will never move below the chest again, and not altogether clear how much other motion he will retain. His name is Ronny Keller, and he is 34 years old. Pray for healing and the courage to face what may come next.
Thank you in advance for your help.
We have a family member who has suddenly had to deal with a mental health issue. Not for me to explain further, other than it has been a struggle to get him to accept the help he needs- in particular, taking medicine. How horrible it is to not be in control of the one thing that controls you- your mind. Pray that his troubled mind will be calmed, that he will accept the help he needs, and that the family will be able to hold up under yet another stress.
I have a friend whose son's future is being affected by Congress and the damnable sequester. Again, not mine to explain, other than it is leading towards depression and the shaking of his faith. Pray that God will surround him with wise counsel and enable him to deal with the challenges set before him.
Third, at last not in my personal circle, but someone who needs prayer. In the Swiss B-league hockey playoffs, a player from Olten was checked into the boards and hit head first. It is likely he will never move below the chest again, and not altogether clear how much other motion he will retain. His name is Ronny Keller, and he is 34 years old. Pray for healing and the courage to face what may come next.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Sunday message
This one fooled me on where we were going. The first day, it was the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree in Mark 11. On e-sword all the commentators brought up that the tree was a symbol for Israel, giving the show of bearing fruit but not the substance. But, I said to myself, Israel is to be spared a remnant, so I thought maybe we were going to have a series on God having mercy DESPITE... And when the next two were the storioes of Jonah's plant after he preached in Nineveh, and David sparing Saul when he could have killed him, I was sure I was on the right track.
But then I went back to the fig tree. There was something there that kept tugging at me:
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
Why make the point of HOW it had withered? Because leaves fall off in season, branches dry up but the plant goes on. Jesus killed it at the roots- in other words He didn't prune it, He took its LIFE. The need for the tree to bear fruit was so important to Jesus, that its barrenness was a capital offense.
That's when I realized that this week's narrative was more than just God's mercy when we don't deserve it, but HOW He wants us to live our lives. And the Monday lesson- job one is bear fruit!
As I said, Tuesday I was at the back of Jonah. For those who never got past the whole whale thing, Jonah preached (unwillingly) in Nineveh and many were saved, as God was going to destroy the city had they not repented. That was jake with Jonah, since he hoped that God WOULD put and end to them. But then God taught him a lesson in mercy, involving a plant that gave Jonah shelter one day and died the next- how foolish he was being getting mad about a plant dying, when he had no problem with thousands of people dying. Jonah was willing to see them die because of all the evils Nineveh had heaped on the world. But God wanted him- and us- to have mercy on these people. They did not know God, they were in need of teaching, preaching, and repentance. A lot of times we look at the mess this world is in and just want to wash our hands of it, let them get what they deserve and move on. I know I do. Sometimes I think I'm the most like Jonah of all Bible characters. But God says teach on, preach on- in other words, show mercy to those who don't deserve it by our standards.
And Wednesday brings us back to David and Saul, in I Samuel 26. David was on the run from Saul, who sought to kill him, and he and Abashai had found the king asleep in his encampment. Abashai was for ending things once and for all, even offering to do it himself. But David refused him, saying, "What right do we have to slay the Lord's annointed?" So they let him live- and then let Saul and his general Abner KNOW they had let him live. Saul, as he often did, said he repented of his sin against David, but David made it clear in the opening verse of Chapter 27 that he knew the persecution would go on- possibly leading to his death at Saul's hand eventually. He had mercy anyway. And the lesson here is, mercy in the face of your persecutors. Or, as God might put it to ME, "Fighting with atheists may be fun, but remember- the goal is to change their hearts."
Thursday took me to Joshua 14, where Caleb is speaking to Joshua 45 years later about the time the two of them stood against the other ten spies encouraging the people to take the Promised Land.
6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’[a]
Caleb was trying to make a point about Joshua letting him lead the attack into that particular area despite his age. But our point here to draw is blessings follow when we follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
Friday brought me to Mark again, this time the 8th chapter. Here we see the contrast between Jesus mercy on those who followed to learn and receive from Him, and the pharisees who demanded a sign.
For those who followed to learn, He turned seven loaves and a few small fish into a meal for over four thousand. For those who DEMANDED of Him:
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
Intersting that Mathew adds the caveat "except the sign of Jonah". My Bible adds "a wicked and perverse generation". This is a point about how to come to God- with needs rather than demands, with faith and openness, rather than demands to "prove it".
And that brought me to Saturday morning and the end of 2 Kings. (Ever notice how often I get sent to the END of books? I guess if you are trying to summarize, go to the summary, eh?) Here we have Judah defeated and mostly exiled by Babylon and Nebuchadnezzer. But a remnant remains, along with Chaldean settlers, and the king sets a gent named Gedaliah over them as governor. In the meantime, the last surviving king of Judah, the 18-year-old Jehoiachin, sits in a Babylonian prison.
Gedaliah then extracts an oath from the people still in Judah:
24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
Wise advice, but dissidents led by Ishmael, a scion of the former royal family, came up and killed Gedaliah, his followers, and the Chaldeans with them.
26 At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.
In the meantime, Jehoiachin had been a good boy, and when he was about 56, the then-king of Babylon let him out of prison, sat him at his own table as a friend, and he knew peace the rest of his life. Moral of the story, and a big one for our present age- God would rather us spend our energy serving him than in politics, particularly fighting "city hall". So what do we end up with as the way God wants us to lead our lives?
1. Bear fruit!
2. Show mercy to the lost.
3. Forgive our persecutors.
4. Follow Him wholeheartedly- no matter how scary the destination.
5. Come to Him with our needs, not with an attitude.
And 6. Live in peace with the rest of the world.
But if you really want the OTHER side of the story...
God has mercy on us:
1. When we disobey;
2. When we don't know Him;
3. When we persecute others;
4. When we're too afraid to listen;
5. When we're deliberately wicked;
And 6. When we rebel against authority.
BUUUUUT... He had that mercy only on a REMNANT.
Do you really want to take the chance?
But then I went back to the fig tree. There was something there that kept tugging at me:
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
Why make the point of HOW it had withered? Because leaves fall off in season, branches dry up but the plant goes on. Jesus killed it at the roots- in other words He didn't prune it, He took its LIFE. The need for the tree to bear fruit was so important to Jesus, that its barrenness was a capital offense.
That's when I realized that this week's narrative was more than just God's mercy when we don't deserve it, but HOW He wants us to live our lives. And the Monday lesson- job one is bear fruit!
As I said, Tuesday I was at the back of Jonah. For those who never got past the whole whale thing, Jonah preached (unwillingly) in Nineveh and many were saved, as God was going to destroy the city had they not repented. That was jake with Jonah, since he hoped that God WOULD put and end to them. But then God taught him a lesson in mercy, involving a plant that gave Jonah shelter one day and died the next- how foolish he was being getting mad about a plant dying, when he had no problem with thousands of people dying. Jonah was willing to see them die because of all the evils Nineveh had heaped on the world. But God wanted him- and us- to have mercy on these people. They did not know God, they were in need of teaching, preaching, and repentance. A lot of times we look at the mess this world is in and just want to wash our hands of it, let them get what they deserve and move on. I know I do. Sometimes I think I'm the most like Jonah of all Bible characters. But God says teach on, preach on- in other words, show mercy to those who don't deserve it by our standards.
And Wednesday brings us back to David and Saul, in I Samuel 26. David was on the run from Saul, who sought to kill him, and he and Abashai had found the king asleep in his encampment. Abashai was for ending things once and for all, even offering to do it himself. But David refused him, saying, "What right do we have to slay the Lord's annointed?" So they let him live- and then let Saul and his general Abner KNOW they had let him live. Saul, as he often did, said he repented of his sin against David, but David made it clear in the opening verse of Chapter 27 that he knew the persecution would go on- possibly leading to his death at Saul's hand eventually. He had mercy anyway. And the lesson here is, mercy in the face of your persecutors. Or, as God might put it to ME, "Fighting with atheists may be fun, but remember- the goal is to change their hearts."
Thursday took me to Joshua 14, where Caleb is speaking to Joshua 45 years later about the time the two of them stood against the other ten spies encouraging the people to take the Promised Land.
6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’[a]
Caleb was trying to make a point about Joshua letting him lead the attack into that particular area despite his age. But our point here to draw is blessings follow when we follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
Friday brought me to Mark again, this time the 8th chapter. Here we see the contrast between Jesus mercy on those who followed to learn and receive from Him, and the pharisees who demanded a sign.
For those who followed to learn, He turned seven loaves and a few small fish into a meal for over four thousand. For those who DEMANDED of Him:
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
Intersting that Mathew adds the caveat "except the sign of Jonah". My Bible adds "a wicked and perverse generation". This is a point about how to come to God- with needs rather than demands, with faith and openness, rather than demands to "prove it".
And that brought me to Saturday morning and the end of 2 Kings. (Ever notice how often I get sent to the END of books? I guess if you are trying to summarize, go to the summary, eh?) Here we have Judah defeated and mostly exiled by Babylon and Nebuchadnezzer. But a remnant remains, along with Chaldean settlers, and the king sets a gent named Gedaliah over them as governor. In the meantime, the last surviving king of Judah, the 18-year-old Jehoiachin, sits in a Babylonian prison.
Gedaliah then extracts an oath from the people still in Judah:
24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
Wise advice, but dissidents led by Ishmael, a scion of the former royal family, came up and killed Gedaliah, his followers, and the Chaldeans with them.
26 At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.
In the meantime, Jehoiachin had been a good boy, and when he was about 56, the then-king of Babylon let him out of prison, sat him at his own table as a friend, and he knew peace the rest of his life. Moral of the story, and a big one for our present age- God would rather us spend our energy serving him than in politics, particularly fighting "city hall". So what do we end up with as the way God wants us to lead our lives?
1. Bear fruit!
2. Show mercy to the lost.
3. Forgive our persecutors.
4. Follow Him wholeheartedly- no matter how scary the destination.
5. Come to Him with our needs, not with an attitude.
And 6. Live in peace with the rest of the world.
But if you really want the OTHER side of the story...
God has mercy on us:
1. When we disobey;
2. When we don't know Him;
3. When we persecute others;
4. When we're too afraid to listen;
5. When we're deliberately wicked;
And 6. When we rebel against authority.
BUUUUUT... He had that mercy only on a REMNANT.
Do you really want to take the chance?
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