The Wallow Of Grace Beats Out The Slough Of Despond Any Day!

[It will be a celebratory week!

Today the fifteenth of June is a big one, the octcentennial (ok, now I'm showing off, and probably the word's wrong anyway for the eight hundredth anniversary) of the Magna Carta.

Tomorrow the sixteenth is Bloomsday which for James Joyce fans (I'm not one, I just find it interesting) commemorates the single day over which his novel Ulysses takes place -- July 16, 1904.

Wednesday the seventeenth, I'll have to get back to you.

Thursday the eighteenth is the bicentennial (now that's NOT showing off, for we've seen several two hundredth anniversaries in recent memory) of the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's last hurrah in continental Europe. He surrendered to the English -- from the home of the Magna Carta, by the way -- and took up a second exile on St. Helena where he died eight years later.

Friday the nineteenth will be Juneteenth, a U.S. holiday I didn't learn about until recent years myself that's a commemoration of the end of slavery (and the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation) in Texas. Quite a lot to take in.

So were these favorite status updates of mine from the first half of June, and if you'll reread the title today, occasionally even I can say something intelligent. Said that in a reply to a friend in a less than stellar mood this morning, in fact ... and I present these posts AS IS, no corrections save my removing the people they refer to unless they are well-known.

We will return, David]

1. Gotta say.... a lot of very cruel comments as of lately on Facebook. Seems like every time something bad happens, there's a thousand people who all share "I hope he/she rots in hell" As their go-to comment. I can't even begin to explain how disgusting this is to me as a Christian. First of all, Jesus came to save the world, not condemn it. He didn't ask us to label people as beyond hope or hell bound. He did however, ask us to "Love one another as ourselves", and to "remove the log from our own eye before trying to remove the speck from our neighbor's eye". How is it, that we can identify with Christ even with all of our imperfections? We want others to listen and receive the hope that Christ has given us, but who wants to listen to someone who is spewing condemnation or judgment? Not me! I shut down immediately when someone starts insulting me. All I hear is "runaway and fast".
Please, be considerate to one another in all things. I realize we are seeing things take place that are heartbreaking to the Lord, but he doesn't want us wounding those who clearly know not what they do. Forgive and pray! God doesn't want fans! He wants followers!

2. Varies apparently means the same thing as various now. I really should stay away from the internet. The global iq levels are freaking me out.

3. Those who do are usually the envy of those who only watch.

4. Thank you love I've been told I have a heart a gold I use to question my purpose in life until I figured out my purpose in life is to protect the innocent and pure hearted. Smiles I won't change who I am but I won't be swallowed in this corrupted world of chaos I'll leave a lighted path and those who are willing to follow is allowed those who try to crush my dreams and heart will be terminated

5. to me"special" friend. If you're leaving me didn't have the affect you wanted perhaps it's because you were expecting me to break. Sorry to let your know,I don't break that easily.
I'm not your ordinary little girl. I'm not the ones you had before. I'm strong. I'm independent. I don't need validation.
So if you were expecting me to break...dream on!
I'm not those prissy little princessess you're used to.
I'm me! I done have a mold!!
I broke that shit!!

6. If all you do is compare your work to that of others, you're never going to write anything.
Ever.

7. This "article" is freaking ridiculous. I can't imagine any man actually disliking breastfeeding for these reasons. Maybe if the "man" is a 17 year old kid, but otherwise this is absurd. what is wrong with people? Also, most of the feminist leaders at the beginning of the feminist movement, actually abandoned their children, so I have a hard time seeing how breastfeeding could be seen as a specifically feminist thing, especially when feminists are the first people to tell breastfeeding mother's, or stay at home mom's that they are wasting their time/life.

[Poster's response to "5 Reason Why Men Hate Breastfeeding (And Of Course Sex Is Involved)"]

8. Come here. Come to me. Turn out the lights. Close your eyes, and get as close as you can be. Listen to my beating heart. Feel my breath upon your neck. Desires heat escaping me, dripping down my thighs. Hear me whisper your name breathlessly. But do not touch me. Do not place your hands upon me. Be as still as the stagnant air. How badly do you want to taste my kiss upon your lips? How badly to you want to grab a hold of my hips? How badly do you want to pull me into you, and fall between my legs. You can look now, but you can't feel. Is this a dream, or is this real?
©-Vikki Lee

9. One question regarding "perfect" or "invincible" heroes. Why do we give heroes like Superman tons of slack for being infallible, but none to Wesley Crusher or Steven Seagal? (Yes he's an actor, but let's be frank, all his characters are basically the same.)
The way I see it, there's no consistency here. To say nothing of how utterly boring a lot of stories would be if heroes weren't allowed to fail or, god forbid, make mistakes once in a while (without being handed the idiot ball in the process, of course).

10. Ooooh fitting into cliques only to realise I'd rather chew my shoes was the bitter lesson I had to learn this year. God save us all from the need to fit in

11. Here in the Maritimes [way eastern provinces of Canada -- D.], when we talk about the 50 Shades of Grey, we're talking about the weather.

12. I'm such an idiot.
I change passwords and then forget them. So, I am going to change them all tonight and write them all down in a notebook. Hopefully that will solve the problem. LMFAO
George says I am not legally allowed to have my hair any other color but blonde. tongue emoticon

13. "A Blessed Man for an Evil Day"
We are living in what the biblical Writer called Perilous Times. I personaly caution my wife about keeping her gaurd up when coming and going from department stores. Not only are there hazards such as Murders, Rapes and Theft. But Weather patterns have caused dangers. Floods, Fires and Earthquakes also put lives in jeapordy.
Here is my point. Ephesians 6:13 "Take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the EVIL DAY".
It is an EVIL DAY!
Sounds cliche? Consider this. We tell our friends and family all the time, " Have a BLESSED DAY".
The fact is, these Last days are called everything from Evil, to Perilous. Even going so far to warn us Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse.
The days are in and of themselves full of wickedness. You cannot bless what God has cursed. When you read the New Testament you realize the blessing is always on the Person, not on the Place. God blesses people. Under the Old Covenant it was not unheard of for God to pronounce a blessing on a certain day or a certain place. But when Jesus came and fulfilled the law, it was God's law in the hearts of his people.
You are blessed in the midst of the battle. God is going to allow the curse of the Endtime to continue right on, until the end. Ephesians 5:16 "Make the most of your time because the days are evil".
You are a Wheat growing in the midst of Tares. Jesus told this parable concerning the end. Both would grow together.
It would be so great if God would cause all the drama of the devil, and his dreaded darkness to cease. But it is not. In fact it is going to become darker.
But I have great news!!!
God may not stop the Drama, but the Drama will not stop your Deliverance.
God may not stop the trouble, but He is not going to let trouble stop your triumph.
God Won't stop the Fight. But he isn't going to allow the fight to stop your Faith.
God might allow the Mess to work, right in the middle of your Miracle.
I feel like telling somebody who has grown weary in well doing. God may not stop Hell from fighting against you. The days are evil. Our times were designed to usher in the Rapture of the church. And bring about the white horse rider known as the Antichrist.
But if God doesn't stop your hell, he isn't going to let hell stop your heaven either. To all of you born again Spirit filled people of God. He is going to bring Heaven, right down in the midst of your Hell. Yes, the Tares may grow. But so does the harvest of wheat.
Understand something today. You don't need Good to get rid of the Ruckus, in order to bring about a Revival. Our God is so Good, He can perform a Revival right in the middle of a Ruckus!
David explained it best in his famous 23rd Psalm when he said " Thou preparest me a table in the midst of my enemies".
He didn't remove Davids enemies. But the enemy could not remove the replinshing prepared table. God blesses his people in the midst of the bad. He may let you walk through the valley of the shadow, but he walks it with you and put enough light in your path to get you through it.
Imagine the power of our God. He steps down right in the middle of your darkest hours. He leans in on the eve of your worst days and doesn't change the situation. He just changes you. The day is whst it is. Full of trouble Job said. But God can trouble your trouble, by blessing you.
I am going to try to stop saying have a blessed day. And start saying be blessed. Because the fact is even on a bad day, You can still be blessed. Right on a bad day where nothing is going right. God can still make you right.
The Kingdom of God is in you. It is not meat and drink. But it is RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE and JOY in the Holy Ghost.
If you have the Holy Ghost, then you have Heaven in the midst of your hell. You have Joy in the middle of your junk. Peace in the face of your pain.
Your blessing is coming right into your battle. God may not stop your devil. But one thing for sure the devil can't stop you. You are a blessed Man or Woman living in an evil day. Join me in giving Glory to our great God and saying out loud "In your face Devil". I chose to dance in the day of my dilemma.

14. I'm with you, [previous Poster whom this Poster's responding to]. I am hoping that Dawn of Justice will be the catharsis that will allow comics writers to finally leave Batman v. Superman behind and make them partners and friends again. This rivalry/mistrust between them is tiresome and tired.

15. [This was a riddle my daughter Sarah made up, and it's a good one! - D.]
You peel me and you cry, what am I?

[Answer: an onion.]

16. When churches don't talk about their love for Israel - it's time to find a church that does.

17. Beautiful Friday everyone.
Was 17c at 7:30am this morning, & it's somewhere around 26c at the moment.
If your in the city this weekend,please enjoy the Halifax Greek Festival (11-14 June),& a number of shows & other events at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Pier 21,etc,along with many local bands at the clubs & bars~~Stop by,& I may let u buy me a drink.
Wonderful weekend. Love u all.

18. [And even I can make up a good riddle on occasion!]
I am water
I am season
I am a woman's name.
I am new life
I'm in your step
I bounce -- I'm not to blame.
What am I?