Friday, July 31, 2009

Sites To See

This is the new version of FIVE FOR FRIDAY. As with the former, it is the SOLE purpose of this weekly series to call attention to sites that I think many would find most interesting—in one way or another. Please, go see for yourself.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

WhiteHeart Wednesday

Link: [Highlands]



MP3 Audio Player From: [BlogDumps Video]

Once And For All
WhiteHeart

Oh won’t you come with me
To a hill called Calvary
See the face
Of a bruised and dying man

Can anyone explain
The mystery beyond the grave
Of this place
Where love is born again

Once and for all
That He gave His life
He bled and died
The sacrifice for all
Who will take His name
Once and for all

Oh won’t you come and see
The tide of all humanity
Every race
They come on bended knee

We cannot close the door
There is a why He fought the war
Of this place
Everyone can be free

Once and for all
That He gave His life
He bled and died
The sacrifice for all
Who will take His name
Once and for all
Open wide the doors
There’s room for more
To all the world
That a heart can sow
When you call upon His Holy name

Once and for all
There is freedom
Once and for all
There is freedom
Love’s here
Love conquers all

Once and for all

Who will take His name

Once and for all

Call upon His name

Once and for all
It goes on and on
Unto everyone
When you call upon His name
Once and for all
End time will tell
How much fruit you yield
In a heart that loves in His name
Once and for all
It goes on and on
Unto everyone
When you call upon His name
Once and for all
End time will tell
How many wounds will heal
In a heart that burns with His name

Once and for all
It goes on and on and on

It goes on and on

Once and for all

Oh I want to feel it
Once and for all
It goes on and on
Unto everyone
Once and for all

Link: [WhiteHeart]

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

TWO FOR TUESDAY {REDO}

Not every song that will be featured here will be what is generally considered as being “Christian” in the eyes of this world. For some will be anguished cries from the pit of despair, and others will be quite obviously ferverent rants of rebellion. Nonetheless, be assured that they will all be of our Heavenly Father (in one way or another) and I hope that you have been given ears to hear the message.



Link: [On YouTube]

Eleanor Rigby
The Beatles
Ah
Look at all the lonely people

Ah
Look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice
In the church
Where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream

Waits at the window
Wearing the face
That she keeps
In a jar
By the door
Who is it for

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong

Father McKenzie
Writing the words
Of a sermon
That no one will hear
No one comes near

Look at him working
Darning his socks
In the night
When there’s nobody there
What does he care

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong

Ah
Look at all the lonely people

Ah
Look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby
Died in the church
And was buried
Along with her name
Nobody came

Father McKenzie
Wiping the dirt
From his hands
As he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong


Link: [On YouTube]

The Fool On The Hill
The Beatles
Day after day
Alone on the hill
The man with the foolish grin
Is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him
They can see that he’s just a fool
And he never gives an answer
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning ‘round

Well on the way
His head in a cloud
The man of a thousand voices
Is talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him
Or the sound he appears to make
And he never seems to notice
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning ‘round

And nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do
And he never shows his feelings
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning ‘round

Oh
Oh
Oh
Oh
Oh
Oh
‘Round
‘Round
‘Round
‘Round
‘Round

And he never listens to them
He knows that they’re the fools
They don’t like him
The fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning ‘round

Oh
Oh
‘Round
‘Round
‘Round
‘Round
Oh

Link: [The Beatles]

Lyrics From: [The Beatles Lyrics Archive]

Monday, July 27, 2009

Come Monday...Troop 76

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about, websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time. Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.” This is subject to change, however. In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while. For rants promote change, and change can be good—right? Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

The following is another chapter from the rewrite of The Crackerhead Chronicles. Please, don’t offer any suggestions about where my “stuff” may be. For I am still not in the mood to appreciate any help that you may have to offer with that at this time, but I would greatly appreciate any comments you may have about this chapter.


The Eighth Crumb
(Troop 76)

I found out much of what I know about the Wolf Pen Gap area while compiling a history of the Eagle Rock area for the purpose of completing a Boy Scout community service project, and what a project it turned out to be. For one of the most highly respected leaders around, Emory Melton (of Cassville), included my findings in a book that he had published about the history of Barry County, MO.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. For aside from getting to know people of the stature of Emory Melton, who later became a Missouri State Senator, Cassville’s Boy Scout Troop 76 was recognized as being the best troop in all of the land in 1970.

Okay, to be honest about it, I could be mistaken. For I do remember that we did receive some sort of national attention, but in regards to it being named the best of the best, I am not absolutely sure.

Nonetheless, I cannot imagine being in a better troop. For our Scoutmaster, Charlie Vaughn, was truly a giant amongst men, and this was not just in the eyes of young boys, neither.

Hero worship is one thing, but what I personally felt for Charlie went way beyond that. For I loved him as much as any son could love their own father.

No, my feelings for him were not reciprocated. For he kept me at arms length to a certain extent, but I still cherish the memories of being around him back then.

Just to be clear, it was not that I chose to become a member of Troop 76 in Cassville over a troop from Eagle Rock. For Cassville was the only town around that was big enough to sustain a Boy Scout troop, and even at that, close to half of its membership was made up of boys from Eagle Rock, Shell Knob, Jenkins and Horner.

Now, to say that I excelled at Scouting would be an understatement. For I made Eagle Scout (the highest rank) on October 10, 1972.

Making Eagle was almost expected in Troop 76 back then. For over 50% of its members made it, and everyone who did not was considered to be a real loser.

Quite obviously, that was a extremely unfair assessment of the situation. For the national average for making Eagle is only around 5%.

No, it should it be assumed that the Scoutmaster must have been really bending the rules in order to record such a high rate of success. For if anything, some of the things that Charlie did made the goal even harder to achieve.

Case in point is Raymond Jagger. For he is one of the finest individuals I have ever had the privilege to meet, but he was a poor swimmer. That was a problem. For one must earn both a swimming merit badge and a lifesaving merit badge before they can become an Eagle Scout, and Charlie was reluctant to cut him any slack. Raymond finally made it before he turned 18 (the cut-off point), which added even more to his legend.

Another example of Charlie doing things his way involves myself. For I was held back from making Eagle for 2 years.

Being held back was something that I was not quite used to yet, but the reason given did mollify the pain a bit. For my father told me that Charlie had said that the reason why he held me back was because of him not wanting to lose me so soon. For when someone made Eagle they usually quit Scouting soon afterward.

Yeah, like that was going to happen in my case. For who could be Charlie's shadow any better than me?

Besides, there were still things to do in Scouting, and many were indeed done by the time I finally left in 1976. For I earned the God and Country Award, and I received 3 Gold Eagle Feathers (which are to be attached to the ribbon portion of the Eagle Scout Medal) for earning 45 additional merit badges (21 are required for Eagle).

I was also tapped (nominated) to become a member of O/A (The Order Of The Arrow), which came as quite a shock. For I do not remember knowing all that much about it before then.

I soon learned that O/A was an honorary group, who held their own meetings and activities separate from regular Boy Scout meetings and activities. The first of their activities that I participated in was a weekend long initiation into the Ordeal level at Camp Arrowhead, near Marshfield, MO (around 70 miles northeast of Cassville).

I suppose that O/A could be thought of as being like a college fraternity—minus the wild parties, which was not a problem at the time. For I was still a good boy then.

Come to think of it, it could also be said that O/A has some similarities with Freemasonry. For there are 3 levels to it: Ordeal, Brotherhood, and Vigil Honor, and one must be nominated by another in order to reach each level.

I think it was a year later that I was tapped to reach the Brotherhood level, and then things started to get really interesting. For after completing what was required for joining the Brotherhood ranks, I was asked to serve as Chief of the O/A chapter that represents the Frontier District (headquartered in Branson, around 45 miles east of Cassville) of the Ozark Trails Council (headquartered in Springfield, around 55 miles northeast of Cassville).

Yes, being named Chapter Chief was a very great honor—both for myself and my troop. For I was the first to hold such a high office from Troop 76.

Not very long afterward, things got even more interesting. For I was informed that I had been “elected” First Vice-Chief for the Ozark Trails Council!

Again, being named to an even higher office was a very great honor, but I found it all very strange. For I had not sought to hold either office, and I was certainly unaware of being on any sort of an election ballot.

Around a year later (I think), I was tapped to reach Vigil Honor, and this is when some cracks in my foundation began to show. For after getting into a rather heated dispute with the Council Chief at the time over something or another, I resigned from my office, and then I declined to reach the level of Vigil Honor.

Why did I do that? Quite frankly, I do not know, and this goes above and beyond merely not being able to remember. For I have absolutely no idea why I would do such a stupid thing, and I count it as being one of the most bitter of my many regrets.

Later on, I was informed of some news that gave me even more to be bitter about. For I was told by some high officials that I would have been the next Council Chief.

No, not every day as a Boy Scout was a good one for me. In fact, it started out that way. For the first Monday after I reached the minimum age of 11 in 1968, I attended my first meeting of Troop 76 at the Scout House in Cassville with my father, and I was absolutely scared to death.

A classic case of a parent making their child do something that they did not want to do for their own good (in the parent's opinion, of course)? Absolutely not! For I really wanted to be a Boy Scout, but there was a matter of being quite insecure about my physical abilities that had to be overcome.

No, I would not have lasted very long with Troop 76 unless a drastic change took place. For they held outdoor activities at least every 2 months back then, and that involved a whole lot more than just sitting around a campfire.

These activities included several weekend camping trips in Broken Arm Valley (an area owned by Troop 76 around 10 miles northeast of Cassville). There were also a couple of Frontier District Camporees per year, a play weekend at Buzzy Snider's on Flat Creek near The Stackyards (an old logging site around 20 miles east of Cassville and 10 miles north of Shell Knob), and an annual week at Camp Arrowhead.

I was absolutely miserable the first time I spent a week at Camp Arrowhead in the summer of 1969. For on top of being woefully homesick, I was terrified of having to pass swimming and canoeing tests in order to earn merit badges that were needed for advancement in rank, and going to pieces on Thursday night (with camp ending on Saturday) was icing on the cake.

My psychotic break came as a result of being told about The Legend Of Green Hands. Later on, I found-out that it was an old tradition to tell rookie campers about the legend, but it took some time before I could fully appreciate the significance of such a rite of passage.

Just imagine being in a darkened tent late at night hearing about an Indian brave who had his hands chopped-off by the father of the maiden he loved because of how much he disapproved of her seeing him, and as if that was not bad enough, his hands were then buried inside of Soapstone Cave. This cave was (of course) not very far from our encampment, and what made it even worse on me was the date. For according to the legend, the glowing green hands of the brave would leave the cave to search for a body to attach themselves to on the 4th day of the 4th week of every month during years when there was an abundance of “4-trees” (trees with limbs shaped like a 4).

Yep, the time of my demise was surely at hand. For it all lined-up, and several 4-trees had been pointed-out to me by older scouts throughout the previous days.

Adding even more to the drama was that I had to “go” really bad a couple of hours before the end of the 4th day of the 4th week. For the last thing I wanted to do was to leave the safe confines of the tent that I was in, but I wasn’t about to let it all hang out in front of the other boys, nor was I going to go in my pants.

So, I summoned up the courage to sneak outside for a quick second, I hoped, and what happened next may still be talking about in certain circles. For I had just stuck my head out of the tent flap when I saw someone coming into camp with half of his face still covered in darkness.

I went absolutely berserk. No, that does not do it justice. For by the time my hysterics subsided somewhat, I had torn down three tents, and my screaming had been heard over a mile away.

Some speculated that I may have even been speaking in what is generally recognized as being tongues by Pentecostals and some other Christian denominations—despite being raised a good Southern Baptist. For several eye-witnesses testified that I was screaming, “YA YA YA,” over and over again.

No, I never did live that down amongst those who were there, but I eventually came to laugh along with them. For it was just one of those things that happen along the way to adulthood, and as an added bonus, no one in the troop ever messed with me all that much after that.

Yes, many of my insecurities were gradually overcome, and when the summer of 1971 came around, I actually felt more excitement than dread about going to the Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimarron, NM (around 50 miles northeast of Taos). For the excursion promised to include a 20-mile hike over mountainous terrain with a 60-pound backpack almost everyday for over a week, but that had become little more than a leisurely walk in a manicured park to me by then.

Alas, I do not have the words to adequately describe what a wonder Philmont was. For from the French Henry Copper Mine near the top of Mount Baldy (where lightning strikes ran along the ground for yards) to active archaeological digs down in a valley that I cannot remember the name of, it was certainly quite a sight to see, and I hope that it still is.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

A Sunday Drive

Back during my childhood, our parents would often load up my brother and I after Sunday morning church services for a leisurely drive around where we lived. Even though we were seeing mostly familiar sights, it was still good to see them, and this is why “A Sunday Drive” sounded about right for the name of a weekly series revisiting familiar sites that are well worth seeing again and again.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Bittersweet Refinements: XXXVI

Bittersweet Refinements is another book that I have been given to publish. If it gets to sounding an awfully lot like a broken player stuck on repeating the same old wrong song over and over again that is because it is to a fairly great extent. For most of it contains rewritten parts of the Bitter/Sweets that were published here before. Hopefully, it will get to sounding a lot better to you very soon, and for the benefit of those who do not have access to multiple versions of our Heavenly Father's Holy Bible, numbered Scripture references in the text (for example, [1]) provide links to such through Bible Gateway this time around. The same also applies to verses included in the text.


Chapter XXXVI
In The End


Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Even though I was well aware of what a foolish undertaking it was[1], I still felt compelled back in 1995 to try to figure out when the return of Christ Jesus in glory would be[2]. For with the year 2000 looming ever closer and closer upon the horizon, discussions concerning the imminent rapture of the church[3] had reached a fever pitch on Christian talk radio programs up and down the dial.

Sorry, I can’t remember just exactly how I got there. For a critical piece of the equation is that I took the year of an established Hebrew calendar as being current actual year, and I can’t remember which calendar that was.

What I can remember is that “I” figured that the end of this world was tied to its beginning, and that the reference made to a day being like a thousand years to our Heavenly Father[4] was the key. For He took six days to make this world and then rested on the seventh[5], and that meant that this world was meant to last just as long—only with each day being a thousand years.

Anyway, after all of “my” calculations were over, the end of the first six thousand years would come in May of 2152, according to our Julian calendar, and the Sabbath would be reserved for the thousand year open reign of Christ Jesus over this world[6].

Therefore, it will not be until 3152 before the end of this world actually comes. That is, of course, if “my” calculations are correct.

No, I cannot speak with any authority about the subject. For our Heavenly Father has not told me just when the end of this world would really be.

There is something related that He has personally revealed to me[7], however, and that is that we would all do well not to worry about such. For unless you have been told otherwise[8], your own end of this world could come at any second, and it is for this that you should be prepared for[9].

Yes, it could be argued that being prepared for the possibility of physical death being imminent would also apply to a pre-tribulation (pre-trib) rapture of the church. For if the rapture comes in the middle of the tribulation (mid-trib), we would know that it would be coming three and a half years after the identity of the antichrist is revealed[10]. Then if it doesn’t happen at that time, the rapture would be coming to pass at the end of the tribulation period of seven years[11] and just before Christ Jesus utterly destroys the armies of the antichrist (post-trib)[12].

I was taught in church that the rapture would occur pre-trib, but I have been leaning more and more towards the time for the time of the rapture actually being just before the utter destruction of this world[13]. For at the end of the thousand year open reign of Christ Jesus over this world, the devil will be set free to deceive the nations again[14], and it will be those who stay true[15] who will not sleep[16].

Yes, this is another thing that I cannot speak with any authority about. For our Heavenly Father has not personally revealed to me just when the rapture will come, but He has made it abundantly clear that far too many have no reason to hope that it will come anytime soon. For it is written: “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. 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?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” [Matthew 7:21-23 NIV]

Alas, has not the silence that has surrounded me all of these years not served as sufficient proof in and of itself? For who from amongst us can afford to just ignore what I have been given to say if it truly is of our Heavenly Father[17], and if it is not, who can honestly say that they truly are one of His children by faith if they could care so little about my own spiritual welfare[18]?

No, not everyone has been given ears to truly hear what I have been given to say at this time. For in many cases, what they have their faith in is sufficient[19], but in far too many other cases, it is because of the wickedness of their own hearts[20] that they have not heard. For it is written: That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.” The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” [Matthew 13:1-23 NIV]

To be honest, I must admit that it tastes much more bitter than sweet to me right now[21]. For even those who openly profess to hunger and thirst after His righteousness[22] are looking for something other than what our Heavenly Father has given me to say[23], but there is comfort in knowing that it will be as it should be in the end[24].

{1}Matthew 24:36; {2}Revelation 19:11-21; {3}Matthew 24:40-41; {4}2 Peter 3:8; {5}Genesis 1:1-2:3; {6}Revelation 20:1-6; {7}Jeremiah 33:3; {8}Luke 2:26; {9}Matthew 25:1-13; {10}Revelation 13:1-18; {11}Daniel 12:11-12; {12}Revelation 19:11-21; {13}2 Peter 3:10; {14}Revelation 20:7-10; {15}2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; {16}1 Corinthians 15:51-52; {17}1 John 4:1-6; {18}2 Corinthians 5:20-21; {19}Romans 9:16; {20}Isaiah 29:13-14; {21}Revelation 10:8-11; {22}Matthew 5:6; {23}Jeremiah 20:7-9; {24}Isaiah 65:1-66:2.

NOTE: This is the end of this book. I will post a notification of when it will be made available on another site in the order that it is meant to be read.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Sites To See

This is the new version of FIVE FOR FRIDAY. As with the former, it is the SOLE purpose of this weekly series to call attention to sites that I think many would find most interesting—in one way or another. Please, go see for yourself.