a load to go...

63,77,36,0,B

company for breakfast...

59,66,27,0,W

a monday matinee...

the burden of "truth"...

On a daily basis I am faced with the dilemma of whether or not to confront the endless amount of bullshit I see on Facebook from every side of the aisle and including any number of topics (I am an equal opportunity debunker).  Unfortunately, I have found that people tend to cling to their stances no matter how much "proof" is given otherwise.  Their first resort is to discredit anything outside of their belief system as biased without anything to back it up outside of the endless amount of similar BS they have seen...or simply resort to personal attacks as their last resort of debate.  No one seems to even try to do any independent thinking on their own based on real research...kind of like denying God for the many superfluous reasons that atheists come up with.  When confronted with a problem - it becomes easier to solve when you look for real world "givens" (yes, they do exist if you look for them).  If you deny the "givens" because they don't suit your way of thinking, then you just make the problem worse.  Although grey areas certainly exist...the black and white (good vs. evil) is always there if you look hard enough.  You have to dig deep to find some resemblance of real truth - and that takes some effort outside of simply sharing nonsense on the internet simply because if gives you some false sense of empowerment.

Bearing false witness is mentioned many times in the Bible, exclusively as something bad. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” is the ninth of the Ten Commandments that Moses brought back with him from his encounter with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:16). False witness, or spreading a false report, is associated with being allied with the wicked (Exodus 23:1), willing to do violence to others (Psalm 27:12), and sowing discord among brothers (Proverbs 6:19). The Bible calls bearing false witness lying (Proverbs 14:5) and compares a man who bears false witness against his neighbor to a violent weapon (Proverbs 25:18). Lies harm people.

laundry day...

Chupa doing his impression of a clothespin...

53,62,30,0,B

a friday night film

stuff I can live without...

The culling pile is growing.  50,61,30,0,B

a fistful of dollars...

My 2018 silver eagles arrived today.  Seems "bitcoin" is all the rage, but I prefer tangible assets that I can hold in my hand and are made up of bits of real world fine silver.  48,61,27,0,B

more true value...

Already filled 7 of the 11 bins I bought and culled quite a load headed for the landfill.  Just ordered 18 more online with an additional ten bucks off plus no shipping charges with the delivery to store option.  Will probably end up placing another order before the sale ends at the end of the month.  49,62,25,0,B

a monday matinee...

inspiration...

We have all heard the phrase "Cleanliness is next to godliness".  While there's nothing intrinsically wrong with the notion, in spite of mentioning God the phrase doesn't have a Biblical basis...or does it?  

God and Satan are both orderly and chaotic imaginings of the principle that governs the universe. God being the perceived principle of Order for the universe, and Satan being the Chaos principle. They may be orderly and chaotic reflections of each other, but that might just be missing the point. The principle of God is the principle of Order, in which the universe is governed by God, as an organized matrix in which the individual has no freedom to create his/her own structure and must conform to that of God, or the universe. This principle implies obedience and subservience to a higher power as the highest ideals yet these principles need to be applied to our earthly life.  The principle of Satan is the principle of Chaos, in which the individual is free to create one’s own structure and rules based on the raw material of the universe, and it is possible for the individual to have one’s own will and power, thus there is no order besides one’s own, and nothing rules the universe. This principle implies freedom and personal power...but is a dangerous lie.

1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

the unhaunting...

Had a pretty busy Saturday...video coming Monday.  65,78,35,0,B

a friday night film

bins...

Now that it is finally warming up again, I am getting ready for the next organizational assault.  This time it is the contents of two shipping containers filled with stuff that has been "put aside".  Just so happens True Value up in Alpine has a sale going on this month so I stocked up on 11 plastic bins to sort stuff into that isn't going to the landfill.  Depending on my culling abilities, I may need more.  When I was checking out I asked the cashier if these were guaranteed to change my life.  She said,"That's pretty much up to you."  42,56,28,0,C

one more cold night...

When you get used to over 300 sunny days per year, a few cold cloudy ones in a row is a real drag (but still nothing like months of freezing in upstate NY).  Looks like things are about to change...Chupa saw his shadow this afternoon.  38,42,28,0,B

cold snap

Another little bit of winter is here... 28,34,29,0,W

a monday matinee...

Hypocrites!

A common argument that atheists use against Christian is that they are all hypocrites...that they don't themselves live the lives they proclaim should be lived by all.  Unfortunately due to sin, no man can live up to the idea of a perfect Christian life on earth.  Bottom line?  While accepting Christ and experiencing the Holy Spirit is a start - sin is still around every corner and always an influence.  But to deny the Holy Spirit in the name of hypocrisy gives you absolutely no hope against Satan.  God is real and far more than just some part of a magical belief system.  To think otherwise or use hypocrisy as an excuse is a losing game.

Out of Trump's pie hole and into the fire...

So the internet is on fire over Trumps latest alleged "behind closed doors" remarks about immigration - and this post I did on Facebook today certainly drew the fire of the bleeding heart left.  Following is my post combined with some of my replies to comments.   Disclaimer:  Trump is an idiot, but this nonsense is really not worthy of the amount of discussion it is getting and here is why:
1. Why is anyone surprised about what comes out of Trump's pie hole? 2. You can bet that over the years, all kinds of "cruel remarks" have come out of every president's mouth (behind closed doors). 3. While it may be difficult to hear about who we should welcome into this country...Trump does make a somewhat valid point. 4. The bitter truth is that immigrants from counties like Haiti do not necessarily add as much value to our population as those who come from countries where the people experience a higher level of education and economic stability. 5. In reality, when it comes to countries in the world that could be considered "shit holes" - Haiti ranks pretty high on the list.
According to a 2006 report by the Corruption Perceptions Index, the nation ranked first of all countries surveyed for levels of domestic corruption. Haiti ranked last among North American countries in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI) – an indicator for determining the development level of a country's information and communication technologies. Due to the racial caste system instituted in colonial Haiti, Haitian mulattoes (comprising 5% of the nation's population) became the nation's social elite and racially privileged and remain so to this day. Seven out of ten Haitians live on less than US$2 a day. Haiti is among the poorest — and the most unequal —countries in Latin America with 6.3 million out of 10 million Haitians unable to meet their basic food needs. Roughly 75% of Haitian households lack running water. Unsafe water, along with inadequate housing and unsanitary living conditions, contributes to the high incidence of infectious diseases. There is a chronic shortage of health care personnel and hospital resources. The infant mortality rate in Haiti is approximately 60 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to a rate of 6 per 1,000 in other countries.  Nearly half the population is illiterate. Over 80% of those who manage to graduate with a degree from a university in Haiti choose to live elsewhere because they know what a "shit hole" Haiti is. The simple fact is that immigrants were far more welcome in the 1800's only because we needed a cheap labor force to build this country. They didn't have to be smart...they just had to work hard and they were able to earn a far better wage here than they could from the shit hole countries they escaped. The problem is that if you look back at history you find that the rather large percentage of people who came to this country with little money and/or education HAD to work hard over time to build businesses, get an education for themselves and their children and become contributing members of society because there were no huge government handouts for them. With the amount of social programs we have now, there is far less incentive to do the work necessary or even learn the language for that matter, and we no longer have to fill nearly as many brute force labor jobs that don't require any education.  Those who flock here now with no money or education simply (and willingly) become a burden on society and our national debt.  FYI - Our country's motto in regard to immigrants was never "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free".  This quote comes from Emma Lazarus’ sonnet, New Colossus, which she wrote for a fundraiser auction to raise money for the pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty now sits. The poem did not receive much recognition and was quite forgotten after the auction.  In the early 1900's and after Lazarus’ death, one of her friends began a campaign to memorialize Lazarus and her New Colossus sonnet. The effort was a success, and a plaque with the poem’s text was mounted inside the pedestal of the statue.

a friday night film

Blast from the past...

Had a great visit on Sunday from one of my old grade school friends...Pat McGee.  I haven't seen him in 43 years!  I grew up with him from 3rd grade through freshman year of high school in Tell City, Indiana. My family moved to North Carolina in 1975.  I have since caught up with a bunch of my old Hoosier friends on Facebook.  On his way west, he visited another one of our mutual friends (Kevin Kast) who lives in Louisiana now.  Kevin sent along 5 lbs of shrimp for me, fresh from the Gulf of Mexico!  Both these guys are avid fishermen now...one of many things I missed out on once we moved.  46,62,51,0,W 

i think it's time...

...to empty the greehouse (junkyard)...the next friday night film.

62,81,41,0,W

short and stout...

After 6 years it was time for a little something new for my morning coffee water... 64,74,34,0,B

a monday matinee...

it's not magic...

While do a little research about experiencing the Holy Spirit...I came across far too many testimonials of an overwhelming meeting.  Guess what...it is most often far subtler than that.  Don't expect bells and whistles.  God probably wont put on a Vegas show in your mind...and you most likely will not envision something that resembles an inspirational poster picture like the one above.  After asking Jesus into your life, keep an eye on what interests you and what no longer does.  That is the key to the Holy Spirit in you. 

MAIL CALL!

From Bernadette Devine, Terlingua School

                             

For our geography project this year, our Second and Third Grade students are hoping that YOU will send us a postcard - from your own town AND from any place(s) you visit.

Please write one or two legible sentences about the location, appropriate to 8-9 year old students. Interesting facts or observations are encouraged.

Whether you're in a state capitol, your backyard, a foreign country, a national park, visiting relatives or friends, fueling up at a truck stop, enjoying a museum or rodeo or carnival, or on your way to see the Home of the World's Largest Ball of Twine, we want to hear from you!

Feel free to share/invite others to this event.

Mail your postcard to:
2nd & 3rd grade Paisanos
Terlingua School
PO Box 256
Terlingua, TX 79852

a friday night film

private flight...

Drone video for some friends in Cedar Springs today.

54,62,31,0,C

frosty night...

Was a bit worried about Chupa when I woke up this morning to a low of 15 degrees.  But he made it through the night and got to come in and warm up 2 hours before sunrise.  45,52,15,0,C

a little more cold...

Chupa has been spending a lot of quality time in the house during our freezing days.  31,40,22,0,W

a monday matinee...