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Sunday, January 28, 2018

1887- 1920+: My Maternal Grandfather Hauls Freight With Mules

I overheard a conversation where one person was incredulous when the other stated that mules could not beget mules (that they were the result of pairing a horse with a donkey). Hearing this, once again I realized how far removed we have become from our agrarian roots. Then, I recalled hearing my maternal grandfather talk about his life in which mules played a major role.

Lawrence Miller (Miller being the Americanization of Mueller / was of Pennsylvania Dutch aka German heritage) was born in 1887 on a barge being pulled by mules on the Erie Canal. His father had first served as a drummer boy in the Union army in the Civil War; but, was soon put to work hauling freight using mules / then applied this vocation to the use of mules to pull barges along the Erie Canal. Lawrence gained experience growing up like this (the family lived on the same barge being drawn until there were too many kids, and then the family was moved into a house).

Lawrence joined the US Cavalry when he was fifteen (he lied about his age). Stationed in the Dakotas, he gained more experience with mules (and horses). Later, he went to work for an oil exploration company in Venezuela hauling freight with mules. By the time he came back to the States, the use of mules was decreasing as automotive power was coming on strong. Tired of hauling freight anyway, he started working on ranches in Wyoming and Colorado [he even worked for a while on William Cody’s (Buffalo Bill) place / said that Cody was a very likable fellow].

Lawrence said that mules were better than horses for hauling freight. They were tougher, stronger and easier to procure fodder for. He told one story where one particular team of mules was so stubborn that he had to literally ‘light a fire’ under them to get them going. [He set the brake on the wagon, got down and gathered a bunch of dry grass and put it under the belly of the dominant mule. He struck a match and tossed it on the grass and ran as fast as he could to be seated and released the brake just in the ‘nick of time’.] He never had to use this on that team again. Just the sight of him holding dry grass was enough / he simply kept a bag of such under his seat to wave at them from the driver’s high seat. Eventually, he never even had to do that. They may be stubborn; but, they’re not stupid.
https://youtu.be/WVureiAWX-I

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Refinement of My Voting Strategy for USA Elections

This link posits my last take on the best voting strategy for me to follow:
https://samslair.blogspot.com/2017/12/one-voting-strategy-for-future-usa.html?m=1

You really have the read the above link in order for the following to make complete sense:
       In addition to the above voting strategy, if one or the other of the major parties becomes too far gone, I will vote for a third party in their place. Example: If Democrats go too far afield, I’ll vote Green. If the Republicans get too carried away with themselves, I’ll vote Libertarian.

Note: I generally think of the Republican Party as being somewhat the stereotypical Daddy Party and the Democrats as the Mommy Party. If they can’t have a meaningful discourse, the the old adage that “politics is war in slow motion” will prevail.

Note: In my voting strategy at the local level, I’ll vote for the person and not the party. Therefore, it behooves all the major and minor parties to run some good clean campaigns and address the real issues in a sensible manner. If third parties want a real voice, they need to influence what the major parties are saying by “stealing their thunder” with sane and rational thinking. Don’t be an extremist fringe party; be the bipartisan party. Give me a party to vote for that gives me a balanced budget, protects the environment and free trade, prevents the need for abortions through contraception, etcetera through proactive measures — not reactive political countermeasures.

I do realize, of course, that gerrymandering and partisan politics hold sway. But, it’s a start.

When Norway Sent Us Its Poor

“It’s deeply ironic that President Trump says the U.S. should be taking in more people from Norway instead of from “shithole countries,” said Andrew Van Dam. Norway “was once the kind of country Trump might’ve spit on.” During the mid to late 1800s and early 1900s, waves of Norwegians immigrated to the U.S. hoping to escape grinding poverty in their homeland. Today, those immigrants “are idealized” as fast-assimilating strivers. In reality, they were received with hostility by native-born Americans leery of the influx of poor, low-skilled migrants, most of whom came from rural professions like farming, fishing, and logging. One study shows most Norwegians of the period earned less than native-born Americans even after 30 years of living in the U.S., showing that assimilation is a “difficult and gradual process.” Today, of course, “Norwegian Americans are doing well. But perhaps not as well as those in Norway.” Adjusted for population, Norway is almost twice as rich as the U.S., has a superb social safety net, and is consistently rated one of the best places to live in the world. That’s why only 502 Norwegians immigrated to the U.S. in 2016....”
From: The Washington Post

Furthermore:
Some 200 years ago, Norwegians flocked to the U.S. to “escape a shithole of their own,” said Aftenposten (Norway) in an editorial. For several decades, starting in the 1820s, fully one-third of Norway’s population left to start new lives in America. These “poor, toothless fishermen and peasants” did not assimilate as fast as Swedes or Irish. But today their descendants are part of the American fabric. Now, thanks partly to oil, Norway is rich, has the world’s happiest population, and scores higher than the U.S. on measures of education, health care, and good governance. Last year, only 502 Norwegians emigrated to the U.S., and for good reason...”
THE WEEK
January 26, 2018

Note: My ancestors primarily originated in Scandinavia and the British Isles with 1/8th German. One of my female Scandinavian  ancestors, Annia Margaret Ohlsen, grew up in the hinterlands a full day’s walk from any settlement. To procure necessary items that could not be produced on the family holding, she would trek into town, spend the night and return the next day with the goods during the warmer, longer days of summer. When she became a young adult, she moved to town and became a house keeper for a family. Despite poor wages, her frugality eventually enabled her to save enough to act as a dowry for herself when Mormon missionaries came a knocking. She was then ‘betrothed’ to an American who had a wife and large family just before the Mormon trek to Utah began. She wound up pushing a handcart across the plains to the territory we now call Utah. She then eventually had children of her own to take care of other than that of the first wife’s.

My other ancestors had similar stories, though sadly most of the details have been lost (mostly because they were too busy working to make a living). Whereas I am blessed with good health and a pension as a retired public school teacher.

Friday, January 26, 2018

The Golden Rule: Unifier of Both Secular and Religious Morals

John 13:34-
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." 

Golden Rule Quotes:
http://www.thegoldenrule.net/quotes.htm

Allegory of the 12 Foot Spoons:
http://www.thegoldenrule.net/index.html

10 Non Sequitur ‘Good Over Evil’ comic sequel:
https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/e/evil_corporation.asp

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Pity the Climate Change Deniers; Pity Us All

There are many psychological explanations for explaining why ‘climate change deniers’ cannot accept even the basic science of global warming. But, they all boil down to one factor — the Fear Factor.
This factor, also, helps explain the doomsday predictions of Anthropogenic Global Warming adherents. I personally would rather err on the side of caution and overall environmental responsibility by pushing for renewables of all kinds.

Even if the science supporting global warming were flawed, we still must change our ways in an overpopulated world. Pollution is pervasive. Even the One Percenters can’t escape it no matter how hard they try.

The Basics Of Climate Change:
https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/climate-change-evidence-causes/basics-of-climate-change/

Err on side of caution comic:
http://newenergywatch.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c394953ef01b8d0b02cae970c-800wi

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Fake News vs. “The truth will set you free” John 8:32

“The term “fake news” has been the object of great discussion and debate.  In general, it refers to the spreading of disinformation on line or in the traditional media.  It has to do with false information based on non-existent or distorted data meant to deceive and manipulate the reader.  Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests.
         The effectiveness of fake news is primarily due to its ability to mimic real news, to seem plausible.  Secondly, this false but believable news is “captious”, inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices, and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration. The ability to spread such fake news often relies on a manipulative use of the social networks and the way they function.  Untrue stories can spread so quickly that even authoritative denials fail to contain the damage.     
         The difficulty of unmasking and eliminating fake news is due also to the fact that many people interact in homogeneous digital environments impervious to differing perspectives and opinions.  Disinformation thus thrives on the absence of healthy confrontation with other sources of information that could effectively challenge prejudices and generate constructive dialogue; instead, it risks turning people into unwilling accomplices in spreading biased and baseless ideas.  The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict.  Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred.  That is the end result of untruth....”

http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-01/pope-world-communications-day-message-2018-truth-journalism-fake.html

Prayer for truth:
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. 
Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion. 
Help us to remove the venom from our judgements. 
Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters. 
You are faithful and trustworthy; may our words be seeds of goodness for the world: 
where there is shouting, let us practise listening; 
where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony; 
where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity; 
where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity; 
where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety; 
where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions; 
where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust; 
where there is hostility, let us bring respect; 
where there is falsehood, let us bring truth. 
Amen.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Overpopulation Solution: Educate & Empower Women

In the international world of paternalism and machismo, women are all too often treated as second class citizens. Though it's much more 
often a problem in underdeveloped world locales, it's everywhere.  Even here in the USA, women haven't had the vote all that long. In nations where 
overpopulation and poverty is a crushing problem, the treatment of women is a 'mighty big problem'.  
And the best way to deal with it is to educate girls in these places.  One organization that specifically targets this problem is CARE. Only a true ‘misogynist' would deny the logical 
value and importance of such.... as well as withhold contraception.

http://www.care.org/careswork/whatwedo/education/best.asp

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Lazy Man’s Leaf Composting

I have 3 basic types of leaves available to me in abundance:

First:
http://www.tree-land.com/images/live_oak_tree_leaf_lg.jpg
There are Live Oak leaves in the Spring, and though I don’t have any Live Oak trees, my neighbor does. He bags them up and puts them out by the curb. He lets me take them. I use them in two ways. I spread them on the ground where the summer sun bakes the ground (the Bermuda grass then slowly infiltrates up through this ground cover and I only use a fraction of the water watering this section). For the second use, I keep the bags upright and standing next to each other and I slowly dole them out as I put them atop our food scraps in my Black Soldier Fly bins [Soilsaver Classic Composter] where the larvae eat the scraps. [I use LINKYO Compost Bucket to collect scraps in kitchen. After dumping each time, I put several inches of water in the bucket and start collecting new scraps. The water keeps the process moving along nicely. Note: I also dump in grease.]
By keeping the scraps covered with a layer of leaves, house flies are unable to lay eggs on them (whereas the Soldier Flies lay their eggs on the leaves and the larvae crawl down to the food). The larvae exit the bin when they are ready to pupate / and provide nourishment for birds, lizards and toads.
https://samslair.blogspot.com/2013/06/lizards-in-my-texas-yard.html?m=1
Because I dump the scraps in the top center of the pile, I keep the center of the pile moist. The larvae thrive and the Live Oak leaves steadily decompose. 
I have two such bins. One for fresh food scraps and leaves, while the other simmers for another year as the coarse leaves finish decomposing.
Note: Live Oak leaves are tough and thick and do not decompose easily. This quality suits my needs.

Next:
http://www.thedauphins.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/21-CedarElm-UlmasCrassifolia.jpg.w300h340.jpg
The second kind of leaf is from Cedar Elms. The leaves are small and decompose reasonably well. I use them mostly as ground cover where the shade keeps the grass from growing. The rest I put in a ‘wire compost bin’. Each year I put the bin reasonably close to a different tree. When I remove it, I simply take and spread the new compost around the tree (though my wife takes what she needs for her container grown plants).

Lastly:
http://sfrc.ufl.edu/extension/4h/trees/Shumard_oak/shumard_oak_leaf_lg.jpg

http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/portals/forestry/images/trees/oak/oak_chin_lf_lg.jpg
The third kind of leaves are large easy-to-mulch oak leaves from Schumards and Chinquapins. All of these we use a leaf vacuum to gather. The shredded leaves go into a wire compost bin. I use a light three foot length of cedar board fencing material to repeatedly ramp them down into a compacted mass. I’m able to reduce their volume to 1/4 of what it would be if they were simply tossed in.

Note: I do not bother stirring the contents of my piles. There’s no need to. I don’t add grass clippings, because my mulching lawn mower returns them to the yard as I mow.

I keep all of the gathered leaves moist during the times of year when I have to water my yard. I always hand water my grass and trees, so it’s convenient to dose my composting leaves at the same time.

Note: We also have what I’ll call the ‘twig pile’. When a tree limb or bush is trimmed, simply shear off the smaller branches. Then take them to a separate wire bin and use hand shears to cut them into 3-6” lengths (letting the bits drop into the bin). As the layer thickens, grab leaf material from the leaf bin and mix into the twig bits. You create a finely tiered mound that will hold its shape if you need to remove the wire bin for use elsewhere (since this pile will be years before becoming useful, meanwhile, earthworms love it). [OR simply allow the twig bits to fall on the ground as you chunk up the branches.] The thicker branches can be cut into proper lengths for building fire pit fires, chimineas, etcetera and the ashes mixed with the compost before putting in pots.

When I first moved into my house on a limestone hill twenty-five plus years ago, some parts of the yard were bare limestone. After blocking the high side runoff causing the erosion, I’ve been able to create a yard with several plus inches of topsoil. 

I now have three types of grass: St. Augustine, Bermuda and Zoysia japonica. They each have taken over the parts of the yard that they thrive in.

Additionally: My neighbor has chickens and several food places nearby have messy dumpsters, both of which create a housefly problem. 
House fly larvae look distinctively different than Soldier Fly larvae. I have verified repeatedly that my bin doesn’t produce House Fly hatchings. Plus, the effluent slurry from the Soldier Fly larvae repels house flies. Plus, any eggs laid on the food scraps would be eaten.
The following is my solution:
https://samslair.blogspot.com/2017/06/using-rescue-disposable-house-fly-trap.html?m=1

Note: Even though house flies are repelled by the odor of the soldier fly larvae and will not lay eggs in your soldier fly bin, the odor of food scraps can attract some house flies to your vicinity. I sometimes use disposable fly traps if this becomes a problem.


Additional fun reading:
‘Raising Soldier Flies’

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Predestination or Free Will?!

And, the winner is: Free Will!

“Quantum Physics, a subject the various churches flee from at full speed, will be much more the guide to the future of theology than ideas of the past 500 years. Pre-destination is a given. We are all pre-destined to live forever and we are all pre-destined to have thousands of lives in this solar system. We have been created by God to be powerful and evolving souls. We are pre-destined to evolve to the goal set, by God, for the species Mankind.
Gopi Krishna stated that goal best: “The future evolution of the human is not ordained to be a living computer with all the facts and figures of the material universe at his fingertips. He is destined to become something more. Intellect will be but one of the major features of his superior mental endowment. There will be other faculties that transcend his reason and bring him into direct touch with those planes of creation which are, at present, impervious to his senses. The whole drama of life on the earth, from the very beginning, has been designed to produce one sovereign form of mind to know the secret of its own existence. The earth has been chosen to be the cradle of this glorious being ordained to propagate himself even on other planets in space.”
We are on a journey to becoming something far greater than we can imagine at this time. This is where the Quantum understanding of the universe comes into play. One of the key elements of Quantum Physics is possibilities. Every step we take opens possibilities that could not have been foreseen prior to taking that step. An example is the Hubble telescope picture revealing a dime-sized piece of space that has 40 billion galaxies within it. Quantum Physics says that we have endless choices and we will see and experience what we are looking for, even galaxies we never could have believed exist.
These Quantum Possibilities can lead us almost anywhere, and some of “anywhere” happens to be very dangerous territory. This is why we have these major global religious traditions. They take us back at least 10,000 years and show us the historical paths that we must take, and decisions we must make, if we are to meet the goal set for our evolution by God.
As our current political discussion and landscape clearly show, we are easily led astray from the road that leads to our glorious future. Like sheep, if we do go astray, God will find us and lead us back to the path of our evolution.
But our free will allows is to create a situation where politicians, ignorant of the consequences of their bluster, can lead us into a lightening nuclear war, lasting no more than 24 hours and killing perhaps as many as 500 million people and throwing Mankind back in time 200 years. According to the folks I listen to, we are very, very close to this happening right now.
We will get to the goal set by God for Man. But we are free to choose easy paths or high rocky climbs that few will make successfully. Each soul in this drama can chose, almost with every breath, how difficult the journey will be....”
http://www.whatifitreallyworks.com/2016/10/17/predestination-vs-free-will/

Source:
http://www.whatifitreallyworks.com

For more good reading, search:
‘Predestination vs Free Will’

Friday, January 19, 2018

Deeper Spiritual Meanings

When I was in the second grade, I looked up at the clear blue sky one day and wondered how far was it that I was seeing. I asked my dad how far did it go. He responded, “If you found the end, what would be after that?” I took this and mulled it over and over for a long time and realized that the sky would necessarily go on forever and ever. Indeed, this contemplation of infinity became a favorite thing to contemplate.

I, also, believed in Santa Claus. Indeed, I was one of the last in my age group to realize that he wasn’t real. I had just learned to read the clock in school and was gaining an appreciation of time. Then, on Christmas Eve, the local newsman showed a caricature of Santa making steady progress around the world from east to west. Suddenly, I realized how fast he’d have to be making deliveries in order to achieve these magical results. After much consideration, I finally asked my dad if Santa was real. He wisely told me that Santa represented the Spirit of Giving. This gave me a valuable insight.

Later on, while in a Baptist summer bible camp, I became familiar with stories of the Holy Bible. The spirituality of the New Testament rang true; but, the genocide and mayhem of a vengeful God in the Old Testament made me decide that I didn’t believe in that kind of Supreme Being. My love of Jesus carried me on through life until I realized that the Old Testament was not to be taken literally. It reflected the highest level of humanity’s group consciousness at that time. The New Testament gave us the “Final Commandment” of Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself.

God’s Love is Infinite. The only limiting factor is us. Loving Thyself is very difficult, because we are not talking about the self-love of a narcissist. We are talking about the ‘genuine’ forgiveness and compassion of a truly self-actualizing and loving person.


Monday, January 15, 2018

You Literally Really Do “Create Your Own Reality”

We all live in the reality that we have each created for ourselves. The Spirit is connected to and is continuously sending the Light and Love of God through the Soul into our “heart of hearts” where the manifestation of the outer self begins. As this energetic essence of God passes through the “memory body” at the Soul level, it creates the Etheric Essence that then manifests as the mind and emotional and physical outer level bodies in this world which we live in. As we live our lives, the sensory data we accumulate  and interact with interfaces with the Etheric Body generating an integrated  feedback loop that further generates our evolving personhood. The Etheric Body is our software; and the only way the evoke real change in this is for the “memory body” (our hardware) to be so impacted by our self awareness that the Soul evolves (thus altering the Etheric body).

It’s rather like an old fashioned movie projector screening. The bright white light and energy from the bulb passes through the advancing film (memory body), thus projecting a stream of images through the ether of space and time onto the projection screen. The images on the screen are the manifestations of your outer self. The viewer, you, are both one with the imagery on the screen and an observer.

To the degree that you are ‘self aware’ and meaningfully “interact” with the imagery as it is being beamed through space and time (in order to elicit change in the Memory Body). When the spool of film that is your Karmic record finishes playing out, then the show is over — unless you are granted an extension through your Spirit because you interfaced and interacted with your Memory body in a manner sufficiently productive enough to warrant  the miracle of lifestream intercession (similar to an NDE, but not as dramatic).

All of the above is better explained through the “Study of Ascended Master Teachings”. [I recommend the dictation and discourses and website of the Temple of the Presence.]

Herein, I’ve only offered a metaphoric analogy as a starting point that is similar the the Allegory of the Cave given to us by Plato. Another source of illumination is Shakespeare. This is a potential starting point for one to better continue the adventure of self discovery if your Memory Body aka Higher Mental Body has been properly ‘impressed’ by the value of your insightfulness into the roots of your character.

My apology for not being able to craft an easier explanation to understand. But, if you use it as a guide, your own inner world explanation story will manifest as you pursue your spiritual study. 

Note: I urge one to not become involved in psychism. Why? Because not only are you impacted by stimulation from the physical world, but also from the psychic plane to the degree that you open yourself to it. Be specific when you pray that you properly address the One and Only God, Jesus Christ, St. Michael, or one of the ‘bona fid’ Forces Of Light.
You should be true to thine own Holy Christ Self which emanates from God through your own Spirit. So called spiritualists or psychics are usually either too inexperienced or too enamored to be trusted. They, also, often mistake the psychic plane for the spiritual world. In other words, use good old fashioned common sense. Integrity is key. Be specific and regularly pray and decree for Archangel Michael to be with you as you love through Christ to/from God within. It is then that the insights you experience gain increased legitimacy. 

Glossary:
https://www.templeofthepresence.org/Main/glossary

Comic-
http://www.thecomicstrips.com/properties/fande/art_images/fa050820.jpg

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Who Is Donald Trump? Instead, Ask What He Is Not

Part of the answer is:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

For the rest, let’s look at what he is not. He is not honest. He is not rational. Etcetera. He is a partial reflection of us all. His negativities are, also, our own. What you see is what you get. However, his few virtues are shared by us as well.

Who he is is perhaps best defined by the ‘negative space’ of what he is not. This is especially useful because he is so personally toxic that it allows one to not become too directly engaged in the web of his negativities while trying to define him. You can let then let him go, release him — or not. You have a better chance of not being entangled in his story if you don’t focus directly on his negativities and irrationalities. Do not identify what he is, if it’s negative; instead, say what he is not.

Use the ‘not’ model — not rational, instead of irrational; not truthful, instead of dishonest; etcetera. They mean the same, but not quite. One is the reflection of the other. It’s somewhat akin to looking at Medusa in the reflection of a burnished bronze shield. It affords some protection.

By focusing on what he is not, you began to speak more in terms of the positive. By doing the same with his staunch supporters (or with his vehement opposition), again you bring the positive into play. This way, when you speak of them, your use of ‘not negative’ words de-escalates the situation. And these people all do seem to thrive on negativity.

This exercise also takes one away from personally engaging with negativities while still allowing some positive humane allowances. 

Note: I apologize for the disjointed organization of my thoughts on the above. As far as Trump goes, he’s not wrong about all that he does; but, his negativity “poisons the well” and fuels increased partisanship. While we’re busy being distracted by nonsense, meaningful change is left lingering and the middle class is left financing the right wing and left wing partisans’ endeavors.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_the_well

Friday, January 12, 2018

"I Am Presence" Dynamic Decrees: Tube of Light and the Violet Fire

Decrees are a command for the Will of God to be manifest. Two of the most important "Mighty IAm Presence" decrees are the Tube of Light & the Violet Fire. Before decreeing the Violet Fire, decree the Tube of Light.

Tube of Light decree:
"Beloved Mighty I AM Presence! 
Enfold me now in Thy Mighty, Magic, Electronic Pillar of Ascended Master Light Substance! Make it so Powerful that no human creation can pass through. Within this Mighty Tube of Light, blaze Thy Violet Transmuting Flame in, through, and around my four lower bodies and consume everything less than Thy Perfection. 
In its place, charge my world and all I contact with the Ascended Master Consciousness and with the Substance and Consciousness of each one of the Ascended Masters’ Living Presence and Activity. See that this Light keeps me invisible, invincible, and invulnerable to everything but Thy Almighty Presence and infinitely sensitive to Thee and Thy Divine Perfection. " 
[do thrice (3x) ]


http://templeofthepresence.org/images/portrait_flash-still.jpg
Note: Roughly speaking, the upper figure is your Spirit (your Mighty I AM Presence, which is "of God"). The Tube of Light extends down and around each of us. Within this, the transmuting Flame of Love (Violet Fire) radiates / with yourvChrist Presence standing with you and guiding you.
This is both literal and symbolic. But, if you use the I AM a Presence picture as a reference, it can help make the decree more meaningful for you.
There are other decrees, but this one is primary, basic and a prelude to the “Violet Fire” decree:
Page of 8 of
http://www.templeofthepresence.org/DecreeSample.pdf

Note- “The use of the Violet Flame is always safe to apply and is applicable to any person, place, situation or thing.
The Violet Flame is the Consuming Flame of Divine Love and Compassion. This Violet Fire is the Grace of the Ascended Host that allows the transmutation and consuming of human creation and all negative karmic causes, effects, records, and memories, without the need to individually balance that karma face-to-face with each individual back to our earliest incarnations. Saint Germain has explained that by calling to the Mighty I AM Presence to release this Action of the Sacred Fire, a person can purify the mind and body of unnecessary substances which hinder the Flow of Light and thus clear the consciousness to receive greater Illumination. This Flame of God elevates the unhappy substance of human creation back into its original Pristine Radiance."

Meaningfulness of Religion

Religions ultimately seek God. To the degree that they do so, they have a spiritual goal (whereas to the degree that they seek to control people, they do not). Each grouping of religions has people who are fundamentalists (seek God externally)and some who are mystics (seek God within), while the rest are in between. To the degree that each religious grouping recognizes that each person has a divine essence (Spirit) at their core that is ‘of God’ and base their teachings on such, they have legitimacy. And just as people are all brothers and sisters (God’s children), different religions are but reflections of each other attempting to describe different attributes of the Creator.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups

God is “All-in-All”: I believe that the creator of ‘all that is’ in our universe ‘is of God’, and even though each religion gives God a different name, there is only the One. 
http://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_panentheism.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_that_I_Am

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God

Religion is an ingenious solution to many of mankind's fears and needs. “History of Ideas: Religion”
(11 minutes):
https://youtu.be/ge071m9bGeY

It's perfectly human to grapple with questions, like 'Where do we come from?' and 'How do I live a life of meaning?' These existential questions are central to the five major world religions.
“The Five Major World Religions”
(11 minutes):
https://youtu.be/m6dCxo7t_aE

My personal summation:

There is only GOD —
both the Creator
and the Creation.

Each one of us is
part of the Creation.
Each one of us 
is of God.

God loves each 
one of us.
God loves 
all of us.

We are not separate
from God.
We are of God.

When we stand steady 
in the Light,
we become illumined 
with God’s Love.

Stand steady in the
Great Silence,
and allow God 
Into your Heart of Hearts!


Thursday, January 11, 2018

Mirth in the Headlines?

One thing that has been diminished in the last few years is “hope”. Hope for the future as obscurity and lies and deceitfulness play out on the national and international stage. Sometimes, if your sense of humor is not too tarnished, when you read the headlines, you’ll let out at least a chuckle at the absurdities of either the players or the bias of the writer of the article or both. If you are not feeling light hearted enough to laugh at life’s many ironies and absurdities, then maybe you ought to visit the comics. Once there, you can renew your sense of mirth — and hope.
“Where there is patience, there is hope”.
May the following help: 

Comics AZCentral
http://comics.azcentral.com

Comics Kingdom:
https://comicskingdom.com/comics

Frank and Ernest 
http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/fk/

Baby Blues
http://comicskingdom.com/baby-blues

Baldo
http://www.gocomics.com/baldo

Barney and Snuffy
http://comics.azcentral.com/slideshow?comic=Barney_Google&feature_id=Barney_Google

B.C.
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/bc/

Between Friends
http://comicskingdom.com/between-friends

Blondie
http://comicskingdom.com/blondie

Buckles
http://comicskingdom.com/buckles

Candorville
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/candorville/

Dilbert 
https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/dilbert/

Dustin
https://comicskingdom.com/dustin/2018-01-11

Family Circus
https://comicskingdom.com/family-circus/2018-01-11

Frazz
http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/fz/

Garfield
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/garfield/

Get Fuzzy
https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/getfuzzy/

Hagar the Horrible
https://comicskingdom.com/hagar-the-horrible/2018-01-11

Hi andLois
https://comicskingdom.com/hi-and-lois/2018-01-11

Intelligent Life
https://comicskingdom.com/Intelligent/2018-01-11

Jump Start
http://www.gocomics.com/jumpstart

Luann
https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/luann/

Mother Goose and Grimm
http://comics.azcentral.com/slideshow?comic=Mgoose&feature_id=Mgoose

Mutts
https://comicskingdom.com/mutts/2018-01-11

Non Sequitur slideshow
comic=nq&feature_id=nq
http://comics.azcentral.com/

https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/nonsequitur/

One Big Happy
https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/onebighappy/

On the Fasttrack
https://comicskingdom.com/on-the-fastrack/2018-01-11

Pajama Diaries
https://comicskingdom.com/pajama-diaries/2018-01-11

Pardon My Planet
https://comicskingdom.com/pardon-my-planet/2018-01-11

Peanuts
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/peanuts/

Phoebe and Her Unicorn 
http://www.gocomics.com/phoebe-and-her-unicorn

Pickles
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/pickles/

Pooch Cafe
http://www.gocomics.com/poochcafe

Prickly City
http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/prc/

Pros & Cons
https://comicskingdom.com/pros-cons/2018-01-10

Red and River
https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/redandrover/

Rose Is Rose
http://comics.azcentral.com/slideshow?comic=rr&feature_id=rr

Sally Forth
http://comics.azcentral.com/slideshow?comic=Sally_Forth&feature_id=Sally_Forth

Shoe
https://comicskingdom.com/shoe/2018-01-11

The Born Loser
http://comicsuclick.com/the-born-loser

The Lockhorns
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/thelockhorns/

The Other Coast
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/theothercoast/

Wizard of Id
https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/wizardofid/s-2036049

Ziggy
http://www.gocomics.com/ziggy

Zits
http://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/zits/