Living-Out of the Ark . . .

Live Accordingly

I made the following statement re: the impeachment hearings and just kept writing.

2020.01.23

The defense is hilariously so outstanding it is making the Dem's managers look like a elementary school debate team giving reasons to cancel school forever. The lack of professionalism, intelligence & the excessive ignorance in the peoples house is a first hand reflection of the dumbing down of our educational system. What is taught, omitted, said and done in the class room in one generation will become law & attitudes in the next.

For you GenX-ers and Millennials, there are times you look less than stellar cause you don't know your history and you think with your hearts only and not with wisdom and understanding. Our nation sits on a precipice. We will move to socialism or continue being a beacon of freedom for the world. Removing US world power will leave a vacuum. Who do you want to fill that vacuum? China? Russia? Iran? Your generations will be fully responsible for the directions we take. DO NOT jump on an emotional, idealized band wagon. KNOW when you are being lied to. Hitler killed his millions, Stalin his 10's of millions. How does someone kill that many? The people believe a idealized lie or a stupid one, such as—“the Jews are responsible for our economic troubles”- Or “everyone will have equal amounts of money”, or “everyone will be able to keep their current healthcare” or “We all get new cell phones”. How about this one- “we will tax only the rich”. Those who want to tax the rich— What do they consider rich? Several years ago, a politicians plan purported to do just that; their meaning meant anyone who made more than 30K. Do you understand that if you confiscated all the millions from all the millionaires & billionaires it would not come even close to paying our national debt?

A side note: Several years ago a Canadian asked me when the US National Anthem was written. He said, quite pompously, that he asks all the Americans he meets and rarely do they know their own basic American History. So that you know- it was written during the War of 1812. Also, John Quincy Adams negotiated the terms that ended the War of 1812. He was fair minded and a man of great Character. He returned to Canada the original boundaries we shared with them. He could have easily annexed the Great Lakes fully within US boundaries, but he didn't. He wanted a friendly rapport with our neighbors--that is called wisdom. (Read "American Phoenix" it is very interesting. After reading it I concluded that the War of 1812 was a bigger miracle than our war for Independence) Finally, America has conquered much of the World over the course of our history and we have never taken land—we give it back and help rebuild.

Know that the free market system and our Republic is not a perfect system but both are light years better than any other system. Our Republic was designed (Per Adams, Franklin, Jefferson and Hamilton) for a moral and self-governing people. A People who embrace Judeo-Christian principles-whether of not they are "Christians". Your battle, should you accept it, is to Not fight the systems put in place by our founders but to battle first your own morality and then walk in that consistently. Your charged with "raising the bar" of acceptable behavior in business, law, education, etc and in all the circles you walk and move in. This charge is exponentially greater if you claim Faith in Yeshua/Jesus as your Savior-claiming Christianity as your foundation.

Remember, Money IS the root of all evil and it will be the demise of our country if you and the generations on your heels do not guard against it. Disney and the NBA (and others) have already compromised free speech for the dollar and there has been nary a ripple in the American psyche.

We Baby Boomers are on the last turn of our sojourn on this earth. We are the children and grandchildren of the WW2 generation. We are sandwiched between knowing parents and grandparents who grew up without bathroom facilities and could remember horse and buggies and the generation who is looking to colonize Mars and can fit what was a warehouse full of computers onto a chip that is visually imperceptible. I encourage you to know the details of our history and we are your recent history. Ask us, learn from us and cling to what worked. If an idea is pie-in-the-sky reject it, no such thing exists under heaven except maybe a good family. Understand why Judeo-Christian principles are so successful. If you are a Christ follower—be the picture of the solution. Look different—you are called to be different, to be peculiar & be a continual student with understanding. The ways of Christ are foreign to this world and now sadly foreign to America. If the world does not see a difference between you and anyone else you are part of the problem. Most of us baby boomers will hang onto the ideals of the America we enjoyed & believed in. It’s a flawed country for certain and we have some atrocities but our shining moments far exceed the ugly. America is incomparable in recorded history because of a people who believed each person would someday answer to God. Remember, Each of us will answer to God—so for your children and theirs— live accordingly!

High and small

Charlene DiFonzo Holmes

"Sometimes, you have to be up really high to understand how small you are."

~Felix Baumgartner, who set the record for parachuting from the edge of space, more than 24 miles up.

Although it has been about eighteen months since the infamous jump, the sponsors just released a high-def longer version to watch.

You can watch it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/31/felix-baumgartner-new-edge-of-space-gopro-video_n_4703015.html?ir=Sports&utm_hp_ref=sports#slide=1641989

I watched him exit his stationary air-craft and stand on its edge preparing to leap. The view of space meeting the horizon of earth is breathe taking. I was in 'AWE' of the grandeur of seeing darkness and light meet. I felt so humbled, so tiny . . .

So why isn't space illuminated too? Why is there darkness when Earth's atmosphere meets the edge of space? Why such a distinction between where Earth's influence ends and the darkness of space begins?

If pictures can paint a thousand words, what is this one trying to say? My unprofound immediate thoughts of Genesis 1v1 "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth . . ." 1v3 And God said, "Let there be light, . . .", 1v4 ". . . And God separated the light from the darkness."

How did the writer of this ancient book know the light was separated from the dark?

John 1v1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God"

THE Word spoke and it IS.

This is life on this illuminated dust ball- darkness is always pressing in on every side. Some days I am more aware of it then others. Somedays I feel like the darkness is taking over and is all consuming. With all that is in me, which isn't much, I try to beat it back with-in myself ---and that only works superficially.

So how does darkness get beaten back? Certainly not by my fleshy ideas and habits. There is only one way to beat it back ---and that is with the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. It is with the words of the Word reflecting His light off me, just as the sun reflects its light off the earth. It is realizing to whom I belong and where I stand in my relationship with my Creator. The higher and more intimately I stand with Him the more I realize my finiteness and His infinite AWEsomeness. My weakness and His Strength. My utter dependence on Him and His limitless provisions. 2 Cor 12v10 ". . . For when I am weak, then I am strong."

The higher I stand with Him the smaller I feel; like a wee child whose every need depends on her parents. Do I dare trust him to supply those needs? It is hard when you spend a lifetime trying to make your own way, have your own way, and do it your own way. Some days there is no-way, just His-way.

There are time when we are in a position like Baumgartner chose, 24+ miles up and no where to go but one ---down!

Father, help me to jump and trust you are the parachute of my soul. Abba Daddy, show me how to fall with grace, fall expectantly, fall into your Love, fall into Hope,

fall so you may fill-in all the holes, fall so I may stand tall,

fall so You will be lifted up.