The cool morning air.

6/3/07 Sunday
I was up till after 1:00 this morning. There was a great lightning storm that I tried to get a video of with the Kodak camera. I’ve never used the video feature on it before and was surprised to learn it also records sound. Unfortunately it isn’t sensitive enough to work when it was this dark. There were only a few dim flashes showing on the screen. That’s a shame cause it was a fantastic light show. I opened the living room window and both doors to try and get some of the cool night air in the house. Still wide awake I grabbed the bible and lesson book to study what they were going to teach in Sunday school.

Janie called this morning. Of course the cell phone was still in the pocket of my jeans which were crumpled up on the floor so it was a scramble to retrieve it before the voice mail kicked in. Janie had to be tired after the two day fundraising golf event she was responsible for or involved in. There were something like 530 golfers there. Steve didn’t get in till late last night after being gone on the job for a week. Despite that they want to come over with the other Steve to help install the evaporative cooler that Steve (the other Steve) had sitting in his garage. Running water to it will be the big problem.

Janie asked when we would be done at church in order to figure out when to get here. We weren’t sure having only been there once last week so 2:00 was set. Cherie has laundry and stuff she wants to get done and getting ready for church in time was going to be a race so we decided to skip church today. That will let me get some work done while it is still cool. We had a little bit of rain last night but it was just a sprinkle. Still will help the garden. Cherie is going to head into town to do the laundry. I think I will go wash my hair outside under the water hose. Took my alcohol stand up bath last night so am pretty clean except the hair.

I will either chop weeds or figure out what to plant on the three remaining rows I installed the drip feed irrigation on. I was having a hard time deciding that or anything else yesterday. It was a rough day with lots of anger boiling inside on top of depression. I am doing much better this morning and seem fairly sharp so making decisions should be easier.

I had thought that burying the drip feed hose was how it is supposed to be done but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I suppose I should have read the directions. The first hose I put in was just barely covered and the water seems to have spread over a wider area, reaching the spots I planted seeds two or three inches away. The other hoses are buried two to four inches in the ground and left these spots dry. So I will pull them out of the ground. Fortunately that not disturb the seeds I planted and will be easy to do.

Here’s an interesting side note. Seems that someone from Stanton was looking in the archives at my entries regarding the Cedar Creek church we had such a bad experience with in Toledo. With Mapstats I can tell what city, what time, how many pages, which pages, and a few other details. If I wanted to pay a few bucks I could see who it was that visited the blog but it isn’t that important to me. I just find it interesting that someone would research this, especially when no one has really reached out or made efforts to really get to know us. So they don’t talk with us but still look at some of our history. All of this is so puzzling, almost contradictory to not take the few moments to get to really know us yet read pages of specific information from the blog.

I must wonder about this, I wonder what they look for, what their motives are, and finally why not ask, why not just talk? Where is this “Love of Jesus” they speak so proudly of yet seem to practice in narrow directions of their choosing. Yes, there is a bitterness in me stemming from this sense of rejection from those I reached out to for fellowship. Others like Amy, Janie, and Steve are reaching out to us and are practicing the beliefs they espouse, thus honoring the God they serve. Again, it’s not the “Things” they give that are important, it is just being friends, just being there to talk to.

Pastor Dave used the word “Rhetoric” when referring to what I write in this journal. That is a word that has some almost contradictory definitions so I wonder how he was using it.

rhet•o•ric

noun Definition: 1. persuasive speech or writing: speech or writing that communicates its point persuasively

2. pretentious words: complex or elaborate language that only succeeds in sounding pretentious

3. empty talk: fine-sounding but insincere or empty language

4. skill with language: the ability to use language effectively, especially to persuade or influence people

5. study of writing or speaking effectively: the study of methods employed to write or speak effectively and persuasively

I suppose that if he considered what I wrote to be pretentious, empty, or insincere it would mean those words have little value and thus could or should be cast aside. If they were persuasive one would expect they would cause a change in the hearts of the readers, which would be evidenced by actions. I don’t know, I just know that what I write I write from the heart. It is what I feel. Sure, there is a great possibility that I am wrong but if I am come and tell me so I can understand and repent. But these are honest words from the standpoint of my perception.

So here is some “Rhetoric” that is true and I would hope persuasive. Not to make some feel bad but to open their eyes so they can be better.

Mathew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

So I am offensive? I am unpleasant in what I think or say? I am sorry but…

Mathew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Who am I to say this? Am I a preacher? I am a man who seeks God, I am a man with doubts and questions but these are not my words, they are true words, the words of Jesus and I can’t argue against them.

21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.


Time to get moving and take care of the coolness of the morning air.