SEE/HEAR NO EVIL

Posted on March 15, 2020 by

television set

A way-back-when story. It was about 1953 or 54, the church was raising money for something. Sammy and I had no money but we had just bought a new TV.  It was worth about forty dollars.  We decided to give the church the TV so they could sell it and keep the money.

I guess a pay day must have come along because we decided we could redeem our TV which we did.  Paid the forty and kept the tv.

In the forties and fifties the “holiness/Pentecostal kinds of churches” were very leery about watching television, especially movies. I was particularly influenced by Psalms 101:3, “I will set no wicked thing before my eyes…” Some translations say evil thing, worthless thing, (maybe others).

Well, we kept the TV and we started bringing in the apparatus for hooking up movies- those rented reel thing-a-majigs.  But, I still operated pretty well with Ps 101:3 as my guide. I believe some made their decision about what to watch based on I Thes. 5:22 about avoiding the appearance of evil, that sounds like a pretty sound guiding scripture to me.

Fast forward to present day. Now I have no idea of what “plumb line” young people use to limit their viewing of TV and movies, along with all the other gadgetry. I am guessing some guidance is given via youth ministries.

BUT (bandroll, please) I have found the Bible translation that gives you leeway to just be your own guide. Sort of like in Judges when “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” In it Psalms 101:3 says “I will not look ’with approval’ on anything that is vile.”  So I guess, you can watch any evil – -just don’t approve of it!? And I Thes. 5:22 drops “the appearance of evil” and says to “reject evil.” So just don’t do evil, but watch it if you want to, huh? Oh, you want to know which Bible? The newest NIV. I’ve griped about it before. I know I don’t have to read it. But it seems like people who know what is happening should speak up.

Seems strange that every modern translation seems to “loosen the plumb line.”  I haven’t checked but I think they all still say “Be holy, as I am holy.”  If you have a problem with that, just know that Jesus will make that holiness available by his blood.  Be sure it is applied.  You live in Him and He lives in you.  That’s the plumb line we should seek.

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Image: unsplash, chris panas

Posted in holiness, sanctification, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

TRICYCLES ON THE FREEWAY!!!

Posted on March 14, 2020 by

tricycle

I’m stocked up on toilet paper!

Why?

“Cause I’m getting on the freeway. 

Why buy toilet paper?

That’s just the thing to do when a tricycle plague occurs.

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So I’m up the ramp and on the freeway pleased to know I have plenty of toilet paper.

WOW!

There are thousands of tricycles whizzing between all the semis!  Wow!  They must have babies; there are so many.  Hard to see because of the semis. But other drivers are busy watching the tricycles. They might die if a tricycle hits them.  Tricycles are bad for old folks.

Hope a semi doesn’t hit me while I watch the tricycles.

Help is on the way for tricycle victims.  Don’t panic.

They are shutting down the traffic!!!

Oh, no.  Someone stole my toilet paper!  Now what will I do?  No delivery service – And here I am, without toilet paper!

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I’m grumped at whoever has the toilet paper I need now because they might need it in July.

 

 

 

Posted in humor, me, satire, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

CHECK THIS #8 – RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MAN WHO LOOKS ON

Posted on March 10, 2020 by

green check markIn Leviticus 20, God’s judgement is made plain for both “the man who offers his child” and “the man who looks on and does nothing.”  I am a “man” (woman) who looks on.  I am raising my voice against the practice of abortion. 

Abortion at any stage of development is evil, but in our “enlightened” culture we can never claim we do not know that a fetus which can live outside the womb is a baby.  Making it legal and yelling louder won’t help before the “just” Judge.

(97 Words)

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Do you remember my “Check This” challenge to myself?   Something wise and worth saying in 103 words (or less).

Posted in abortion, check this, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

DOIN’ THE FUNKY MONKEY

Posted on March 9, 2020 by

monkey

Chicken dance has passed..

We now dance Funky Monkey!

It lacks fox trot grace.

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And I’m having fun with Ronovan’s words this week.  We could use the words “funky/monkey” or “ape/hip.”

https://ronovanwrites.com/2020/03/09/haiku-poetry-prompt-ape-hip/

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Image: unsplash.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in haiku, Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 18 Comments

SUBMISSION- A DREAM

Posted on March 9, 2020 by

hands beg

Re-blog from 2016:

I went to sleep after having arrived at a decision. It was perfect. I hadn’t had to plan to get my revenge. It had just dropped in my lap. All I had to do was ask a question. Just appear dumb – that wouldn’t be hard. I had a right to the answer. The answer would expose a wrong doer. Ah, how simple! What justice!

At this point you may be anticipating a tale of how God straightened me out. Did He give me a foreboding sense of evil? Did He cause a great distress in my spirit?
Did He chastise me with a terrific headache? Did I get a telephone call saying my child was in a car wreck? Did I get laryngitis so I couldn’t ask the question?

Who could ever guess that God disciplined me with amazing grace and boundless love? Yes, the way an adoring and adored father would want to discipline his child. He gave me a dream. This was the dream: I stepped into a large room where others were worshiping God. Immediately I began worshiping in another language. I seemed to be in a trance for a time. There was not much in the way of visual impact except for black and white scenes which made an impression but meant nothing to me. I can’t describe the all-consuming, overwhelming emotion. (Even now as I write, tears flow.) Still dreaming, I awoke from the trance with great racking painless sobs of sorrow that I was leaving such a state of worship. The dream was over but I did not awaken physically for the rest of the night.

When morning came, I awoke with this chorus (composed by Lanny Wolfe):
I love Him too much to fail Him now
Too much to break my vow.
For I promised the Lord that I would make it somehow.
Oh, I love Him too much,
Yes, I love Him too much to fail Him now.

And with this scripture: Behold, I set before you Life and Death, choose Life.

There is no Super Man, Wonder Woman ending to this story. Will the wrong doer be exposed? I don’t know. Will good triumph over evil? I don’t know. Will I be proven right? I don’t know. Do I want my way, or Life? I want Life. Do I find it easy to give up my way? No. I still think my plan would be a huge satisfaction – but, I love Him too much to fail Him now, too much to break my vow. I submit to my father’s plan. What is that? I don’t know.

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That was a time the Lord spoke to me in a dream.  The incident happened about ten years ago when I was employed and I was having some bad issues with a co-worker.  I wrote in a journal at that time.  That’s the reason I can give such details about the dream even though it was long ago.  —- And since it was long ago, I do know how the situation turned out.  We both left.  But we left as friends – sort of :D.  At least I didn’t embarrass myself or my Lord.

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Challenge:  Sunday Prompt, https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2020/03/08/sunday-writing-prompt-dreams/

Posted in dream, God the Father, God's love, God's purpose or will, Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

TIME SETTING

Posted on March 8, 2020 by

clock

(A bit of edit on a former blog.  It may become  traditional, along with my time changing.)

Poking a bit of fun at God’s masterpiece – (drumroll, please) – MANKIND!

With the labor and cooperation of about two million men and women which includes several hundred/thousand computer giants, perhaps five million clocks* are set back and man has demonstrated again his vast ability to control his circumstances – even to control time! Did we set back the sun or did we set forward the sun? Or perhaps neither!

Whichever way we went we lost an hour (if we die in the next five months or so) or we borrowed an hour (if we live six-eight months or so). I’ve just reread Isaiah 38:8 ST/DST (standard time/daylight savings time) translation which says, “So God sent for the sundial makers who shortened the sundials to show the sun set back the ten steps it had gone down.” Oh, your copy doesn’t say that?   Do you hear God’s HaHa? It’s a nice time for him to have a laugh!

Now on a serious note, I again give thanks to God for my “extended time” here in the land of the living. I’m thankful to be here.  Realizing I faced death so closely makes me more conscious of the way I am spending TIME, the currency recognized in heaven.  God has no use for our bartering/money.  He does value our time.

By the way, John Newton had a new slant on “the land of the living.” Reportedly his last words were: “I am still in the land of the dying, I shall be in the land of the living soon.” Ruminate on that! If you don’t feel like ruminating today, just think about it. For those of you who made it this far with me today, thanks.

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*No research on these statistics – they are purely numbers Oneta pulled out of the hat.  But it is true that a lot of “mankind” was involved in this time set!

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Image: Pixabay

test – publish did not go to reader

Posted in daylight savings time, DST/ST, time, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

THE DOLL IS NOT HUMAN

Posted on March 7, 2020 by

dolls

 I was picking up things strewn aside after the grandchildren had left along with some shoes I had been wearing and putting them all on the walker to carry to the other room.  I had picked up the doll first.  Then I picked up my shoes and put them on top of the doll.  Quickly I moved the doll to the top of the shoes. Why did that bother me?  After all the doll is not at all human.

I guess I’m still a little girl at heart when it comes to dolls. But I’m a big girl at heart when it comes to babies.  I’ll never understand how abortion can be accepted in civilized society. And how can a human being abuse a child of any age?  And do it legally in our advanced age?

The people who say conservatives (like me) do not stay up with science are often the same people who defend abortion by saying the fetus is not a baby.  Science says that a fetus has a heart beat and brain functions.  It moves of it’s own accord, it feels pain, it sucks its thumb, it hears.  Shall we stick with a law that was created before science discovered all this!

I got terribly serious with my funny little story, didn’t I?

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The bones of this blog are from a couple of year ago when I had to use a walker after a hip surgery.  Don’t have to now except when I’m going for a long walk.  I’ve updated and edited a bit.

Image: Pixabay

Posted in abortion, me, politics, science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

CHURCH – THE LORD’S SUPPER

Posted on March 4, 2020 by

last supper 2

ACCORDING TO PAUL we should  partake of the Lord’s Supper during our assemblies (I Cor. 11:23-30).  It seems the Corinthians were using this occasion as a time to eat and drink.  That was not the purpose.  The purpose was to remember the Lord Jesus.  Thinking of His broken body and blood is a solemn occasion in which a person is to examine himself lest he eat unworthily.

Surely that would mean there should be a time of repentance for those who judge themselves to need it.  Am I alone in finding myself almost always needing to repent before taking of his body and blood?  Aren’t sinners and sinning Christians warned against participating without repenting?  Is this a part of your church’s “Lord Supper” routine?  How routine is your routine?

I was impressed with a church recently in which the communion elements were set on tables at the side of the altar area, and people went to the tables and partook individually during the worship time.  There were no instructions given so this must have been a normal practice.  I asked my seat partner if I could participate.  She graciously went down with me.  It was an un-rushed, free time to share with the Lord.  Perhaps about ten percent of the church body participated  – not many, but meaningful.  I liked the “Jesus and me” experience.

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I had  planned this blog before having read Salvageable yesterday.  He wrote on this topic.  I recommend that you hop over and take a look  https://salvageable04.wordpress.com/2020/02/26/a-message-from-god-part-one/

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Continuing remarks from my thoughts about the local church.  Excerpt from my manuscript called “What Does Church Look Like.”  https://onetahayes.com/what-does-church-look-like-3/

Purposes for the Local Church Body  https://onetahayes.com/2020/02/26/purposes-for-local-church-body/

Church – Who Gets It Done  https://onetahayes.com/2020/02/27/church-who-gets-it-done/

 

 

Posted in Christianity, church, Jesus, Lord's Supper, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

SOS TO DAD!!!

Posted on March 3, 2020 by

telephone-2741258_960_720

After midnight.  My son, Carl, was not home.  He was over twenty so no problem except that I am a mom.  Sleep was hazy.

Phone rings.  Sammy (Dad) answers because the phone is on his side of the bed.  Old type phone, no ID’s.  No cell phones for us in those days.

“Hello,” he answers.   “Well, okay.  Call if you need me,”  Dad says and hangs up phone.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“Carl.”

 “What did he want?’

“His car broke down.”

 I’m steamed.  His car broke down.  Sammy doesn’t even ask where he is!

“Don’t worry.”  Sammy says.  “I told him to call if he needs me.”

“What do you think that was?” I scream.

*****  Well, all’s well that ends well.  Sammy has proven to be a kind and thoughtful father and husband.  But that night!!!!  I guess he just didn’t wake up enough to realize why he was being called.

Note:    Carl called a friend who went to help him.  Another funny story, but not for now.  That was Carl’s first date with the girl  who has been his sweet wife for over forty years.  So glad she didn’t flee.

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Image:  Pixabay

This story is true.  Carl and Vicky are now grandparents themselves.  I’m sure relieved that they had cell phones for dealing with their offspring.  😀

Challenge:  Tale Weaver #264  “Awake in the Night”  https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2020/02/27/tale-weaver-264-awake-in-the-night-27th-february/

 

Posted in family, Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Tale Weaver, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

BOTH DIED

Posted on March 2, 2020 by

actress

 

My mom, the ACTRESS – third from right, middle row.  As ACTRESS she was Saturday Special Matinee Headlines.   Mom was happy;  ACTRESS was not.

Too bad.  Mom was sweet, kind, humble.  ACTRESS was witchy, rude, arrogant.  Even  Dad didn’t know mom.  He married ACTRESS and outlived her.  Had some good years after that.

Mom died young – only thirty-seven.  Didn’t look it.  Looked twenty-five.    Living one’s life and the life of another at the same time, is gruelling.   I wish my mom could have known herself.  Wish my dad had known my mom.

I wish it had only been ACTRESS who died.

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PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Friday Fictioneers.  A challenge to write 100 word story inspired by picture prompt.  Hosted by Rochelle at https://rochellewisoff.com/

Posted in Friday Fictioneers, Rochelle's picture prompt, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments