January 1, 2025

I was going to quote Genesis 1:1 because I was thinking it said something about in the beginning there was God and He created everything. That sounds like a great opening for a new year, which should have some new beginnings. But that is not what Genesis 1:1 says exactly. It goes like this: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Then it goes on to describe a little more specifically what God did on each day to create the heavens and earth.
Now John 1:1 has part of what I was thinking about: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” It does have my word, “beginning” in there, but creating everything is not exactly there either. Some may have read the emails I sent out during the extended flu season a couple of years ago where I started quoting verses found in the lost book of Peterson. Maybe the verse I was looking for is found in there?
The driving point I was going to reach for has to deal with the new year, the new start, new, (really adjusted), goals, and maybe even those pesky resolutions some make so they can see how long they go before they break them. Kind of like the alcoholic who keeps going to the bar to see how long he can hold out and not accept the free drink everyone offers to try and get him back into enjoying the reason the door was opened and the rear end was plopped down on the bar stool.
Even as interesting as the thought I had at first was, as I worked on finding the verse I knew existed somewhere, the question came to me about where God was existing when he created the heavens and earth. I don’t believe God had a house he went to each day after He did whatever He was doing before he created the heavens and earth. I guess that brings up another question, what was God doing each day before He created the heavens and earth? How did he fill up His time. He already knows all the answers to the crossword puzzle so there would be no sense in wasting His time finding the pen, (he wouldn’t need to erase an answer so He could use a pen), and then jotting down all the across answers before He started on the down answers.
Anyway, where was the lair of God found before He created the heavens and earth? It doesn’t seem like God sleeps so He doesn’t need a bed. It does say in Scriptue that even if you go down to Sheol, God is there, and if you go up to the heavens, God is there. Psalm 139:8 Do you know the word, “Sheol”, is found in Scripture 65 times and more than once in at least one verse? I have now made at least a half of year 2025 spoken for in trying to answer all these questions, Maybe I could just read Ecclesiastes again?
While I could continue to wax eloquently for hours, the path of least resistence concerns the idea that we try to make the new year a “new” year. We may be able to try new things, obtain a new job, new friends, a new high speed walking stick, but, just like God was in existence before He created the heavens and earth, there was a 2024 before 2025 magically appeared at 12:01 AM. While there are certainly some good and beneficial items to drag along with us into the new year, (I would venture to say all of the items in God’s lair were good and beneficial), the question is: “How much of 2024, (and previous years) are we going to drag into 2025 with us? I have a lot of bags, trunks, a full garage, and boxcars loaded with junk to leave at the station. How about you and your entrance into the “New” year? Got anything to leave at the station?

iJanuary 2, 2025

SO YOU WANT TO BE GOD

I was able to put down 2025 on the first try when placing the date above. Usually it takes a couple of weeks to remember the ending is now a 5 and not a 4. The experts would blame that on the “habit’ we “learned” a year ago in January, 2024, when we changed the 3 into a 4 on a certain number of occasions. Those experts have an answer or reason for everything.

The one or two of you who are keeping up with the Jones, know I struggle with when I am to write, how often, what format, the length, who is on first, etc. One of the reasons for the struggle is I find myself wanting to address many things and the ideas come to me at literally all hours of the day and night, e.g., today’s gem came to me last night.

At one point, I started a list of the gems, which was not as easy to do as it sounds. But that was how the manna idea started as when I went back to read some of them and pick out the winner for the day, they were written in a foreign language, even though they used the alphabet letters I was familiar with. I could regal you with more exciting examples but I must move on or the day will be over and I will still be trying to explain my discussions with self and even though they are really interesting, time is of the essence.

I know there are only a few brave souls who will come right out and say they want to be God. I know there are many lost souls who act like they want to be God, while all the time they are denying that is what they desire. There is a group which sometimes acts like they want to be God and sometimes can’t grovel enough to even convince themselves which side of the equation they land on. Those souls are probably more tortured than anyone can imagine. I know some who give orders even when there are no orders to give, they just give them to keep up appearances.

I could go on and on describing the individuals who want to be God and still probably not hit on someone you personally know who has that desire, whether hidden or in the open. But I believe all of you, but the smart ones, miss my point that being God comes with a price. Probably because I haven’t stated it yet, but I have now,. ust as desiring to be a prophet is awesome, there is a price. First, you speak for God and second, you are to make some small prophecy and if it does not happen, you get stoned with rocks and not booze.

God is a jealous God and desires you have no allegiance to another god. So all the goody goody two shoes who will not discipline anyone, they could not send their people into the desert for 40 years until the bad behaving generation is extinguished. Those same goody goody two shoes are unable to apply for the job of being God because they are unable to act like God and bring the hurt, (rain in Matthew), on the unjust and the just, Mt. 5:45: “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” [In Luke 17:29, God brings the fire and brimestone on Sodom, maybe you like that verse better?] The point is that God does discipline and it is good for our soul, [read the book of James without bliinders].

Another thing about being God, you have to give up all your hurts and anger against whomever you are harboring it against. You may not have ever read or heard more than one verse in the Bible, and that verse is John 3:16, which states that God so loved the whole world that he died for it. We can’t even get past someone who didn’t vote the way we wanted, (confession is good for the soul so I will admit having a problem here), yet if you were God, you would have to die for that person, (ouch). And then, you are dying for that person so they can join you in eternity! Chew on that bone for a century or two. This is the day for confession so I admit there is more than one person who I have a hard time being around for even one minute, let alone having to give up my life for them and then spenid an eternity with them. Who is joining me at the altar?

What would heppen to all of your time consuming projects, habits, goals, desires, etc., if you really were God? Could I play poker? What would be the value of the chips? Do I get to participate in a board game? If I am God, I already own all the cattle on the hill and all the property on the Monopoly board.

Here is the big question of the day. If, by your actions you want to be in charge all the time, thereby claining to be God, how do you allow free will to be enjoyed? This actually is a centuries old discussion, one which Pat Davis and I have bandied about since our days at Biola. While we both believe we are right, we allow the freedom for the other to believe as they wish on that subject, while demanding allegiance to the one way to heaven being through the blood shed on the cross by Jesus for our sins, (I did mean to make sins plural!). I guess in that one instance, Pat and I do claim to have one of God’s attributes, omniscience, concerning the ticket you present when entering those pearly gates or whatever the cherubim are sitting on that guard the entrance to heaven.

January 3, 2025

JOSHUA IS THE TEACHER

A few of you know what Numbers 22:28 and Numbers 22:30 contains. This is where God opens the mouth of a donkey and he speaks to Balaam. Not only is it a little weird that a donkey speaks, but the whole story has a tinge of wonderment to it. The setting is in Moab, which sounds a little like Death Valley, where one of the most difficult ultras is conducted every year. Runners start at below sea level and go to the top of the mountain, with temperatures reaching way over 120. The race has an apropros name, “The Bad Ass 135″, with the 135 being the distance in miles each runner who finishes has done. One gentleman ran it each year in a snow white outfit and was called the snowman. I think he should be called the snowman who would not melt.
Anyway, Balek wants Balaam to come and curse these intruders on his territory, God tells Balaam not to go, so Balaam refuses, God then tells Balaam to go but only say what He tells him to say, Balaam goes and God is angry because he does go, God puts an Angel of the Lord in the path, the donkey sees the Angel of the Lord, (So not only does the donkey speak, but he can see what the human does not see as Balaam does not see the Angel of the Lord), the donkey takes off for the hills, Balaam strikes the donkey, the donkey presses against the wall, hurting Balaam’s leg, Balaam strikes the donkey again, the donkey asks Balaam something along the line of, ‘hasn’t he been a great donkey all these years?’, Balaam answers, of course, (not only did the donkey speak, but he carried on a conversation with Balaam), and the donkey tells Balaam what’s up about the Angel of the Lord with the drawn sword, God tells Balaam once again to only speak what God tells him to say and not curse His people because they are blessed, and off goes Balaam on his journey after this unbelievable pit stop.
I could spend the rest of January with all the thoughts, questions, and great insights I would have to pontificate about, but this story came to mind this morning when I was dealing with Joshua and his antics while trying to tell me what he wanted. I kind of wanted God to open his mouth and let me know what he wanted.
I informed everyone a few days ago about Joshua and how he is having a little bit of difficulty with his “Old Man’s Disease”. This past few weeks have seemed to be a period of babysitting Joshua 24 hours a day. Since he doesn’t seem to be able to go up and down the stairs
any longer, he has to be carried up and down the stairs. The problem is his balance is not the best and he would probably make the destination, but it would be the hard way, with a few new bumps and bruises along the way as he went up or down. And he may not make the trip all the way to the top when he was going up, so that would be a problem also.
This morning we had already been out for the morning walk, or sometimes continually circling around the bush until I lovingly lead him away to find another item to circle around. He seems to know his routes, and he has many of them, and will go on one of them for a certain period, but then stops and looks, and either turns around and goes back the way we came or makes a right or left hand turn and off we go in that direction until he decides that is the wrong way and we need to change directions one more time.
When we arrived back home, we went through all the daily rituals and I carried him unstairs to where my computer was patiently waiting for some attention. I sat down and here comes Joshua, jumping around, barking, and acting like he wanted to go out again. Here is where the story of Balaam and the donkey appeared on the horizon. “What do you want, Joshua?” “Why can’t you just tell me in English instead of barking, jumping up and down, and running around in circles?” “You know I love you, but sometimes you are a little too demanding”.
So I get up, carry Joshua back downstairs, get my coat, and he stops at his bowl and gets a little snack for the road. I wait a minute, he runs around and heads back to the bowl. I stand close and let him have at it. He stops a few times to make sure I am still standing there and have not snuck off to do my own thing and continues on until he is licking the bowl to make sure not one morsal is left in the bowl.
We hang around downstairs doing nothing for a short time and I ask Joshua if he is ready to go back upstairs now. While he doesn’t give me a vocal answer, he follows me over to the stairs and allows me to pick him up for the trip upstairs. He has never really liked being picked up but now seems to understand he is not making the trip up and down without some assistance. At first, he would skitter away and try and avoid the inevitable. Now he comes over to the stairs and waits to be picked up.
So we arrived upstairs and Joshua seemed to be placated and happy. As for me, I realized Joshua has been teaching me how to exercise the first part of I Corinthians 13:4, which says, “Love is patient”. I did start the first few weeks to be frustrated after the second time around the bush, but now I am making it to the third and fourth trip around the bush without getting upset. I went up and down the stairs this morning without a harsh word spoken. I did say I loved Joshua so I am learning to make it around the bush as many times as he wants to go. I am taking him out at all hours of the day, when he wants to go, no matter what is on tv. Love is patient. But it would be nice if God would open his mouth like he did the donkey and give me clue what he wants sometimes.

January 4, 2025

HAVE I LEARNED MY LESSON?

A number of years ago, I started playing “Freecell” solitaire. I started at number 1 and worked my way up to at least a couple thousand before I quit playing on any regular basis. At some point, while riding the bus to Monrovia to the law office, I started playing again. Some of the games are a snap and some of them make me play more than a few times to become a winner. Almost all of the times when the game is tough, I take the easy route and get stuck. I try a few more times and that famous saying about doing the same thing and expecting a different result raises it’s shouting voice at me and then hopefully I will stop before I reach the hundredth time of trying to make it work without changing a thing.
I am on game 16,010 this time. When I hit 10,000, I tried to get Ali to play the game but she didn’t think it was worth her time. One of the reasons I keep going to number 100,000, is it does make me think a few moves ahead on most games so I do not get stuck. I use Sudoko, only on the hard or above levels, for the same reason, it keeps my mind active. I am not one of those people who can watch the same show on tv a number of times. But when I am in front of the boob tube, you can get a few games of freecell in during a five minute set of commercials.
I have played on the site, “It’s Your Turn” a few times, which has chess, a form of Chinese Checkers, called Halma, and Backgammon. There are a number of other games but those were the main ones I played, both open games and tournament games. I worked my way to having the maximum number of games they allowed for a few years on all three and only occasionally lost because I forgot to move in time. There were, I think two other sites I used for chess. The ladders only let you challenge 20 spots from your number on the ladder so it took more than a couple of months to move up the ladder. I got into the top 50 but could never crack the top 25, no matter how many times I tried.
What does all that have to do with this mornings musings? Joshua and I were out at 5:00 am this morning for him to find out if there were any new smells on his favorite bushes and grass blades. I was thinking how my Saturday mornings have changed. For over 10 years, I would be out the door, at first meeting with some group of runners that I couldn’t keep up with, winding up back at the meeting arena, only to find my car was the only one there and realize all the others were probably half way done with breakfast.
When I was doing a marathon, either a full or half, I would have to take Joshua out early so I could leave for the race. It would be very early, most of the time earlier than this morning, especially when I was going to Ventura, San Diego, or even Ojai. I always kind of thought it was a punishment for me to have to get out there so early on Saturday or Sunday morning, even though everyone else in the family would be going to work or their own appointment for the morning.
I was not considering all the above was a sin, but the verse that was being bandied about was how the sins, (iniquities), of the fathers fall on the sons and daughters. I looked it up when Joshua and I returned and after we finished all our morning rituals and the verse is Exodus 34:7: “who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” It was not the first time the thought I was causing Joshua to be punished for my sins when I forced him out the door to take care of his business when he was dreaming about whatever dogs dream about and getting his last bit of snoring done before it was time to get up.
Anyway, the context of the verse is the trip Moses takes up the hill to get the second set of tablets with the 10 commandments spelled out. And if you remember, the previous chapters of Exodus contained the people making their own idol because Moses spent too long getting the first set of tablets because Greta and the climate activists wouldn’t let the power switch be turned on and Moses had to chisel the words out by hand.
Now, if I remember right, I know I was convicted about all the games I was playing back then because it did take more than a few minutes a day to keep over 100 games going and that was one reason I stopped. Would you believe I went back and started playing a few games and eventually was up over 100 games again? And during both periods, I was spending more time with the games than I was in prayer, Bible reading, church, or studying the Word. In fact, to be honest, I was spending more time with the games than the total of all things related to God. I know there is someone who automatically brought up the premise that there are many things that we do which more than double the time in the Word, e.g., work, eating, sleeping, arguing, watching tv, etc. A couple of those items are necessary to exist, like eating, sleeping and working and seem to be disqualified from the discussion.
While all of these thoughts were rolling around like giant marbles, I was waiting on the Holy Spirit to give me the 411 on what the meaning for me today is. I only did one ½ marathon last year, I haven’t been out on the streets running since way before Christmas until last night, I did not play one game of chess in 2024, even though I entered one tournament starting this Monday and will play one ladder game, starting at the bottom rung of the ladder, (it is pretty easy to move up the first 5 or 6 games at least before it gets a little tougher), and I didn’t finish any program on tv last night that I had already seen.
Maybe I went through this exercise just to keep me from having to drop out of the games a third time since like the person with the drug problem who enters the crash house and takes one hit, I entered the chess ladder again? Hopefully I have learned my lesson and do not have to go through all this a third time. Chess can’t be as addicting as grass and cocaine. Can it?