Today, I sat at breakfast with the sound of combines making their way through the last fields to be harvested for the season. Lisa and ate a heartily, eggs, bacon and avocado toast, and downed a few cups of dark coffee, while we spoke at length about the life of Jesus. We are in the midst of reading the Book of John, filled with miracles and believers, which we started last week. We pondered what Jesus might say about today’s world, and asked for his answers on prayer, and discussed at length what growth might be possible for people who ask for help when in our view, we decided, people are not helpless, not unto themselves. We resolved that our minds on God are not limited to a few hours on Sabbath. I know that in my life as I have grown up that my ways have changed with less focus on doubt and more on faith.
As I said in my previous entry: God has equipped us with everything to succeed. People like me see the holy scriptures as an instruction manual, but given that ancient languages don’t translate well to English, we have somewhat handicapped ourselves with regard to which messages were deemed important to the masses. In other words, part of the instruction manual went missing, or perhaps it is kept somewhere not fully transparent. I believe this way, because attention has fallen away from God with far less interest on the instruction manual. This is because a select group of people decided they had authority to censor even God’s words, even those people who stand at the pulpits of our church.
Censorship is not a topic I wanted to tackle in this entry, but realize that it is occurring in a huge effort on Social Network platforms at the whim of people who believe they know what’s best for us. This must be mentioned, sooner, not later. I do not count genocide (eugenics?) as our highest good. Like all lives matter, black, white or in between, all views matter and every being on the planet has a right to be heard. In my previous entry, I said that the sharing of ideas helps us to build a better world. I am convinced that is true. It’s called reasoning, and although Lisa and I differ on matters, and often bicker about small details, it is what advances the improvements that we make on the farm.
Yet, there are mysterious ways in which God answers our pleas and queries, and prayer requests. Keep in mind that your relationship or non-relationship (because even that matters with regard to your existence on the planet and interactions with others) with God will evolve. There is not an evidenced-based answer for everything. So, say the miracles of God. Sometimes there is just knowing something will work out. I think, even to atheists there may be a search for certain meanings, factors that may define purpose beyond the nine-to-five work day and when seasons come and go, and relationships grow. It is better to see this life with purpose.
Upon feeding the horses in our mornings, Lisa and I make it point to express gratitude for our blessings for where we have arrived at this point in our lives. We remain thankful. The sun rising is truly breathtaking, and we are fortunate to see the golden light cast upon Valley View Farm.
I made some improvements to the chicken coop today which is just outside our house, attaching an electrical strip to keep the water sources from freezing over. Our rooster eyes us with caution as he guards his flock. Sometimes he pecks at my boots. A hawk stared down at them the other morning, and I was startled to see him on the roof of the coop. Our rooster, who we have named Biffy Buffy, stood his ground ready to take on said hawk, and the predator fowl certainly showed his doubts at taking him on.
We weren’t sure of Biffy’s sex when he was just a chick, and Lisa had prematurely named him Buffy. I wasn’t too approving of the name because it reminded me of a 70’s TV show called Family Affair. The characters, a boy named Jody, and a girl named Buffy, starred, along with their older sister Cissy, a butler named Mr. French, and Bill Davis who as uncle took on caring for his orphaned nieces and nephew. I didn’t care much for the series, but one must recall that in west Nebraska in those early days of TV, we didn’t have much to watch on just three broadcast channels. I’m not sure about the Biffy part of his name either as it takes on preppy connotations or shades, and the proud rooster is certainly not that either.
To me, I see a lot of life is measured by the ‘programming’ because I grew up in the days of an exploding TV media and Hollywood films. It crowded quite a bit in our minds of what we had previously valued, some of which were endless card and board games, Rummy, Go Fish, Monopoly, LIFE… and hours of playing outdoors, riding bikes and skateboarding. This was socializing and keeping our eyes on what was to us important in life: relationships. One thing resulted, which to this day, bothers me. Many of us have come to see the evening news as an authority, which means that from it, anyone who sits as a news anchor can utter any phrase, and because he or she is seen as truthful and credible, said utterance of phrase is believed without question, even if it is a flat out lie. Keep in the mind the idea of the great deceiver. There are other names for him.
Or, that any idea or character we see in films as the hero, could do no wrong or sports figure for that matter, could promote a certain brand of bubble gum as the end all, be all, and the masses were swayed by it, and chewed happily away. As if all that brought fulfillment and satisfaction. Now, back to the instruction manual. Weren’t we warned about idols? Yet, the generations of today talk more about the characters of a video game, comic books, and sports, with their minds set more on what falls out of the mouths of let’s say Captain American or Wonder Woman, or even Kobe Bryant, or John Wayne from earlier days. A list of celebrities can grow far and wide, but how much thought in our crowded minds is devoted to God? Therefore to each other.
Given the evidence of today, from where I sit, we have a long way to go. Because of government recommendations due to the reported sickness, via our beloved media, I have been relegated to staying away from friends and family who have given into what I believe to be ridiculous compliance. I call them sheeple for what they have decided. Because of this, I probably won’t see many people for the coming holidays. That means fewer ‘I love yous’ and hugs, not just for me, but for all of us. Again, I ask why would we choose this for ourselves? And if you are like me, a believer in God, and his mysterious ways to get us back to those loving ways, I say pray. Yes, pray with all your heart, then listen closely for His answer.
Frank Marquez Writings 