Independency

 It's our turn.

Living Well

 Depends on your parameters.

If it's financial, it might be one can budget even a small amount.  Or one can accommodate more correspondingly.  

Wants and needs can be determined along the way.  

It could be driving a beat up car built like a tank and good on mileage compared to a gas guzzling sportster.  

It could be a matter of quality/quantity.

But it's not just financial.

Seeking like minded people and a quest for Freedom factor in.

Forgiveness, ie, letting go hatred helps.  Keeping your neck on a swivel and never forgetting are essential.  Being kind to oneself is too.  That is, not browbeating but asking forgiveness for one's own mistakes.

This is NOT some false salve for those in any position in life.  It is to be lived by all.

Explore love and doing good w/o recompense.  Random acts as it were.

Guard Freedom and Light and teach the young all these things.

When it comes time, transition in the same way.

Living well?

Being well.

Cover...

 The cover attracts.  What's within may vary.  The cover can be a world within itself.

Very few Playboy covers inspire imagination.  Make what you want of the mag pics included.

February 1963 cover is a rarity.

A dreamlike girl (old timey ref to young women) sipping champagne.  The glass reflects an urban skyscape.  I call it a prelude to a kiss.  No ref to any play/movie.

No morality here.  Just the cover.  If you read PB judge for yourself.  I don't base my life on it.  It's just a factor within so many in a kaleidoscope.

It comes back to affluence/wealth.  Of itself it is neither good nor evil.  It's how you acquire and what you do with it.  

Remember you can't take it with you.  OTOH while here we can enjoy material things.  ONTOOH 'what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?'.

Living well is subject to definition.  It'll be covered soon.

Suffice it to say a lot of living is ignored aka the spiritual.

Then again a lotta folks don't believe the spiritual.  Pick your path.

There's more.

We'll delve past the cover.

We'll see next time.

1st Lutheran

 On 12/24/24 fire swept through the former 1st Lutheran Church downtown Indy, gutting the building.  

Since decommissioning, it has been a party venue place, offering facilities for receptions and other gatherings.

Learning of the tragedy, I was gob smacked with shock and grief.  It was the first place I served as a student assistant, including many church duties.

When I came along, the church was about to close and move.  The old tale of urban blight was taking churches  and much more away.

So many memories.  Helping the area kids and offering Sunday school.  Ministering to the growing elderly congregation.  Getting to know the people, many friends.  Work in the hood and ministering to shall we say people of the night.

My first sermon was there.  It was 20 minutes lol.  They got shorter and pithier -s-.

The congregation voted to stay.  They survived only a few years when I left.

It was the first Lutheran church downtown, under the name of Mt Pisgah.  It fostered 5 more in the area, which survive.

I won't detail but I'm chock full of memories; loving, sweet, bitter, sad and joyful.

I was proud to serve the Lord there.

We hosted the Syrian Orthodox church for a while.  I learned their name, Arabic for God.  Made many friends.

Campus ministry was one of my specialties and worked with St Bridget's Catholic church.

The fire was total with an emergency demolition that morning.

I don't think they'll find the cause.

I used to preach we must not contain ourselves just within 4 walls.  We must reach out everywhere.

So it was at 1st.

The building is gone.

But not the faith.

God's love lives forever.

Tunes

 People forget there is a spiritual aspect to everything.

Sure, in the workaday world it's easy to overlook it.  But good and evil wend their way through all our lives.

And music is ever so spiritual.  It touches our souls.  

There is so much variety.  Many flavors, colors, frequencies flow in and out to delight, frighten, comfort evoke every aspect of our lives.  

There is a current movie which speaks in part to this.  I'm not gonna trip the bots etc, but you might understand re the music involved.  As said in the movie, it can attract good or evil.

Legend has it that among its duties God gave lucifer charge of music.  Originally it was to inspire faith and exalt glory.

When it fell, its use of music did just the opposite.  

Of course, music can go in either direction.  It can inspire or seduce.  It can comfort or scare.  That scare btw is not horror film stuff.  That builds suspense, startles even gets creepy.

No.  When evil, music tries to do what all evil does, as in isolating, depressing leading down.

We seek music that uplifts, inspires, comforts.  We can party and praise.  Heal.

Griot, fili, firekeeper and many more, are people with connection to spirit and connects in a timeless flow to unite past, present and future, ancestors, ourselves and descendants.

There is a variety of music.  Many cultures contribute to the whole.  Some prefer different types, but there is a connection and in several cases, similarities evince themselves.  

There is indeed an attraction and like a moth to flame, evil hovers even as Light flows through a kaleidoscope of tunes.

Yes, there is actual evil music.

But there is so much more good.  It defeats the darkness.

Open to the Light as tunes sing in blood, bone and spirit.

After the fall, God gave us that gift.

Same...

Nothing to do with a bawdy anecdote which is best left for my autobiography/tell all -s-.

It could be called a tale of two revs.

There is a real life pastor who led a church in what became a black neighborhood.

There is a fictional pastor in a predominantly rural black area.

Not the same?  A similar mission?  Let's talk attitude.

H the real rev prided himself on his liberal viewpoint.  He claimed participating in the March on Washington and was a follower of Dr. King.  Yet, his church suffered from dwindling numbers, while there were many folks all around.

It reminded me of a dying tree in our old backyard.  Death slowly wended its way up til there was a thin scraggly branch wilting.  Then, no green no life.  The tree was cut down.

So it was in this changing hood.  

There was no attempt to reach out.  The opportunity presented itself for new life.

Some said it was a matter of culture.  Well, you don't know til you try.

I lived nearby.  I got to know several people.  Yet no bridge was built.

Was it hypocrisy?  Laziness?  

I saw what could be called 'all show and no blow'.  Just a lot of head shaking, the routine of caring only for parishioners.  

I left only because my methods were not H's standards.  I dealt in courage and they in fear and manipulation.  Products not people.

The fictional rev, J, was huddled with his people in an island of security that maintained their existence.

They eschewed outward things.  Lack of worldly goods left them keeping to themselves.  Outsiders were suspect.

Was it racial?  Fear of change?  Stagnation.  

The only perceptible similarity seemed to be a self righteousness that ultimately glossed over fear.

Of change one way or the other?  

Of fear.  

Same...

Angels And Vamps

 Some believe in angels.  They serve Light and aid humans.

Oppositely fallen angels serve darkness and seek human destruction.

Among the darksiders, there are stories worldwide of vampires.

Think what you want, the stories are everywhere.  Explain any way you want.  But remember this: History becomes legend and legend becomes myth.  Also, if there are demons and fallen angels and disciples of evil, well who knows.......

I'm reminded in movies and TV angels appearing as humans.

The running comment is/was humans don't know how painful it is/was for the angels to be in human form.

A mystery.  Consider being pure spirit and assuming physical being.  No matter the reason we might be able to remotely understand their pain.

Now, vampires and there might be several kinds, are consigned to darkness and addiction, craving for blood.  They are slaves who serve themselves.

They are stuck between life and death.  A far different creature than angels.

Angels serve God.

Two different kinds of pain.

James

 Ronald Reagan once said James Bond was a good role model for young Americans.

I agree.

Oh oh.  Government killer with lotsa vices.  Aha!

Look closely.

James is a white knight who fights evil.

Ian Fleming says he gave him few virtues save for patriotism and courage.

He battles those who seek to destroy Freedom and turn the world into a globe of tyranny.

As for vices, your private life is your business.

Do you job.

As for gov, his best missions were mostly off the grid.

Always responsible and he could be rough.

Most knights were/are.

His fight goes on and on and on.

So does ours.

Rubber

 Meets the road.

Truth, action, motivation-road trip!

Obvious, not preachy.  

Rubber wears out and fresh replacement to the same goal.

Do we learn most on the way?

The end goal is not the end.

Bounce.

Red Rover

 I remember Phys Ed in grade school.  Exercise, fresh air etc.

I preferred individual efforts.  Team stuff meh.  

So Red Rover was one of those exercises of one against the crowd.  Look up the history.

2 teams, usually north and south interestingly, form.  The cry is given 'Red Rover Red Rover, send-right over.

The called run and attempt to break the chain of arms and hands, til none are left.

Kinda like dodge ball, where someone literally dodges getting hit by an opponent as teams increase.

Or tag where one tries to avoid being touched/tagged and either out or forming groups/gangs tagging.

Is this like life?  Conditioning along with testing?

Well, teams can be important for goals, but we must be able to resist and work alone.

Send Freedom right over!

Adoptive

 There is much conversation regarding family of blood and family of choice.  I've talked about it on the blog.

Bloodlines continue to be a topic of interest.

Bloodlines exist for all actually, for weal or woe.  They have significance, but equal amounts of a certain family/clan can mean different things.  Life and free will play a significant part.

In psychology, we have the socalled 'debate' of nature or nurture.  Actually I see it as both.

Some are born a certain way, but just as often others are 'made' or fashioned a certain way.  

Say you adopt a child then bear one or vice versa.  They are family.  Only the warped lord one over the other.  So they are raised, once again for weal or woe.

As for weal or woe, I suggest delving into that and learn what is what for those of us who are Light or dark.

Choice.  Free will.  We each deal with these every day.

I learned about content of character from my Dad.  We happen to be blood related.

Also, I have learned many positive qualities from friends and their families and so many acquaintances.

It was a start and there is no boundary for such things.

Truth, Light and all good things await us.

I learned to fight spiritual evil from my brother from another mother.

It never stops.

Counsel...

 Advice.  

Problems are seldom whisked away poof.  They get worked through.

Some have been placed in position to counsel troubled folks.  A privilege.  A responsibility.

Some advised cops and pastors as well as many others.  It just so happens connections gravitated to those jobs.

In college, I confided with the head of the Sociology department about my association with cops.  I almost became one.  Also, I was a student minister.

He suggested I explore becoming not just a chaplain but a therapist for the police department.

This became part of my training.

I unofficially did counsel several cops.  It was of course confidential and since I wasn't hired, it was off the record.

There is a terrible stress involved.  On the streets one sees the downside of people.  It wears and affects all of life.

I was fortunate to help several folks.

The same can be said as a student minister.  I was indeed on the streets and ministered in the twilight world.  There was obvious evidence of the war between good and evil and thank God I shared Light.

Also, since my student status allowed me to counsel some of the pastors also confided in me and I was able to bring Light and healing to those entrusted to do so as leaders.

I served several churches and helped parishioners as well.

These are unsung efforts and except for this, my experiences counseling remain only in my memory.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Friends Redux

 I was thinking of friends I've had in my life.  

We all have different kinds.

Sometimes childhood friends diverge.  Maybe some maintain.

High school sweethearts end with graduation.  A few carry on and even marry.  Then again others split eventually.

Some longtime friends turn their backs.  Maybe there are embarrassing incidents and some don't want to see a reminder of indiscretion one way or other.

Others are suborned because a friend might interfere with crimes.

Then there are friends separated by death aka transition/crossing over.  Those actually mean noone can actually separate friends again.

Friends serve a need at certain times.

True friends are just that.  They do serve and that is one another.  

Give and take.  Honesty.  

It's a rollercoaster ride.

That honesty is sometimes painful.  It is healing, keeping in mind some wounds take time to heal

Don't fear.

Worth the risk.

Energy

 I ask the Angels and spirits of Light for the energy to

Focus and concentrate

Build my strength and stamina

Retain and sharpen my memory

Attract and accept the things of the Light that I need

To be truthful in my convincing

Guilt...

Guilt weighs us down like a big rock on the back. 

We can let it go.

We don't go lah dee dah like a sociopath.  We are acutely aware of our shortcomings.  

Forgiveness from above and within keeps us from the darkside.  

We persevere.  

We go on in spite of our faults, a cliche nonetheless true.

Now, there is guilt by association.  Jesus encountered that.  He spent a lot of time with tax collectors and prostitutes etal.  He witnessed indeed.

So might we.  As said previously, I accept people as they are.  No, I don't imitate their behavior.  I just am able to communicate.  There is no false pride nor condescending.  

And these days, but I think it has been always, guilt by projection.  Call it a smear campaign if you will.  Then the proof is in the pudding.  Let 'em cook til it boils over and they fail.  Let them simmer as we are seen in truth as we really are.  And as they truly are.

Freedom is not license so to speak.

It's dangerous with all the bumps and wounds.

Yet we are never alone.

Our opponents cling to misery loving company.

We adhere to courage, hard fought and to the long haul.

Honesty vs lies.

Faces Masks USW

 Ever since I can remember, I've accepted people as they are.

Whatever, on any level, people are people. 

There is no horror, shock, no real surprise, nor ooh aah like some weird fetish for appearances only.

People just are.

And that scares some.  

I do not accept evil.  There is no nod of acceptance there.  Figure out what that means (such as liberty/tyranny even into the spiritual).

I talk of beyond the obvious, of content of character.  Who you are.

Sideways moment:  I often reflect on Babylon 5's Vorlons and Shadows.  Vorlons ask 'who are you'.  Shadows ask 'what do you want (not need)'.  

Never forget looks can be deceiving.  

When health is involved, then take note.  Bodies are an example.

But accepting people as they are, well you have to start somewhere.

And masks hide for weal or woe.  Physical or figurative.

There are many people come to mind.

Think of yours.

Para Huh?

 Just a plethora of unusual stories known on the whole as paranormal.  

You can think what you like, but there are many things beyond the senses.

People are coming out, telling their experiences, not as afraid of being considered nuts.

Now, here is where discerning spirits might come in handy.

You have to figure out what is diversion and something on the mark.

Diversion is a chief tool of the collectivists/darkside.  

Remember, if you believe there is a spiritual side to life, there can be very unusual experiences.  

Like all things, investigate and find reliable sources.

Also recall the strength of the darkside is that some don't believe it exists.  

Stay as objective as you can.  Discern.

Strange can be normal for some.

I've experienced most unusual things.  This is not where I talk about them.  Somewhat.

Creation is vast, at least for us.

Balance.  Study.  Dig.  As always.

We all have varied gifts.

Trust in God.

It boils down to control/Freedom.

Huh might become uh-huh.

4F

 'You are unfit for military service at this time.'

That's what the mustering out corporal said the day of my Selective Service physical.

I knew it would happen because of a left shoulder bone being stapled together.  It was thin where it should have been thick.  My brother had the condition in both shoulders.  It ended his hopes for a military career.

As for me, it ended my desire to serve in Military Intelligence.  Details are classified.

Though expected, I was still gob smacked.  I felt ashamed anyway.

Many friends, associates and classmates served.  

All gave some and some gave all.

Friends said I didn't miss much.  These guys were the best and meant to assuage my guilt.

BTW my psychological and moral checkup were outstandingly positive.

There were alternatives.

I was meant for other things.

Refuse to give up or give in.

I made the most of parenthood, remembering many were bereft of same and a lot of kids were robbed of their fathers and some mothers.

Still, life persists.

We are all here together.

All our yesterdays coalesce.

Can You Will you

 Would you?  Could you?

Cleaning toilets.  Do you poop?

Making beds.  Do you sleep?

Washing dishes.  Do you eat?

Etc/usw.

I've done all these things and more.

People who have most things done for them might become like the monkey people.  Look up the story.

Is it wrong?  Not necessarily.

But people should be prepared to do for themselves.

One never knows.  'Never can tell' a girl once said.

I've been down both roads.

Thank God I travelled that Second Road.

Time to go fix breakfast.

And wash the dishes.

Goal Posts

 Rarely if ever, do things happen all at once.  Bit by bit.

My legs were getting flabby.  I decided to strengthen them.  So, one morning I initiated a series of exercises to remedy that.

Slow and painful at first, I pushed through.

Now, my legs are fairly trim.  At least for my age lol.

At the risk of dangerous reticence, I have a system to handle my books and other writings.  

The almost cliche one step at a time saying is nonetheless true.

One can keep prepping as on goes along.

As I said elsewhere, we regain bit by bit what was taken away bit by bit.

As for my body, well I'm still working on my caboose -s-.

The work continues.

E G B D F

 Every Good Boy Deserves Favor.  A way to learn musical notes.  It is also a play by Tom Stoppard.

It deals with the soviet practice of imprisoning dissidents in mental institutions.  IOW you have to be nuts to oppose communism.  Uh-huh.

We face a kind of mental inmates running an asylum now with opponents to our current resurgence of Freedom claiming WE are the criminals and insane.  Classic collectivist projection.

How do we combat such silliness?

We continue to tell the truth and maintain our course to restore the Republic.

We convince others about past wrongs and how we right them.

We intensify what has been done recently and go nonstop.

Their notes are sour.

Ours are clear and dulcet.

Red Dog

 There is an independent bookstore in Greenwood Indiana that needs help.

Now, I'm not paid for this, but I am a customer, so I want to see them come through.

They have been told by their present landlord that they must vacate their current location.  The date has changed and keeps shortening.  It might be the end of the month.

Anyone seeing this please support them in any way you can.  They hope to find a new location.

Red Dog is located 1001 N 135, Greenwood Indiana.  Also check them out on Facebook and any search engine.

The store is great and has a wide variety of books, movies, and so much more.

The staff is friendly and helpful.  They are truly positive.

If you love books, etc see what you might do.

Character

 It can be from broad to specific.  The very nature of someone or a portrayal.

One can as an actor, play good or bad.

One as an individual can BE good or bad.  Often that fluctuates to a degree.  

Also as Shakespeare said re all the world being a stage and people being players.  We live many parts, wear many hats.  

Far as acting goes, characterization comes from within.  It is not like an overcoat or a cloak.  It is pretend but emanates from thoughts.

The hidden comes forth.

Is it pretend or is it self?

Only living life can tell.

Hilts

 The Great Escape is a great movie.  Based on a real escape from a German prison camp in 1944, it doesn't take liberties as much as consolidating people and circumstances/events during that time.

The original idea was to escape 250 prisoners.  76 made it out and 50 were executed.  The escape was part of the pre D-Day activity meant to gum up German resources.

The whole camp worked on the escape to one degree or another.  

I knew 2 of the prisoners.  One lived in Evansville.  The other owned a neighborhood bar ironically just blocks from where the movie was showing.  Great men.  All great men.

Hilts was a consolidated character portrayed by Steve McQueen.  The motorcycle scenes were fictitious to showcase Steve's skills, save for the famous leap performed by Steve's friend Bud Ekins.

Hilts.  The character was a serial escapee.  He was irreverent and single minded.  Hilts made the most of any opportunity to escape.

Yet, he escaped, studied activity in the area, especially train schedules and allowed himself to be recaptured so he could share the info with the others.

Being singularly minded is not bad, when it amounts to Freedom.

Refuse to give up.  Refuse to give in.

Finally recaptured near the end of the movie, Hilts sits in the cooler and repeatedly bounces a baseball off the wall.  That sound confounds a guard.  But, we know what it means.

Unquenchable thirst for Freedom.

Nolens Volens

 Some things happen whether we want them to or not.  They are life's surprises and result in things we are compelled to do.

To seek healing or suffer as circumstances worsen is that compulsion.  A choice.

Dementia, mental illness and yes even possession can happen around one.  It draws down and aids darkness though the first two are not evil of themselves.  Darkness tries to utilize them and distract from wellness.  Wellness dispels darkness.

Nolens volens can be mild or severe, even good or bad.  

We may know when things happen.  There are warnings and usually increasing signs.  But, ignoring something will NOT make it go away.

One might hope and see periods where things seem better.  But, sooner or later the problem manifests and to a crescendo and leaves no doubt as to intense problems.

What are we gonna do?

Find trustworthy people, get advice from those who are skilled.

Don't let negativity take you with it.

Seek healing and help for self to deal with those who will not.

Nolens volens is an old story.

Prepare for the unexpected.

Simplicity

 Not the fabric store, though the word rings there too.

We seek clarity.  Complications are factors that can be pocketed or even dumped.  

For those who overcomplicate, it's analogous to stupid.  They project.

There are conspiracies.  What the public sees is often the result.  

What we seek is truth.  We therefore exhibit candor.  We cut to the quick.

Also, candor is fair.  We seek truth, wherever it may lead.  

Being able to get to the crux can be a gift/talent.  And factors come and go.

It's balance.  Factors come in to explain results.  Fine.  It's when we are flooded with what ifs and tangents that we can be bogged down.  

I suggest being able to measure things quickly, not haphazardly.  I have a file cabinet mind when it comes to analyzation.

Well now, I'm ruminating near the new year.  

Just look at first reports and compare later.

Dig.  As with all things.

Kiss lol.

Lacking Humility...

 There is a difference between lack of humility and self affirmation.

We are often asked what are our 'positive' points.  What do we do well, talents etc.  We should present ourselves in self examination.  And we should be careful how we do so and with whom we associate.  Don't give the enemy any intel.

Yes, we give God credit/thanks for what we have and do.  And if we emphasize these things, be wary of certain people.

They might be those who approve others for jobs and other positions.  There are those who lack a sense of self.  We often hear of controlling due to lack of self.

About themselves, they lie and rely upon 'connections' and even fraud to get somewhere.  They are severely jealous of those who truly achieve.  They denigrate and even lie to keep many back.

Be honest.  Seek those of the Light aka likeminded folks.  Even in the face of adversity, be truthful.

Search for those who really will help.

The din of character assassination etal will lessen and we can enter into success.

False humility is hollow.

True humility proclaims we are never alone and appreciate others' efforts.

We do not flatter.  We celebrate and honor others.

Truth will out.

Open Door

An open door to success on my terms.