Fried tomato brain

Still stinking hot, very unusual for this time of year. The gorgeous green grass that was so healthy when I left work on Friday evening was scorched and brown when I returned on Tuesday. Out with the sprinklers. I'm still convinced that there's mainly two seasons here, stinking hot, and freezing cold. The in between times are too short to be called seasons in some years in my humble opinion. I have a nifty device in my drawer, an infra red thermometer. This shoots out a laser beam over a long distance and checks the temperature of the object without you having to touch it. Obviously very handy for a maintenance guy. Anyway, I took it outside. It's a lot cooler today than it has been, only mid 80's. But, the road surface was 127F, the concrete was 98F. Should have brought an egg in to fry.
Still working on my stuff, haven't slept very well for some time, and having really weird dreams, not especially nightmares, but in full color and very vivid. Often I end up not completing things I should do in the dream, so I wake up with a feeling of inadequacy. Help....doctor, nurse, why are you carrying that restraint?
My brain has been fried I think by the heat, and I'm forgetting and losing stuff everywhere. I also used good sheets for drop cloths instead of old ones when staining the deck, then dropped the good kitchen scissors somehow and smashed them...good old Mrs E, who managed a smile as she went to Target to buy new ones. Anyone else would have thrown me off the deck. (I deserved it). A very gracious, loving lady. What would I do without her?

Lord of the Ring

On Tuesday evening I was at church working in a Celebrate Recovery group. When I came home Mrs E was in the back garden planting some flowers and I somehow expected her to be in the house. I must have switched, as I found myself talking to her, and taking the cover off the aircon condenser unit, as next thing I knew.....no wedding ring. I vaguely remembered taking it off as my finger was itchy, or at least sliding down a little, then......blank. I searched a lot that evening, but it was going dark and I couldn't find it. Of course I was praying a lot, I was afraid Mrs E would be very upset, which I was sure she was, but she had mercy one me and didn't come down too hard on me. I prayed and asked the Lord as He knew where the ring was could He show it to us? Lo and behold, Mrs E was watering her flowers this morning, and there was the ring lying on a bare piece of soil I had already searched several times. The real Lord of the ring helped us out.

Who notices when you get up?

When you and I get up in the morning, who notices? If we live with others in a family, or we have pets, they certainly notice. God notices as He watches over us. But the most important person who we want to notice our rising is - satan. In Acts 19, the sons of Sceva try casting out a demon in Jesus' Name. The demon says to them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" Just think about it. Our names are written in heaven, that's wonderful, but are we hated in hell? When we get up in the morning, does hell tremble? How nice it would be if when any of us rose out of bed, satan and his demons started groaning, "Oh No! ___________'s awake again." (Put your own name in the gap). I wonder what would happen if we all had that impact on the powers of darkness?

The weekend flew by

Another week and weekend has flown by, another week older as well. It was Mrs E's birthday on Saturday so we troffed on ribs at Famous Dave's, surely the best ribs anywhere? On Sunday it was a family party. I didn't eat as much as I normally do, only about 3 European portions. About 5 Eropean portions (or EP) is the norm. I still put on a pound last week, despite not eating a lunch every day, just nibbling on snacks, but of course some where Naughty but Nice. I'm convinced it's a satanic plot to kill us all. Go to any church, and you'll hear people speaking out against drinking, smoking, greed, jealousy, and more, but rarely, if ever, about over-eating. Go to any church function here and there's enough food to feed Darfur for two months. Every event has to have food with it in most cases. Want an early morning prayer time? Male it a prayer breakfast. Want a late morning prayer time? A prayer brunch. Evening prayer time? Have a dinner. Are we all being killed with kindness? Satan doesn't need to have someone come and kill us, or send tormenting demons, he just needs to get us into membership of a middle class church, where we all just happily gorge ourselves to an early grave. Me included. How sad. So, back to the low food count days to see if I can be s weight loser, instead of another type of loser.

Another week

Another weekend over far too quickly. Whay are the weeks so long? Oh, er, the mortgage, right. Born to play guitar and fish, forced to work to pay for the same. The only saving grace is that I can be here to enlarge God's Kingdom and glorify Him. At least that's worth living for. Still thinking about my true heart, I wish I knew what it was. As it's been hidden for over 50 years it will be interesting when I eventually find it. I have been impressed more recently about keeping praying to keep pure and true, and to keep the enemy at bay. I've even been praying written prayers I got in a book from www.care1.org that are really good. Mrs E and I prayed for a while last night, she starts her new job today and is excited/little scared all at once. I am also noticing how easy it is for the head of the house (me) to lapse into passivity or carelessness and not steadfastly resist all satan's attacks, as well as stand in the gap for his wife and children, and other friends and family members. How difficult it is being a man these days when we've been assaulted by feminism, as if the only difference between men and women is their genitals (yes, that's what the morons had some believe) and the constant media shows that show women as superior beings (of course they are in some things) and the men as innefectual wimps who are insecure and can't do anything. Give me Jack Bauer from 24, who always seems to be the righteous man, even to his own harm. Speaking of heroes, anyone find a better one than God? Comes down from eternal bliss in heaven, lives among poor people as a carpenter, mixes with the down and outs, prostitutes and the like. Lives a perfect life, never does any wrong, never sins, then is subjected to what many people say is the most cruel method of execution ever invented. Lays down His life for those who don't know or acknowledge Him. Dies, defeats death, sin, and satan, then freely gives His life and power to any who will receive it. Who could improve on that? All that is noble in people in this world (and there is much) is just a shadow of God's character and goodness. Thank You Father for Your Son Jesus, and Your Spirit within us. The Holy Trinity will not be beaten by anyone, ever. You can bet your life on it. Millions have.

Non political

After my semi-political rant yesterday, back to more important things, heaven, hell, eternity etc. Today I was a good boy and went to the hardware store and bought 4 bags of fertiliser with weed killer built in. This I diligently used on the lawns at work, one of which especially is a dandelion forest. "Easy," I thought, "spread it and forget it." After many minutes of walk and spread, I collected the empty bags and casually looked at the instructions. Yes, I'm a man and don't read instructions. Well, I got one thing right. "Apply when the weeds are wet." We've had over 4 inches of rain these past 2 days. "Don't apply if rain is forecast within the next 24 hours." What? The forecast is for more rain. I immediately thought of the bazillions of people, who like me, have gone through life without ever reading the instructions, or even had any clue that they exist. I found out over 20 years ago that the instruction book is God's Word, the Bible, and to not do what is says is more dangerous than we think. Not only will we have unfulfilled lives here on earth, but tormented ones in eternity. If we bought a broken down car and didn't know how to fix it and we met someone who said, "I know everything about that car, every nut and bolt," and you said, "How?" and the person said, "I made the whole thing," if you were sensible you'd take notice. So it is with God and the Bible. As He made everything (read Genesis) He alone knows how to fix it (read John's gospel). Think about it; it makes sense.

Another week

I'm glad I'm not president. King George II here doesn't really have much power, which is one of the strangest things here in the US political system. Without taking any party stance, it seems that democracy over here isn't all it seems. The President, billed as the most powerful man in the world, is really quite impotent. What happens is he gets voted in for his first term The first year he's finding his feet and realizing he can't change much. The second year of his term he brings in some contentious legislation that Congress try to stop. The third year he's thinking about how to win his second term and doesn't do much. The fourth year he's electioneering and doesn't do any polital stuff. Then, he wins his second term. The contentious stuff he pushed through in his first term starts to bite him. The cabinet falls apart with some scandal or other. Then, in year three and four, he tries to ensure that another member of his party wins the next election, so he brings in fluffy laws that pander to people's wants. Then the cycle begins again. I'm contsantly amazed by how politicians treat people here. A common theme is that they don't do what people want, but what they think best. Here where I live, they want to buld three (yes three) sports stadia. One for the loser football team, one for the once great baseball team, and one for the university football team. The politicians want to put up sales tax in the county where the baseball team resides, so presumably no-one else from any other county will use it. They have stated openly that they won't have a referendum on this as they know the people will reject it. But, they say, they'll still do it anyway. Great democracy? I wonder. There are dozens more examples, which makes me ponder what their definition of democracy is. I always thought it was a government for the the people or by the people, didn't someone famous say that? When did it change?
Anyway, back to George II. He has tried, I think to be decent in what he does, but Iraq is a quagmire, fuel prices are high and no-one is seriously trying to push for alternatives. The only people getting rich are the oil companies. CEO's of companies get huge salaries and payoffs even when they bankrupt the company, and married people pay more tax than single people. Middle class and poor people get poorer, it's illegal to pay overtime to salaried staff (honest), while politicians get free golfing holidays from lobby groups, along with free houses etc.
Sorry I'm sounding like a leftie,(I'm not), but why and how do things get like this? What happened to common sense, decency, and serving the public?
Finally, several months ago Ted Kennedy was ranting and raving at Judge Alito as the poor guy was trying to get on to the supreme court. Alito had been a member of a group in university that had a bad record on how they treated women or something obscure. The hypocrisy was sickening. This was the same man who drove his car into the sea, left a girl passenger to drown in a most horrific way imaginable in the same car, and did not tell anyone about it for at least eight hours. Way to go Ted.

New blessing

More than a month ago Mrs E and I were at a financial seminar at church. The harsh facts were placed before us. Though I earn about $300 a month less than what we need to live on, we live by faith and somehow there is always enough money to go round. However, retirement is a different story. We have saved a few thousand, when most others have a million or more to retire with. So, we came to the conclusion that Mrs E could get a job, and work for a few years and we could save some money. She got some contacts from former colleagues in the insurance industry and within a few weeks she was offered a good job in a medical minsurance company here in town, with great benefits and good pay. Truly a miracle of God's provision.
For myself, I have been broken hearted this last week looking at the last years and seeing I have been living through various masks resulting from trauma and programming. Where is my real heart? I have been asking this question through many tears this last week. Mrs E thinks it's a good sign that the real me is at last coming out and will be the controller of my life, instead of the lies, deceptions, and programming that so far has been in the lead. Take me to the River, Lord, wash me in the water! Take away all vestiges of deceit and lies, let me see the Truth and let the real me, the one You lovongly created, live to the full. Amen.