Again with Redefinition

I often get a preview of what's coming down the pike and this redefinition of good and evil has been right in front of me, my entire life, becoming more blatant in recent years.  I grew up in a home that was quite confusing by definition.  I now refer to my childhood not just as "white was black and black was white, but purple was green and orange was blue . . .  To put it mildly, I grew up confused.

I was born in the late 50s to teenagers who told me how scary the world was and how different it was from when they were growing up.  Actually, Daddy didn't do that so much, but he backed everything Mom said.  One, the stories they told me about kidnappings etc. happened before they were even born, and two, they weren't even grown when I was born.  Even in all the fear-mongering which my mother is still "family famous" for, I knew deep down, this was a control tactic.  Protection / control was my first taste of redefinition.  Appearance and reality was my next taste of redefinition.  Long before it was a social media meme I was introduced to "captivity is safety."  It went on from there, until I was a stupid teenager and made a couple of poor decisions, which resulted in my parents telling me they would never trust me again.  Now, at 57 over 20 years in ministry, they still don't, so enough energy spent there.  It has taught me, though to understand redefinition and value those who do not plant fear and do offer a mutually trusting relationship.

Moving along, I have come to realize many terms can be used to offer negative or positive implication, and quite often be very misleading.  When first coming to social media, I got a real taste of appropriate vs. inappropriate and some were lessons for my behavior and some were red flags for me, regarding the behavior of others.  After following along a particular saga of lost keys, I discovered the "victim" used the term "stalking" to describe my following in that particular situation.  Notice both victim and stalking are in quotes.  I now tend to keep my comments limited to three on any thread, with the exception of a few folks.  Of course going from yahoo groups to forum boards to now this social media, I did have some cyber manners to acquire.  Hopefully, I have, for the most part.  The funny thing about this individual who referred to me as stalking her posts, ended up unfriending me, blocking me, and now follows me . . . (need emoticon here)

Grandkids are awesome for getting the real scoop on life.  I was enjoying their visits on school breaks, especially when their mom was single and branching out socially.  As it turns out, when mom didn't need a babysitter, g-ma was informed indirectly that she was "monopolizing" the grandchildren's time.  Great vocabulary . . . serpentine definition.  That one hit kind of hard, but it was preparing me for the redefinitions that were yet to come.

In the past few years, many acquaintances have done what they can to make sure the exact location of the homestead is in a google search and on GPS.  It doesn't matter what I say . . . at any rate, one woman came to visit and wanted to learn all about everything I do.  I'm not a teacher and made that clear, but was more than happy to show her how easy it is to have a home based business in an extra bedroom.  Since I have a soap and natural health business, my product is made in batches.  Each soap batch yields about 30 bars of soap which means "inventory."  Since it takes nearly two months to cure I do try to stay a bit ahead.  I don't want to have to turn down an order or keep track of back orders.  I was certainly taken aback by her comment, as the "tour" was completing.  She voiced her appreciation for showing her my "hoarding room."  I can assure you, the very last thing any business person wants to do is "hoard" inventory.  The whole point of business is to keep product moving OFF the shelves.

As an internet journalist, I do try keep abreast of current events, folks seeking their 15 minutes of fame, and align that with where we are in the fulfillment of prophecy, as well as publishing the Good News and sounding the warning to repent.  I was speaking with one of my daughters about my distress over the Bruce Jenner deal regarding the impact on young people.  She, who took her teens to a Gay Pride Parade last year, publishing photos on FB mentioned she just didn't make time for the gossip and check stand magazines.  My first thought was to be offended at her intentional barb, but then I realized, she's chosen a path of the majority that appears to blind them as to what is really unfolding.  Bruce Jenner's need for attention doesn't concern me nearly as much as the fact our nation is choosing to rebel openly against the Word of our Creator, both in sexual perversion and blatant pride.  The fact that parents are actually introducing this to their children, is mind boggling.  How many of our young people will be confused and misled by this atrocity?  Being aware and sounding the warning has become socially synonymous with the term "gossip?"  How truly sad.

I was well aware, at least pretty sure, that we wouldn't just one day awaken in "Backward World" calling good evil and evil good, but the method seems far from subtle as the meanings of words are twisted in such a serpentine way!

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!  Prophet of Holy Scripture

Societal Rules in the News

As Americans worry and fear Sharia law, a few things come to mind.  I'm certainly not for the implementation of Sharia law, but I think we may have a slightly skewed perspective on what we call American freedom and democracy.  While we fear and dread the possibility of Sharia law coming to this country, how much invasive control is already here?

Wearing a big cloth sack over my head, that hangs to my toes with eye holes to go in public is not my preference, but having my private property destroyed because the spy in the sky can't tell okra from pot is not my preference either.  The first, they call Sharia law, while the second is still called American freedom and democracy (with the war on drugs.)

Reading about a young woman who dies at the hands of her father or brothers sickens me.  The entire idea of honor killings is beyond what I can understand, but the concept of women being stoned for impurity dates back to Scripture.  Since there are no Torah based governments, there really should be no capital punishment, but that's a topic for another day.  The fact that family members can kill a family member for the sake of "honor" sickens me, but reading about moms killing their young children is becoming much more common here in the states.  Sharia law calls it honor killing, American law calls it mentally deranged, and yet many times, there are religious overtones to the American circumstances, as well.  While we are all shocked and abhorred that any parent would kill their child, I have to wonder if the honor killings are as rare in another culture as these bizarre cases in America are.  What if the honor killings in Islamic countries are as bizarre to them as American mothers killing their children are to us?

If Sharia law comes to the US, I won't be thrilled with the new regulation that I will be required to be accompanied by a male relative or husband when I leave the house.  On the other hand, strip searched on the road or taken to a health care facility for invasive procedures looking for what is not there . . . is not my preference either.  From what I've seen and read, some traffic stop procedures would not be allowed under Sharia Law.

Domestic abuse and wives as property is reported to be acceptable within the societal limits of Sharia Law.  As western culture is abhorred by the lack of rights for women in Islamic culture, we tend to overlook the fact that men and women have equally lost rights to government officials in their own homes, here in the US of A.
Home schooling parents pepper sprayed and tazed while children watch in horror, then were removed from the home.  A family in Arkansas was torn apart over a legal mineral supplement.  I'm not sure Sharia Law is as invasive in the home as Child Protective Services in American freedom and democracy.

While we westerners gasp in horror that news is filtered and internet service controlled in Muslim countries, we should keep in mind, we may have access to information overload, but our internet use is being monitored and tracked for the "safety of democracy."

. . . when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.  a Proverb of Holy Scripture