Monday, March 31, 2014

Programming

Our society is literally filled with sources for programming.  How much has it affected us?  The evidence appears to be overwhelming.  In less than three generations, we've bowed down to most of it!  "It's just the way it's done here, in our society."  What's truly amazing is the number of people who believe themselves to "think outside the box" en mass.

Less than 100 years ago, people worked to provide for their families.  Most worked the land, while some were businessmen, usually in family businesses.  After WWII, people worked for money.  Most of the next generation continued to provide for their families, and many today continue to do so, but working for "my money" and things "I want" lasts long after the teen years, now.  There are grown men in their 20s and 30s who are satisfied to let the mamas, grandmas, and the government provide for their children.  When our society left the farm, money and materialism began to define our society, and health care took a serious turn. This country now has the most unhealthy aging generation in it's history, the Baby Boomers, who were also the first generation to be vaccinated.

Both sides of the political aisle embrace the concept of programming, by promising to either provide or protect the best interests of the citizens.  For anyone who wonders if the political machine doesn't understand programming, consider the cost of campaign advertising.  The citizenry has literally been programmed to be divided against ourselves, while embracing the political promises.

Also in the last three generations, the citizens of this country have been programmed to be dependent upon many things besides our Creator, yet the programming has "included" Him.   As in G-d wants you to be wealthy, G-d uses doctors, G-d's blessing is bestowed materially.  The concept of actually living like the prophets or apostles is explained away as "another time and culture."   I won't even address the concept of faith and insurance at this time, but, we've certainly been programmed to believe they are compatible and complimentary.

Religion and Secularism, which is a belief system as well as atheism, all have their indoctrination procedures.  Programming works on people, so it's used to control the masses.  With spiritual programming, the basic concept is superiority in the chosen belief system.  I didn't include a true relationship with our Creator in this paragraph because a relationship with our Creator takes the focus off of our own opinion and ideas in order to seek His Will, His Instruction, and His Son.  Actually, Scripture states, in a genuine relationship with our Creator, He provides health, provision, peace, and contentment.  All those things, most of the world is paying for.

News is very politically divided, and sponsored by pharmaceuticals, or was; last time I viewed a televised news program.  Between the ads for class action lawsuits against pharmaceutical side effects, were the pharmaceutical ads promoted for the treatment of a variety of syndromes, symptom list included.  We have been programmed to give up our G-d given instructions for health to embrace witchcraft and sorcery!

Regardless of the problem, here's the answer.
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of YHWH thy G-d, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am YHWH that healeth thee.  Torah of Holy Scripture



Thursday, March 20, 2014

Two Very Different Roads Less Travelled

Two women, now well past 50 both began their journey on this earth in Northeast Kansas.  As much as I hate to admit it, our zealously strict upbringing may have even caused us to be school chums in our early years.  The Gregorian calendar dates are interesting in that she was born October 31, 1957 and I arrived in March of 1958.  The calendar of our Creator places our arrivals in the same Biblical year with hers in the 8th month and mine, the 13th day of the 12th month.

In Kansas there seemed to be very little differentiation between the various religious independent fundamental groups, back in the 60s and 70s.  The difference was in leadership control only.  There had to be several small groups to accommodate so many independent "leaders."  The offspring had the dubious honor of simply being outcasts in the public school system, and yet, even in being made fun of and bullied, school was a refuge for some of us.  One was ultimately freed of the zealous bondage, while the other remained.

Obviously, one of these women is me, and the other is Shirley Phelps-Roper.  As the title of this article indicates, I'm not in agreement with Shirley, but rather have found an interesting "opposing parallel" in the lives we've lived.  Although, I don't think we have yet come to the end of our earthly journeys, the difference in our paths now seem to reflect a remarkable difference in our countenance.  As mentioned previously, we are very close in age and have even attended a few of the same events, but on opposite sides of the signs and sidewalks.

We grew up in very strict households and as even recent headlines show, Kansas is all about corporal punishment, and the religious households fervently cling to that thinking.  Kansas Christians are free from the law, but religiously uphold their Old Testament right of corporal punishment, yet I digress.  Back to Shirley and I.  Although we didn't know each other or grow up in the same small Kansas town; I'm guessing, by High School, she and I were both aware that we really didn't fit in well, and still somewhat naive, as to why.  For those unaware, there was a time in which Fred Phelps was a respected attorney quite active in the fight for civil rights.  By definition, we were both religious odd balls at school, and yet our parents still wanted more.

I planned to graduate after my junior year, but in a school transfer, the new school did not allow 1/2 of a credit from my junior year, so I decided I'd had enough, obtained a GED to go to college, but instead of college, became a teen-aged unwed mother.  Shirley also became an unwed mother, although I believe she was a little older.  She returned home in her pending motherhood.  I tried to return after my child arrived, but I simply could not raise my child in fundamental zealotry, so I left.  Sadly, I had no real plan of direction, just determination to not be a conservative Kansas fundamentalist.  Also sadly, Shirley stayed in the fundamental zealotry until the line between fundamental and "funny mental" has been made overbearingly apparent to most of the rest of the onlooking world.  Both of us did, however; continue further education.

In her staying, she married a man who adopted her child, and I believe they had ten more.  In my escape, I also got married, and married, and married; ultimately seven times, buried two children, lost pregnancies to miscarriage, and adopted three children.  Family wise, although very different stress; I'd say we've both experienced rather extreme family stress, as well.  My twenties and early thirties were not lived in a G-dly way, but at age 36, I came to YHWH in Messiah, and was indwelled with His Spirit.  That changed everything!

Shirley and I are both grandmas now and here's a little view of the way we've influenced the future generations.  These photos are images of events we shared with our grandchildren.  The first photo does not specify which of Fred's great grandchildren they are, but they are children of WBC, participating in a protest.  This photo of three of my grandchildren is for the front cover of a cookbook,"Sweet Memories and Happy Plates."  They tested the dishes, I wrote the recipes with vignettes and Scripture, and we published it together.

 

Both Shirley and I greatly resemble our fathers, and even though my father is considered a very handsome man, even in his 70s, he would not have made a pretty woman . . . Shirley and I are not beautiful women, but it's not our features that I noticed, it's the countenance.

In all fairness to her, I am not sure how recently these photos were taken so, I've done two of each of us that I think are about the same time frame, and under similar circumstances.  We were both, hopefully trying to look our best for the press . . .

Here is Shirley giving an interview, and mine is the back cover of one of my books, "Simply Abundant," published in 2009.


















The next two images are later, in which she is participating in some gathering covered by the press, and my photo is for the press release of "Can We All Be Wrong?" published in 2011.


                                                                                         






To be as accurate and fair in establishing the time and age in our photos, I have also included one recent "selfie" taken as I was preparing for my press pass photo in January of this year.  Shirley and I are not Facebook friends, so I don't know if she has a recent "selfie."




Clearly I have more gray, but Proverbs doesn't indicate that to be a bad thing at all!  The different paths of nearly 40 years definitely shows on our faces.  We may have started in the same place, but our direction has taken us a world apart.  The difference of our countenance is literally the difference between hateful religion, and a loving relationship with our Almighty Creator.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of G-d; and every one that loveth is born of G-d, and knoweth G-d.He that loveth not knoweth not G-d; for G-d is love.In this was manifested the love of G-d toward us, because that G-d sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  ~ words of the beloved Apostle














Sunday, March 16, 2014

The Ultimate Conundrum

To be completely honest, I've never really known where I stand on the adoption/abortion issue.  I don't believe in doctors, so I wouldn't consider an abortion, but from what I've seen, heard, and read on the subject of adoption, I have issues with that too.  I've known of too many young women who were virtually forced to give their child up for adoption, then had to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps under the judgment of the religiously inept, move forward and start a life; only to be "found" years later by that birth child.

Naturally the adopted child is only concerned with their own issues around the adoption, and appear to give very little thought to the parent that made a most heart wrenching decision at their birth, or the parents that did everything within their power to give that child a life, a home, and a family.  The child seems to have an insatiable void that must be filled, regardless of the fallout, so I'm not so sure adoption as we know it, is the answer.  A personal pet peeve of mine is to listen to some old lady give the church family rundown and hear about some college graduate and qualify the information with "he was adopted as a baby."     As life in the US continues to devolve, I think we are about to be faced with the rock and hard place of all times, religiously and politically speaking.

This is not about race, but there are facts that simply exist.  For years now, it's been a very difficult journey for a Middle Class white couple to adopt a white newborn.  It seems by the time a couple, any couple, realize they are having fertility issues, they have exhausted a great many funds and spent a number of years trying to conceive and trying to discover the problem.  Last I researched the situation, a couple could qualify for in vitro fertilization procedures at an older age than they could remain on an adoption waiting list.  Wealthy couples opted for surrogacy, but now families have worked some of those details out for themselves.

Scripture has laws about inheritance and a man dying childless.  Esther was what we would term "adopted" but that was by a family member, so we really don't have a great deal to go on, Scripturally, in regard to adoption.  What I do see coming though is the political/religious civil war of all times in America.  The same people who are against abortion are also against gay marriage.  Every time another state and the Supreme Court recognizes gay marriage, the reality that gay couples are biologically unable procreate, comes to mind.  As things have gone in this country, I don't think it takes incredible insight to see that adoption laws will follow these new laws of the land very soon.

It's truly time to stop making noise about what we are against, and offer a bonafide solution.  One of my thoughts is to return to "private adoptions" and get the government out of the adoption business, entirely.  Let the expectant mother make the home study.  Let the adoptive couple use their funds toward actually enhancing life, rather than lining legal pockets.  We can blame planned parenthood, but abortion would have never become the huge industry it has, without those "abusive religious whack jobs" that used to run homes for unwed mothers.  I'm not saying they were all bad, but the reputation of the bad ones were horrible, and they bragged about it!  Unwed mothers often felt like they had no choice, which is where the abortion industry ran away with the PR calling it pro-choice!

From the time in the Garden of Eden, blame did not solve the problem or resolve the guilt.  We are about to be faced with actually needing to provide a solution, rather than just a protest.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:  Torah of Holy Scripture


Friday, March 07, 2014

Truth and Lies

Scripture tells us, knowing the truth sets us free, so conversely, accepting lies holds us in bondage . . .  Sometimes the very things we hope for and cling to, are nothing more than lies we tell ourselves, or the lies we "choose" to believe from others.  I'm not suggesting we're running around intending to lie to ourselves or others, but rather; our society has redefined so much, it's as if the foundation of our culture is held together by a mortar of dishonesty.  It has become socially unacceptable to speak truth or to reject lies.

We already know an honest candidate will not be elected to any high office in the land, and on the rare chance it does happen, it's a given, they will either not remain honest or leave politics.  Many of us also believe our news is filtered and reports are biased.  I believe it was Sarah Palin, or her press agent, who coined the phrase "lame-stream" media in reference to mainstream media.  While many have chosen to repeat that ad nauseum, the truth of the matter is, Sarah Palin resigned from her office to become a part of the media . . . the 'lame-stream' mainstream media.  That fact alone should cause some to scratch their heads, but instead, it's merely coined a phrase and further divided the political theatre.

When I read that bloggers may be "written out" of free speech or freedom of the press, I decided to plunge headlong into the profession of journalism.  I've joined the ranks of alternative news.  As more and more alternative news is becoming available, I've been a bit bewildered about something that continues to happen.  The mainstream news, although "lame and biased" is still considered "the final word" on information.  People have actually told me, they only have one news source, and appear to be quite sure, their source would publish or report anything deemed newsworthy.

My own mother, who is openly disgusted with any news sources beyond her own single source, asked me how I knew my information was accurate.  My own mother!  We continuously choose to believe what we want to hear.  We choose information sources that make us feel good about the views we hold and the opinions we foist upon others.  The majority of our society has stopped seeking truth, if we ever did, and have chosen to listen to the reports that reinforce our perspective.  Once we realize the information is filtered and biased, it's no longer truth, but mere opinion at best, and programming propaganda at worst.

As our foundation of false security continues to crumble, we need to realize, blame will not work like super glue!  Finding the truth, the whole truth is virtually impossible, but it should be getting easier to recognize the spin on the information we are being fed.  I'm proud to say, I'm not part of the mainstream media, but I don't choose to call it lame-stream.  Media is a power in our society, and as with any earthly power, power is best maintained by telling the people what they want to hear.  Whether we're bound to a particular source, a particular party, a particular religion, or a particular perspective; we need not be bound at all!

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  ~ words of Messiah

Sunday, March 02, 2014

Last Hit of The Snooze Bar

I'm going to get "preachy" here today!  As all the uproar has ensued about Homeland Security, invasion of privacy, Obamacare and Same Sex Marriage, along with the ever standing hot button topics of abortion and immigration, I need to share something.  The current administration has not brought all this to pass.  Several administrations have been a part of putting pieces into place, since the Great Depression.  It is the firm belief of this author, that the Great Depression was actually the alarm sounding that judgment was coming.  America had made money a god and disregarded Sabbath, thus the Stock Market Crash and the Dustbowl.  Then to make matters worse, America refused Jewish refugees from Europe in the late 30s.  Many Americans do not realize, the primary reason we finally got involved in WWII was not heroism, but rather to enlist help from our already struggling allies against Japan after Pearl Harbor.

WWII was really the birthing of feminism with Rosy the riveter and the "prosperity" following, had debt as the foundation.  Debt is not prosperity nor is it a blessing.  It is my firm belief that this country has been receiving mercy, rather than blessing for nearly 70 years, now.  That number may be more significant than we realize if we read the book of Jeremiah with the understanding, to remember the Sabbath is not a casual suggestion, nor is it Jewish law, it was established the week of creation.  The seventh day of the week, was literally created to honor our Creator, and rest.

I'm going to mention Interstate Highways again, simply because the actual reason has been long forgotten in the practical convenience of travel.  No disrespect intended toward President Eisenhower, but he established the Interstate Highway construction for two documented reasons.  One was to put folks to work, and two was to be able to move the military cross country in case of an emergency. . . Martial law and FEMA had a travel route before there was a FEMA.  Obviously the best way to prevent foreign invasion is on the coast and at the borders, not in the middle of Kansas after building cross country access!  The last few administrations have been compared to Hitler, but our highway system is openly compared to Germany's Autobahn.  The following paragraph was taken from Wikipedia.

>>>The Interstate Highway System gained a champion in President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was influenced by his experiences as a young Army officer crossing the country in the 1919 Army Convoy on the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America. Eisenhower gained an appreciation of the Reichsautobahn system, the first "national" implementation of modern Germany'sAutobahn network as a necessary component of a national defense system while he was serving as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II.[9] He recognized that the proposed system would also provide key ground transport routes for military supplies and troop deployments in case of an emergency or foreign invasion. <<<

As to all of our unresolved arguments that are now in our face.  As for invasion of privacy:  J.Edgar Hoover was in anyone's business he chose to be.  Johnson gave us the war on poverty and increased governmental dependence exponentially.  As the economy collapses, the war on poverty seems to actually be aimed to impoverish Americans!   Small independent businesses began to seriously die through the Reagan years, and Bush 41 first mentioned the New World Order of a global economy.  Like Obama, I believe Clinton was a popular place holder, while the real deals behind the scene were going into place.  Then the last wake-up call sounded on 9/11.

Which brought us fast forwarded sixty years, since the decision to stay asleep to enjoy the American dream.  The Obama administration is only adding some touches to what has already been collectively and incrementally going into place for years.  Granted it is becoming more blatant, but that's because some Americans have been stirred from their slumber, slowly awakening.  As for the American dream . . . you have to be sleeping to dream.  The last 60+ years compare to the Monday morning alarm coming on.  The desire to stay asleep inspires the "striking of the snooze bar."

Bush 43 gave us the USA Patriot Act and Homeland Security.  Abortion is a holocaust and it was legislated into place in 1973.   None of us are sure where Obama was at that time, but he was in fact still in elementary school . . . somewhere.  The gay agenda has been in the making for years and years.   Same sex marriage began in Massachusetts, and so did Romneycare, at about the same time.   So, really there was very little difference in the candidates for 2012.

If each year of history roughly compares to a minute, we've now played the Monday morning snooze bar game for an hour and it's time to realize, we have to get up and do something.   Dream time is over!  That snooze bar only works so many times, before it just stops sounding the alarm.

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.  Prophet of Holy Scripture

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