Tell Me You Don’t See It
This post is in response to the Daily Post’s Discover Challenge: Conventional Wisdom–This week, go against the grain.
Conventional wisdom would tell me that I’m turning what was clearly meant to be a metaphor into something more literal.
Example 1: “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” —Luke 19:40
Examples 2: “Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.” —1Chronicles 16:33
Hope
“But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” —1 Thessalonians 5:8
I believe it’s true that Hope in action equals Faith. Without Hope, where would your Faith be?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” —Hebrews 11:1
Other translations put it this way:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen.”
How many of you knew that? Substance and evidence are pretty strong words and these come from the Apostle Paul, who God had to get physical with before he believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who had come into the world as God with us. (Read Acts chapter 9 for the reason “Paul” became a believer in Jesus Christ.) Substance and evidence are words heard in courtrooms. They are meant to convict or hold innocent. Substance and evidence are not hearsay.
The Lowly Dandelion
I read Pickled Pastors posted sermon dealing with dandelions (there’s a link at the bottom of this post,) and a few things came to mind. I realize the photo above is not a dandelion but for now, it will do. (I went outside to photo a dandelion flower or some fairies and they were all gone–gone away till the next batch pops up. All our yard currently sports is the greens and their deep roots.)
Let me remind readers that I’m a medicinal herbalist.
The lowly dandelion, it’s true, is termed a weed by modern gardeners and farmers, yet I’m not so certain it was always thought of as one. It has far too many beneficial qualities to deem it unwanted, really.
• Its greens are edible and its root makes coffee. In other words, when SHTF, you’re going to want that dandelion growing nearby.
• Diabetics suckle the milk from the flower stems to improve their health and folks also used that substance on rashes with good results.
• The dandelion purifies the blood and yet people spend hundreds of dollars on doctor visits and over the counter remedies.
• It makes a good sugar and syrup and helps out the liver.
A plant that makes sugar that can help diabetics. Strange, huh. Why, according to Maria Treben, author of Health Through God’s Pharmacy, the dandelion ” . . . is Nature’s greatest healing aid for suffering mankind.”
The Right to Marry and Childrearing
By Leneé Cobb
This article was prompted after reading Ivaberanek’s very thoughtful article titled Whatever you say, say nothing. I began to write my feelings into her comment section and it didn’t take me long to conclude I had more to say than would be feasible to merely comment about. I’ve also read this subject covered by a couple other bloggers here on WordPress. It is a divisive subject, a private and yet public and political subject. Nevertheless, for those willing and brave enough to tread deep waters, here’s my take.
First, though, know this: I’ve never written an opinion piece, ever. This is new and scary ground for me. My hope is this will instigate more individuals, regardless of who they are or what they believe, to more good works, plain and simple.
Same sex marriage
Protection by the state is a key issue. To me, the word “marriage” is sort of a “state” word. As such, I think there is too much ado about defining that word. Marriages must be licensed, etc., to be legit, according to . . . the state, or government entity, anyway.
The only way in many areas for couples to receive survivor benefits and stuff like that, even divorce settlements, are if they were in a “legitimate marriage.” This was blatantly unfair to a lot of people, whether or not we happened to agree with their chosen lifestyle.
We who believe in free will, should we not honor the will of others, especially in matters of what they’d wish for their loved ones? For someone to lose a life partner only to be left with nothing due to some stinking marriage law is unfathomable to me, regardless of my faith.
Marriage, besides being afforded to those whom the state decides to oblige, is also a cultural thing and its definitions vary accordingly.
Therefore, therefore . . . heavy sigh.
Childrearing and even abortion
Also, there are not enough men and women married couples willing to adopt or provide foster care to the myriad amount of children that need it. I know this. I’ve a right to say it. Unless more (kagilleons more) Christians open up their hearts and homes to these kids they should . . .
What are you doing with the rest of your life?
3/13/15 by Leneé Cobb
I was a headhunter. No, not the kind that collects shrinking heads, but the kind who matches people with positions. The challenges this profession presented thrilled me. I realized my job entailed not only placing people with the right skills into the company with a need for those skills, but also making sure personalities meshed.
Between interviewing job seekers and kinking my neck by cold-calling businesses, I visited the businesses, met the owners and or managers, and got a feel for the rest of the employees to understand better what type of personality would meld within their organization. Most of my counterparts never left their offices. My placements soared.
I’d interview an average of six to ten people a day, day after day, week after week. There came a time when my dreams, instead of producing a sweet escape, consisted of nothing but images of job applications. I knew I had to take a break and headed to the wilderness.
Scribbles to Compositions 
You have an open and compassionate heart. You speak truth as I understand it. My husband and I made a deliberate decision not to have children because we were older when we married and older yet when my husband completed a Ph.D. That decision has been questioned or mourned by many, but not by us. Why shouldn’t marriage and childbearing make more sense?
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