Happy Grandparents Day. How Will War End? One Cup of Water. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

HAPPY GRANPARENTS’ DAY

Congress passed the legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents' Day in the U.S. and, on August 3, 1978, then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation.

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How Will War End?

“World War I, which ended a century ago, was so brutally horrifying that it was soon called “The War to End All Wars.” Yet it was anything but. It was followed a generation later by World War II, and countless wars since then. What is the root cause of war? Can mankind ever find peace?

God is not uninvolved or uncaring. He cares deeply about His creation, about His children of all nations and races.

British Army

British soldiers gather for a religous service near the front lines during World War I.

During World War I many German soldiers marched into war with their imperial motto Gott Mit Uns —“God With Us”—emblazoned on their helmets and belt buckles. Priests, pastors and chaplains on both sides encouraged the men to fight in their side’s righteous cause, proclaiming it was God’s will that they emerge victorious.

At home, the Anglican bishop of London, Arthur Winnington-Ingram, declared this “a holy war” and urged British soldiers to “kill Germans … not for the sake of killing, but to save the world, to kill the good as well as the bad, to kill the young as well as the old … As I have said a thousand times, I look upon it as a war for purity, I look upon everyone who died in it as a martyr” (quoted by Philip Jenkins, The Great and Holy War: How World War I Became a Religious Crusade, 2014, p. 71).

In Germany, pastor Dietrich Vorweck rewrote the Lord’s prayer to say:

Our Father, from the height of heaven,
Make haste to succor Thy German people.
Help us in the holy war …
Lead Thy German Reich to glorious victories.
Who will stand before the conquerors? …
Lord, Thy will be done! …
Smite the foe each day with death and tenfold woes …
Lead us not into the temptation
Of letting our wrath be too gentle
In carrying out Thy divine judgment. (quoted on p. 13)

Such pleas apparently went unanswered as millions died or were permanently maimed on muddy, bloody battlefields in four years of fighting during which the border barely moved.

“A striking commentary on the war was offered by Britain’s Harry Patch, the last soldier to have fought in the war’s trenches and who died in 2009 at the age of 111. He felt the war had not been worth a single life … He recalled seeing half-savage dogs fighting over biscuits taken from dead men’s pockets and wondering, ‘What are we doing that’s really any different? Two civilized nations, British and German, fighting for our lives.’ In summary, he commented, ‘What … we fought for, I now don’t know’” (pp. 2-3).

This is not to say that World War I was without result. Four empires fell, the world’s first communist state came into being, the world that existed before 1914 was destroyed and the stage was set for even greater carnage in the Second World War. One effect that continues to this day is that millions of people lost their faith in a God who could allow such indescribable suffering.

But God is not uninvolved or uncaring. He cares deeply about His creation, about His children of all nations and races. One of the Bible’s best-loved passages tells us, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

And God will bring about offering the opportunity for salvation to all mankind—just not in the way most people expect. As explained in this issue, God is not offering salvation to the entire world now. Nor is He trying to end human suffering now. He knows that human beings the world over must learn some very painful lessons before being willing to admit that “the way of peace they have not known” (Romans 3:17, quoting Isaiah 59:8).

Why do we not know the way to peace? Because “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25). The way that seems right to our thinking has led to generations of bloody wars in which we have learned to kill each other in increasingly efficient ways!

But it will not always be this way. As also explained in this issue, a time is coming in which Jesus Christ, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, “shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people …” (Isaiah 2:4). As a result, “… they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (same verse).

This is describing the coming Kingdom of God—the same Kingdom for which Christ tells us to pray, “Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10). We hope you’ll join us in that prayer.  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/how-will-war-end

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One Cup of Water

An Amazing Fact: “Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary-General, was the founder of the Global AIDS and Health Fund to support developing countries in their struggle to care for hurting people. He was born on April 8, 1938, and currently serves as a Ghanaian diplomat. In his effort to raise global awareness on how people live in the world, he has presented incredible statistics from the United Nations Human Development Report.

These numbers really put into perspective how we live in America!
• Four percent of the 225 richest men’s wealth could provide for the entire globe: basic education, basic health care, adequate food, clean water, and safe sewers.
• Americans spend $8 billion a year on cosmetics—$2 billion more than the estimated total needed to provide basic education for everyone in the world.
• Americans each consume an average of 260 pounds of meat a year. In Bangladesh, the average is 6.5 pounds.
• The world’s 225 richest individuals, of whom 60 are Americans, have a combined wealth of over $1 trillion—equal to the annual income of the poorest 47 percent of the entire world’s population.
• Europeans spend $11 billion a year on ice cream—$2 billion more than the estimated annual total needed to provide clean water and safe sewers for the world’s population.
• The three richest people in the world have assets that exceed the combined gross domestic product of the 48 least-developed countries.
• The richest fifth of the world’s people consumes 86 percent of all goods and services, while the poorest fifth consumes just 1.3 percent. Indeed, the richest fifth consumes 45 percent of all meat and fish, 58 percent of all energy used, 84 percent of all paper, has 74 percent of all telephone lines, and owns 87 percent of all vehicles.
Annan encourages us to not look at faceless statistics, but think of the condition of how many people in our world truly live. When we consider the world’s consumption bill of $24 trillion a year, the numbers seem overwhelming.

Yet, in God’s eyes, even a cup of cold water given to a thirsty child is not beneath His notice.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. Mark 9:41

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Update.

Zack and I got some more shelves ready for the mini-house, some were sanded, some were stained, and some Zilzed.   The electrician mounted the mast, ran the wires up to the weatherhead and mounted the new outdoor breaker box on the side of the mini-house.  Now the light company has to come to transfer the juice from the pole to the new mast.  Then I found out that it costs more for the electrician to come and connect the mini-house to the new wires.  Oh, The Joys Of Ownership!

Chris, my sweet neighbor took me for my eye exam, thank goodness, because I know I couldn’t have driven home after they dilated my eyes.  In fact it took a couple of days to really get over that, but my eyes are troublesome anyway.  Their office is going to let me know when they can schedule my eye surgery.  I didn’t really need anything, but I drove to the store on Friday, just to make sure that my eyes would be OK for the trip to church on Saturday.

Some organic cooked cut up chicken breast was defrosted, and a white sauce made with green olives, pimentos, celery, onions, any seasonings that looked good, and a pot full of spaghetti pasta cooked, and there was Chicken Spaghetti for the church pot luck.

The Bible readings were Deut. 11:26-16:17, Isa. 54:11-55:5, John 7:37-52 and 1 John 4:1-6.  The Teaching was about “Teachableness”,  or having humility and willingness to learn and be receptive to receive the Word.

It is still hot, but it seems to be a little cooler each day.

New Year: Should Christians Celebrate It? What Would Jesus Do Between Christmas and New Years? Cold Day, Brrr.

Happy New Year and may 2018 bring you everything that you need.

New Year: Should Christians Celebrate It?

“God didn’t begin His year in the dead of winter. So what does He think of the celebration of New Year’s Eve based on the Romans’ calendar and customs?

What does God think of New Year’s Eve?

Are New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations that God approves of? Since God set the first month of the year on the sacred calendar to begin in what we call March or April, obviously it is not God’s new year (Exodus 12:2; Deuteronomy 16:1). And God didn’t command a celebration for that day either.

The origin of New Year

So what is the origin of New Year? “In early times, the ancient Romans gave each other New Year’s gifts of branches from sacred trees. In later years, they gave gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted with pictures of Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. January was named after Janus, who had two faces—one looking forward and the other looking backward. The Romans also brought gifts to the emperor. The emperors eventually began to demand such gifts. But the Christian church outlawed this custom and certain other pagan New Year’s practices in A.D. 567” (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1990, article “New Year’s Day”).

Not pleasing to God

Today, too often New Year’s Eve is treated as an excuse for drinking too much and lowering moral standards. It is one of the most dangerous times of the year for drunk driving, and every year warnings are given about those who fire guns into the air in celebration—an act that too often turns deadly.

For all these reasons, celebrating the pagan holiday of New Year is not pleasing to God.

You can learn more in the section “Holy Days vs. Holidays.”

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What Would Jesus Do Between Christmas and New Years?

 5 comments 

“It's not such an odd question as you might think. Read on and think about it.

Photos.com

We should be doing what Jesus did during His human life and what He is doing today—His Father's work!

Since He was not born in the dead of winter Christ would not have even thought about celebrating His birthday, nor would anyone else. And New Years? Well, since the Romans used it as a worship of their gods I can’t see that Christ would have been looking for a party to celebrate. So let’s park the question for a minute and look at what the last week of the year becomes in our modern culture.

It seems the last week of December today has become one extended period of celebration, vacation, shopping, eating and, well, just different. Many businesses just shut down completely. Others are understaffed and on short hours as work and people wind down for the year. Someone once said this period of the year would be the best to launch a surprise attack on America since its seems everyone, including many key government people, are on vacation.

So, for me, since I don’t observe Christmas and New Year, and you can’t just ignore completely the impact it has on culture, I have developed a routine during this week that helps me to profitably use the time. This is one of four periods of the year when I reassess my life, priorities, goals and plans. Decisions and plans are made for the next three months and then its back to work. I don’t waste the time even though it is tempting to let down and relax too much. But this holiday period does give me some extra time for reflection.

Recently I noticed something from the life of Christ that made me think that maybe He used this same time of the year to further His work.

In John 10:22-24 we see where He was and what He did.

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Historians recognize this was the festival that Jews today call Hannukah—the festival that falls each year in late December. It is a stretch to say that Christ was “celebrating” Hannukah. Better to just read through His answer to the Jews and understand it for what it says.

He essentially told them He was the Son of God, and since they did not believe Him they were not His sheep. They accused Him of blasphemy and tried to stone Him. He escaped but not without challenging them to examine the work He did and make a logical deduction. They couldn’t.  So therefore they rejected Him.

So what should we do between Christmas and New Years? Really, what should we be doing all year long? The answers is simple. We should be doing what Jesus did during His human life and what He is doing today—His Father’s work! We should put first in priority the work God is doing today and continually give ourselves a check to make sure we are aligned with His purpose for our life. We should be doing what Jesus is doing today.

If you don’t know what that is the best starting point can be our booklet, Why Were You Born? Read it online while you have some time off this weekend and challenge yourself to find God’s purpose for your life. It would be the best use of your time now and every week of the year.”

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It is very cold for these parts, and most people have enough sense to stay indoors today.

Thanksgiving - What Is Your Focus? Thanksgiving Song. Update.

 

For Thanksgiving Day 2016 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to y’all.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Day More Than Just Being Thankful

Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday every November. Perhaps this is the appropriate season to wonder if there is a difference between being thankful and giving thanks.

Why Give Thanks on Thanksgiving Day?

In a modern world filled with fast cars, fast money, fast foods and more—all lavished so liberally on the self—why consider a national occasion to pause and give thanks? Is it really that important? If it is, whom should we thank—and for what?

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Thanksgiving - What Is Your Focus?

Where should our focus be during Thanksgiving?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPEu3ypBvk

Transcript

“It’s one of my favorite times of year – the American Thanksgiving. The fourth Thursday of every year in November is the American Thanksgiving, when people travel by planes, trains, automobiles, and gather with family and friends for food, football, and hopefully to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving 2016 is a very interesting year as we find ourselves at the end of a very long and protracted and divisive election season. We have a new president-elect and the reminder that America has much to be thankful for, but also America has many, many divisions. In an earlier Beyond Today Daily we talked a little bit about that, and I pointed you and all of our viewers to prayer for the new president, for the nation, and I come back to that as we think about Thanksgiving 2016, where we are, what needs to be done.

I pulled out the Thanksgiving proclamation made in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. Every president every year makes a Thanksgiving proclamation, from the time of George Washington. But the one that was given by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 in the midst of the American Civil War brought out a very interesting point that I think helps us to be pointed back to the Bible and to Bible prophecy and the historic and prophetic role that the United States and all English-speaking peoples have in our modern world.

As Lincoln talked about the times in which they lived and the position America found itself in, he said, “No human council has devised, nor has any mortal hand worked out these great things,” speaking of America’s abundance and national greatness. “They are,” he said, “the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins” – the sins he was specifically talking about then was the sin of slavery, which was part of what embroiled the states in the Civil War. He said, “God nevertheless has remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people.”  Words true then, words true now – that we should acknowledge God’s gracious, benevolent hand upon America and upon many other nations in this world at a particularly acute moment in world history and American history.

There’s a scripture in 2 Chronicles chapter 7 that has been on my mind of late, where Solomon gave a prayer at the dedication of the temple that God allowed him to build in Jerusalem. And as an answer to that prayer, asking God’s grace and benevolence upon Israel, God appeared to Solomon and He said that when problems would arise, and difficulties and challenges for the nation – much like what we see right now with America being divided economically, politically, culturally, and having deep, deep problems right now – He said if people will acknowledge who He is, He said to Solomon something unique. In verse 14, 2 Chronicles chapter 6 – 7  He said, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”     If.    The big question mark. “If My people will humble and pray and acknowledge their sins, I will hear.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Will that happen? Well, we could talk about the likelihood of that for a long, long period of time. But I know this, that if you pray, if I pray, then at least we can orient ourselves in an aspect of humility toward God that allows us to be thankful, and there are many things for us to be praying for at this time. Certainly be praying that God would grant the ability for the gospel to be freely preached, that  religious freedom is guaranteed in this land, to be preserved and protected. And pray that there would be a repentance. And pray that God will call those and maybe even you to understand His great purpose and plan for mankind.

And so above all on this Thanksgiving 2016, be thankful. Think about humility and pray to God and humble ourselves in a unique period of time to acknowledge God and all of His blessings. We wish you all a happy Thanksgiving here from Beyond Today.”

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Thanksgiving Song

Can you think of any Thanksgiving songs? In the pages of the Bible is a Song of Thanksgiving that we can sing everyday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXUIja9oECg

Transcript

“Seems like there’s all kinds of songs that we associate with the holidays – some of them aren’t so good. But I got to thinking about that in relationship to Thanksgiving. Do you know any really cool Thanksgiving songs?

I had a hard time thinking of any. But the Bible points to probably the kind of song and the kind of thanksgiving that we should always have.

There’s a wonderful song, it’s in the Psalms, which are songs. In fact, it has the title, “A Song of Thanksgiving”. See if you recognize it. Here’s the lyrics. “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!” In other words, the whole earth is supposed to sing praises to God. It says, “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” What a great reminder as we begin the lyrics of this song to show who is most important in our life – our relationship with God and all that He does. And because of that, the song goes on – verse 4. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalms 100:1-5).

It frames the issue that this isn’t something we should just think about for one Thursday at the end of November. That shouldn’t be the way that it is. We shouldn’t just hurry on into Black Friday and forget the whole Thanksgiving thing. It shouldn’t be like that, not if we claim to be God’s people. This tells us pretty clearly – this is an ongoing thing. It says, “For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

So let’s have this frame of mind, not just for a day or two at the end of November, but let this be something that is on our mind constantly – that we’re continually coming into His presence, worshipping Him, praising Him, honoring Him, having a thought of really singing and praising and honoring God and being truly thankful for much more than just one day in November.”

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Update:

Surprisingly, one day it started out below freezing, so we stayed inside the guest house putting up regular batt insulation, foamboard insulation, and the original paneling.  Now why would I put the old painted paneling back up?  Because sheetrock is so labor intensive to install, and have you seen REAL wood paneling lately.  It is priced like gold.  All you can find at the box stores is that MDF, almost cardboard stuff.  That just swells, bows, goes moldy, and is horrible.  So to have some real wood paneling is going to be a rare sight, even though it will all be repainted a soft, discreet yellow, only because I acquired free, a 5 gallon bucket of it!  We have already painted the ceiling white.  Though the new kitchen and bathroom are sheetocked, only because they have been made out of the old bedroom which was sheetrocked before all the damge was done.

My helper has been under the guest house for the last few mornings, and I have been the “go-fer”.   We had left some of the new plywood floor unscrewed so that we could pick it up to get under the house to install the new drains.  Also, the cedar skirting was removed so that he could squiggle on his back under the house.  Now, to hand him anything, I have to step down into the hole where the plywood has been taken up, and try to push whatever it is to him.  We arrived at a system where I would throw an old drop light to him, and tie whatever to the cord, sometimes in a grocery bag.  Now all that getting up and down, and climbing in and out of that hole is pretty tiring, working the old leg muscles, and made me pretty tired.  After all, I am nearly 82, though I don’t feel it.  So now we have a lot of the water system done and most of the sewer, but still quite a bit more to go to finish it.  We are leaving some of the plumbing of little 3/4 bath off the utility room till later, as it will tie in to a different part of the sewer system.  Just getting the guest house functional is the main objective.

As Petco is closed today, my two little foster kittens who are on view for adoption at our SPCA habitat there, have come back here until Friday.  We were pleased to see each other, and there is a lot of purring going on.  So I am not alone today.   All my family live a long way away, but I had a really good Thanksgiving Dinner and fellowship with my friends at church on the Sabbath.  

Needless to say, Psalm 100 was read along with Psa. 121, 122, 123 and 125.  Then our usuaul Bible readings were Gen, 18-22:24, 2 Kings 4:1-37 and Romans 4:1-25.  The Message or Teaching was about being grateful. 

The potluck was great and we had so much left over.  I made shredded sweet potato casserole, and Yorkshire Puddings made in a muffin pan, and there were lots of contributions of many dishes and desserts.  Three dishes of potato salad.  I was able to bring some home for my less fortunate neighbors.  The pastor’s wife made a green bean casserole and it tasted better than any I have ever had.

Then they had me bring home the remains of the great big organic turkey and take care of it.  I sliced off the breast meat, and froze it, sliced off the dark meat and froze it, and then made bone broth with the carcass and froze it. We knew that everyone would be sick of turkey by this weekend's potluck, so we will all enjoy it at a later date.  For another potluck, I will cook quinoa, or potatoes or lentils or something in the bone broth, so everyone gets the healthy benefits of it.

I hope that you are well and having a good day for Thanksgiving Day.

Why I Won’t Be Voting in the Presidential Election. God’s Instructions for Rulers. Cowboy Ten Commandments. Update.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Why I Won’t Be Voting in the Presidential Election

“The candidates are in full campaign mode as the presidential race comes to its climax. Who will it be? Will we have our first woman president? The American businessman? Though unlikely, it may go to a third party nominee? In November, millions will cast their ballots for their favored presidential candidate.

While we may want to vote for the person that most reflects our godly beliefs, there is no earthly person that can fulfill the true need.

There is a lot of pressure to “do your civic duty” and vote. People will tell you if you don’t vote it’s like throwing away your freedoms. Others say that a non-vote is a vote for the other side—typically whichever side they are not voting for. It is an individual choice on whether or not to vote in the upcoming elections, but for me, the reasons not to get involved outweigh the reasons in favor of it.

Don’t misunderstand me, I do have opinions on the candidates who are running, and I often have to restrain myself so that I don’t get caught up in the racket of it all. Although, that is one of the problems. If I allow myself to get caught up in it, then my attentions are drawn away from where they need to be. We are told to look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). It is important to remember that the leadership and Kingdom I seek is not of this world and is unshakable (Hebrews 12:27-28). We are told, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you” (Matthew 6:33 Modern English Version throughout).

For every single talking-point I might like, there are always others that are completely against my beliefs. How could I choose someone that would inevitably choose to do things that are in opposition to what God would choose?

Relationships and God’s way

While Christians are often criticized for their beliefs, we can also create more strife by being involved with the political system. People become very emotionally involved, so much so that they have come to blows over differing opinions. Over the years I have found if I side with any candidate’s political stance overall I inevitably upset someone. This can lead to, at the very least, a heated conversation, and at the most, a long-lasting animosity between myself and the other person. Do I want to damage my relationships with others over politics? This can happen with friends, family, and fellow church members. We all have varying views on aspects of life, but we should never strive to create division.

As a Christian, I am taught to love my neighbor as myself (Leviticus19:18, Matthew 23:39, Mark 12:31). Although Christians are sometimes attacked for their beliefs, because I am to love my neighbor, I do not want to create any other circumstances that make my relationships more tenuous. Jesus stated the greatest commandments: “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” It is difficult to show love to one who is offended (Proverbs 18:17-19).

While we may want to vote for the person that most reflects our godly beliefs, there is no earthly person that can fulfill the true need. If we are told to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all people (Matthew 10:7, Acts28:31), I cannot in good conscience promote or support a leader of any political party. For every single talking-point I might like, there are always others that are completely against my beliefs. How could I choose someone that would inevitably choose to do things that are in opposition to what God would choose?

We are told that we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). I cannot be an ambassador for Christ and also represent another leader. I must trust that God knows what is best and pray that His will be done (Matthew 6:10). I also have to look at the Bible to guide me. One scripture states, “It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding” (Daniel 2:21, see also Romans 13:1).

If God sets up leaders according to His will, what makes me think I am any wiser? God’s plan may indeed allow evil leaders to be in higher positions. Scripture shows that it happened in Israel. Bad kings rose and fell according to how little or how much the people were staying on course with God. He allowed evil kings to rise to power or kingdoms to fail. When the people remembered their God He often restored a loving king to lead them.

For me, throwing support behind a government leader is saying that I don’t trust God’s leadership. God says we should be different (Romans 12:2). We are to be preaching the gospel and being citizens of heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we await for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).”    From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/why-i-wont-be-voting-in-the-presidential-election

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God’s Instructions for Rulers

What kind of standards does God expect in leaders?

“The Ten Commandments are listed in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21.  You will also find the commandments mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments .

God’s instruction in Deuteronomy 17:18-20 states that kings were to write out a copy of God’s law and to read and rule by it continuously.

(Deuteronomy 17:18-20, New King James Version (NKJV) ¹⁸ “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. ¹⁹ And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, ²⁰ that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom)”

The current U.S. presidential race is an embarrassment to the nation. The two leading contenders fall short of biblical character standards in critical areas. One has a history of multiple bankruptcies, questionable business dealings, marriages and affairs. The other supported her philandering husband for years, lied repeatedly about her e-mail communications while U.S. Secretary of State, and advocates for homosexual marriage and killing the unborn.

The sad fact is that the nation gets the kind of leadership it deserves, and regrettably that will be true in this election.

What kind of standards does God expect in leaders? And once in office, what should they focus on in fulfilling their duties? What would help them be the kind of leaders God would want them to be?

Some 3,500 years ago God set down a “constitution” of sorts for a new nation. The nation was Israel, newly freed from enslavement by the Egyptians. God laid out rules that would bring blessings and empower Israel to be an example that other nations would want to emulate (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). The key to those blessings was following their new “constitution,” God’s laws as revealed in the first five books of the Bible.

No one would be above the law or exempt from it. In fact, leaders were instructed to intimately familiarize themselves with it so they could rule humbly, wisely and righteously, leading to blessing for both themselves and the nation. Notice God’s instruction in Deuteronomy 17:18-20 that kings were to write out a copy of God’s law and to read and rule by it continuously:

“When [the new king] sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.

“This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel” (New Living Translation,2015).

Consider these words of wisdom. Think on this deeply. How different would any nation be if its leadership took to heart this simple and plain instruction? What an astounding difference it would make!”

From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/gods-instructions-for-rulers

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Update:

Just for your information, I cannot vote as I am a British subject.

We are still working on the plumbing in the guest house, plus a couple more trips to the hardware store for parts.  We were delayed by having to turn our attention to doing other things.  Such as the fence needed a new board, a door wouldn’t latch, the metal work stool needed new bolts and screws, the pressure washer needed attention, then one of the clocks had to have new hands put on it when the time was changed.  Just everyday stuff that has to be done.

Tomorrow, I will be picking up a medium size dog, so I had to get a carrier larger than the ones that I use for cats, out of storage. The carrier needed a good scrub, then we strapped in down in my van.  This poor little dog’s people took her to their vet for 2 years for allergy shots.  She eventually lost most of her hair and some of her skin turned like that of an elephant.  Our SPCA boss offered to take care of the dog temporarily, and our vet treated her for mites, and she is getting so much better with non-cornmeal dog food and special baths.  Our SPCA is getting ready for one of their best donation events, their “Doggies and Divas” fashion show, so I am going to take care of the dog for our boss until that is over.  My Sheltie is still as timid as can be, and cannot even look at a vacuum cleaner without trembing.  She must have gone through some terrible trauma.

We all had a good time at church, Jeff the elder who is our guitarist was back, so the hymns were sung with more gusto than last week.  It is difficult to sing if you don’t know the melody, so it was great to have him singing and playing again. I took a big Shepherd’s Pie for the potluck, and there were several other dishes, like chili and salmon casserole. As usual, lots of veggies and beans.

The Bible readings were Gen. 6:9-11:32, mostly about Noah’s lineage and the flood, Isa. 54:1-55:5, Matt. 24:36-44, and the Teaching was about Judgement, such as in the time of Sodom, and how it will happen again.

The weather has changed and even though it is still warm sometimes, we have cooler days.

Cause and Effect in Prophecy. James Smithson.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:.  Late again as it is Monday.

Cause and Effect in Prophecy

Deuteronomy 28:1, 15

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. …

“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. …”

Bible prophecy, and the Bible as a whole, teaches us the principle of cause and effect. Obeying God’s good and beneficial laws ultimately leads to wonderful blessings. Disobeying—sinning—ultimately leads to the horrible curses described in Deuteronomy 28.

This is a sure and certain principle—there are predictable consequences to our actions, physically and spiritually.

So why does humanity so easily forget this inevitable truth? Because under the sway of Satan, we have learned to postpone some of the bad consequences, and Satan has used his enormous powers of deception to make the bad look good and the good, bad. He tricks us into thinking there are shortcuts—that we can escape the consequences.

But God wants us to take the long view—to see through the deception to the ultimate reality. He gives us His laws and Bible prophecy so we can see what will cause suffering and what will cause real joy and happiness. Choose life!

For more about the purposes of Bible prophecy, see “Purpose of Prophecy.”

From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/cause-and-effect-in-prophecy/

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Purpose of Prophecy

“Two of the Minor Prophets provide major lessons about why God gives us predictions of the future. What is the purpose of prophecy?

Part of the mission God gives His people involves getting His message out to this world. That message is a message of warning, a call for repentance and a message of hope and good news. Prophecy has always been a part of that message.

But why? Why does God give prophecies? Consider the following insights from two of the Minor Prophetsthat reveal three reasons for prophecy.

Two tales of one city

Jonah and Nahum were both prophets who were given messages from God about Nineveh—a great city that represented the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were a brutal and greatly feared enemy of Israel. Both Jonah and Nahum were given prophecies about Nineveh’s destruction. But the books turn out much differently.

Jonah, who prophesied about 100 to 150 years before Nahum, would have been quite happy to see the vivid destruction that Nahum prophesied come to pass. But the story of Jonah adds additional depth to our understanding of what God is doing—and why.

Let’s look at what these two prophecies about Nineveh show us about three of God’s purposes of prophecy.

The events in the book of Jonah happened perhaps 50 years before Assyria took Israel captive. Even then, Assyria was a dreaded and cruel enemy. In Jonah 1:2 God told Jonah: “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

God hates wickedness, and He wants us to hate it too. And that leads us to a first purpose:

1. Prophecy shows God’s justice, and this is intended to lead us to repentance.

What wicked things had Assyria done? Jonah doesn’t give details, but Nahum later gives a list of some of the terrible things that Nineveh had long been known for.

They conspired against God (Nahum 1:9).

They were famous for crushing and harshly oppressing their enemies (Nahum 1:13; Nahum 2:12).

They were known for violence and lies (Nahum 3:1).

Nineveh “taught them all to worship her false gods” (Nahum 3:4, New Living Translation). Verse 19 says, “Where can anyone be found who has not suffered from your cruelty?” (NLT).

God is righteous and holy and just. He never minimizes sin or says it’s not so bad. His justice requires that He decry evil and point out that sin leads to suffering, destruction and death. He doesn’t want the humans He created to sin or die. God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We’ll come back to this aspect of God’s nature a little later.

2. Prophecy shows God’s power—He always wins! This gives us encouragement.

Nahum prophesied 60 to 100 years after Israel had been cruelly taken captive by Assyria. This was 100 to 150 years after Jonah. In Nahum 1:3 it says: “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.”

God is patient—slow to anger. But in the end His power always wins. Even though people of that time worshipped the “god of storms”—who was called Baal by the Canaanites—God is the one really in control of the whirlwinds and storms. Not only could Jesus control the storms and walk on water, this seems to portray God as walking on the clouds!

In the end, God wins. The people of Nahum’s time needed this encouragement. The people facing the end-time “beast” power will need that encouragement. Understanding God’s power and that He always wins is important for us to understand more about God.

3. Prophecy shows God’s love.   

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/prophets/purpose-of-prophecy/

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James Smithson

An Amazing Fact: “Distinguished scientist and chemist James Macie was born in France in 1765, the illegitimate son of a British duke. With Jim’s father out of the picture, the boy’s devoted mother, also a woman of wealth, returned to England with him to fight for her son’s official acceptance. Because of the laws of 18th-century England, she barely managed to have Jim declared a British citizen. Because of his illegitimacy, James Macie’s other basic rights were restricted at every turn. Perhaps what hurt Jim most was that he could never hold the title of his real father, the 1st Duke of Northumberland.

Knowing these restrictions as he grew up, Jim Macie determined to excel in other ways. In 1786, Jim graduated from Pembroke College with honors, and shortly thereafter launched himself upon a glowing scientific career. Many sophisticated experiments and published results later, Jim became a respected scientist. While his scientific colleagues, with less talent, would be knighted for their accomplishments, Jim was denied that honor simply because he was born illegitimate. It is no wonder that James Macie was hurt. He vowed never to marry, realizing that the stigma of a tarnished heritage would be passed to his children.

So, James Macie conceived of a plan that would serve as a final rejection of the country that had rejected him. When Jim passed away in 1829 he died a very wealthy man, with no heirs who could claim his vast fortune. In his will he sought revenge on England by leaving all of his money to a newly formed country that England called illegitimate— the United States of America. Jim had never even visited the United States. Yet by willing his fortune to us he disinherited England as it had disinherited him.

In his will he specified that his money was to be used for the foundation of an institute that would increase and diffuse knowledge among men and that would perpetuate his true family name that was denied him at birth—the name Smithson. And thus, the gift James Smithson gave us, which represents the torment of illegitimacy, is today our country’s most magnificent storehouse of culture and scientific accomplishment. I expect you have heard of the Smithsonian Institution.
Did you know the United States is also mentioned in prophecy? “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon” (Revelation 13:11).”
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. Genesis 21:10

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Update:

Yes, I have been very amiss and not updating.  Nothing going on with the repairs to the guest house as my helper had his hernia surgery, then it came undone, so he had to back into the hospital.  I have been very busy trying to get caught up sorting stuff out for sale.

Several young men have said that they would pressure wash the algae off the house, but they didn’t show up.  I just can’t understand people who say they are going to call, or do something, and then they don’t!

My two foster cats have been staying in the SPCA Cat Habitat at Petco for a month to get some public exposure.  Nala who I have fostered for three years was adopted. That made me glad that she will now have a good home when I am gone, but I miss her very much.  Her new ‘Mom’ was surprised that I let Nala sleep on my bed, so I don’t think she will let Nala do that.  Nala also has to get used to two big dogs and another female cat, so that adoption might not “take”, then Nala would come back here.

My other cat, Midi was also adopted, and they just adore him.  I knew they would, and I am so happy that he, an 11 year old black cat, finally has a real “furever’ home.  Before he came here he had been at a foster home where there were a lot of cats and he didn’t get very much individual attention, so he loved it here.  I miss him too, he used to sleep on the other side of my bed from Nala, and I was in the middle, like person in a cat sandwich.

The third of the four cats in the Habitat was adopted and if the fourth one doesn’t get a new home, I am going to foster her.  She is a ‘tortie” (tortoiseshell), black with little mottled orange splotches, named Flower.

Things at the church have been fine, we are now back to starting to read the Bible from Genesis again.  As I had to help get things ready in the dining room I couldn’t hear the Teaching very well.  We are getting ready for The Feast of Trumpets and then The Feast of Tabernacles the following week.  One time I made a beet/carrot dish in my crockpot, and a sweet potato/apple dish the next time, and it was all eaten up.

Even though the weather is cooler than it was, is still warm and muggy as there has been a shower nearly every day.

Jesus’ Jewish Heritage. 100th Anniversary of World War I. Kind Words. Those Who Are Wiser.

 

For Scripture Sunday":

Jesus’ Jewish Heritage

Matthew 1:17  "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations."

The genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3 give context to the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who also was the descendant of Abraham and David. Both David and Jesus were of the tribe of Judah (verse 3), the tribe promised the scepter—the symbol of rulership (Genesis 49:10). As Jesus said, He was born to be a King, and He will rule all nations in the Kingdom of God (John 18:37; Revelation 11:15).

Jesus was ethnically a Jew and grew up with a Jewish heritage. The genealogies help to link the Old and New Testaments into the unified whole that God intended. Though Jesus argued against many human traditions that had grown up around the religion of the Bible, He always showed respect for the inspired writings of what we now call the Old Testament and the laws revealed in it. This only makes sense when you consider that Christ was the “spiritual Rock” that followed and worked with ancient Israel (1 Corinthians 10:4).

For more about the inspiration and unity of the Bible, see “Who Wrote the Bible?” and “What Is the Bible?”

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A Beautiful Monument to Failure

"I recently visited a beautiful monument to man’s frustrating inability to end war. This unintended monument to failure sits on a hillside overlooking Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. It’s called the Palais des Nations.

Last year, marked the 100th anniversary of World War I, the first fully industrialized war. Mass production of new and destructive arms, such as chemical weapons, tanks and warplanes, led to 30,000,000 soldiers being killed or wounded. Several empires fell, and even most of the victorious nations were bled dry.

“Never again,” said the mangled nations, mourning their lost generations. The proposed solution to war was to come from collective security and disarmament, achieved through a new organization, the League of Nations.

Signatory nations promised to defend each other from aggression. International disagreements would be settled before judges, not on the battlefield. Weapon stockpiles would be reduced. A new era of understanding, cooperation and peace would begin. There would never again be a world war.

In 1920 the headquarters of the League was moved to Geneva, where the imposing palace was built.

Broken promises

Alas, the League of Nations could not keep its promises. Member nations did not live up to their commitments when Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 or when Bolivia and Paraguay went to war in 1932. It did not intervene in the Spanish Civil War or when Italy invaded Ethiopia (both signatory nations) in 1936.

It was in the Palais des Nations that Emperor Haile Selassie eloquently pleaded with the League to honor its obligations and come to the aid of the barefoot Ethiopians, against whom the Italians had used tanks, bombers and mustard gas.

As we walked through the Assembly Hall, I tried to imagine that speech, which some consider among the most stirring of the 20th century. Yet the League of Nations, shamefully, did nothing. Some members even recognized the Italian conquest. All were too absorbed in their own concerns to keep their pledges to protect the weak.

Three years later, Hitler invaded Poland and World War II began. The League had failed utterly.

Ironically, the League of Nations structures were turned over to a new organization founded in 1945 to pursue the same idealistic purposes: the United Nations. The Geneva complex, enlarged and improved, now supplements the UN headquarters in New York.

But lasting peace still has not been achieved. I’m writing this in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country with the largest UN peacekeeping presence in the world. But peace still has not come to the Congo, and wars are simmering or burning around the world.

The spiritual path to peace

Mankind seeks peace with alliances, conferences, institutions, promises and good intentions. But the root of peace lies elsewhere. Long ago, the prophet Isaiah explained, “The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace” (Isaiah 59:8).

War and peace spring from spiritual paths people follow. Because people don’t want to change their inner orientation, or don’t know how, wars continue and people die. (Read more about this problem, and the solution, in the January/February article “Neither Shall They Learn War Anymore.”)

The key, according to Isaiah, is justice—doing what is just, fair, right. And what is just is determined by God. True and lasting peace will only occur when all people turn to the God of the Bible and seek to fulfill His just will. This will happen one day when God “sends forth justice to victory” (Matthew 12:20).

Until that happy day, which the Bible says is sure to come, mankind will go on looking for the solution to war in the wrong places and continue building beautiful and impressive monuments to failure."

From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/discern/sept-oct-2014/monument-to-failure/ by Mike Bennett

About WWI: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/timeline_of_world_war_one.htm

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"There are so many things that clamor for our attention and devotion: our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our hobbies—the demands and distractions of life. And we have to be careful not to let them become more important or more of a priority than our relationship with God."

"Humanity desperately needs people who don’t just talk about Jesus, but who actually walk in His steps."

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Proverbs: Kind Words

Wisdom that sticks with you - straight from God's Word.

Source: freeimages.com/shelead

"Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit” (Proverbs:15:4, GNB).

This saying is particularly important when our words are directed at young people, since they are still forming their identity and are very sensitive to what is said about them. Colossians:3:21 says, “Fathers, don't make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged” (GNB).

There is great power in what we say, and this advice applies to all ages. Our words can regularly lift others up or, if we are thoughtless, dishearten them. There are times to speak strongly, or gravely about a situation, but it takes wisdom to know when to place the right word at the right time.

Don't let it get you tongue-tied, though! With practice and asking God to guide your words, you can become a great encourager.

Have you ever said the right thing in the wrong way and regretted it? How could you say it differently in the future?"   From: http://www.ucg.org/youth/proverbs-kind-words/ 

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Proverbs: Those Who Are Wiser

Wisdom that sticks with you - straight from God's Word.

Source: freeimages.com/lusi

“Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser” (Proverbs:15:12, GNB).

"It is a tragedy that those who need advice the most are the ones who, because of their arrogance, want it the least. Yet, even for those who are wiser, receiving correction and advice (sometimes unsolicited) can be challenging. Asking God for a receptive and discerning mind is important. Be receptive to good advice, and discerning of harmful advice or unmerited correction given in a hurtful way.

On the other side of the situation, it's important to speak up when your advice may help a friend, but it's also vital to be discerning and to give advice or corrective comments in a way that is positive and constructive. It's important to wait for the right moment, when an individual has realized the need for wise counsel.

When did you last receive "corrective" advice? Did you handle it well? If not, how could you improve?" From: http://www.ucg.org/youth/proverbs-those-who-are-wiser/

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Update:

It's been cold and sometimes wet, and not conducive to working outside.  Jay and I went shopping in Conroe, and he came back with a very nice, used Schwinn bike. We both bought some useful things there at that thrift shop.  I have been trying to cut down on storing food in plastic containers, so any time I find some that are made of glass or Pyrex, I grab them up.

On Friday, we shampooed my carpets.  We got my big Hoover Steamvac down from the attic, but it seemed to leave the carpet too damp. I got the Hoover Quick and Light Carpet Cleaner out of my 'For Sale' stuff (I am selling it for someone else) and ran it over where Jay had just cleaned.  It picked up a bunch more water and it was sudsy.  We don't usually put any soap in the machine, as the spot treatment usually is enough.  If you leave soap in carpet, just like your hair or clothes, it attracts dirt.   So today Jay went over my carpets again with plain water.  While he was doing that, I bathed my 55 lb foster dog, and washed all her blankies.  Thank goodness she is easy to handle.

On Saturday, I went to church by myself. Jay's kids and grandkids were coming to visit him. Ray was off somewhere.  The Bible readings were Psa. 123 and 125, and then Gen. 47:28-50:26, this is about Joseph in the land of Egypt.  Then 1Kings 2:1-12 about the death of King David.

The teaching was given by Gary, a member of the church, who was filling in for an elder who was sick.  He cited Mathew 5:1-7:23. In these two chapters are the Beatitudes, Jesus' example of a suitable prayer, 'judge not', 'pearls before swine', 'do unto others', 'beware of false prophets', 'ask and ye shall receive', 'the narrow gate', and really the whole Christian teaching in a nutshell.  Gary said how these two verses had made a big difference and changed his life.

The potluck was great, as usual.  We had turkey meatloaf, venison stew, beef, chicken enchiladas, potato salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, black-eyed peas, salads, and an assortment of green and orange veggies. Most of the food is organic. There was chocolate-yogurt pudding, pumpkin pie and lots of cookies for dessert.

The fellowship is one of the great anticipations of being at the church each Sabbath day.

Winter RVing. Mexico RV Insurance. Easy Clothes Folding. Apollo 12. Marshall University's Tragedy. Ava Arrives.

 

For "tRaVersing Thursday", or RV Day:

Winterizing Your RV Made Easy (or at least Easier!)

"The first step to winterizing any RV is to completely drain the water system. A handy tool to help clear the water lines is the Camco RV Blowout Plug with Brass Quick Connect (http://goo.gl/Z8aD0H). This little solid piece of brass helps the removal of water from your RV water lines.

Screw this blowout plug into your RV's city water inlet connection, and then attach an air compressor. Open your RV water lines, turn on the air, and voila! Water is pushed out of the lines.

How does it work? You simply screw the plug into your RV’s city water inlet, open all drains and faucets, and then connect an air compressor (http://goo.gl/eS8iho) quick connect hose.

The blowout plug leaves your hands free to open faucets and flush out water lines without assistance. It allows you to completely clear your water lines. Simply flip on the compressor and air will begin pushing excess water through your open lines.

Sometimes small gadgets like the Camco RV blowout plug make a big difference when working on an RV." by C.S. (Sean) Michael

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How to unfreeze a frozen black water tank

"Oh, this does not sound like a good situation. But the RV Doctor, Gary Bunzer, has a solution (doesn't he always?). Read his advice to an RVer who is in need of help."

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Is your RV furnace cranky?

"Before running your RV into the shop when the furnace is not operating properly, try these easy checks first. There might be an easy fix, and you'll save money."

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Lower costs on Mexico RV insurance?

"Many RVers are already making plans for their winter escape. Some will drive their RVs to Mexico for the season. For those heading to Manaña Land for the first time, remember your US RV insurance won't cover you south of the border. Liability insurance must be issued by a Mexico-based company to be valid, and traveling "bare" is to risk having your vehicle confiscated if you're involved in an accident and found to be at fault.

A look at the cost of RV insurance in Mexico can be eye opening--often double the cost one pays for an entire year in the States. Many in the past have flocked to RV clubs that have partnered with Mexican insurers to get group rates to drive down the cost. According to Derek Kartchner of the International Insurance Group, there better ways to get RV insurance for Mexico.

RVers can actually get much better coverage and a much cheaper price by purchasing RV insurance from a specialty RV insurance carrier in  the USA, which provides a Mexico Physical Damage Endorsement, and coupling it with a liability policy from a Mexican Carrier," says Kartchner The total cost of the endorsement is between $5 and $30 per year on a US policy (depending on the carrier) and the cost of a liability only policy can run around E150, depending on the amount of liability selected.

US companies offering this coverage are well known in the industry and include companies like Progressive, Blue Sky Insurance, National Interstate Insurance, and GMAC (in some states). The key said Kartchner, "is to work with an RV insurance specialist. There are a number of insurance agencies and companies that know the ins and outs of RV insurance in the states and in Mexico, and help you literally get better coverage at a much better price."

With snowbird season on the horizon, snowbirds are encouraged to visit an RV specialty agent or IIG's website for more details both Mexico and USA RV Insurance coverage. Quotes from a number of carriers are available online at www.iigins.com/rv-insurance or by calling 888-467-4639.
Source: International Insurance Group, Inc. and rvtravel.com  Posted by Russ and Tiña De Maris

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Winter camping? Don’t forget your hose! 

"If you stay in your RV in a campground or otherwise have it hooked to water during freezing weather, you need to be aware of the possibility that the water hose that feeds your unit is susceptible to freezing unless you provide some protection. It makes no difference if you are freeze protected inside if you can’t get any water TO the unit.

I went to a big box store and bought a hose fitting so that I could shorten my hose. No need to try to freeze protect 25 feet of hose if all I need to reach my unit is 12 feet! Next in the plumbing section I found 110-volt heat tape in various lengths. It comes equipped with a built-in thermostat that makes the tape begin heating around 32 degrees Fahrenheit. I bought a 12-foot roll.

I also bought 12 feet of 1-inch ID foam pipe insulation. I wrapped the heat tape around my hose, securing with tie wraps or zip ties, and then wrapped the hose in the pipe insulation. I left enough heat tape exposed at the faucet end that I could wrap the exposed faucet, too. Voila! Bring it on!"  Courtesy Motorhomes of Texas

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Shirt folder

  

Here is how to make your own folder:

 

 

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On This Day:

Apollo 12 lifts off, Nov 14, 1969:

"Apollo 12, the second manned mission to the surface of the moon, is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr.; Richard F. Gordon, Jr.; and Alan L. Bean aboard. President Richard Nixon viewed the liftoff from Pad A at Cape Canaveral. He was the first president to attend the liftoff of a manned space flight.

Thirty-six seconds after takeoff, lightning struck the ascending Saturn 5 launch rocket, which tripped the circuit breakers in the command module and caused a power failure. Fortunately, the launching rocket continued up normally, and within a few minutes power was restored in the spacecraft.

On November 19, the landing module Intrepid made a precision landing on the northwest rim of the moon's Ocean of Storms. About five hours later, astronauts Conrad and Bean became the third and fourth humans to walk on the surface of the moon. During the next 32 hours, the two astronauts made two lunar walks, where they collected lunar samples and investigated the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, an unmanned U.S. probe that soft-landed on the moon in 1967. On November 24, Apollo 12 successfully returned to Earth, splashing down only three miles from one of its retrieval ships, the USS Hornet."

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Plane crash devastates Marshall University, Nov 14, 1970:

"On November 14, 1970, a chartered jet carrying most of the Marshall University football team clips a stand of trees and crashes into a hillside just two miles from the Tri-State Airport in Kenova, West Virginia. The team was returning from that day’s game, a 17-14 loss to East Carolina University. Thirty-seven Marshall football players were aboard the plane, along with the team’s coach, its doctors, the university athletic director and 25 team boosters--some of Huntington, West Virginia’s most prominent citizens--who had traveled to North Carolina to cheer on the Thundering Herd. 

All seventy-five people on the flight were killed, including the entire flight crew.  "The whole fabric," a citizen of Huntington wrote later, "the whole heart of the town was aboard."  For Huntington, the plane crash was "like the Kennedy assassination," one citizen remembers. "Everybody knows where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news.""

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Yesterday:

Jay wanted to use some tools and parts in my workshop and trade out for some odd jobs here.  Misty and I went to get him, and had our walk down there.

It was time to prepare for Ava's arrival.  Cats are better off being by themselves for a couple of days to get used to a new household, so my bathroom became the designated place.  We vacuumed and disinfected the kitty condo, window seat and floors.  I changed the blankies, dishes, and litter box up on the window seat.  They have to be high up, or Misty will get into them.

Nala usually eats in my bathroom, so we set up another cage in the Grooming Room.  If I don't keep Nala and Peekers apart when they have food, Nala will eat all his dry food, and Peekers will eat her wet food after he has finished his own. Nala takes her own sweet time to eat her canned food as she prefers dry, unfortunately.

Then we installed a momentary switch on Jay's ATV to make the starter work. Why this was necessary, I don't know, but I had the right spade connectors and crimpers to do it, and it worked.

This early cold weather upset a lot of plans, as we still don't have the greenhouse built, so Ray and I looked online at those for sale.  Then I found out that most of the cheaper ones won't protect the plants from freezing, and I'm not prepared to spend a thousand or two for a glass one.  Especially when I have all the lumber, roofing, windows and old patio doors to build one.  We will just have to keep covering up the plants on the few nights that it goes below freezing.

Other years, we have stapled clear vinyl up over the screen on my porch which kept them safe, but I wanted to keep the plants, and all the shelves, off the porch while I am getting the house ready to sell.  It makes it look less cluttered, and more like a sitting, eating and BBQing area.

Ava's foster mom arrived and we talked quite a bit.  She thought that Ava remembers me as she wasn't usually this friendly to strangers.  She is so sweet, but still too skinny for my liking.  She was all set up in my bathroom, and immediately took to the window seat, ate some food, so she is settling down.

For the first time in a while, Nala my foster cat, had to sleep in the Grooming Room with Peekers, as I left my bathroom door open so that Ava could get on my bed if she wished.  She didn't.  She knew Misty was in her bed under my bed, and might have been scared of a strange dog.  She felt safer up on the window seat.  I hope that she will discover that Misty is no threat, today.

Texas Groundwater. Law Of Biggest Pump. Interconnectivity. About Proposition 6. "Fifth of November". 300 Santee Sioux.

 

For "Travel Tuesday":  let's see what is, or what is not underground, in TX:

Aquifers of Texas

"The state of Texas covers 23 aquifers (7 major and 16 minor aquifers) that underlie approximately ¾ of the state. The Ogallala Aquifer accounts for about 90% of the water in all of Texas aquifers. Groundwater from Texas aquifers is used for irrigation, municipal use, manufacturing, and livestock production. Pumping of water from many aquifers in Texas has resulted in a significant lowering of the water table."

Texas Groundwater Basics

Windmill at Big Bend Ranch
Photo courtesy of TPWD

"Groundwater is a precious resource in Texas. According to the Texas Water Development Board, water from aquifers or groundwater provides over 55% of the state’s water supply. A vast majority of the groundwater (nearly 80%) is used to irrigate crops. Cities such as San Antonio, El Paso, Houston and Amarillo also depend, to varying degrees, on groundwater to supply homes, businesses and industries. Many Texas residents in unincorporated areas also rely on groundwater from individual wells.

Additionally, aquifers support springs that provide the majority of the flows to our most iconic rivers, including the Guadalupe, San Marcos, Frio, Nueces and Llano, and sustain Barton Springs Pool and other beloved Texas swimming holes. Many of these springs are also home to unique and often endangered animals and plants.

Balmorhea State Park. Spring-fed Pool
Photo by Rob McCorkle, TPWD

As pressure on our state’s limited water resource continues to grow, Texas must ensure that our groundwater resources are managed sustainably in order to protect these aquifers and critical spring flows as well as the aquatic species that depend on them for their survival. In some parts of the state, groundwater is being used much more quickly than it is being replenished. For example, the massive Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas Panhandle, which provides the majority of groundwater supplies in Texas, is being pumped at a rate six times greater than the recharge rate.

 

Comanche Springs Pool near Ft. Stockton in 1938
rootsweb.org

In many places in Texas, groundwater resources and the springs they feed have been depleted. Comanche Springs in Fort Stockton, once a critical watering hole for West Texas travelers and a major tourist destination, ceased to flow in the 1960s due to heavy groundwater pumping for agricultural irrigation above the springs. It currently flows only intermittently at low levels during the non-irrigation season. It is imperative that moving forward, we manage these precious resources more sustainably.

Comanche Springs and Pool depleted as a result of pumping.

Groundwater Law in Texas

Texas’ guiding principle for groundwater management has been the rule of capture. Adopted in a 1904 court ruling, this rule gives the landowner the right to capture an unlimited amount of groundwater by tapping into the underlying aquifer. With only a couple of limited exceptions, the landowner is not liable for injury to another adjacent landowner caused by excessive pumping as long as the injury is not intentional. For this reason, the rule of capture is often referred to as the law of the biggest pump.

Little Arkansas Spring flowing into the Blanco River
Photo courtesy of Charles Kruvand

Our historical approach has been to limit control of groundwater pumping. This practice appears to have been adequate when neighboring landowners were withdrawing similar, limited amounts of water or they were not pumping enough to significantly affect each other’s ability to withdraw groundwater. However, with increased demands on groundwater, the rule of capture is no longer sufficient to protect this limited water supply."  More at: http://texaslivingwaters.org/groundwater/groundwater-and-texas-law/

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EXAMPLES OF INTERCONNECTIVITY

"What is Interconnectivity?

The water cycle, which includes both surface and groundwater, is a dynamic and interconnected system. In many instances, surface water, which includes water flowing through our creeks, streams, and rivers, has its origins below the surface.

Graphic Courtesy of USGS

 

 

 

 

 

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The Hill Country and Edwards Plateau

Springs flowing into the Pecos River
Photo courtesy of Charles Kruvand

"The influence of spring flow on creeks and rivers is strongly evident in the Hill Country and the Edwards Plateau, where groundwater pours out of the Edwards-Trinity (Plateau) Aquifer through springs to form the headwaters of the Pecos, Devils, Nueces, Frio, Sabinal, Medina, and Guadalupe, Llano, and San Saba Rivers. Springs and other natural discharges of the Trinity Group Aquifer supply additional water to most of these rivers as they flow east and southeastward across central Texas towards the coast. Natural discharges of the Trinity Group Aquifer also form the headwaters of the Pedernales and Blanco Rivers."

Up on the Edwards Plateau, USGS stream flow data collected during the summer of 2006 show that the flow of the spring-fed Llano River accounted for approximately 75% of the water flowing into the Highland Lakes, which provide water for the Austin area and downstream.

The Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer and the Brazos River

Chick Bend, Brazos River below Possum Kingdom Lake
Photo courtesy of Charles Kruvand

The United States Geological Survey conducted a gain-loss study and an analysis of historical streamflow measurements for the Brazos River reach from McLennan County down through Fort Bend County. Based on both the current study and the historical data, there is an appreciable increase in flows of the Brazos River as it trends southeast across the Falls County line towards the city of Bryan. Underlying that reach and supporting the flows of the Brazos are the Carrizo-Wilcox, Queen City, Sparta, and Yegua-Jackson Aquifers.

The Canadian River and the Ogallala Aquifer

The Canadian River Wagon Bridge is the longest pin-connected bridge in Texas, spanning 3,255 ft with Parker through trusses

Natural discharges from the Northern Ogallala Aquifer support the flows of the Canadian River as it traverses the Texas Panhandle. In the eastern portion of the Texas Panhandle where the Ogallala Aquifer has not been excessively dewatered, it also discharges to a variety of smaller streams and rivers within the Canadian River Basin. In Hemphill County, for example, numerous tributaries to the Canadian River, including the Washita River, Red Deer Creek, and Gageby Creek among others, all reportedly flow continuously even through drought periods due to natural discharges from the Ogallala Aquifer."  More at: http://texaslivingwaters.org/groundwater/groundwater-in-texas/

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Election Day – Today, Nov. 5

 

HOUSTON, TX – "Believe it or not, republicans, democrats, corporate lobbyists and environmental advocates have finally agreed on something: they all support Proposition 6.

CLEAR FACTS: PROPOSITION 6 SECURES A LONG TERM
WATER SUPPLY FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS

• Does NOT raise taxes on citizens or businesses
• Protects our growing cities, businesses, farmers and ranchers against future drought
• Provides the water Texas needs to attract jobs and grow the economy
• Secures our long-term water needs through conservation efforts and water projects including the construction of new pipelines and reservoirs
• Provides local control by allowing water districts and municipalities to determine water projects and oversee how the money is being spent."

See more at: http://www.watertexas.com/news/prop-6-brings-all-political-parties-together

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DID YOU KNOW?

Of Texas’ 196 lakes – Caddo Lake – is the only natural lake.

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Average Annual Texas Precipitation,
1971–2000, and Major River Basins of Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you know about the groundwater in your state?

Do you do your best to conserve your precious water?

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On This Day:

King James learns of gunpowder plot, Nov 5, 1605:

"Early in the morning, King James I of England learns that a plot to explode the Parliament building has been foiled, hours before he was scheduled to sit with the rest of the British government in a general parliamentary session.

At about midnight on the night of November 4-5, Sir Thomas Knyvet, a justice of the peace, found Guy Fawkes lurking in a cellar under the Parliament building and ordered the premises searched. Some 20 barrels of gunpowder were found, and Fawkes was taken into custody. During a torture session on the rack, Fawkes revealed that he was a participant in an English Catholic conspiracy to annihilate England's Protestant government and replace it with Catholic leadership."

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The Fifth of November.  English Folk Verse (c.1870)

    "Remember, remember!
    The fifth of November,
    The Gunpowder treason and plot;
    I know of no reason
    Why the Gunpowder treason
    Should ever be forgot!
    Guy Fawkes and his companions
    Did the scheme contrive,
    To blow the King and Parliament
    All up alive.
    Threescore barrels, laid below,
    To prove old England's overthrow.
    But, by God's providence, him they catch,
    With a dark lantern, lighting a match!
    A stick and a stake
    For King James's sake!
    If you won't give me one,
    I'll take two,
    The better for me,
    And the worse for you.
    A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,
    A penn'orth of cheese to choke him,
    A pint of beer to wash it down,
    And a jolly good fire to burn him.
    Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!
    Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!
    Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!"

"The poem is sometimes referred to as 'Please to remember the fifth of November'. It serves as a warning to each new generation that treason will never be forgotten. In England the 5th of November is still commemorated each year with fireworks and bonfires culminating with the burning of effigies of Guy Fawkes (the guy). The 'guys' are made by children by filling old clothes with crumpled newspapers to look like a man. Tradition allows British children to display their 'guys' to passers-by and asking for " A penny for the guy"."

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300 Santee Sioux sentenced to hang in Minnesota, Nov 5, 1862:

"On this day in Minnesota, more than 300 Santee Sioux are found guilty of raping and murdering Anglo settlers and are sentenced to hang. A month later, President Abraham Lincoln commuted all but 39 of the death sentences. One of the Indians was granted a last-minute reprieve, but the other 38 were hanged simultaneously on December 26 in a bizarre mass execution witnessed by a large crowd of approving Minnesotans.

For nearly half a century, Anglo settlers invaded the Santee Sioux territory in the beautiful Minnesota Valley, and government pressure gradually forced the Indians to relocate to smaller reservations along the Minnesota River.

At the reservations, the Santee were badly mistreated by corrupt federal Indian agents and contractors; during July 1862, the agents pushed the Indians to the brink of starvation by refusing to distribute stores of food because they had not yet received their customary kickback payments. The contractors callously ignored the Santee's pleas for help.

Outraged and at the limits of their endurance, the Santee finally struck back, killing Anglo settlers and taking women as hostages.  The subsequent trials of the prisoners gave little attention to the injustices the Indians had suffered on the reservations and largely catered to the popular desire for revenge. However, President Lincoln's commutation of the majority of the death sentences clearly reflected his understanding that the Minnesota Uprising had been rooted in a long history of Anglo abuse of the Santee Sioux."

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Yesterday:

Ray was taking Shay to the doctor, and Jay is still in Onalaska, TX, so I thought I had better do something about getting the little vibration in my van checked out.  After years of driving Caddies and Lincolns, I like a smooth ride! Though the only time my van had a really smooth ride was when it still had Michelins on it.

The minute I got on the freeway, I wished I hadn't, or at least had a CB, so that I knew what was going on. There is another back-roads way into Conroe, further west, but once you are on the freeway, you can't get to it.  The traffic came to a dead stop for over half an hour.  I asked a truck driver what was going on, and he said that a truck had overturned a few miles down the freeway.  Many got onto the feeder, but I knew better than that, as they would get struck at the FM 1097 traffic light and then be steered back onto the freeway as there is no feeder road past FM 1097.  There was a mile long wait at that light. The traffic started to move slowly, but it took 3/4 hour to go 4 miles.  By the time we all got to the accident site at League Line Road, the overturned truck was gone, and there were just workers clearing up the debris on the side of the road.  I hope no one was hurt.

Pete at the front-end shop took the van for a test drive, and told me to get the tires re-balanced. At the tire shop he found out that one of the tires has a wiggle.  They didn't have that size tire in stock, so I went to the tire store where I bought the tires.  They wiggled out of their 55,000 mile warranty, even though these tires only have 17,000 miles on them.  Said I must have hit something with it, and they didn't have one either.  So now I will have to find a tire that size.  I hope that cures the slight vibration.

A few other stops, then it started to drizzle all the way home, and turned into a gloomy, dark day.