CRAVEN SLUGGARDS

 

CONFUSION & HEARTS OF STONE

 

WAITING IS A WINNING PROPOSITION

I hate waiting.

Waiting time crawls – I need action in my life. Preferably, immediate action when I send out an SOS

This morning, the waiting game was amped up when the shower doors slid off the rails: tired of waiting (HOURS after the incident) for a response from someone, I decided to assess the situation and figure out how to ‘get ‘er done!’

My earlier post, today, about the shower doors snafu: (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/10/things-can-only-get-better-right.html)

I hate waiting.

As I was standing inside the shower stall, eyeballing the track apparatus, and knowing I could actually do this thing … I mean, if it came off; it will go back on as long as nothing is seriously damaged: the phone notified me that I had an incoming text. I read it – and replied; then got busy doing what I was feeling confident enough to do 😊

Good info - but unnecessary now.

I did it!

There was a little damage done when it fell apart; but that's okay. It's minor.

I will admit that I surprised myself in doing it correctly: and to feeling a little amped myself when it all smoothly slid into place.

I whooped (((SHERAH!))) – and burst out laughing when Bob’s pet name, {hewoman} echoed through my thoughts. Bob would always tease me with this pet name when I insisted on doing something myself that required both brawn and moxie. Bob was always encouraging my hidden potential. I never felt slighted by what some may consider a slight, and when I heard him say, “Way to go, hewoman” … and follow that up with a laugh and a hug, I basked in his pride of my accomplishment.

Now, if I had waited until tomorrow to call Twin City Glass, I would have missed the knowing that piggy-tailed on the impatience: lesson learned today – waiting is a winning proposition 😉

THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER; RIGHT?

What a morning😟 ... it can only get better, at this point.

So, I'm hoping it will 🤔

First thing - the sliding shower doors came completely off their tracks: and are now hanging precariously loose. It was interesting trying to exit the shower without knocking myself out: they aren't as light as they appear, and they are taller than I am, so dancing them into a kinda-sorta upright position was interesting ... while praying to God I wouldn't have to call for help while standing naked in the stall!

The sliding shower doors caved in on me; totally of their tracks; I didn't even have time to get wet yet!

The neighbor guy who usually helps me out in a tight spot didn't know how to fix them.

Know-it-all-sour puss candy, didn't answer the phone in the Office - even though her byline is, "I'm available 24 hours a day - if anyone needs anything CALL ME and I'll get someone right on it".

And I sent out an SOS to someone who may actually be able to help: but won't be available until the actual weekday work hours.

So, the doors are left where they are, propped up by a chair, to stabilize the whole damned thing. And I'm hoping that when someone does actually respond, the structure won't be so warped by the time passing without help, that the whole thing will need to be replaced.

Honestly ... if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all 🤬

Times like this, I miss a man in the house.

O HELL NO!

The little Fellowship I’ve been attending for nearly a year now, is having a week of special speakers – I have been included in that lineup, and was happy to share with others. But I was noticing that some people showing up … and at least two speakers had some pretty strange ideas about Christianity: and the pastor wasn’t stopping the nonsense. And since I was in a leadership role (I turned down joining The Board request), that concerns me. I don’t like my name being connected with nonsense.

So, I arrived at fellowship around noon, and spoke with the pastor for about two hours trying to pin him down on what exactly what he believed according to The Gospels: I never did get a straight answer. I heard a lot of this stuff from him for about 10 months, now: ‘we have to be careful we don’t offend people’; I said, “the Gospel is offensive to those who walk in the flesh” (1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 1 Peter 2:8); he also said, ‘I don’t want to be dogmatic on issues’; I said, “you have to know what you believe and why you believe it, otherwise your Faith foundation is built on shaky ground" (Matthew 7:24-27) – this morning, I flat out asked, "what do you believe?” I could never get an actual hard-and-fast answer.

I knew tonight’s speaker was a friend of the pastor’s: I had met him about a month or so, ago, and knew he leaned heavily towards seventh day adventist nonsense.

When tonight’s Speaker started his spiel, he was pushing traditional Jewish Festivals, and the pastor jumped on that – and said, “I’d really like to start having Saturday services." I was thinking, “No; I do not want to start observing seventh day adventist mandates: NO.”

I do, personally, observe the Sabbath … but it’s not a hard-and-fast mandate with me. I follow Gospel guidelines, according to salvation in Yeshua: Colossians 2:16 – ‘Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink; or in respect to a holy day, or the new moon, or the Sabbath days’. I brought this up, and was told that we are to observe the Sabbath. I said, that we are to privately acknowledge that Elohim sanctified the 7^th Day as a Day of Rest, but not as an obligatory religious pomp and practice ritual – it’s a day to simply rest our bodies and minds; not to be carried as a religious burden: Mark 2:27 – Yeshua said, ‘the Sabbath was made for man; man was not made for the Sabbath.’

Neither the speaker, nor the pastor, would hear that: they were focused on focusing on unimportant things – things that seriously distracted from the pure and simple message of the Gospel of Salvation.

Then the speaker read a stupid essay he had written concerning the birth and life of Christ that was a very sharp turn from the Gospel accounts: he was actually discounting and rewriting the story of Christ to suit his twisted mindset!

I interjected an objection, and said, “Excuse me, why are you doing your level best to destroy Christianity? Do you realize that you are standing in a building filled with Christians? Salvation hinges on nothing but belief in and acceptance of Yeshua – the Son of God – born in the flesh to give Himself as the sacrificial Lamb of God for the sins of mankind: world history, religious commentaries, rabbinical essays, and personal opinions are worthless; and mean absolutely nothing, when it comes to salvation. Salvation is in Christ only: not in Christ+”

The speaker kept bringing up extra books that are not recognized by legit Christians. He kept referring to the ‘lost tribes of Israel’, ‘lost books’ of the Torah – and pointedly pointed towards his intellect, over the Gospels!

When the speaker actually referred to the Gospels as “a Christian fairy-tale … and questioned the Holy Spirit’s wisdom to guide a Christian life with the knowledge of Elohim”, I stood up and said loudly and firmly – “NO! You will stop right there!” And then I turned to the pastor, and said, “I’m not okay with this! And you shouldn’t be either! Because we are friends, you actually thought I’d be “okay” with this? You don’t know me very well.”

Then I walked past him, saying, “I’m not okay with this: I’m done.” And out the door I went, with him saying, ‘You don’t have to leave Val’ … and I slammed through the exit door, saying, “Yes. Yes, I do. I can’t stay where wickedness (tomfoolery, malice, sin) is welcomed, and Yeshua is cast aside to make room for fleshly ridiculousness.” Matthew 12:32 – Yeshua said, ‘Whoever speaks against the Son of Man (Yeshua, Himself), it shall be forgiven them … but whoever speaks against the Ruach HaKo’desh (Holy Spirit), it shall not be forgiven them – in this world, or the next.’

So, if I didn’t know where the pastor stood when I arrived – I definitely knew where he stood when I stormed out >:-P

Righteous anger.

A different 'gospel' is a HUGE problem!

I'm done with the nonsense.

I was still steaming when I rolled into Longview.

And smelled wildfire smoke in the air; very strongly. A heavy, smelly haze was hovering over the area.

But I didn’t want to go home just yet – I needed to burn off a lot of steam: home is where I want to be relaxed.

So, I topped off the gas tank … and drove out Willow Grove, before parking at home; where I relaxed by eating Supper and watching a movie about the headless horseman – the first movie I ever saw Jeff Goldblum in, and I was hooked on his movies ever since (even though this one is kinda cheesy) 😉

Coal Creek Road; smokey hazed fading sun ...

Willow Grove Road; smokey haze ...

‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33dI9ZscHg8)

VIBRANT ~Shabbat

Today was soaked in vibrancy – from beginning to end 😊

It was a radiant Fall day, filled with several happy moments; edged with glowing memories from several people, on several levels.

I’ll just share my side of the street today – because the other memories are private 😉

I drove to Graysriver this afternoon to spend an enjoyable afternoon with a friend, there. But before I left town, I stopped at Baker’s Corner to grab a small serving of their tasty Breakfast Casserole … and watched land being cleared atop a hillside across the way: it brought to mind memories of Bob clearing land. That was a happy memory I entertained for a good half hour before I hit the road.

Clearing land above Old Pacific Highway - made me think of Bob's logging shovel operating days.

Driving along Ocean Beach Highway near Skamokawa, I saw a funky cloud formation that brought a song to mind …

A 1960's song popped into my thoughts when I saw the lightning bolt cloud.

Lou Christie – ‘Lightning Strikes’ song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1UDCsfwWoE)

I enjoyed a 5 hour visit in Graysriver – and another 3-hour-visit with friends, up Spruce Creek, before finally parking at home 😉

My day was buzzing with vibrancy all day long; a blessed way to kickstart the Shabbat 😊

L’Chiam = To Life!

LEMONS

What a day!

It started out okay …

But before noon had arrived it had become a lemon ☹

I was planning on spending all day with my friends at Oak Point; so, after dressing my body and face, I grabbed a flavored coffee and headed into town to fill the gas tank (I plan on being in Graysriver tomorrow, and the tank was low) and that’s when the easy-peasy day turned into a lemon 😉

I pulled into the gas terminal … and could not get the locking gas cap off.

Seriously.

I tried for a good 15 minutes before I finally gave up, pulled back onto the main road – and backtracked to O’Reilly’s Auto Supplies: there was no help there at all >:-(

So, I turned back towards town – and crossed the border into Kelso, pulling in at Dick Hanna’s Toyota to pick some male brains, there. Eureka! I struck gold 😊

When I arrived and walked into the building, a fella who worked there opened the door for me and asked if I was there for an appointment, I said, “Yes”. He asked if I had a scheduled appointment, I said, “No” – and followed that reply up with, “actually, I have a question that I hope will have a simple answer. My locking gas cap won’t come off, and I need it to come off so I can fill my tank. When it turns, it sounds like it’s stripped.” He heard me out, then said, “Let’s have a look; if it absolutely won’t come out, we may have to break it into pieces; which means you’ll need to buy another cap. I said, “Buying another cap is fine with me: I just need to be able to put gas in the tank”. He followed me out the Highlander; I flipped the tank flap cover open and handed him my key. He got the cap off in less than a second (!), and said, “That’s what I thought the problem was.” So, I asked him how he did it, and he showed me – then I tried it myself, just to be sure it was okay, again. Then, I thanked him, hopped into the car, and drove off 😊

He said that over time the lock shifts with use, and the cap has to be reset.

Locking gas cap issues.

Praying a blessing on Dan - the Man. LOL

I arrived at my Oak Point destination late, but that was okay; the main thing was to get together for fun.

And we did: and Ruby and Jacob showed up (I had never met them before – I like them!) Ruby has a very good voice, and can sing Acapulco perfectly; Jacob was just there to add support, and visit with his father 😊

When I left, Lynn loaded me down with yumminess (he loves to cook, and no one goes away without something) – so, I told him, “You are going to make me fat with all your good food! I’m going to put a little sign on my scales that reads: “BLAME LYNN!” And we all laughed.

I am truly thankful for where my life is, at this point in time.