Glory..

 Most things glory are silently unglorious.  I think glory is often misunderstood.

Like in Superstar, Jesus says power and glory are hard to grasp.

There are miraculous shiny events.  Yet much is quiet.  It's getting things done.

It's working hard, the mechanics of accomplishment that may be a precursor to a grand event.  Or simply pushing ahead.

I'd hold the kids when they were scared or hurt.  I rarely said it would be alright or ok.  I'd work through the pain and restore security.  That's ok.

It's not poof and all is well.  It's that steady love and assurance we'd hold on.

The sands are fast drifting out through the hole to the mound of yesterdays.

Soon we'll turn the hourglass over and start anew.  

And we'll see what we bring with us.

Solve

 Machinery/tools get dirty.  They need to be cleaned regularly in order to function.  

Corrosion will slowly eat away, destroying, breaking down.  Solvent solves as solution.  

Scrubbing deeply and repeatedly, solvent breaks up the detritus and carries it away.  

Problems corrode if left unsolved.  Some just dwell there, claiming the problems are insoluble.  They say they cannot be washed away.  It is a curious trait of collectivists, wallowing in faults and seeking no solution.  Control laced with false promises string people along.  

Then there are those who expect God to solve things.  Like baby birds, they wait, mouths open, to be fed, empty to full.  Their god is whoever feeds them.

God feeds us with inspiration and the ability to get things done.  God works through us.  

Yes there is a dynamic.  Intervention and maybe not the way we'd think.

But we can clean, oil, solve.

Simple Redux.

 Versus stupid.

Simple was an old timey term for those of low IQ or learning disabled.

Stupid, well an inelegant term for same.

Also, some people who never or rarely learn, as collectivists, etal.  

Simple, as well, means basic, unfettered, to the point.  We can simply cut through the complexity and get to action.

Delaying tactics are primary tools of the collectivists.  Simplicity stops it.

Don't let the enemy project their sins on us.  Don't let them bog us down.  

Simple enough if we do it.

Statue

 And grave.  2 historical points, often starters for research.  They can be important, but there are many which don't officially exist.  

All over the world, people have crossed over, on trails and right where they transitioned.  Known only to a few, they hopefully fulfilled their destinies.

Destiny might be great or small.  Few are the earth shakers, the history makers.  Yet each does in their own way.   Life matters.  Interaction goes on.

Some of us wish to do our work, live our lives to whatever fate awaits and quietly go on.

No statues to gather poopy.  No grave to tend.  

It could be seen as a peculiar form of Freedom.

And though history researched through objects can be important, maybe that interaction while here could be just as well

Make your mark

Copy.

 Why would someone acquire a copy of Playboy 2/63?

It's not just the 1st issue he bought.  That is a moment lol.  

It is history, social and psychological.  A great deal of culture lies within.  Let's see where people were at and gauge commerce with the ads.  Those prices!

Looking at the past, we prepare for the future.

And believe me, it goes way beyond a particular magazine.

Where was he at then and where now?  Perspective.

Loosen the past like a fulcrum to roll into the now/future.  

And yes, he always looked at the pics first.  Then he read -s-.

Pain

 I twisted my knee a little while back.  I was just getting in and out of a car.  It's a perfect example of a 'freak' accident.  

I've done it before.  I have addressed the pain and whatever is injured, both with and without a doctor.  I am not prone to mishaps, but, like many, I have had my share of accidents.

As for the knee, I assessed the damage and pain management taught me how and where to move.  It's pretty good now.

People have endured far worse pain.  I've had some close encounters, but my level of suffering is way less than many.  As for psychological pain, perhaps I've experienced more.

Battling the fallen and by extrapolation events in the world takes immense energy.  The forces of darkness are insidious, far reaching and intense.  Do not fear.  Trust in God/Light.  From that Source comes endless energy/healing.

Some take pain better than others.  There are different levels.  So, don't be afraid to ask for help among others.  God often works through people.  

Persist.  Work through loss of limb, child, things etc/usw.  

I don't have all the answers.  I just know cakewalks are few.  

In the midst, pain pushes us through.

Refuse to give up.  Refuse to give in.

Self defense is in the mix.  

Refuse to stop.

Follow through.

PPL

 Is it who you know?

Most of us meet people every day, both ftof and on pc.  Now, how that influences us varies.  Just passing, clerks, workers etal and the circumstances involved with all relationships are factors.  

What I'm particularly interested in are all the 'I know or met' certain people of influence, let's say.  That can be important, socially and personally.

People like Bob Wise and Pat McGoohan are examples for my life and work.  Reminds me that name dropping can be both good and bad.  Guilt by association perhaps.  Or enlightenment.  Also, the difference between coat tailing and networking.  

Personally, the folks I've met have been remarkable.  Some are well known.  Others hardly anyone will remember.  All lived.  

Kids I knew in school, friend and foe, neighborhood store owners, neighbors, salespeople, repairmen, mechanics, teachers, janitors.

Then kids/families in our parish outreach area.  Round that time paradoxically, I had a job in a liquor store, while studying for the ministry.  A lot of neighborhood denizens fluttered round there.

My assistant was perhaps another paradox.  He was what they called at the time a wino.  But I couldn't have a better helper.  He was never drunk nor did he steal.  We chit chatted and got along well.  He was an artist and regaled me with stories of his WW2 Army service in Germany.  He also drew some of the regular girls and his animals were great.

Many socalled 'night people' came round.  I invited some to church and some came.

I could write a book about that alone.  Maybe I will and include other encounters.

So many.  Socalled famous and not.  But each memorable.  Mostly good.  Only a few bad.  Many lessons learned.

It boils down to content of character.  That's the main thing.

I'm thankful for them all.

22

 This day, one wanders and wonders.  There is moire than meets the eye.  Remember what has happened as a result.  But where were we?

Particular events  stoke our memories.  12/7/41, 6/6/44, 9/11/01 and so on.  Both good and bad, we may have been alive and somewhere.  Everything from birthdays to attacks reside within and around us.  

Today is 11/22.

In 1963, a young man sat in his 8th Grade Social Studies class.  It was a Friday and the weekend promised relief.  And it was a movie day to boot.  No notes.  Just sit and watch the show.  I think it was a break for the teacher too.  

During the film, he noticed the Principal slipped in and talked to the teacher.  His expression was grim as he whispered something to her.  She burst into tears.  He patted her arm and left.

She immediately stopped the film, turned on the lights and came to the front of the class.

''Class, the President has been shot.''  She then dismissed the kids to their homerooms.

In the hall, it was mostly stunned silence, a lot for Jr High students.  The boys were grim and many of the girls were teary.

Not much else was known at the time.  They prayed and hoped he would be ok. 

The homeroom teacher read 'Sail On Oh Ship Of State'.  Good advice.     We were to hang on and stay the course.

We quietly went home by usual means.  Quietly.

He remembered walking the 3 blocks home.  No other kids.  Alone with his thoughts and a hunger to understand.  

The teachers then were top notch.  Patriotic, God fearing folk who encouraged kids' potential.  And they unofficially were for kids to settle things among themselves.  Yet there was guidance.  And they listened.

The weekend was a veil of grief, punctuated with the assassination of the supposed killer.

He knew there was more and started him on a lifelong quest for truth.  It is just beginning 60 years later.

We must not fall for the con.  We must expose perfidy.

Bony

 Appropriate for the season I think.

For over 200 years it had been a home.  Pioneers, businesspeople, lawyers, teachers and other had lived there, a home and place of learning.

She weathered many seasons and events.  From War of 1812, to the Alamo, War Between the States, WW I and II, to more current conflicts, she silently witnessed suffering and loss, national, world and personal.  Also noted were triumphs, victories and achievements with the same scope.

A long day on the farm, capped with washing up and a home cooked meal all the way to many jobs and schools and even voice lessons unfolded over the years.  

Family and friends celebrated marriages, births, graduations as well as mourning deaths, as the days passed and became decades then centuries.

Life lingered in body and spirit.  She offered refuge and entertainment.  

Many animals came and went, companions and friends and family.  It was, in spite of life's drama, a place of sanctuary.  

She was a veteran battleground where good ultimately triumphed over evil.  Depths and heights followed along life paths.  

Built steady, she slowly aged.  Wear and tear took their toll.

Now silent, her walls are gone.  Sepulchral, she's empty save for memories.

Carried in our hearts we will remember and make new homes.

Books..

 Paper and ink are the tools, activated by mind and spirit, which are the makers of vehicles that can take us anywhere.

Sure, there are electronic options now.  But, nothing touches the soul like paper and ink.

Mind you, I have recorded texts etc.  They are a marvelous way for the written word to be shared with the sight impaired.  They can accompany us on trips, during chores and times to recreate.

Still, for me, nothing reaches, touches me like paper and ink.

Certainly, paper books never burn out/lose power.  A little weight/bulk won't hurt.  They can be destroyed.

I lost most of my collection.  I am now slowly rebuilding.  However, books live in my mind and spirit.

People have suffered greater losses..  Look around.

Books can inspire and open.  They can also maintain a closed status quo.

Find out for yourself.

They are not just lumps or cyphers taking up space.

They are reference, ready to carry us to our own accomplishments.

Books can feed our spirits.

Some briefly fill, then leave us hollow.

Others have seemingly infinite power to boost our lives.

Read and decide.

Jacks

 Are they better to open lol?

We can talk about that another time.  Symbology abounds.  Delve into words and meanings.  Etymology.

Believe it or not, I think there are pretenders among us.  Whether like the TV show, there are extremely high IQs who can quickly adapt.  To what extent and for what purpose, who can say?

There are also some who recover quickly from various maladies or adversities.  They may or may not be Jacks/Jills of all trades as well.  

Let's see if this ends up being noted elsewhere -s-.

My advice: Carefully learn.

We all have abilities.

Don't jack around.

Creds

 There was an exchange in a chat.  

Someone criticized a socalled authority who had criticized another.  Dog eat dog.  

The host sided with the 'authority', suggesting, after a lengthy diatribe, that the 1st person show his/her credentials to said authority.  Apparently one needed permission to be critical.

Creds such as med school and how well one did, for instance, are critical for skills acquired.  Experience goes hand in hand.

OTOH a patient often knows his/her body well.  One's own research can be beneficial.  And 2nd or 3rd opinions are important.  Be fully informed.

There are people who fake creds.  Impressive nothings harbor just labels.  Education and military have their shares of fakes.

Also, there are the 'zeros'.  They have actual degrees or titles, yet they have produced nothing.  Nothings.  They have done nothing or someone else did their work for them.

And there are the bloviators.  They pretend their views/work are the definitive products.  

Some of us may have experience, may have achievements that are not official because of a lack of degree and commensurate activity.  Yet, there are positive results. 

Be sure.  Let your conscience be your guide.

Loyalty..

 The loyalty of a dog is not mindless.  It is born of love.

Love is the basis.  Not fear.

Name it. Family.  Friends.  Associates.  Freedom.  We love these.  And more.

Love is healthy, giving.  

Taking an oath is an expression of loyalty.  Of course, it can be for weal or woe.  To country or to the fallen, there is a difference.

I've never taken an oath.  My loyalty is, however, to God and country.  That's no secret.

What is a secret might be those thing, as said, that might fall into the wrong hands.

Yonder, there is no love.  Loyalty is fear by force.

Love.  Do what's right.  The birth of loyalty.

Loyalty persistently restores.

Baffle

 Let's suppose there is a creature, the epitome of evil.

This creature supposedly rises to power solving insurmountable trouble.

Well, problems are NOT insurmountable.  They might be tough, but they are solvable.  This has been proven.

Let's say further that things were bad, then they got better.  Then the darkside took over through deceit etc and things got bad again.

Now, if someone and several put a stop to the resurgence, it will go beyond a doubt that we can fix things ourselves.

Only when 'allowed' can and do circumstances seem overwhelming.  That is the deception.

One of the creature's labels is 'great deceiver'.  Keep that in mind.

So this darkness can be vanquished.  God wins.

Bafflement precedes that.

No wonder they hate us for Restoring the Republic.

Costar Or Support

 Roddy McDowell possibly missed an Oscar by misplacement.

For Cleopatra, he was listed as a leading or costarring actor instead of a supporting actor.  As it was printed that way, strict rules couldn't change it, so he wasn't considered for BSA and trounced for BA.  

Rules are rules as printed anyway huh?

Stars, costars, supporting actors all play an important part in show structure.  Sometimes there is imbalance.

I'll leave you to find instances.  

There is sometimes a 'star' who doesn't like 'competition'.  He/she thinks supporting actors are subservient and can be controlled.  The light is on the star alone.  

Well, it doesn't always swing that way.  Depends on a lot of factors, including talent and presence or opportunity to show some stuff.  

Puffed up feathers can be plucked.  

One can see this pattern beyond showbiz, into many facets of life.

My advice:  If possible avoid the star and do your own thing.  Give each a chance to shine.

Copy..

 Plagiarism, the plague of creativity.  It's common and no wonder secrets are protected.

I research.  I have not written books about such, but I could.  

My studies go way back before many current writers have published.  I have the notes to prove it.  

My reason for not publishing are my own.  Some secrets are closely kept.

I have known a few who share this knowledge and they are quite private.  It is difficult to express reasons save that all boils down to tyranny and Freedom.  The cliche of 'wrong hands' comes to mind.  

I have stated before there is increased interest/traffic about my work.  And some of my work has been copied ie stolen.  This is minimal and controlled, but it is enough to prove the point of theft.  

Even among noted work this happens.  One scholar had his pen and notebook poised, eager to harvest what I may know.  Didn't work.  I cut contact with him.  

There are methods of intrusion to spy and steal unwarranted information.  

There are methods to thwart them.

Spies do just that.  The reason again comes down to tyranny or Freedom.  Evil or good.

By admitting the above, there will likely be a concentration meant to steal, lie, subborn against my work.

Big ducks in small ponds, no matter how prolific, are greedy.  

The gullible are hungry to lap up whatever sop they spew.  

Be original.

Fans?

 My traffic is increasing.  

Someone(s) taking interest.

I've noticed certain posts getting the repeat topic treatment.  Slick way to skirt copyright.  

I know one in particular.

Your eye's on me.  My eye's on you -s-.  

Shovels And Harps

 We fill in the blanks with symbolism.

When something is beyond description, even understanding, we use our imagination.  

What awaits us after death/transition?  Some say harps or shovels.

Heaven on a cloud playing harps or hell shoveling coal or worse for the furnace.  

There can be reasons for that symbolism.  Just look it up.  Celestial tone or heat (Dante wrote the heart of hell was frozen -s-),

My 2 cents is simple.

Hell is the absence of God.

Heaven is God's presence.

And as usual, I'm only doing a palette for a portrait, so feel free to research, pray, meditate and draw your own conclusions.

Incidentally, I'll be referring to all this in my 3rd novel.

I can shovel snow and mud.  I'm learning the guitar.

I also whistle while I work and play lol.

Blank.

 I usually have a pad by the bed to jot notes from sleep.  

This last night I didn't.

I woke with a great (maybe) idea.  I looked over, realized no pad.  So, lazy me repeated the idea several times.  Back to Lethe.  

Now, sometimes I retain and copy later.  This time? Nooo.

Some other times, it comes back.  This time, nooo.

So, nurture your dreams and keep a pad nearby -s-.  

L & L

 I've spoken of controlling due to lack of self.  

And there is the admonition to never be dull nor desperate.  

Also pride comes before the fall.  

Symptoms of the disease of collectivism.  

Lack and limitation tries to be infectious; for us to buy the narrative.  

And if that doesn't work, to force us.  Mercilessly.

Now we are rising above the grinding down and out of Freedom.

Awareness.

Abundance and boundlessness.

Angel Redux.

 She was bedraggled and dirty.  Tied to a tree and left alone.   She was mean and suspicious.  And hungry.

We talked to her.  Fed her.  Told her she was a good girl.  

Finally she wagged her tail when she saw us.  

Before we could rescue her, the drug dealers took her and killed her.

They moved but couldn't get away.  The narc squad arrested them.

Angel is just that/

A doggy angel in Heaven.  

Fiction

 It's not lies and truth.  It's reality and dressed in fantasy.  

You can get a point across better this way than that.  

Sure, you might get serious and shock people.  But a work of fiction can put the word out more quickly.  

We will see soon with my humble efforts

Host

 Facilitator of a group.  

A leader who manages.  

Listen to Art Bell.  Whatever you think, just notice how he ran his show.  He kept control.

All kinds of people called.  All kinds.  Some tried to wrest a topic away.  They didn't divert him from his purpose.  

He could be stern or even gentle; abrupt or circuitous.  He maintained being in charge without being overbearing.

A good host is like a good commander.  They allow for input, yet they stay on course.

Unlike a command position, a show allows for disagreement.  Even then, opposition can be noted but there is a flow forward.  

Control is tricky.  Like I said in another post, controlling due to lack of self or controlling due to an abundance of self, ie, self control.  

Know what to look for.  Listen.  Then go ahead.

A B C

Circular thinking has its advantage.  Because thinking too hard on a subject can obstruct it.  Take a look yonder.  Then, something may pop out.  Plan A.  If nothing, try B, C usw.

Noone said the road to success was a breeze.  You might have to carve a path through the mountains.  Soft or hard, bumpy or smooth, so goes the path.  

Opportunity comes best when planned; ie, prepared.  Through networking, study, willingness giving one direction.  Openness to possibility includes accepting something 'out of the blue'. Discernment  holds hands with common sense.  

So instead of going in circles, circle the design.

Given

 In a play particularly, TV and movies too. one has a script describing all that happens within.  The given circumstances are what we work in/with.

It's what's going on.  We might surmise a bit about before, but we don't know what will happen after.  It is the here and now.  Time may be condensed, events consolidated, yet we move forward.

It is rather like life.  The idea is to make it realistic, no matter the topic.  

In life, we have certainties, though some things are sometimes unclear.  We move forwar because there is always a choice.

In the prolog to The Alamo (1960), a brief history is given.  The last sentence talks of the eternal choice of men: To endure oppression Or to resist.

Let's use what's given to fashion the future.

Reminders

 So many details.  So little time.  

I have a pretty good memory.  But, it sure helps to have a whiteboard.  

When I have a thought re my company, I mark it down.  It's a modest list.  I don't scribble all over.  

It's a to do list and concise reasons about my work.  

I try not to waste time, nor space.  

There are a few items such as call the dentist etc.

Mostly, it states reasons and goals.  

When I say 'my past is my future', I point to the board.  Use your time and the newest, loss galvanizes, stand out.

There is a corner portion concerning my quest for a house/home.  Get and keep.

Last but hardly least, it says 'of, by and for the Light'.  It's a ref to the Clan Sinclair motto 'Commit Thy Work To God'.

DO IT.

Proud.

 The two sided coin.  

I'm proud of my kids.  They think for themselves and do the right thing.  

I'm proud to be an American.  We face life eye to eye.  Scared sometimes but we push through.  

The mirror is true too.  It comes before the fall.  Slow poison which breeds delusion is the reason some angels fell.  Thinking you're better than everyone else leaves a mind gap.  The emptiness creates an obsession.  Control satiates the hole, for a while.  

In Clinical Psych there is controlling due to lack of self.  That describes the darkside/collectivism to a 'T'.  

Now, I say there is self controlling due to having a firm sense of self.  

In the midst of chaos, we can remain focused.  We listen and are confident as well.  

Stand but be flexible

Sometimes when they try to knock you down, roll.

Ripples

 I had the chance to wander around part of my old neighborhood recently.

A local bar has reopened.  It holds a lot of memories.  It was a neighborhood bar that encompassed locals and students.  It was a late night haven for other bar employees, a little r & r.

Now it's at the same place, yet different, a mixture of old and new.  

One can't go back.  One shouldn't.  We remember the good and bad.  There is no living in the past.  We bring our memories forward and I hope learn from them.  

I noticed a lot of 'old timers' showed up.  Everybody has stories to share.  I'll just leave those to personal memory lol.

Now kids and dogs can be on the patio during the day and early evening.  In olden times it was strictly adults right up to 3 in the morning.

Lotta comedy and drama in there.

I predict the bar will survive.  Its location is just right and near another decades old tavern.  Good neighbors.

As I wandered, I noticed most of the houses remained.  Many neighbors, now gone but the houses pass onto new folks.

The corner drugstores are long gone.  And a landmark grocery, one of a chain, finally closed a year and a half ago.  I'd've thought it might survive being a landmark, but no dice.  Needless to say smaller stores disappeared decades ago.  The malt shop is no more.  Even a comic book shop, though existant, moved out of the area.  

The oldest mall has become a string of stores, open air again.  Behind it, encroaching, is an apartment building  With a black and grey facade, I thought of Sing Sing.

Thgere are more apartments being built nearby.  It's a long way from where there was once a cornfield.

An increase in crime, robberies and some shooting has reared its ugly head.  

Back when, I walked to the stores.  I went to college nearby and frequently walked alone late at night.  Now it's a dangerous proposition.

The atmosphere has changed.  A lack of personality permeates the air.  Not unfriendly, just distant.  There is a growing lack of trust

I'm reminded one of the socalled 'elites' has said we will own nothing, live in box apartments and be happy.  Nope.  Not as long as enough of us stand up and maintain our humanity.  

Interestingly, I think the reopened bar and its older cousin will help.  They are not trouble spots.  Never were.  

I will kieep my head on a swivel and once in a while visit.

Stand up, speak out resist.

And toast the future.

Motels

 Imagine a substandard motel.

Broken furniture, moldy bathroom and poor air.

Imagine being required to pay up front.

Complaints are obstinately refuted.  All is well-not really.

Imagine a family nervously checking out and saying everything was fine.

Imagine not allowing the owner to get away with a swindle.  

Speaking up and declaring exposure if policy isn't reversed.

Refund and ensconced at a decent place.

But nothing changed.

The subpar remained.

Too many nervous 'don't make waves' people.

Not enough truth seekers.

The tide is turning.

Don't stop.

Excuse Vs Solution

 Having a collegiate background in Clinical Psych, I'm familiar with mental health terms.

They've changed over the years, some good some well, trendy.  In other words, it isn't always to manipulate.  It can be honest attempts to better describe a condition.  Instead of 'oh well, that's just the way it is', we have possessed methods of understanding.

If someone has a particular condition, one might live with it and either improve or settle into the sediment.  How a ticker works can lead to keep it just ticking or tick better -s-.

Learn about yourself.  Don't be afraid.  Be honest and consult with open people who seek enlightenment.  

Some of what goes on is 'birds of a feather' as in misery loves company.  Or it serves those who wish to control others.

Seek those birds who also seek folks who want/need answers.

Controlling due to lack of self vs self control/enlightenment.

Re-member

 Pieces.

Win some, lose some.

Losing nearly an entire book collection is galvanizing.  And a choice.

Either one just stops and sits in the middle of the mess crying woe is me OR one stands up and starts rebuilding.  Tough?  Well gee, things can be tougher.

And the info/data in those books resides in the head.

The secrets of the ancients are within, they say.  Accumulated knowledge is elsewhere but starts inside.  What do you do with it?  Depends on what it is.

Re-membering.  Putting pieces together.  Retrieval.

There is nothing here.  Or something.

Don't mismatch.  No arms for legs.

Loss Redux

 Our losses are personal.

Forgive the captain obvious remark.

Each of us suffers in our own way.

Loss over the decades, even the millennia, are incalcuable.  

Most of us, for instance, have not had everything taken and finally Freedom, then herded into cattle cars and exterminated.

Many of us came to America with little and next to nothing.  Then we made our way up and out.  

Many of us, born here, have a loss of perspective re Freedom and possessions.

It must be taught to appreciate both.

My greatest loss was family, friends and associates.  Yet, they are with me still and in a way that they can never go nor be taken away.

Once at a point with only the clothes on one's back and no roof over one's head to amassing things.  Remember they are indeed just things.

Then, taken away partially.

Sitting in a room with most of those remaining things in back and to the side, it streamlines 'things'.  

One takes what is inside, memory, learning, love and all and rebuilds.

Use what is available and never forget.

Freedom, not tyranny motivates just as love and not hate grows.  

Gain.

Limit

 Sometimes limits are necessary, such as with children.  How else will they learn self control and responsibility?

Sometimes one needs tact.  Silence is golden and we fight another day or another way.

I've sparingly referred to whatever I've done in life.  I figured my accomplishments, whatever they were, didn't need to be paraded.  

There are enough of certain mokes strumming and drumming false triumph.  They try to look good but are nothing but fakes.  Usually this covers their crimes, so they think.  It doesn't to those of us who seek truth.

Well, it's been pointed out that I should on occasion tell part of my accomplishments, as it were.  

I've tried to do the right thing.  I have helped.  It's not about how important I am.  It's about inspiration, however small or even big.  Leading by example.  

One thing I've done is teach.  From reading to my kids and preschoolers, to guest teaching college classes, I've found myself giving food for thought.  

I've preached and hopefully those times have been helpful to others.

I have simply passed light onto people.

I was taught to do so.

Get about the business of sharing.  It is a great part of Restoring the Republic.

There is no limit to that.

Sight.

 I forget which life of Christ it was, but it depicted Jesus healing a blind man.

The performances were good and the actor playing the blind man did a great job.

Jesus engaged him in conversation and seemed to ask if he wanted something better than begging.  The man said yes if he could see.  Jesus spit in some dirt, made a paste and dabbed this man's eyes.  He then told him to go wash it off in a pool of water.

The man did so and could see.  At first it was dim and men looked like trees. Jesus touched him again and the man saw clearly.

The actor portrayed the blind man as scared and he struggled.  The mud seemed to burn him.  But he indeed could see.

Maybe he had second thoughts.  Perhaps it indeed hurt.  It took a second touch to see clearly.

We struggle to see.  Sometimes it's more comfortable to not see, to stay the same.

We are challenged, however, to see with all that is going around.

Don't be afraid/  Speak up and out.

The more the merrier.

Tract

 There was a gentleman we'd encounter sometimes downtown.  He most often was on the Circle, as we call the center of the city.  

This man would walk around and preach.  He never got in anyone's way.  He simply spoke of the imminent return of the Christ and that people must be ready.

He spoke out, but never got in anyone's face.  His fervent tones resonated downtown and he was something of a fixture.  I remember the guy well.  He made quite an impression on a grade school kid.  

A lot of people ignored him.  Some stopped for a moment.  Most often, he offered printed tracts which spoke of the Second Coming and getting right with God.  

The man wasn't so doom and gloom as he was happy and expectant.  His warnings were serious and there was gravity in his speech.  Get ready or suffer.  He was happy and ready to meet his Lord and he wanted others to join him.

Again, he never forced anyone to even listen.  His presentation was simple.  He never looked down on anyone either.  He invited folks to get onboard or be left at the station.  

He cautioned life without God was hollow and shallow.  Reminds me of 'abandon hope all ye who enter here' from The Inferno.  

I remember his handing me a tract one day.  He smiled as he did.  Yes he was grave but he had a joy in doing it.  

The tract was one of those usual God saves sin kills pamphlets.  It was replete with several bible quotes backing the message.  

His faith motivated him to share.  The man was honest and forthright.  

The dark side would fool us into thinking there is little of that today.  I disagree.

There are more good than bad.  And people are rising to meet the challenge.  We either do so or the bad guys win.  

In the old days, seeds were scattered by hand, either plowed or openly.  

How do we cultivate, once scattered?  

Get the word out first.  Then nurture.

Depends on how the message is delivered.

And received.

Trunks

 Here I go again with something seemingly inconsequential.  What is this someone may ask.  All the stuff and a lot is stuff, going on, what's with the trunks?

I've greatly presented things here as more of a pallet for a portrait of Americana, at least my portion of it.  

Take it as something to hopefully get people to think.  Small thoughts might lead to larger, more fertile ones.  Fertilizer?  LOL.  I guess so.  

Trunks, shorts are baggier now.  Once they were shorter and trimmer.  

I remember fashion for men discussed by a certain tv detective star.  He had worn trunks and flowered shirts in his younger days.  Those days were trimmer for a lot of us.  I donned such attire as well.

Now, he said baggy cargo shorts and trunks literally fit his middle aged figure, as they do mine -s-.

Things change.  Fashion - trends etc morph.  But one item remains the same.  The war between good and evil.  We are in it.

The battles fought and won/lost on many levels are timeless.  Oh they might seem to envelop trends and terms are altered.  But, Freedom vs tyranny is the focus.  

Baggy or trim, we remain to knuckle under or resist.

Warrior

 I occasionally quote others.  Last post I quoted myself.

This is appropriate re that and for our time.  

A friend came up with the following.  It may show up in other iterations, but she wrote this.

The true warrior views every life obstacle as an evolutionary opportunity, and is not afraid to pursue a resolution to its true higher purpose. To be a warrior of light and truth, one must learn to be authentic in every conscious and awake moment of one’s life. One must embrace every aspect of life—to embrace the bitter and the sweet; to embrace both the agony and the ecstasy. That is the very essence of true warrior spirit.

Bits N Pieces

 Malachi Martin talked about how gradual possession occurs.  It gets a foothold and works to wear down the victim.

Isolation and self doubt are part of it.  Just like collectivists try to manipulate people.  Evil is evil.

As our enemies work bit by bit to deconstruct, we must work bit by bit to REconstruct.  Be mindful where we should be.  Set goals.  We fight an enemy that never sleeps.  We must learn to sleep less.

Pop Up

Not the annoying ads that infest some sites.  Quick thinking perhaps.

It may be making a meal from scraps.  Or it might be figuring out how to block a window.  Perhaps it's common sense.  

We improvise.  The ability to make do with what's at hand could save time even lives.  

Also, to think on your feet is paramount these days.  

How or what etc should fit the moment.  

And it can happen virtually instantly.

I remember going to baseball games with Dad.  There is a hit a batter can make called a high high pop up.  It's a direct hit that causes the ball to go straight up.  It demands the batter react immediately.

Instinct?

Whatever pops up.

Automat.

 When I was a kid, I loved automats and cafeterias.  It was a simple thrill to select food from a variety and open a little door and it's yours, providing you pay lol.  

In the cafeterias, there were wait people dishing out the food.  The automat had people behind the doors stocking and restocking.  Making and serving food is tiring.  Large quantities or individual meals, it takes energy.  Perhaps we take for granted the work done.  It isn't necessarily callous.  As with all service, I try to acknowledge them.  Sometimes a simple thanks is enough.  Tips don't happen much in those restaurants.

Somebody has to cook.  To wash dishes.  It's great as a treat to eat out.  Many do so more often than not.  

These days, there are those who seek to destroy the economy.  They want to rewrite society in a collectivist matrix.  We know and we counter with healthy doses of profit and truth.  

Care.  Be aware of folks and be grateful

Food for thought.

Docs

 My brother from another mother achieved a doctorate in education.  He was a Vietnam vet who wanted to not only improve himself, he strove to help others.

He had been a preacher and teacher including college level.

He was a healer, counseling troubled souls.

Though he achieved much, he never sought personal fame.  Yet, he could hold his own among the famous.

He always encouraged education, both academically and personally.  Self responsibility was part of his core.

When giving socalled breaks, he expected people to hold their own.  And thereafter they had to do the right thing, to be an example to others.  

Breaks were not handouts.  They were opportunities to learn and share same.

He was a husband, father and was a father figure to many.

To me, he was a big brother.

No matter how low, he would inspire, raise up.

He was Black and American Indian.  I was white and American Indian.  

But what he emphasized was humanity.  

Docs?  What one does with it is the point.

Sleep.

 I remember Physiological Psychology class.  I was a Clinical Psych major, so it was required.  We covered physical aspects of behavior, sans any speculation.

Lack of sleep can produce actual mental problems.  Disorientation, even delusion can ensue past a point.  Sometimes mental labor can bring exhaustion.  

Dreams play a part.  Their meanings notwithstanding, dreams bring balance and can restore sanity as it were.  That last term isn't very scientific, but it gets the job done -s-.  

Dream study is a field unto its own.  I think I've talked about it at least in passing and will likely do a post at some point.  

I've been helping clear clutter.  It's exhausting.  Picking out stuff is just ugh.  There is a price to pay for everything.  

My advice is to have some kind of order.  No not nwo lol.  Just a system to know where things are.  

So many things drain us.  Some honest, some made to distract.  There has to be time to sleep.

Soldiers have R&R.  So must all of us.

Sleep is often a word used to represent a kind of hypnosis where people are duped and complacent.  Folks retreat like they do with booze, sex, almost anything.  

Inre to that we are awake not woke.

Sleep is restorative.

Be ready.  

Mems.

 As said, moving engenders memories.  

Coming across a drawing, object, pics etc springs a mem.  It might be fleeting or more ingrained.  It could be about anything, both good and bad.

Sometimes things long seemingly forgotten come forth.  Perhaps sporadic, but also specific.  It may fit the moment.  We store a lot.  I believe much of it is available depending on the sitiuation.

It may be code as it were.  Something has a surface meaning and underneath there lies a key to a solution, an answer.  

It could be meaningful to recall people and events, for weal or woe.  One might have the now meet the past.  

Circumstances bring one's mistakes/sins to mind.  Seek forgiveness and don't let it stop you inre doing right/good.  Face everything and do right.

Things happen for a reason.  There are no coincidences.  I believe this.  It is foremost in my life and I think in most others.

What we do with mems is telling.

Loss

 Loss is part of life.  It is individual.  Loss to one might be intense, internal.  It could be external.  Or both.

There is moving involved here.  Deciding what to take, give away, leave has occupied our lives with increasing intensity.  Organized, yes more or less, but still lots of flurry.  Memories frequently insert themselves, slowing us down.  It's good to remember though.  So much family history, for weal and woe.

Essentially it's giving up something for another.  Materially, someone's loss is another's gain.  I've given thought currently about things that can be replaced and things that cannot.  

Old books are harder to replace.  Still, time and patience and hunting turn up surprises.  Movies/tv shows?  Not hard.  Trinkets/bric-a-brac often come and go.  It's the meaning behind them that counts.

Family pics are irreplacable.  I've made copies of Mom and Dad wedding shots.  I plan to copy Polaroids if possible.  The memories are in my mind and I often recall them.  Hey, I remember my 3rd birthday -s-.  

Things are in 3 different places.  Some might be lost.  But stress is levelling off.  

Loss.  I was weighing that word and my life the last few weeks.  I felt drained.  Then this came my way.

A friend on social media lost his wife, dog, house in a fire.  He was forced to a shelter, stripped of resources.

I have lost, but the friend's tragedy was frightening and fast.

People are reaching out to him.  There are no words though for his circumstances.

Prayer.  Holding on.  Love never dies.  Make it happen.  Day at a time.  Up and down.

We'll survive our move.  

Pray for the aforementioned man.

Loss is not lonliness.

Getting through it.

Crust

 I've been craving my Mom's pies.  She was outstanding in the kitchen.  Only our neighbor came close.

It was all from scratch and each was unique.  Only her and our neighbor had acceptable meringue.

And the crust was the key.

It was flaky yet solid and tasty yet not overpowering.  

Of course she is gone, so either I try to reproduce one or find someone who could.

That's what auditions are for.

Samples are welcome and everyone has a chance.  

You can't take someone's word.  They have to prove themselves.

It's true for pie as well as movie/tv production or anything creative.  That includes restoring the Republic.

We have the recipe.

Let's see what we can do.

Betrayal.

 If a student minister is told by a communist campus pastor, ''Don't let the church destroy your faith'', what are we to think?

Either 'the church' is just the corporate body and not the people, or faith is a misnomer and it is the opiate of the people.

No.

The church IS the people and God guides it in Christ.  Faith is actually a way of life.

No wonder collectivists fear it and mislead as false shepherds.

A true leader is strong by learning from others. He or she speaks out, knowing he/she is a focal point, willing to lead by example.

Our Freedom is at stake.

Don't be misled.  Betrayal of self is the result.

Be true simply to truth.

S M L

 I've had occasion to review some previous blog entries.  They tend to be lengthier, depending on the topic and intention.  The amount of entries varies widely til I came to 4 a month, 48 a year.  Likewise, these vary as well.

There are several entries in several parts.  Last year, one entry was a sentence long.  It is not laziness -s-.  It is simply the emphasis at the time.  

I give you my views, with which to agree or disagree or even ignore.  

I could and have written papers and articles.  Some are presented here.  I have even placed short short stories and the beginning of my novel series here.  I hope they are more than trinkets.

My purpose and intent is to display a pallette for a portrait.  It is to inspire Freedom and Restoration.  No more.  No less.

Compare and contrast if you like.  Think for yourselves.  

Sizes vary so find what fits.

Stop And Start

 Old year/new year.  A month gone already.  Still here.

That's true for location as well as situation, both personal and nationally.  

I still haven't moved, not even to a temp place.  That will change as business unfolds.  We'll leave that there for now.

As for US, we go down to the wire and stretch credibility.

It is an affront to treat the resident as though he's in charge and the President is a 'former'.  Technically he is, but is he?

There is mystery enough to suggest things will change.  And like my personal business, the real President is playing close to the vest.  

The enemies of the Republic know something is afoot.  Specifics lack.   They are trying to find out what.  They'll know soon enough.  

Those who would be our masters are afraid, yet they seek to slam the lid on us.  Shoulder tap.  We see you.  

The whole world is resounding with a resurgence of Freedom.  It is a wave that will wash away the filth of tyranny.  

The Founders foresaw things like this.  They stopped and started too.

And the results played out as they are now and again.