It is interesting all that God went through to get his people out of Egypt and then when Moses was up in the mountain for forty days getting the 10 Commandments, they built a golden calf to worship. Course, God was pissed and ready to kick-butt, but Moses talked him out of it. Again, it’s interesting to see how much has been going on and how much things are still the same. God still should kick-butt, but always has mercy and finds a loving way to bring us back to him!
I heard this again when I was biking to church this morning and TheJoyFM.com Prayer was starting: “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we can count on this fact.”
And what was more incredible than anything is how much HE’s gone out to make us His people. It’s all about Love. Bringing Real Love into our experiences and relationships. I mean, “love” is a fancy word we use all the time, but who really loves, or sacrifices ANYTHING? I mean, Jesus ‘sacrificed’ everything, course he knew everything ahead of time, so the “Grin and Bear it” routine was expected, or at least completely understood. But now for us to really sacrifice anything at all seems so far beyond our abilities. Sure, Jesus could sacrifice everything, but he was the son of God. That’s a crackpot excuse. Mankind today doesn’t sacrifice anything at all. We complain about sacrificing a steak dinner or a beer at night for the Exodus 90 Asceticism Routines. 
And now again I come to the same SEEL Week #8 assignment, where is the presence of God?!?! And I want to yell, dance and sing praises about How clear the blessings of Jesus come through to me now again so strongly, in the nearly constant synchronicities, that just knock me over. <== this podcast was so on point and powerful. I mean I always have the radio on, or something while I write. (Obviously, with song verses showing up all the time). And now I realized, I am always writing these experiences to somehow “prove” GOD'S Presence, and I finally understand it's really about me, and proving something to me, not to anyone else.The presence of God BEING more original than the sins of Adam and Eve seems pretty obvious. And somehow I still need to accept, justify, or prove something to myself, which is completely ridiculous to me. It’s like explaining to someone that I stubbed my toe. How crazy and pointless is it to share and explain to someone that God will get my attention by stubbing my toe. I just got tired of God not getting me, and demanded that he get more physical. But then my kids wouldn’t believe me, like it never could happen.`3
But to acknowledge that we are in God’s Image, and witness the incredible opportunities and experiences that impact me almost daily. And now again, my first reaction was to write another feedback note to Apple about upgrades, and improvements . . . . Since of course, they have sent me another upgrade moments ago to interrupt me.
And that image of God is about Being beyond sin, or explicit about us getting beyond sin, since we are destined to live beyond sin. This seems really fundamental too, but clearly is still beyond our understanding. Yes beyond my own even. Yes, I remade this Apple correction graphic 3-4 times. I hit the wrong button and it vanished. Usually, I recognize that the “only things that work” are what Jesus wants me to do. I mean, if I'm going to ask for direction all the time, I must get serious about listening, like never stubbing my toes. . . If I really listen then I never miss a beat . . . lol, could that really ever be possible at all. Like I’ve realized how I need to do Mass every day. Every Mass I have all my sins forgiven and have a clean slate ready to get closer to God. . . . But If I don’t listen “JUST ONCE” then there is another sin to block our closeness. . . .
Like here above, I tried to post several pictures, and just accepted I wasn't going to get the second in there. I guess I get frustrated, and that's when I start to chant: Thank You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I Love You Dear Lord Jesus Christ, , , yes it’s “jjj” like the “ttt” for the second phrase as shown in the picture at left here, and I’ve not made others for Saints Mary and Joseph yet. :-/And I wonder, as this is another sin, where I am not listening to the exact words or phrase from Jesus. And waiting to call for Jesus and my Saints and Angels are really sins too. Jesus wants to share and BE IN this moment and experience with us, not just to be called on when we get into trouble. This is really the challenge. Seeking forgiveness and the Eucharist every day takes all our sins away, so we can be with God, but then I miss the boat not listening to every detail and actively inviting him into our every moment.
Redemption again, comes right to me as the prayers this morning said: In Genesis when Adam and Eve first rebelled against God, when sin first entered the world, and they ate the apple, the first thing they did was make clothing for themselves out of fig leaves. I wonder how much I try to do on my own instead of always asking God!
Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness, because they were ashamed. They were ashamed of what they had done, shame had entered the world along with sin. Up until that point, they were unclothed and innocent, but now shame entered the world so they tried to cover it!
They tried to cover it with their own acts, and that didn't work. So when God came and asked Adam and Eve where are you? Where are you?
And when they admitted what they had done, which he already knew, then God made the first sacrifice. God killed a couple of the animals in the garden and made clothing for Adam and Eve. God clothed their nakedness.
God protected them and covered their shame. Just like with Jesus, God covers all our sins with the Rightousness of Jesus. And again as with Adam and Eve, God will cover all our shame and cloth us with righteousness to redeem our salvation with the free gift of grace and mercy. They end this discussion on the radio with this prayer:
Father, we are thankful for that free gift of salvation, for the work done on the cross, for the firm foundation that comes from knowing that you are unchanging, that the rules to the game won't change. You were the same yesterday, today, and forever, you were the one who clothes us in your righteousness, who covers our shame, who redeems us from our own sin. You are the one who gave your life in order to give us life and we thank you today for this blessing as we begin Lent together.
Now several times this last week, I was in tears as I accepted how Jesus really loves me. I really have such a blessed life. I can’t imagine having anything else, as I seem to have too much already. I struggle to find ways of sharing and loving my neighbors. It was like pulling teeth to get a few people over for dinner. I made my favorite dishes and we sat and ate for hours. I don’t want anybody to return a favor. What would be great, is if I could sell some food. As it seems to be something realistic for my time and space now. And my daily events and experiences are always filled with the joy and Peace focused on food.
I mean, I recognize how much I love cooking when Maddie was born, and I filled Emily’s Refrigerator. And I always prefer to make great big dishes, to share what I make, it just seems like common sense. But of course, I can’t get anybody else to understand that. So I’ll keep inviting people over and keep cooking lots of food. I’m still perplexed how I always just have the right amount of money to survive, not a penny more, and not a penny less, but just the right amount!
I decided to fast for Lent. Exodus 90 asceticisms includes fasting Fridays and no meat. This is also part of the practice for Lent. So Friday morning I decided to fast all weekend. This really was kind of a pain as Jim invited me to lunch and then I helped on the Knights of Columbus with the first Friday Fish Fry. No samples, no beer, never ate anything. No food until after Sunday Mass, so I went 3 day and 10 hours, and have to do 4 full days next time.
Once again, DAY 2: Repetition in the prayerful consideration I seem to thank God all the time. I notice, I seem to do the examine out of habit now. Everytime I get into bed, it’s just such a joy to have such a wonderful bed all to myself. I always sing, and praise God whenever I get into my bed, I just can’t help it . . . I never really know what I’m singing or what the words really mean, but it just feels like joy and love bubbling up out of me.
When I consider all that God has done for me, I come back to the SEEL lessons of the using the Colloquy of mercy and adding the Saints and Angels to my prayers . . . Loving Saint Mary and Saint Joseph more and more every moment has gotten to be so powerful for me. . . Saint Mary Loves to be called on with my cooking and gardening, and Saint Joseph loves it as I call him with anything involving tools and construction.
There is less and less of me involved. I really have no other needs and desires except to do what inspires greater good for my neighbors and those I encounter everyday. It’s really interesting to consider how blessed I am and how easy it is to reach out to others and love them.
Like now 8:44pm 3/5/2025. I got home from the garden club where someone was sick so I had to make up lessons for us on the fly. It was fun as we planted some sugarcane. Yes, I essentially chopped down a great big one in my yard and then cut little pieces to have the children plant. They all got to eat some sugarcane too. I was surprised how much they ate. The kids kept coming back for more.
. . . Yes. I’ve done the court record of my sins. What is remarkable about that was how often I could see the hand of God and the direction throughout everything that happened. It’s not that I never sinned, it was more that I was always learning and growing from it with meticulous planning . . . It’s interesting to recognize how most of my sin was really only affecting me directly. I was very careful not to impact other people. And I guess this is the challenge I have with my family, where they all felt like I impacted them. But of course, none of them will accept any responsibility for forcing me out all the time. You think if I had a real family, I wouldn’t have gotten into any trouble at all. But of course, all that trouble I got into was my own business not theirs. Even if it was the only way I could avoid getting hurt by them.Wow, yeah I copied this text from this last journal picture at the right, and only had a few words to correct .... So YES; It was so CLEAR To me How MUCH I NEEDED TO LEARN. IT'S ALL JESUS AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS.
Yes, doing the same SEEL week data twice seems to have been really necessary for me as I still am learning and growing in this . . . And I know this has more to do with accepting my own place and responsibility before me . . . And I’m still missing something important from these lessons. . .
Listening to Family Focus now as I reread here again. She was speaking about Every New Year’s Day, being special with God after one time finding the wedding ring in the snow praying to God. Dear God, I know you do miracles, I’m sure you know where my missing ring is, please let me find my missing wedding ring. And you know she did it again. And the third time her ring was gone. Course the third time she was arrogant and prideful, knowing God does miracles, and taking no responsibility for being careless, but instead putting God to the test . . . Of course, I have done this before praying to find something too. But what is surprising now, is neither John or her could understand why some prayers are answered and some are not. It was really obvious to me, so I posted a comment on YouTube.
What is more stunning than anything. Is that every day, just like now, I have all my answers showing up around me. . I’ve been writing my kids and putting this all together for them. And it’s really interesting because I’m learning more than anything. I’m always feeling for my son, and sharing things with my kids. I made this post to them, and edited and reposted it three times already…
Like what is my Origin story. Where did sin begin? Ask Charlie Stanley! Sin did not begin in the Garden of Eden, it began with satan. Sin began in heaven, in our hearts. God tells us very clearly that a very powerful angel, with a very responsible position, made a selfish decision.
And this was satan's decision, because in this confession of satan, here is the heart and core of all sin. Sin in essence is the spirit of independence. I will do what I choose to do, in spite of what God says. "I will act the way I want to act." I will get my needs met, when, and where, and however I want to, in spite of what God thinks. And so here is the first confession of sin, here is where it all began. "I will" is sin to heaven.
satan said from Isaiah 14:13-14:
I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the Mount of Assembly. In the recesses of the North, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.
That is the reason satan is a fallen angel, because he chose to act independent of God to be equal with God, or to be superior to God. All sin begins there, just like it began in heaven with satan, when you and I say, "I will." We sin!
I will meet my needs. I will do what I choose. I will be free of all restraints. I will do what I please to do. That's where sin began.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever..
to remind me that God will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go; He will counsel me with his loving eye on me . . .
Wow great preaching today … https://catholicpreaching.com/wp/this-is-how-you-are-to-pray-tuesday-of-the-first-week-of-lent-march-11-2025/
Just BE who I am and stop questioning or wanting anything more. I don’t need anything, I’ve always tried to achieve. . . And it’s not about achieving anything more, it’s about accepting what is and BEING in peace and Joy. . . Just Be and Live in this Love and Joy . . . Allowing this power and clarity comes to me so strongly:..
It really gets crazy how much power and focus comes through to me. Like now again I'm in Caverly Hall at the church where we have an another men's group meeting at 6pm. I'm only here because there is a welcome team meeting tonight at 6:30pm. So after the garden Club I walked over and made a pot of coffee, to sit and read the welcome book. Pages 70-75 tonight.
Sometimes this Apple magic keyboard works and sometimes not. . . I’m now reading about how God Loves 2nd Chances, fresh starts and new beginnings. I’ve been there almost every year. I was thinking about that today. Walking up to the Garden Club meeting with my Crater Lake hat. At St Pauls’ this morning someone told me that it’s “customary to take off hats in a church.”
I always wondered about that! I told him I was very grateful for his directions, and immediately took off my hat. No more hats in church, but as I was leaving I realized how much different I look. Like in Grade school I started each year with a new look, so no one recognized me. I wonder now if it was another defensive tool I learned as a child. But each year I would have a new group of friends as child. It was weird walking out, I stayed in the church late, even arrived early before the gates were open outside. But then a teacher asked me to move so they could have a music class. . . .
Yes, that’s when I left. . . Walking out thinking about my har, barefoot in the grass as kids and parents raced down the sidewalks to get to class. I have never been there as school started so I tried to be discreet and stay out of the way. As I approached an armed security guard, I told him I was just going home, essentially across the parking lot. He smiled and told me to be careful with the crazy traffic of parents dropping of children. . . Just as I got across I heard “RAFFIE” and turned to see on of the ladies in the class tomorrow. Yes, I live Nextdoor, she laughed and said she was taking her kids to school . . “See you tomorrow” and we were both off. . .
Course I realized that the cop who saw a barefoot homeless man, now suddenly respects or admires me. Yes, like starting school again, that one peer recognition suddenly elevates your status on campus . . . So now reading about NEW BEGINNINGS is really the right place for me again. . . Like it’s my favorite place anyway!
“God is always waiting for us” , , , , every culture is the fruit of the ideas and attitudes of its people, while today we have “philosophical poverty.” We each have our own personal rule of life that is our philosophy and the culture now primarily instituted by satan means:
- What’s in it for me? Individualism = freedom to do whatever I want, whenever, and wherever
- If it feels good do it: Hedonism = lazy, lustful, gluttonous leads to the slavery of addictions
- What’s the least I can do? Minimalism = min effort for max benefits
Yes, reading this about the destruction of our culture. It’s been happening for years, and needed for decades. I’m not sure about my place in this, but I’m ready! Sadly, I feel how these are the sickness that my dad tried to instill into everything. It’s like the kool-aid of America that makes everyone so sick. And I still feel like I avoided it, and felt like it was all a lie . . . . I remember how I am always saying and feeling like I always had “beat the machine,” or escaped, or stepped beyond this concept completely.
Ephesians 5:1-21
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
