Psalm 103

1

Of David.

I

Bless the LORD, my soul;

all my being, bless his holy name!

2

Bless the LORD, my soul;

and do not forget all his gifts,

3

Who pardons all your sins,

and heals all your ills,

4

Who redeems your life from the pit,

and crowns you with mercy and compassion,

5

Who fills your days with good things,

so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

II

6

The LORD does righteous deeds,

brings justice to all the oppressed.

7

He made known his ways to Moses,

to the Israelites his deeds.

8

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

9

He will not always accuse,

and nurses no lasting anger;

10

He has not dealt with us as our sins merit,

nor requited us as our wrongs deserve.

III

11

For as the heavens tower over the earth,

so his mercy towers over those who fear him.

12

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our sins from us.

13

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

14

For he knows how we are formed,

remembers that we are dust.

15

As for man, his days are like the grass;

he blossoms like a flower in the field.

16

A wind sweeps over it and it is gone;

its place knows it no more.

17

But the LORD’s mercy is from age to age,

toward those who fear him.

His salvation is for the children’s children

18

of those who keep his covenant,

and remember to carry out his precepts.

IV

19

The LORD has set his throne in heaven;

his dominion extends over all.

20

Bless the LORD, all you his angels,

mighty in strength, acting at his behest,

obedient to his command.

21

Bless the LORD, all you his hosts,

his ministers who carry out his will.

22

Bless the LORD, all his creatures,

everywhere in his domain.

Bless the LORD, my soul!

Hummingbird

 

The Hummingbird of Summer

An Overnight Star

I will chime in on the latest music sensation, Oliver Anthony. 

I will not go through a detailed analysis of him and his music. But I will say that the song appeals to the conservatives, and I'm sure somewhere, someone will turn his overnight popularity into some kind of prejudice about certain groups of people, and he will be canceled. And because he has not signed onto a major record label, the liberals will go after him to shut him up because he is spreading the truth.  

Here is the music video. You decide. 

Out of Routine

Disrupting a daily routine is one thing, but when it goes on every day for weeks, it can be stressful. We all have moments when this happens, and the stress can be overwhelming because our standard mode of daily business has been replaced by something else.  It's sometimes unavoidable. 

And the only way to drive through it is to take one day at a time. Anticipating what might happen next only causes more stress, which is easier said than done because our minds constantly try to resolve issues.

Stay focused on the day and tackle issues as they arise.

And always pray to the Lord for help.

August

 August

The month of August is the hot month of the year. It is a time of harvest and State Fairs.

If I had to pick my least favorite month, it would be August. So, there is not much to say beyond this point.

The Nicene Creed

 

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

One Book

So many books out nowadays would have never been published 40 years ago. Books that target specific immoral issues infecting our society. Some would say I don't read books anymore. Any information I need is online. But here is the main difference.  Books can be around for hundreds of years. Online information can change almost daily. The books printed today could still have an impact on those who read them later on. The unethical, unrighteous, and evil words on the pages of some books will possibly influence future societies.

One book has been around as long as 600 B.C., and a newer version about 1,800 years ago. It has all the information one would need to live a good and moral life and learn from the mistakes of others. It is in some way, an encyclopedia of life and death.  And today, it is the most popular book ever printed, which is the Bible. 

If you have one, pick it up and re-read it. If you don't, find one, because it will change your life forever.

Photo - pixabay - bohdanchreptak

Let us Decide!

Light bulbs, Water heaters, Pizza oven, and Jason Aldean.

What do all of these have in common? They are overly regulated or banned.

First, I realized that some items will be regulated by the federal government, mainly when it involves safety. But the four things mentioned above pertain to emission and what some consider the wrong message.

Let us decide.   

I don't believe the wood-burning pizza ovens in New York City will affect the world or, conservative lyrics will affect society. And the same goes for recently in the news of water heaters being regulated for the same reason as pizza ovens.

Let us decide!

As for Jason Alden, much as the music industry has a political agenda against anyone who has a conservative message in their lyrics. And to add a musician similar to Jason. Charlie Daniels has been composing songs with a conservative message like this for years.  There are far more progressive musicians spreading the socialist message without any controversy.  

Let us decide!

Stop regulating want we buy, and stop trying to shut down free speech.

Here are some songs with a conservative message; you decide.

Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town (Official Music Video) - YouTube

The Charlie Daniels Band - Simple Man (Official Video) - YouTube

Who wants to be President?

Today's news will be entirely about a former President and the current president. Both are under criminal investigation. But depending on which primary news channel you watch.  You will more than likely only see one side of these two stories.

I'm speaking of the Biden-Hunter hearings and the Trump indictments. 

The President of the United States was once a respectable office where the young would aspire to one day become the leader of the most powerful country in the world. But if you have a son who is a drug addict and has illegal financial dealings with China or former President Trump is under investigation by anyone with progressive imagination who can conjure up a fake charge to possibly be indicted and put in jail. 

Who would want to be President? 

So, if you are guilty (Biden/Hunter) or innocent (Trump), there will always be the ones who want the opposite of who is currently in office.  

Who do you currently want as President of the United States?

Photo - pixabay - chayka1270  

Not Both

It's either a male or female, not both.

Nowadays, this topic is in the news every day. The world is in an identity crisis. We have the male/female crisis, and some people identify as animals, and this is only naming a few of the hundreds of identity profiles.

Just this week, a transgender female, who is a biological male, won a female beauty pageant in the Netherlands to represent that country in the Miss Universe pageant. And let's remember the women's sports championships where biological men have dominated women. 

The gender identity crisis has influenced so many people that businesses are marketing their products to show the world they accept this gender confusion (Bud Light). 

But, as much as it is accepted in society, most of the world does not accept this trendy wave that will eventually disappear, or at least that is my hope for future generations, but wait if this trend grows, there will not be a future generation of males and females in our world society.

 

  

NATO or Not

 

NATO or not?

The question is whether World War III will begin once Ukraine joins NATO. 

My opinion is yes, without a doubt. The number of NATO countries obligated to support Ukraine, especially the United States and England, will overwhelm the Russian forces. But there is one factor to consider the Russian nuclear opinion, which Vladimir Putin will use if backed into the corner. 

The war in Ukraine has been going on for over 500 days with no clear ending. And just as the world is recovering from the pandemic, the next big worldwide catastrophe is about to happen.

So, start preparing now - food, water, medical supplies, generators, etc. Think of any you might need once supply chains are broken.  We went through it recently, and you know what you need.

Prepare now!!

Photo - pixabay - Clker-Free-Vector-Images

Eastern Prickly Pear

 

The flower of the Eastern Prickly Pear - a common cactus in Tennessee.

Soylent Green - FilmFriday

This post is not necessarily a movie review but an opinion about the message within the film.

The movie was interesting, made in 1973, about the year 2022. Some notable actors are Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, and Chuck Connors, to just name a few. The acting and cinematography were typical for that year.

As I watched the film, I thought more about how easily the government, once it has complete control over the citizens, would seem almost impossible to regain control of the freedom one once had.

Without giving any spoilers about the film, I recommend watching it, and depending on where you live, try putting yourself in the events that transpire in the movie.

Could your government do this to your county?

How would you survive each and every day?

Could you fight back and regain the freedom you once knew?

 

July

The month of July - the month of America

We start the month with a bang in celebrating our independence from England. 

Those early colonies didn't really know how great our country would be.  The United States has had its share of problems, but overall, it's still better than any free country worldwide. 

If you are a citizen of the U.S., take some time this month to reflect and be thankful to be living in the United States.

God Bless America

Photo: pixabay - TheDigitalArtist

Glory Be

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Boycotting

Boycotting is a powerful statement of protesting.

It doesn't involve violence, or harm to anyone. It's merely the refusal to buy or support any product or service that goes against your moral values.  Within this blog, I have a short list of companies I boycott and companies I support. 

More posts to come on boycotting is a topic that clearly makes the news, for example, Bud Light and the LA Dodgers baseball team. 

This could be the summer of boycotting.

Bluebirds 23.9

 

This is the last picture because they are soon to fledge. 

The picture was taken on June 19th.  I have been watching the nest and occasionally see one taking a look outside the box.

I'm unsure if there will be more nests after this, as the temperature here is getting into the 90s.

June

The month of June is the beginning of the summer days.

June has a few days that should be recognized and acknowledged. 

June 6  

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II.

June 8  

Corpus Christi The Feast of Corpus Christi (Ecclesiastical Latin: Dies Sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Domini Iesu Christi, lit. 'Day of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ the Lord'), also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ,[2] is a Christian liturgical solemnity celebrating the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in the elements of the Eucharist.

June 14 

Founding of the US Army  U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which was formed on 14 June 1775 to fight the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)—before the United States was established as a country.

June 17 

Bunker Hill Day The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War.

June 18

Father's Day Father's Day is a holiday honoring one's father, or relevant father figure, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

June 21 

First day of Summer

Bluebirds 23.8

These eggs are a couple of weeks old. 

Soon to hatch.  

More to come....

Political Moves

 I live in a city where everyone from all over the United States seems to be moving here. I was born and raised in this city. Occasionally, when my wife and I are out and about, we will sometimes have conversations with people we meet, and it will come up in conversation. Where are you from? And our response is here. Their reply is no, where are you really from? And as we repeat ourselves, it seems hard to believe that they have actually met someone who is a native of the city. 

I live in a conservative state but live in a liberal city. The problem is that so many people are moving to the city from other states that it drives the people who have lived here all their lives to leave. 

I understand if you live in a state or city with political agendas against your values to move out. But this needs to be considered in political moves; if moving out to another town, one should assimilate into the culture of that area. Refrain from bringing the customs of your previous home state. So, why would one leave an area they hated and move to another only to create the same environment they just left. 

Stop this insanity. If you are from the North and move to the South, you should assimilate to the South's customs and values.

Photo - pixabay - mohamed_hassan