war tactics

Tactics of War

Imagine if you will an archery competition. One would expect to see arrows landing near the center of the target. Now imagine an entire row of contestants who have totally missed the target because they shot themselves in the foot, causing severe, self inflicted wounds.

What devilry could have bewitched these archers to see their own foot as the target?

We do have an enemy, the devil and his demons. He does not need to take the bow from our hand. He only need to confuse us as to who is the enemy.

I live in a culture of rapid moral decay. Few know right from wrong. The message to love the world is ubiquitous. Ironically, the Bible is just a digital click away. 

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

lab rat

Laboratory Rat

I am like the rat,

Traversing the maze,

Suddenly aware,

Of the scientist gaze.

Was the professor,

Plotting a trend?

Or was she hoping,

For a new rat friend?

JSM 5 Feb 2021

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. John4.23

civil war prayer

Civil War Fatality’s Prayer Survives 

After the battle of Gettysburg this prayer was found on a folded paper on a Confederate soldier’s corpse. 

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,

I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do great things,

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy,

I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. 

I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

JSM, 2 Feb 2021

understated adjective

Complaint about an Understated Adjective 

I suggest a new word to replace the adjective chronic as an adjective to describe pain because it implies nothing of pathos. For example sunrises are constantly recurring and meet the definition of chronic. Chronic comes from the Greek khronos meaning time. I therefore suggest a different English word.

Besieging....

A siege is an attack over a long time without relief for which there is no internal relief.

I do not have chronic pain. I have besieging pain.

Now that seems to me a much better adjective!!! 

mind control

You are what you think.

That is the title of an article in March 2017 in Psychology Today by counselors Lisa Ferentz. [ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/healing-trauma-s-wounds/201703/you-are-what-you-think?eml click ] Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “You are what you think all day long.” 

Is this true? 

The Christian Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:2

[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (ESV)

Positive Example

Philippians 4:8

[8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV)

Negative example

Mark 8:33

[33] But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. (ESV)

I think you are what you think has a Biblical basis. Or as Christian author Darrow Miller says, "ideas have consequences." 

How to think on an idea.

Mental Game One

Can you think about the color green? A dog? An equilateral triangle?

Can you not think about an apple? A ladder? Santa Claus?

Can you think about nothing?

Can you count backwards by 3s starting from 99 and stop 66?

Can you think about 2 things at the same time?

What are some thoughts you should not think? Suicide. Revenge. Hate.

2 Corinthians 10:5

[5] We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (ESV)

James ,1:8 and ,,4:8 double minded , 2 souls 

Mental Game 2

Label These Ideas

True or False

Important or Unimportant

Interesting or boring

Red, Blue, and Yellow are primary colors

Food is purchased in stores.

Alpha, beta, gamma are the first 3 Greek letters

A triangle with side lengths of 3,4, and 5 has a 90 angle opposite the side of length 5.

Space has 3 dimensions.

There is a God.

The sun and the moon orbit the earth.

I am ugly.

The sun is God.

Cornbread is sweet,

Food is grown on farms.

I can not change.

No one understands me.

The only reality is physical in nature.

The sun will rise tomorrow.

Thomas Jefferson was the second Vice President of the USA.

God made the world in 6 literal days.

The earth is spherical.

Sex is only for procreation.

God chooses who will be saved.

Demons are real.

God dictated the Bible.

Crystals focus spiritual forces.

Allah is God.

All birds can fly.

Time is a constant,

I weigh the same on the equator and the North Pole.

The universe has a boundary.

I am stupid.

Coal is bad.

All drugs should be legal.

Bourbon is evil.

Pleasure is evil.

He who has the gold rules.

Vengeance is ok.

Murder is wrong.

A little white lie never hurt anyone.

Money is evil.

Nudity is evil.

It is wrong to eat animals,

Satan is real.

Spiders are dangerous.

Rats are good pets.

Insects are food.

Drinking Lysol cures disease.

Suicide is ok.

Abortion is evil.

Our entire life we encounter circumstances which engender ideas which we evaluate and archive. The interesting, important, true file becomes the means by which we archive new ideas and thus if a mistake was made it tends to perpetuate itself.

For example a 10 year old grandchild on vacation in the mountains hikes in the woods with his grandmother raised in the mountains. To the grandmother teaberry is a green leaf to chew for pleasure. The child believes food is grown on farms and comes from stores. The child feels fear. He was scolded more than once for putting grass in his mouth. But, he also trusts the character of his grandmother. He watches the grandmother chew the leaf. He accepts one from the trusted hand of his grandmother. To his surprise it tastes just like bubblegum!!! The child will now begins to rearrange his filing system. His worldview just changed for the better.

If Emerson was correct we can change who we are by controlling what we think about. The entertainment industry is built on this premise. The last commercial I saw was for Old Navy clothing brand. I recall exciting music and multiple examples of very happy, healthy, prosperous people trying to convince me the Old Navy clothing brand is the key to happiness. I assume they don't spend money on advertising unless it has proven profitable in the past. I can still recall commercial jingles for cigarettes, soap, hot dogs, etc from my childhood. What are the dogs kids love to bite?

Garbage in, Garbage out

most blessed

Most Blessed 

Expend no thoughts of sympathy for me.

I am of all people most blessed.

I have no complaints toward God nor man.

Life has passed my expectations test.

I have witnessed life spring forth from the womb,

And lived to see the miracle again and again.

I have baptized Cabecar in cold mountain stream.

And seen prisoners by the hundreds born again and again.

One day I will be old and frail,

One day this body will give up the ghost.

But I was blessed to follow adventure’s trail.

And of all my peers I believed myself blessed the most.

JSM 1/26/2021

chain tight

chain tight

Life,

Beautiful

Warm

Positive 

Pain,

Ugly

Cold

Negative 

Life pulls left,

Pain pulls right,

Chain tight,

During the fight.