The guardian of the inhabited earth

 I didn't know what to title this. The above will do. 

I usually read several books at one time (obviously, taking turns reading them), and another book I've been reading is Old Testament and Related Studies by Hugh Nibley. This morning, I finished the chapter/sermon entitled Treasures in the Heavens and came across something interesting that I wanted to share.

This is from page 186 in the edition I have, and is written exactly as in the book (I changed nothing; the blog would not let me change the footnote # to a superscript, nor would it let me change it to a smaller font than the rest of the post):

These veils seem to serve as protecting as well as confining fences around the worlds: The light of the sun in its true nature (morphe) is not seen in this place, we are told, because it passes through "many veils and regions (topoi)" before reaching us; 116 its protective function is represented by a wonderful super-bird, called "the guardian of the inhabited earth" because "by spreading out his wings he absorbs (dechetai) the fire-like (pyrimorphos) rays" of the sun; "if he did not receive [absorb] them, the human race could not survive, nor any other form of life." 

That sounds, to me, like it is describing the magnetic field that protects the earth from the sun's power. In light of the fact that the magnetic field is weakening, so the when the sun throws things at us we feel it more (recent blackouts in certain countries is caused by that, according to some resources) makes it more likely, in my view.

 

 

The above picture came from here: 

 This search shows pictures of the magnetic field.

Thoughts

 You cannot learn to forgive if you have never been wronged.

The Watchers

 I've begun reading The Books of Enoch by Joseph B. Lumpkin.

What if "the watchers" were the ancient version of National Geographic journalists and scientists, sent to watch how primitive societies do things? What if the watchers were from the first world countries of their time, the same people Graham Hancock talks about in his books? What if the traditions and stories we have came down from the third world countries (our ancestors), so the history was skewed from the primitive perception?

Not "angels" nor supernatural beings at all, but humans from societies more advanced than the primitive ones who remembered them. The ancient ones who, in the lore of many countries, were destroyed because of their wickedness by great flooding. Humans who, over the millennia, were elevated into some sort of God-beings, supernatural beings, angels, when all they actually were were humans who had access to fire, metal working, vices, and so forth that the primitive societies didn't have. Was it God who didn't want the primitives to have this, or were the publishers upset because they now had less interesting material to provide to their readers?

2012 - Mayan Calendar - End of the World

 So, I was thinking about this and thinking "we" were expecting a sudden group of cataclysms to end the population of the planet.

What if, instead, it marked the beginning of the end? What if, in 2012, the secret plans began in earnest? The things that would guarantee the destruction of the bulk of the people on this planet.

I'm talking about what we are seeing now, that has probably been in the works for a century or more.

• Men being women.
• Boys being girls.
• And vice versa for both.
• And hormone blockers for children (prevents children's hearts, lungs from maturing; causes osteoporosis, etc.)
• Sex change operations instead of addressing the mental issues and the problems.
• Telling gays and lesbians they aren't gay nor lesbian; they are actually the opposite sex.
• Predatory men/boys allowed in locker rooms, bathrooms, and prisons where they have (proven) raped and harmed actual women/girls.
• White people automatically racist because of the color of their skin (even if they are only 3 seconds old).
• Black people automatically stupider than any other race ("math is racist" "getting a driver's license is racist" - never mind that there are plenty of black geniuses).
• Teach children as young as preschool age about sex and sexual perversions.
• Create a worldwide "pandemic" and force as many people as possible to take a series of dangerous jags which have killed and maimed a helluva lot more people than c0v1d ever could or did.
• Get more and more people addicted to unreality; culminating in the MegaVerse, eating bugs, owning nothing and being happy, having zero freedom to choose pretty much anything, and so on.
• MAiD (in Canada) - assisted suicide for pretty much any reason whatsoever.
• More and more violence of all kinds.
• More fires and earthquakes, from what I've seen.
• Lots and lots of "divide and conquer" going on (I'm sure I've missed some, so this is the catch-all for everything I've missed listing).
  

What if 2012 was not the harbinger of instant destruction "right now"? What if it was merely ushering the new "year", but the harvest was not yet ripe any more than peaches or apricots or tomatoes are ripe in January if you live in northern lattitudes?

I would venture to say that we are incredibly close to being ripened in iniquity and that our only hope is repentance and turning to Christ.

In August 2017, God made the first stroke of an X that was to cross the USA off the map. (A total solar eclipse. And there were a lot of moon eclipses (search barerecord.blogspot.com/ for lots of info on that*) on holy days between 2012 and now.) In April 2024, God is going to write the second and last stroke of the X across the USA. And don't think the rest of the world is going to be spared.

What if "at my house it will begin" means that it will begin in the USA, where God brought forth the Book of Mormon to teach us of our sins and what we needed to do to repent and avoid destruction? What if it is first because of the blessing and cursing on this land? Blessing (prosperity and an abundance of God's help) if you repent and turn to Christ. Cursing (being wiped off the face of the earth) if you become "ripened in iniquity".

Anyway, just some thoughts I've been having recently.

 

*Note: Here's an example from barerecord which, at this moment, is the last post posted:

https://barerecord.blogspot.com/2023/01/signs-and-seasons.html

Ponderings

 I've been reading through some of Denver's latest posts. I've heard him say this before, and it makes me wonder, ponder, think. Out of the nearly 2 millennia of people who preached Jesus coming soon, this is the only one I know of who God told me was a true messenger, thus I feel obligated to at least consider that Jesus may very well come within the next few decades.

There are clearly many signs underway in the heavens above and in the earth beneath. NC Luke 12:17 Christ told our generation to “look up” and realize He will soon come. Of course the meaning of “soon” is the Lord’s, and He alone will set the event. But the generation now lives who will see Him vindicate His prophecies.

There are great reasons to be optimistic and hopeful. Far more reasons for that than for despair and gloom. Keeping the commandments is the first step in having the mysteries of God’s last-days “strange act” revealed. (T&C 101:20)
February 21, 2021

That doesn't mean I'll live to see it. If I live to be 99, that will be just over 35 years. On the other hand, if a 20 year old lives to be 99, that will be 79 years. "But the generation now lives" - that obviously could include those born before Feb 21st, so now we've added 98+ years to the hypothetical 99 year life span.

So, perhaps, it is safe to suppose there's a century-long window. At the same time, we've had a lot of signs. The moon turning to blood (eclipses) on Jewish holy days which, if I recall correctly, included an LDS general conference day. Eclipse of the sun that created the first X across the United States (which was also on the birthday of the leader of the LDS Church at the time). Bare Record has posts about these eclipses which are very much worth reading (I have the individual links at the bottom of this post if you would prefer to see them that way).

And the end (fulfilling?) of the times of the gentiles is upon us. In my opinion, this is not only white gentiles, but black ones, too. I expect the violence we have seen in the last year will increase until-perhaps-all that are left are those Americans whose ancestors lived here 2,000 years ago and beyond - and those who refused to pick up a weapon and kill others.

When I think of keeping the commandments, I think of God's commandments to me, personally, yet not ignoring the general commandments (like don't kill, don't steal, etc.). I've been reading in 1 Nephi. He told his brothers that he could do anything God commanded him to do - because of God, not because of himself.

I've thought, recently, how both Denver and Nephi seem superstitious to me. A man shows up, asks Laman and Lemuel why they're beating their brothers, is inspired to prophesy that, this time, they'll be successful, and Nephi considers the man an angel (and, by Denver's definition in one of the early lectures, he was). Denver seems to see signs everywhere, including things that I would think nothing about (like bleeding for 40 days after an operation; I would not have even kept track of the days, let alone made a spiritual connection to it).

As I've thought, it seems to me that maybe I could take a lesson from these men who see signs in the most logical of situations (women becoming strong and no longer complaining = natural consequences of a hard life, eating mostly meat, and adapting. Nephi says it's a miracle from God). Like, if I looked at things as miracles or signs from God (like the 3 wild, white, horses peacefully grazing across the river when Daryl baptized me in the river in Sept 2013 between the first and second lectures, fully accepting them as a sign of the Father/Mother/Son. Right; I did not include the Holy Ghost - or the beggar I met in a Walmart parking lot whose skin reflected so much light that I wondered if he was an angel. Though he (lackadaisically) held a sign, he seemed more interested in conversation than in asking for help), and fully accepted that God is not only mindful of me, but is giving me signs galore, would I then have more and more realistic (to me) experiences with heaven until real and true miracles abounded in my life even more than they do now? Or, at the least, I would be fully aware of great miracles I am presently blind to? And would the heavens open more fully to me so that visions outside of dreams would be the norm for me? Would all fear be gone? Would the scripture be fulfilled in my life that because of righteousness, Satan has no power over me? Would I actually have the power to help the poor and needy, to lift up those around me, to perhaps even help in the physical and mental healing of those who suffer?

Here is a list of the posts in the above link for Bare Record (dates are the dates the posts were written):

Solar Eclipse, May 20 2012

Four Blood Moons and the Man in the Moon, Nov 11, 2013

Partial Eclipse, Oct 23, 2014

Rare Astrological Events: Signs in the Heavens, April 11, 2014

Fourth and Final Moon in the Tetrad, Sept 27, 2015

The Great Conjunction: Signs in the Heavens on the Winter Solstice 2020, Dec 21, 2020

Didja ever wonder . . .

. . . if Krishna might really be God?

. . . if the God we know as Jesus/Jehovah/Joshua/Yeshua is the exact same person as some of "those" nonChristian Gods?

. . . if maybe we know a millionth of what we think we know?

. . .  if what we "know" to be truth might not be, after all?

. . . if we might be altogether wrong in what we perceive as absolutely God's own truth?

. . . if we might be full of putrid pride and not even have an inkling that we do?

. . . if maybe what we consider to be heinous sin doesn't necessarily match God's list in most respects?

. . . if the records of the Mayans and Aztecs might be spot on?

. . . if the records of ancient people all over the planet might know exactly what they're talking about when they say crazy stuff

. . . like planets were fighting each other in the sky
. . . like the year used to be 360 days long
. . . like the moon's cycle used to be exactly 30 days long
. . . like the sun used to come up in a different direction
. . . like the seasons were completely changed after dramatic upheaval
. . . like there are huge ages of the earth, separated by earth-wide cataclysmic events

. . . if there was a real reason for the ancient fear that the sun might disappear

. . . if we really don't know what we are, whether we have an eternal existence, how our internal (nonbody) self was created, what our eternal end might be (or maybe it really does end at death, and we are reabsorbed into a Great Mind or something similar).


Some people think each of us is a spirit that can split into more than one piece and be on earth as a mortal, while simultaneously being elsewhere (including on earth at the same time as the other part of us).

Some wonder if we are presently living our past, present and future - or if we are presently living on more than one earth (different dimensions) at the same time.

Beliefs can get pretty crazy, can't they?

I confess, I'm one of those who have wondered some of those crazy things - for like 50 years.

What is reality, anyway?

Yeah, what is reality anyway?




[Edit: For some reason, even though I changed nothing in the post, Blogger decided I published this today (Oct 20th). I don't recall when I originally published it, but I think it was after the 4-part posts, so I am randomly assigning it the date of October 7th.] 

Freedom to Search for Truth

I totally love this quote. Surely, Russell Nelson was inspired by God when he said this, no matter what his heart's intent. I am looking at his words, only. I am taking them at face value. I printed two copies and am going to put them up where I see them every day.

"While searching for the truth, we must be free to change our mind—even to change our religion—in response to new information and inspiration… One’s religion is not imposed by others. It is not predetermined. It is a very personal and sacred choice, nestled at the very core of human dignity.”

https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2004-05-27/elder-russell-m-nelson-freedom-to-do-and-to-be-96622



Credit for finding this quote goes to http://barerecord.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-very-personal-and-sacred-choice.html renamed A Seeker for Truth (can't change the url, but you can change the title of your blog).

What is real?

What is real?
What is false?
What is eternally real?
What do I believe and why?
What is running the show in my mind?
What is running the show in my life?
Is God real?
Is God a she or a he or a they or an it?
If there's a council of the Gods, what does that even mean?

What stands in my way of doing what I think I want?
Am I afraid? If so, of what?
Am I convinced that I'm incompetent or lazy or [insert some other negative label]?

What really runs my life?
Is it my subconscious? If so, how can I control it? How can I tell it what I really want? Will it even listen to me?

How much am I controlled by what I was taught as a child by my culture, by my religion, by my schooling, by my life experiences?

I am like a fish that has no idea it is swimming in water. How can I be aware of that of which I am not aware? How can I even choose to be or think a certain way if I don't even know there's a choice there? If I don't even know there's another way of being? If I don't even know I'm acting or being a certain way?

I am questioning everything. Everything I believe. Everything I think I know. I am questioning my past religion. I am questioning my present religion. I am trying to break out of my paradigms so I can look at them and see if they are true. If there even is a "true" or "false" aspect to them. And to see if they are useful to me.

What helps me? What hinders me? If I am a burden on others, how can I stop being a burden?

Why am I so plugged in to those around me that their emotions dig into my mind and body like daggers? What if I don't want to feel like they do? What if I don't want to take responsibility for their feelings or actions? What if I'm not supposed to fix their feelings or actions or lives? What if I'm supposed to let go and let them feel and live and be their own person, even if they feel anger or frustration or some other painful emotion?

What the hell is life all about, anyway? (And I don't want a pat answer from religion (or Religion). I want the truth. Real truth. Not the skewed versions of truth that we humans think we have a corner on.)




On a deviating subject, I recommend reading Velikovsky's books. I read "Velikovsky Reconsidered". It gave me background on the opposition he encountered. I'm presently reading "Worlds in Collision" and intend to read "Earth in Upheaval" after that. I don't know if they can be gotten new. My copies are used, and several decades old.

Considering his theories without being angry that he's attacking your preconceived ideas or paradigms opens your eyes to the fact that even scientists don't necessarily know what the hell they're talking about. And I submit that pretty much all of us don't know what the hell we're talking about when we talk about things we "know" are true.

Our Compassionate God

Recently, I was staying in a hotel in Boise, Idaho with a friend. Our room was directly across from the guests' laundry room. On one side of our room were the stairs. On the other was the room of the ladies who had given me a ride to Boise. Sunday morning, my friend left to go home (had pressing business that prevented her from staying the full weekend). That afternoon, the ladies and I were going to meet some people for lunch.

I was in my room, pretty much killing time, when I heard what seemed like a year old baby throwing a fit. I didn't hear adults and supposed they were ignoring the child. A few minutes later, I opened my door to go out and right next to the door, pressed into it, was a two year old toddler, screaming and crying hysterically. I glanced into the laundry room as I picked her up. It was empty. I had felt incredible compassion for the child the moment I'd opened the door, and I told her, "We'll find your mom." She stopped being hysterical, but was still upset. I knocked on the ladies' door, and when I did, the toddler calmed down even more. When the door was opened, I explained what had happened and that I was going to take the child to the office (front desk) to see if they could find her mom. The ladies went with me downstairs and, on the elevator ride, one of them coaxed out of the child that she was two years old (she never spoke the whole time she was with us).

When we got to the front desk, I explained what had happened, and told them it was on the second floor. One of the ladies behind the desk came around and held her arms out to the child. The child hesitated for a nano-second. You could see her deciding if she could trust this person. Then she leaned over and reached out to the lady.

After we got back from lunch, we inquired at the front desk. Was the mom found? The man there had just begun his shift not long before. He said he had not seen the child, but had heard others talking about the incident, and, yes, the mom had been found.

Later that evening, I was talking to God, and he told me, "The child is a sign to you." He told me that the compassion I'd felt for the child was the same compassion he felt for me when I was hysterically scream-crying out to him because of being homeless (or threatened with it), not having enough food to eat, worried about other problems, or just plain having a freak-out attack for no reason that I knew of. He also let me know that just as I had taken immediate steps to solve the toddler's problem when I realized what was happening, so he, also, took steps to alleviate my suffering when I was freaking out.

I am sharing this experience because he told me to. He told me that this compassion he feels toward me is the same compassion he feels toward everyone. Our sincere prayers are always heard, even if we don't see immediate results.

Numbers

It seems to me that God likes 40, 7, and 3 ½. It also seems like God likes to use his messengers as signs to the people (see the Old Testament). He also likes to use heavenly bodies as signs (see Genesis).

I'll jump right into my thoughts. Denver Snuffer was baptized on Sept 10, 1973 (Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil, page 88). 40 years later, to the day, he was excommunicated (see Lecture 1 in Boise, Idaho, of the 10-lecture circuit that stretched from Sept 2013 to Sept 2014).

His ministry began March 1, 1984 (Second Comforter, pages 104, 200-01). Interesting, I think: 1984. The name of a book about total loss of real freedom to act and be. A story about a man who tried to buck the system. I believe his ministry will either end or change 40 years later. On the exact day of March 1st, 2024? I don't have an opinion on that, though I do think it will be in the spring of that year.

And the moon shall turn to blood

When the moon is eclipsed, it looks blood red. No biggie, except there have been several blood moons on or near Jewish holy days, and even an LDS holy day (Saturday General Conference, April 4, 2015). You can read more about the eclipses and the holy days here and here. And here is a list of all the posts on Bare Record that talk about moon and blood, if you care to peruse it.

From the first link:

. . . the fact that these four blood moons will occur on significant Jewish holy days is not only rare, but significant. The first blood moon will be on Passover on April 15, 2014. There will be another blood moon on the following year on Passover which will be April 4, 2015. The other Jewish Holy Day is the Feast of Tabernacles which is  Oct. 8, 2014. On this day as well, there will be a Blood Moon Eclipse.. and then the following Feast of Tabernacle on Sept. 28, 2015 will be the 4th Blood Moon.

 The sun shall be turned to darkness

There's something interesting about the full eclipse of the sun (August 21, 2017) that goes from the west coast to the east coast of the continental United States. First, it falls on the birthday of "the venerable leader" of the LDS Church. Second, it is the first stroke of an X. The second stroke will come on April 8, 2024 and will begin in Mexico and end in a tiny bit of Canada, crossing the United States in the process.

As you can see below, it marks a giant X over the continental United States (as an aside, God's handwriting is very artistic. The X is not a straight, austere duet of lines but poetic curves). It's as if God will be saying, "I've had enough of your wickedness, rebellion, and nonsense, dearest Gentiles. I'm done. You are no longer a nation. The Gentiles have proven themselves fruit worthy only to be cast out and burned." I suspect it's all quickly downhill from there for us.

Sidenote: It was made known in a conference in St. George, Utah in March 2017 that God was offering another covenant. People will have the opportunity to accept or reject that covenant on Sept 3, 2017. The words of that covenant were given by the Lord in, if I remember correctly, July 2017, and 7 years from that conference is March 2024. Also, 7 years from verbally accepting or rejecting that covenant is Sept 2024.

Spring 2024.  
Denver's 40-year mission is complete. March 1. 
 The X is complete. April 8. 
The covenant is either accepted or rejected by our behavior; the time possibly past, and the country erupts into violence, the like of which has never been seen before. March to Sept.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Maybe, just maybe, this post is not the vain musings of a religious lunatic. I wonder if we should, perhaps, "fear and tremble" and look into our own hearts for pride and rebellion against God, look into our own hearts to see if they are filled with love or with anger/accusation against our fellow beings. Truly, the earth is quickly filling with more violence than it has experienced for a long time. Not too many years from now, I expect, until the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed (see Mormon 8:8) and violence from one end to the other.

Musings - What if . . . ?

What if . . .
Destruction begins in Boise, Idaho, flows down through Idaho Falls, Logan, Utah, the Centerville/Salt Lake area, through the Orem/Provo area, then stops for a season?

What if . . . 
During this period of rest, God sends out his angels to gather the beginnings of Zion?

What if . . . 
After the period of rest, destruction picks up again where it left off, going from the Ephraim, Utah area through the Cedar City area, through the St. George area to the Las Vegas, Nevada area, then continues until it reached the Phoenix, Arizona area?

What if . . .
There's another period of rest, then destruction picks up again in California, Texas, and Georgia - and continues until the overflowing scourge has encompassed all of the continental U.S. - maybe even Canada?

What if . . . 
God has a pattern he wants us to see, so that we can be forewarned and prepared?

Inside the mind of a "Snufferite"

These may be difficult to understand because they are taken out of context. I apologize for that. They are pieces of postings by a certain Random poster.

And the fact that there are many offended by him, ... is a witness that he is a true prophet. True prophets do not make one "feel good" - neither do they offer praise to those God has told them do not deserve it, no matter how much it may offend. In fact, many prophets have been killed because they said things that the religious found offensive.

So many times, when the discussions turn to DS [Denver Snuffer] and whether he is a prophet, etc., I wonder why we are discussing it. It is rather like getting a letter from a far-off relative (God) and dissecting the envelope, the paper, the ink, and the handwriting (the messenger) then dismissing the message because the envelope was pink, the paper was plain, the ink was green, or the handwriting looked rushed. #

I think the point is to go to the Lord ourselves and find the truth. I think we were never meant to lean on DS, but to hear and recognize when he is speaking the Lord's words and go from there. DS is insisting that we learn to walk, then run, then fly whereas the church seems to insist that we are best off kept in a playpen 24/7 so that we don't get hurt (led astray). #

I think Denver is good at bringing a lot of things to light. I think he is inspired. I think the Lord tells him a lot of what he says. At the same time, it all boils down to "What is the Lord telling me?" The path, though similar to all others in some respects, is still a lone path and has many aspects that are unique to each individual. #

Yes, and this is why Denver is not part of my decision [to leave the church or to stay in it] - except as a concern that the leaders were so blind to have cast out a true messenger. Whatever I choose to do, I will do because God told me. I am seeing that my decisions are mine to make, with God's input. #

DS is A prophet, not THE prophet. "The prophet" is currently a title held by the current president of the LDS church. When he dies, another man will hold that title. DS is not a leader of any organization, church, or movement. He is simply a man who was sent by God to deliver messages, which is what scriptural prophets have done since the beginning of time. As all true prophets do, DS points past himself and to Christ.

So, the answer to your question is no. No one on here believes that DS is "the" prophet.

However, many do believe he is "a" prophet (including myself - but only because I recognized the words of the Master in much of what he has written and said, and because God has told me so). #

Not a rebuttal, but this comment brought about this response in my soul: "I don't care what Denver says. I don't care what he thinks about me. Denver is nothing to me. Yes, I find his words valuable if they are the words of the Lord, but I don't intend to show Denver anything. If the Lord should intend for me to shout praises to Him and DS happens to be in the room, fine by me. If it is in the privacy of my own room, fine by me. Same with declarations of accepting a covenant offered by God."

Let DS sit down like he wants to and another man stand up and speak the words of the Lord and if the Spirit moves us to speak up and say that we view ourselves as less than the dust of the earth and we want to know what we can do, then I say we should speak up - without caring what the speaker thinks and without fearing what [someone] will chastise us about it. #

The following post was in connection with the one above:

My post was just my reaction in light of [ ]'s fervent protection of DS - or contempt for us (I'm never sure which). In fact, none of the posts I made on this thread today were directed toward the people I quoted. 

And [ ], you don't really need to feel contempt for me. I do a good job of that on my own. It still doesn't change the fact that, whether he agrees or not/whether he likes it or not, DS is a prophet of God. That puts him in the same category as other scriptural prophets. Will he fall? I have no idea. That is his choice, his business. But he is what he is - and people will react to that, both pro and con, in ways they have reacted since the times of Adam and Enoch.

We are supposed to be offended at the man. He does try. "Proud descendants of Nauvoo." Words to the effect of "you're all damned," "nobody will listen," "only a very few will come to Zion and it won't be Gentiles," and so forth. He seems to do his best to make people uncomfortable, perhaps even angry.

As for myself, I already know that I don't measure up, that I am in sore need of repentance, that I am less than the dust of the earth. I also know that my Savior loves me. He loves me enough to visit me in dreams, and to bring me to angels in dreams to discuss my future with me and allow me the choice to live or die (we call it dying; they didn't). My Lord and my Father love me enough to show me in a dream that I don't measure up so much that when He called me His daughter, I did not believe Him. I "knew" that I was not His. I let Him know he had the wrong girl (in the dream I was a teenager). He told me that even if He had the wrong girl I was still His daughter, and if the other one (He knew she was me) showed up, she would also be His daughter. And what He was doing for me He would continue doing until I was healed and whole, and fit to live with Him. #

It IS discouraging, imo, to believe that so many will not make it. I counteract that by focusing on Christ and not on His servant. The servant does not know everything. He does not know me. He does not know if I will make it or not. He shares what he is told to (with, perhaps, the exception of things like "D cup"  @-) ). What God tells me may not be the same as what He has told someone else, even a true messenger. (I am not talking about commandments and such; I am talking about personal information, personal commandments - which the messenger did address in one of the lectures when he pointed out that we had different lives and what we had to do would be different than him - or something like that.)

I had a dream when my oldest two were little. I was in a house or apartment with a huge glass window. There was a storm raging outside. Every time I focused on the storm, it would break in, crashing through the windows and unleashing its fury in my home. Every time I changed my focus to my little family, to my own life, the storm would back out, the windows would heal and seal, and we would be safe again.

To me, that dream was telling me to focus on my own things, my own life and let the outer world howl and rage. I think it can apply to times I feel discouraged or depressed. I think it can apply to focusing on how many will not make it. All I can do is the best I can do and that will have to suffice, even though my best is not very good. (Christ needs to take up a lot of slack in my life.) #

e-eye: Denver is not the Lord's prophet set to guide his church.[/quote]

Denver would be the first to agree with you 100%. And I also agree with you 100%. #

[quote]I have always considered DS a peer.  He's not above me and I'm not above him - we have parity.[/quote]

Exactly my present point of view, but it was different when I first began to extricate myself from following the brethren. It was only natural to turn that onto DS, but I worked on changing that paradigm because I believed it was a damning one. I think those who listen to that man are on various parts of the path. Now, I see that he is simply a peer who has had more experiences than I have, who has more understanding at the present, and has been told by our common Parent to teach his siblings so that they might also "grow up" so to speak.

...

Meanwhile, whenever I go to the lectures, I usually end up learning some awesome things from my friends. Every person I have ridden with to the lectures has had some great insights that I had not thought of before. Like { }, DS isn't the only reason I go. I go because God provides the way and who am I to argue with Him? I go because I love to mingle and fellowship with like-minded souls. I go because it feeds me in more ways than one. I go because it strengthens bonds between myself and whoever I converse with.  #

Vision Quest

I am going on what I am calling a “vision quest” though I am not really seeking a vision. As part of that quest, I am planning to stay away from the forums and blogs I usually frequent (and often comment on). This includes this blog, hence this post. I will check my emails, because there are things irl (in real life) that necessitate that.

It began last night. I intend to continue it through Jan 4th (40 days). It will be a challenge, one I hope to successfully accomplish (it entails more than staying away from the internet).