A Reluctant Message

 I like to read short stories & books.  I love to listen to a song with a story.  I recently re-read the Book of Jonah.  It’s only four short chapters & we all know (or should know) the story of Jonah & the whale.

If you read thru the 4 chapters of course the main theme is Jonah doesn’t listen to Gods message & is punished by being swallowed by a whale.  He’s spit out 3 days later due to whale indigestion.  After this horrible experience he obeys Gods message.  

That’s the main theme, but is it the main message?  It is not…the main message is that Jonah was reluctant to follow Gods charge to him to go to the people of Nineveh & prophesize their destruction due to their continued wickedness, because he already knew the eventual outcome of his message.

  Jonah tells us in verse 4:2….he knew God “was gracious & compassionate, slow to anger & filled with unfailing love.”  He knew that if he stuck his neck out & told the people of Nineveh of their impeding destruction….he may be made to look the fool when nothing happens.

But something did happen.  Something very key to Nineveh not being destroyed.  In chapter 3 we see the people, from least to greatest, go without food & humble themselves in sack cloth to show their remorse & sorrow.  Even the king of Nineveh fast & shed his royal robes & donned sack cloth, declaring “everyone must turn from their evil ways & stop all their violence….pray earnestly to God & He may yet have pity & not destroy us”.  This was key to convincing the people the truth Jonah’s message held.

And that’s what happened.  God seen their remorse & their turn from evil & had mercy for Nineveh & spared its destruction.  So even though Jonah felt God set him up, the people actually saved themselves, Jonah was just a messenger.  Had the king & the people not believed the message, their destruction was certain.

So….to put a modern spin on this….what if at some point we had indisputable proof of Gods existence & His message was directed at our world?  How many people would still turn their backs on living proof, historical documentation & the promise of salvation thru eternity, just so they could be some kind of something here & now, but not later?  How many people would turn from their evil ways, humble themselves, pray for forgiveness & acknowledge Gods existence?  And how many would rejoice in knowing their faith in God…has finally been answered?

Evil has coursed in man’s veins since we left God’s Garden, which we did of our own free will.  Evil is, so evil does.  Evil knows it has no tomorrow so it does it’s damage today.  When cornered evil strikes, when confused evil hides & when caught evil lies.  However, evil fades when faced with the truth, justice, wisdom & love.  It fades into the darkness seeking weaker spirits.

All around us we see Gods message, we just have to open our hearts & minds to hear & see it.  For when we do our spirit & soul is enriched & we become as one body in harmony with the peace only God can provide.

Jonah was a reluctant messenger, but he eventually delivered a message that saved countless lives, but it was only because someone listened & someone prayed…& that is the moral of Jonah’s story.

Be blessed in all you do today & tomorrow.  

Share your faith, it may save someone’s life.

A Musical Love Story

 

Long, long ago before time was kept by mechanical hands, it was kept by the suns shadow & the moons glow.  Time was different then, life was simple & what is now modern man was just beginning his timeless journey.  

I have dreamt of such times.  When all you had or needed was provided by nature & your bare hands.  Survival was your physical priority, but there were also magical moments of discovery & loves emotions dominated the warm days & cool nights.

In one of these dreams a man & a woman were walking on the beach.  Holding hands & rubbing shoulders they strolled the sand when he saw something within his reach.

Wading into the crystal clear water he knelt down & picked up the pinkish ivory like conch sea shell.  It was old, almost ancient, & wore to a smooth texture with the front horn area slightly broken one could tell.

Admiring it he gently cleaned the sand & removed a couple of old mullosk remains from the horn.  Now a hollow chamber existed thru the conch shell; he gave it to his mate as a token of love once torn.

She held it with both hands & placed a subtle kiss on the shattered face of the conch shells broken horn as a gesture of thanks.  As she did she happened to exhale ever so slightly & a low deep resonating sound was born.

They both looked at each other & she tried the kiss again with her breath held until she exhaled & the first musical conch sea shell note this Earth ever heard, was heard. 🐚✨

Book of Hebrews Chp. 11…. Psalm 66-68

Where It Started

 

So here I sit where I started so long ago.  What have I achieved since then?  I guess not much in the eyes of man.   

Forty five years ago at 16 I hitch hiked past this very spot on my way to new adventures.  It’s been quite the journey & I have little in the material world to show for it.

But I have more than anything this materialistic world can provide.  As the cars & trucks pass on the inter-state, I sit in mine & look thru a fountain at the hustle & bustle of a week end day.  

None of this was here 45 years ago except the hi-way.  Much has changed, but the trees that are left remind me of those first steps I took on my road of life.

A road that led me to the thoroughbred horse track in Cincinnati, then the track in Detroit, then at 17 I joined the U.S. Navy…and my eyes opened to a whole new world.

From there the road split in many directions; I often took a wrong turn, but I always seemed to get back on track & feel my best days lay ahead.  

It is said all roads lead back to the same place and as I sit here where I started so long ago….I can testify to that truth.  Have a superb weekend.  Be Safe & Be Healthy…🐝.   

Book of Acts Chp. 26  ✨

A Revealing, An Oath & A Promise

 Ok so I’ve bared a lot of my experiences, observations, thoughts & opinions on this blog.  Two hundred & ninety or so posts, but only a few reading this know much if anything about me.

Since the past doesn’t really matter, I won’t bore you with that, but if a blog is a diary of sorts, what’s my entry for today?

Well, today I am 61 years old & help care for my 85 year old mother who has ALS, aka…Lou Gehrig’s disease.  I liquidated or stored most of my belongings and moved from North Carolina to her home here in Florida.  I have been here for 3 months or so now.

The community we live in has a 36 hole golf course, several pools, a conference center, tennis courts, work out areas, wilderness trails, a private school, lakes & ponds with fish & skies with hawks & osprey, etc, etc.

They are building 100’s & 100’s of homes in this corridor northeast of Tampa.  Life is good for many folks around here, something I have not always been accustomed too.

My days for the most part are free, but I care for my mother after dinner thru the morning….yep, I got the night watch.  But you know what….it keeps me outta trouble & I have wonderful natural settings & wildlife all around me & my buddy Roscoe to talk too.

There is a fox den in the hedges, all kinds of water fowl, ospreys, split tails, brown & golden hawks in the air & trees.  With bass in the ponds, hogs & deer in the forest, squirrels & bunnies in the yard it’s a beautiful place to go for a stroll.  At night we’re just far enough from the big city lights to enjoy star filled nights in between the often rainless thunder & lightning storms.

Having my days free has helped me get reacquainted with this area.  My mother has owned this house for over 40 years; so yeah I got some roots & memories of this area.  My options are very open.  I can reactivate my LLC…Sensory Solutions & Systems….,I can do side work, I can work from home, or I could continue to watch for fox & hawks & see what tomorrow brings.

The Revealing….

One thing very few people know about me is that 14 years or so ago I took an online course & registration to become a Minister.  I partly did it just to see if I could qualify & pass….which I did & did.  I am not ordained or certified in any particular religion, nor do I want to be, it was more a personal & spiritual goal to accomplish.  For years, over 30 really, I have felt God’s calling.  But, I was scared.  Not of God…but scared of my fellow men & women and of being wrong.  The consequences of false prophecy & worship far outweigh the earthly benefits some cater to. 

I have a lot of non- traditional Spiritual views.  They are Spiritual views because they are not religious views.  I am independent & non-denominational.  Religion is ceremony, religion is not Church.  The Church stands on its own, because it is God’s Temple, Christ’s Body & the Spirits presence is there….if it is a Church first & foremost, rather than a religion by name, label, deed & belief, which is secondary to its main mission which is bringing the Words & Ways of our Lord to the world.

In so many ways religion has clouded the basic spiritual concepts, traditions & realities of Truth, that the average person is left dazed & confused & ultimately disappointed in “religion”.

Church is a Holy place for praise & fellowship with God & each other thru the Holy Spirit in the Lord’s House.  

Any religion is a belief of one kind or another that may or may not be worthy of being attached to any Church as defined in the previous paragraph.  With religion brings a label, a stigma…True & Free Spirituality has no labels, so it can never be stigmatized.

Unlike so many in our society who chase fame & fortune by bargaining with the devil, I made a pact with God…& I’ll close this post with that pact.

The Oath….

I said, God….I’m scared.  I’m scared that this is a false calling.  If it is & I ever write, say or do anything that would mislead another person away from You & Your teachings….or if I am or ever become something other than a messenger of Your Words & Deeds….then strike my words & strike me down.

The Promise….

An answer was given to me that said two words & two words only…. “I Promise”.

Those Words & that Oath are sealed in prayer & my words are still here on this blog & in my daily actions & I am still alive to enjoy foxes at night & hawks in the day.  To this day I hold to that Oath & that Promise because of all He has & continues to reveal to me.

Praise God, Love Jesus & call on the Spirit & your life will begin to be what you’ve always felt you could be.

Reflections:  Bible Book of Job 38-41 

New Living Translation, the ending may surprise you as it did me & Proverbs 16:33 sums it up nicely. 🐝✨

Note: If you look closely at the opening pic there’s the small head of a morning dove in the left side of the chimney.  All morning she was up there cooing her gentle call, but I guess I was the only one to hear it. 🕊  

The Heart of a Leader

 We all have creative & talented abilities….it’s just a matter of identifying them, nourishing them & utilizing them.  I can do a lot of things, some were very hard to realize, others were more easy & natural but in either case  I never knew I could do anything until I tried.

It’s true our lives are trial & error, but our lives are also hard work & accomplishment.  I play golf recreationally & have always been amazed at the ability of the professionals.  We see them in competition making awesome shots, but what we don’t see is the hours & hours of practice everyday to make that shot.  Throwing & kicking is somewhat natural, swinging a golf club at a small ball is not.  Such is life, it’s what you identify & work at that defines your talents.

But there’s another aspect of being creative & talented at something you do….it’s called heart.   It’s not just the want to create or succeed, it’s the desire to create or do something you love.  We’ve all heard the phrase, “he’s got real heart” when talking about athletes, well the same is true for artists, writers & musicians.

Another example, a sovereign nation being attacked by a foreign invader.  The invaders look at it as a job, the ones under attack look at it as survival.  Both may have the same abilities but whose heart is really in the fight? Not the invaders & that’s why they lose so often.  The heart drives the will & the will to survive is strong in all of us when pressed.  The invaders just wanna go back to their homes, while they destroy someone else’s.

In this world there are two types of leaders…Commanders & Conquerers.  Commanders utilize their best assets to accomplish a better life for their nation.  Conquerers just wanna make their life & legacy better regardless of the pain & suffering they cause.

So I ask you, what good does it do to conquer a nation just to have them hate you & conspire against you?  I can tell you…it does no good.  On the other hand a leader who commands with compassion will work to form allies & strengthen their charge.

Today as we watch a golf match on TV, we also see war on our screens.  Our country is blessed to not be at all out war right now with another nation.  But it seems as though we are at some kinda war internally, which emboldens our enemies.  You can not win a war against anybody….if you’re at war with yourself.

I have a simple request…identify & utilize your talents to better yourself & the world you live in.  You know why I requested that?  Because I was requested the same thing many years ago.  I have tried to accomplish this request & feel I have certainly bettered myself, but the world around me still lies in tatters.  

This blog is part of my efforts to better the world around me…I hope & pray I’ve wrote something somewhere that speaks to you, encourages you, uplifts you spiritually & calms you emotionally.  If I have done that for someone at sometime than I have accomplished the request asked of me.  

But, the watch never stops & the watch never ends, so the request is more of a challenge to be a Commander, rather than a Conquerer.  To lead from the front, rally those in the trenches & take the ultimate risk….rather than bark orders from the back, sip unwarranted champagne & sit in relative comfort.

True leadership is not always found with those who have  the most to gain, but rather the most to lose.  True leaders are not always the smartest or the strongest in any lot….but they always are the ones with the biggest heart.   ✨

Psalm 65 

Slums in Paradise

 

Ever had only five dollars to your name with no other sure outcome of income coming your way?  Ever been so hungry you’d eat sticks & grass? Ever been so tired you could fall asleep under a busy overpass?  Ever been so thirsty you didn’t care what the water looked like?  Ever been so hot & sweaty you couldn’t stand your own stench? Ever been down to your last meal, but you split it with your buddy? Ever been so close to death all you could think about was one more breath?  I wonder, I really wonder how many in their privileged & pampered world could answer yes to even one of those questions.  

There are quite a few new readers to this blog & I thank you for spending some time here.  Those that know me know I have been homeless several times in my life, some by choice, some by chance & some for cause, but every time I learned something that even though I couldn’t understand then….I’m grateful for now.

I left home at 16, the first, but certainly not the last time I hit the hi-way for greener destinations.  At this stage of my life I am far, far from that feeling of uneasiness & unknowing.  Because thru all those trials & tribulations, thru all the tears & triumph’s, I realize they had purpose.  

I can answer yes to all those questions in the 1st paragraph, some with multiple yes’s.  But, I am far, far from those early days of feeling homeless, hungry, thirsty, tired & out of breath.  You see for even if I find myself in troubled times again…..I will never feel hapless, hopeless & homeless because I have confidence, extreme confidence in my faith in God, my knowledge & abilities as well as the kindness & generosity of most of my fellow man kind.

The homeless situation in this country has gotten way outta hand.  And my opinions & knowledge born of experience & research are documented thruout various posts in this blog, but those thoughts & feelings changed a bit yesterday as I saw a side of homelessness I hadn’t seen before.

I went for a walk & found several homeless camps, all unoccupied at the time, but none the less every bit active encampments.  One in particular was one of the main camps.  Set back off the road a bit in the woods there were 6 tents and so much trash it looked more like a dump site rather than a camp site.  I will have to go back & get some pics to justify my “dump site” comment but you’ve seen the news reports, videos & pictures….this was a site I never seen when I was on my solitary travels.

Today many of the homeless are homeless cause they wanna be.  There’s a segment of useless, ungrateful, lazy, theiving, drug & alcohol abusing scum bags that dominate the news cycles & what we see, hear & think about the homeless.  And then there’s the silent majority who are just trying to find their way & survive another night.

The degenerates that are wreaking havoc on the streets of the homeless today are however a product of our society.  We cannot cast blame on someone who has been exposed to our own shameless greed & deeds. But, we all make our choices in life & just like the privileged businessman who throws out his Starbucks cup on the side of the road, so the ungrateful vagabond sleeps in his dump site.  They are both the same internally only the external perception is different…both contribute to the fasad of our Nation.

There are simple explanations & solutions to our most misunderstood & complex issues.  But keep this thought in mind in your daily quests & life’s journey… Before you cast ridicule on the less fortunate, take heed of your own fortune & don’t take it for granted, your life can change in so many ways in an instant & it may be you out there one day scraping for your next meal.

But just as important….to those less fortunate out there…don’t give the privileged the ability & the reason to despise you…take care of what little house you have even if it’s just a back pack…clean up yourself & clean up after yourself.  Don’t expect me to give you food for your belly & then clean up your crap afterwards.  

Let’s work this out & work together to strengthen & clean up  our Nation….from the classiest country clubs to the meanest darkest streets…so different, yet so same. What good does it do to drive to the Hollywood Hills when you gotta go through slums to get there?  The whole drive should be safe & clean, but we gotta lotta work to do….and it’s more than any one person can possibly do alone.

The goodness in our country will prevail if we hold to Gods teachings, our faith in a better world to come & approach our issues from compassion & understanding.  The evil in this world will be destroyed & fade into distant memory so it can not pollute our recent thoughts.  It’s just a matter of when, not if.

I pray for a better world, I know it is at hand & I hope you’re along for its glorious ride.  Be safe & be grateful.  🙏✝️🇺🇸🦅😎🐝

Ezekiel 34:17-31  }…… Book of Titus 

Wildflowers

If you got a moment, which I assume you do cuz you’re here, I’d like to discuss my feelings on a controversial word (of sorts) in our society today.

That word is…..prayer.

What do you think of when you hear, read or say the word prayer?  Until today I thought prayer was reserved for my personal conversation with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….the Holy Trinity.  But in, and as part of my conversations….I ask questions.

Rarely, really rarely….have I ever got immediate responses to my questions.  But as you know…patience is a virtue.  So answers develop and some have yet to be or may never be answered.  But today I got one and I cried about it during & afterwards a bit & maybe you’ll understand why if I can explain this properly….I will certainly try.

Prayer can & should be more than religious ceremony.  Prayer can & should be shared & joined in togetherness to strengthen its resolve. So we bow our heads & pray to the Trinity….but what do we do if we wanna talk to someone besides the Holy Trinity, say our deceased grand-father…is that prayer?  What is it then? It’s not a séance, I just wanna talk to gramps…let ‘em know I’m thinking about him & need some advice….even if it takes years to get it.   Its not prayer in the strict sense of course, you’re not worshipping gramps, you’re not idolizing him, he’s just another soul your spirit can reach out to….so what is it?   I call it spiritual meditation.   I guess in a sense you’re praying to gramps cuz he’s passed from this Earth, but the word prayer, I feel, should be reserved for the Trinity.

So why the controversy?  Well if I told you that I talk to spirits & souls you’d roll your eyes.  If I said, I’m praying to Jesus & my gramps, you’d think that’s cool (I hope).  

So the answer moment…..Mid day I’m putting some CD’s on to listen to and I put in disk 2 of Tom Pettys The Best of Everything & the first track is “Wildflowers”.   I have numerous issues & reasons to pray as we all do & many blessings to be thankful for, but as the words to that song played out in that moment…. I looked to the sky and said in my meditation…..Hey Tom, thanks for a wonderful song & by the way…what would you do about???...I checked myself….& thru my tear filled eyes I wondered, was that wrong?  And instantly a word popped in my head…..No.

He didn’t answer me, the lyrics & his song did…from His Spirit thru his spirit.  In that moment I realized it’s ok to ask for help, it doesn’t always have to involve the Trinity.  Hey, they need a break now & then from all those prayer requests.  So spread the spiritual wealth a bit thru spiritual meditation & the strict religious zealots that think it’s a sacrilege….well, they’re just wrong about that.

So here’s the real point I’m trying to make.  How much time do you spend a day in prayer?  How much time do you spend in spiritual meditation?  I’ll hazard a guess that a few minutes a day in prayer be bout average, I dunno.  Ok, how bout you expand your quiet moments a bit more and pick out 2 or 3 role models in your life, alive or dead, famous or not & just have a personal private conversation, you’re not worshipping….you’re talking.

If I tell someone I prayed for 2 hours today, they’d think man that dudes got issues.  If I say I meditated for 2 hours today they’d think, man where do you find the time, wish I could do that, good for you.

Thus the controversy….prayer is meditation to the Trinity, meditation can be a spiritual tool you can use to guide you on your life’s journey.  Jesus is not the only one who can help you, there’s lots of Guardian Angels out there…& there’s no controversy in reaching out to them in good or bad times, or anytime in your private moments.  

If you spend an extra few minutes a day reaching out to your heroes thru spiritual meditation I believe you’ll find it can have both emotional & calming benefits & there is no sacrilege cuz there’s no idolization.

Tom Petty is one of my heroes, his lyrics & music are prophetic & I know his spirit touched millions of his fans…so why not say Howdy now & then….I know he’d appreciate it…he’s not learning to fly anymore, he’s got his wings for sure.  But…it gets lonely sometimes just cruising the clouds.

Thank you Tom & the Heartbreaker band members & back stagers who brought his music to us….it’s part of our history & I for one am grateful I was alive & could share in a bit of his story.

As the moon rises on another night, I long to be free in a mountain side full of wildflowers, looking out to sea.

Have a spectacular day, say a prayer for Love. ✝️

Ecclesiastes Chapters 3.4 & 5