D.O.M.E.

1– There comes a time when you can’t afford to waste what you have—your resources, your energy, your time, your mind, your emotions, your relationships.

Now, the same statement, with one word added and underlined:

2– There comes a time when you can’t afford to waste what you have left—your resources, your energy, your time, your mind, your emotions, your relationships.

As we get older, we start facing that second statement, with the word, left, because we must accept less in many areas.
The key is dealing with it without adding more stress.

– – –

For anyone out there who feels you’re losing it, a little or a lot,
we need the
Department
Of
Mental
Efficiency

Find waste, fraud, theft, inefficiency, in the use of mental energy, especially as the available supply becomes a premium.

We need D.O.M.E.
But who can we find to do what needs to be done—identify our unaffordable mental inefficiencies and give practical suggestions to address them.

I believe it must be done.
I feel it can be done.

(I’ll start writing notes when ideas come.)

TRADEOFFS OR CONSEQUENCES

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(part one—read this first)
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TRADEOFFS
Is life a deal, a tradeoff—maneuvering to get the most of what you want while giving up the least to get it ?
What, or Who, are you dealing with, in life—in real life—in your life ?

or

CONSEQUENCES
Is life a choice, with consequences—finding what is most important—deciding to get what is most important, whatever it costs—accepting and living with the consequences—never looking back ?
What, or Who, are you choosing—always looking ahead—all the way ahead ?

– – –

What is the cost ?

What is the price ?
– of satisfaction ?
– of making money ?
– of getting rich ?
– of security ?
– of contentment ?
– of freedom ?
– of goals ?
– of accomplishment ?

What is the price ?
– of integrity ?
– of faithfulness ?
– of faith ?
– of love ?
– of relationships ?
– of happiness ?

– – –

What is your price ?

What will you pay ?

What will you give up ?

What will you sacrifice ?

What will you suffer ?

– – –

What do you want ?

What do you want most ?

What is life worth ?

What is your life worth ?

What is death worth ?

What is your death worth to someone ?

What is your death worth to you ?

– – –

What is life after death worth ?

What is life after death worth to you ?

– – –

What is the connection between–
— the price of life now ?
and
— the price of life after now ?

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
This was written with questions only, to get you to think—think first about your life, your ambitions, your pursuits—and not immediately react to my answers, or anybody else’s answers, to life.
If we cannot get an honest evaluation of our life, we will never make honest decisions that last.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
(part two—later)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

LET SOME THINGS GO

“We don’t have to go to every fight we get a ticket to.”
—–Peter Rosenberger, Hope For The Family Caregiver, on American Family Radio

POLITICAL PARTIES – – – GOD AND THE DEVIL

God is not a Republican, but
“The devil is a Democrat”
—–Seth Gruber, director of The 1916 Project (movie),
documenting abortion and planned ‘un’parenthood

Watch the film, “The 1916 Project” in any way you can.

DISTANCE BY NEGLECT

Never allow neglect to start.
It will become a pattern.
A little neglect creates a little distance.
A little distance creates a foothold.
Conceding will happen automatically.

Must practice intimacy.

If doctors and lawyers do not practice their profession, they will soon have nothing to practice.

If husband and wife to not practice intimacy regularly, they will soon have nothing to practice.

NEED TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT ‘LOSING IT’

In the early stages of losing ground mentally (and as a result, emotionally, etc.), before other people notice and express concern, the person who is struggling with reduced function may wish and search for real, practical suggestions for change that could actually help.
It is not helpful to hear others say they experience similar problems, even offensive to just tell you to see a doctor.
Unwillingness to offer conversation breeds isolation, and the troubled person must commit to silence, because the cost of feeling worse is too great.

Why can’t there be simple, honest understanding, with a willingness to talk and brainstorm for ideas—things to do, to change, to let go, to help, to make the person feel better.
There are few conditions like mental decline, so loaded with responses that are non-answers.

It seems most people want to focus on the times when the person seems to function okay—so they can avoid uncomfortable.
And thus—postponement of help that could be available.
This scary world would not have to be so scary if someone would just talk with you.

Humor is marginal with this matter, but I try it sometimes.
Anyway, at least it gives others a chance to laugh.

I need to write a book about ‘losing it’, with practical, everyday suggestions to let go of some things you can’t cover anymore, and conserve the time, energy, and thinking you have left.
Logic—Common Sense—Carefree—Refreshing.

How would I write this book ?
It would take an inspiration of the Holy Spirit (which He could do), because I don’t have the answers to put in the book.

Why would I write this book ?
So I can read it, because I don’t have the answers in the book.

MARRIAGE VOWS AMPLIFIED

If these vows, repeated at the wedding altar, were thoroughly addressed in pre-marital counseling—so much so, that they are almost memorized—so ingrained to stick forever—then they may be recalled when reality hits home later (or sooner).

“I Promise” is a verbal declaration—“I give you my word.”
“I Pledge” is a promise backed with collateral—“I mortgage my life for you.”

– – –

I promise, I pledge, to you, [name], with everything I have from God’s power, that I will–
+ I will forsake all others, past, present, future.
+ I will cleave/cling to you.
+ I will cleave/cling only to you.
+ I will stay faithful to you as long as we live, with feelings and without feelings.
+ I will stay with you when we’re rich and when we’re poor.
+ I will stay with you when we’re healthy and when we’re sick.
+ I will stay close with you when we have faith and when we have doubt.
+ I will stay close together with you when we are strong and when we are weak.
+ I will stay together with you when we have warm feelings and when we don’t.
+ I will defend our marriage, our home, against all enemies outside and inside.
+ I will build our house (home) with the Lord to destroy the termites.
+ I will remember intimacy always, and catch the little foxes.
+ I will spend time with the Lord alone, every day.
+ I will spend time with the Lord together, every day.
+ I will spend time with you, every day.
+ I will “call upon the Lord in the day of trouble”.
+ I will “call upon the Lord in the day of trouble” with you.

– – –

I offered this at my youngest son’s wedding reception.
“Marriage is work, BUT remember to:
+ Spend 80% of your time and energy enjoying each other.
+ Spend 10% of your time and energy dealing with what the world throws at you.
+ Spend 5% of your time and energy dealing with what your spouse throws at you.
+ Spend 5% of your time and energy dealing with what you throw at your spouse.”

WHY KILL ALL THE CANAANITES ?

God has His reasons for everything, and He is just and holy in all He commands.

We are not God, and that is why we can’t understand Him sometimes, oftentimes.

Since God is God, we do well to listen to what He tells us to do—and do it.

A little known connection in one story when the Israelites fought the Amalekites (descendants of Esau).
That was the battle where Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms until the end of the day, so the army of Israel would win.
Many years later, the Amalekites came against Israel again.
God commanded, through the prophet Samuel, that king Saul should destroy ALL the Amalekites.
Saul disobeyed, and kept king Agag alive.
Again, many years later, one of the ‘Agagites’ named Haman set out to kill all the Jews—with an evil scheme with hate in his heart.
God saved the day, and saved the Jews, through the Jewish queen Esther, and the Agagite Haman was hanged on the gallows he built for the Jew he hated most.

And that is one of the reasons we can understand, for God’s order to destroy the godless people in the Promised Land.

God’s stated reason for the command is because the extreme wickedness of the people of Canaan would rub off on His chosen people and influence them to turn away from God and drift toward the pagan gods.
Sure enough, it happened just like God warned.

And that happens to us today.
God’s people, Christians, did not eliminate evolution when it was introduced in our schools.
God’s people, Christians, did not eliminate abortion when it was declared legal.
Abortion is America’s horrific version of Israel offering their little children to the god Molec—burning them alive in the red-hot statue.
This country will not endure—half death—and—half life (just like Lincoln said over slavery).
God’s people, Christians, did not eliminate the decree to take the Ten Commandments out of our schools.
God’s people, Christians, did not eliminate the decree to take the Bible out of our schools.
God’s people, Christians, did not eliminate the decree to take prayer out of our schools.

RESULTS ?

God is not pleased—
— America’s students now way behind other countries.
— Sixty million babies dead before the god, the altar, the sacrament of abortion.
— Dozens of children murdered in school, by children acting on what abortion taught them—just animals.
— A generation that does not know God.
— A generation that does not know our Godly heritage.
— Sexual perversion, with inventions of every unimaginable sort.
— Ideology bent on destroying the most God-blessed country on earth.

“The wicked will be turned into hell—and all the nations that forget God.”

BUT

“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 forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

God did that for Israel over and over, in the Bible, when they finally turned back to Him.
He will do that for us again, IF we do what He requires in the verse above.
Nothing less will do.

Repent of our sin.
Get forgiven for our sin.
Get rid of our sin.

SENIOR CERTAINTIES (4)

Sometimes humor is helpful in senior years (sometimes not).

I’ve been stopped about speeding only two times in my life.
Notice I said about speeding, not for speeding.
One time I was driving my 80cc Yamaha motorcycle on a rough street.
I was stopped for driving too slow—no ticket, no problem.

The other time was a during a sincere effort for a second honeymoon after some very rough years.
We were involved in meaningful conversation, and I didn’t realize I had slowed down, and that got the attention of an officer.
He had me get out of the car, perhaps to check if I was under the influence.
He pointed out that I was driving too slow, and wondered why.
I told him the truth.
He had to verify this with my wife in the car, separately.
When her answer matched mine, the officer was amazed by our story, and engaged in a few minutes of warm conversation.
– – –
A couple positive notes about driving, from my personal experience:
+ In 59+ years of driving, I never had a ticket for a moving violation.
That may have something to do with growing up on the farm, and driving as soon as I could reach the pedals—and driving the tractor slowly for loading hay before I could reach the pedals.
+ The second is such an amazing blessing, holding true for nearly four decades now—there never was a time when I was a passenger with any of my four children driving, that I felt uncomfortable with their driving.
That calls for a humble shout of PRAISE THE LORD ! ! !

WHY THE P U S H ! FOR TRANSGENDER ?

I came across an article from ten years ago, that listed some patterns, outcomes, consequences of the militant gay agenda—developments that show “unnatural never has enough”, is never satisfied.
As I re-read about the sadness of unfulfilled lifestyles, that turns to ever-greater power grab for meaning—it almost said, “What’s next ?”

What was next in their demands for more, that they could not find in what they had ?

In the decade since the article, the next step in this continuum of evil* has played out so very graphically.

Transgender—suggested, then recruited, then pushed, then imposed, then criminally forced on children with ideological, medical, physical mutilation.

The depravity of the entire lgbt agenda also simultaneously captured the culture by storm with DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), which caught many institutions and industries so off guard, to drown in the tsunami.

All the above left the culture, this country, without a compass, headed into a hurricane of certain destruction.

THANKFULLY, and I mean “Thank You to God”, there are changes in the last year and the last months.
Major companies have reversed their policies and eliminated DEI.
Many states have banned DEI in public schools and colleges.
The federal government has canceled DEI in all agencies.
And more . . .

Now, America, brought back from the brink of demise, has the biggest fight for its life in history.|
Those who want to change America by destroying it, are writhing in anger and hate over any return to morality, sanity, freedom, democracy, family, nature and nature’s God.
More than ever, Christians must pray and publicly speak up and stand up for Jesus, for family, for Biblical values our country was built on.

* “continuum of evil” answers the question “WHY ?”
When the power of the evil one, the devil, gets hold of individuals and nations, and they forget God, there is no satisfaction or stopping the consequences or indulgence in depravity.

(Read the article from ten years ago, IT IS SAD – – – IT IS ABOUT POWER