Declaration of Independence of the Imagination and Man's Right to Madness

Existence keeps going by. It is still a Thursday in the flow if my memory is not fooling me.

The time is Now 2:19 PM afternoon. I just got back from our local public library. Josiah has been reading a book on Africa and King Leopold II of Belgium (Congo) and saw recently a book on him at their used book room. I drove over to the library to see if I could find this used book, but it was gone. I looked around the used book room and bought for a dollar a book titled "Traditional Arts And Crafts Of Japan" With 202 Illustrations by Christopher Dresser first published in 1882 in England. I left the library and drove over to Full Circle music shop to pick up a CD I had ordered and came home. At the music shop I started to feel FREAKED so I fled home to my cell.

Beth immediately left when I got home in Carol's car. Josiah has been playing computer games non-stop since he has come home for vacation break. I do not think he know what to do with himself being off from work and Gloria not around.

Carol works tonight so she went to bed ages ago.

I have been mainly reading "London: The Biography" today. I wrote a couple of pages in my personal diary today when not doing something else life saving.

I feel stressed out because I think I need sex. I am not sure if that is why I feel uptight lately?

What else do I need to report in case I die soon? I do not remember talking to anyone lately about their never dying soul.

It is 2:37 PM right now. What to do super important this afternoon? I suppose what I should do is quiet myself down and wait it out. I will make myself a cup of tea and sit in the dining room waiting for my ship to come listening to the The Black Angels new CD for good luck.

Maybe something wild and scary will come in the mail this afternoon?

music: The Black Angels "Directions To See A Ghost"

This morning friends (married couple) came over to our house to show us their new baby Puggle named Jaidyn Leigh. Rudy made a new friend today.

It is 8:27 AM Thursday morning in the flow of existence. It is the month of July year 2008. Lately I have had a hard time remembering what day it is? I must be over tired.

I got out of bed this morning around 7:24 AM. I did not sleep soundly last night. When I got up I found Carol and Beth talking in the living room. I sat down next to Rudy to wake up to another day of waiting it out. After sitting listening for a while to Beth and Carol I got up and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.

After making myself a cup of tea I walked to my computer to read stuff. Now I am sitting in my study writing a report on my lap top. Carol had a dentist appointment this morning, so she is not home right now. Beth is messing with our main computer. Josiah is still sleeping.

I have nothing to do today, but wait.

Last night I spent the evening reading my books. I have been reading "Tree Of Smoke" a novel by Denis Johnson, "New Testament Theology Magnifying God in Christ" by Thomas R. Schreiner, and "London: The Biography" by Peter Ackroyd.

I have nothing pressing on my mind this morning. I am doing ok even though I do not know what to do with myself these days. So I sit in our house and wait it out. I mainly sit all day in our dining room waiting to see what will happen that will open up the doors of the future.

This morning I glanced through the Holland morning newspaper. I usually try to read something light in the morning. Yesterday morning I read "London: The Biography" and wrote in my personal diary. Carol took Rudy for a walk this morning around the block. Here in Holland the mosquitoes are so bad that there is no place to walk. I can’t walk Rudy any where without being attacked by swarms of mosquitoes, so I either walk him around the block or at Kollen Park (which is by Lake Macatawa-the wind off the Lake keeps the mosquitoes away). I could use bug spray, but I hate the smell!

I am not sure if we are going to that Fourth of July used book sale tomorrow since I am not in the mood-plus I do not know if I want to drive to GR with gas prices being so high these days. I really do not need any more books. What I need is a sense of purpose. I rather sit on the Fourth and hope for the best. Carol works on the Fourth. I do not know what Beth and Josiah are going to do on the Fourth? Next Thursday Josiah take a train back to New Mexico. School starts the first week of August. Josiah will be teaching World History this year. Beth teaches First Grade at a Christian School in New Mexico, the same town where Josiah lives and teaches.

Well it is 9 o’clock AM in the flow of existence. I will close to wait it out. This morning life seems super ugly. It is comforting to know God is real when everything around me smells dead.

music: Wolf Parade "At Mount Zoomer"

I'm stoned, and thinking...

every one of our senses is its own consciousness, learning to interpret internal and external information, except there is no internal and external.

together, given enough information over long enough, a greater consciousness, the mind/ego itself, arises naturally out of this harmonic unison of the five senses.

the mind is the core result of the physical body interpreting the universe, those five senses acting together to soak up the surrounding world which is also oneself.

perhaps even, the senses could be external, coming from the environment itself projecting its statuses into us.

yeah, stoneeed. LOL

 There is no one single person at the top level of my caring-ness-ness attention, It includes god, my family, and my best friends.

Yeah, so.
August, in August my ex is getting married. OH WELL. Poor him. :]

It is 11:58 AM late Wednesday morning. I have been up since 6:03 AM this morning. I woke up after having a dream about selling a gun to a Mexican gangster. What woke me up was in the dream I realized after selling my gun to the Mexican gangster that he had paid me in fake money. In the dream I needed money and so I had sold my gun only to find out I had been ripped off. I also remember losing my shoes in this dream.

When I got up this morning I found Carol in our living room having her morning devotions.

I got myself a cup of tea and a couple slices of cinnamon toast walked to my computer to download stuff I wrote last night and to read music reviews, News and blogs.

Carol went and got doughnuts to go with breakfast. Beth got up and Carol cooked scrambled eggs. Carol went she got doughnuts she also got four newspapers to look at. Carol likes to look through newspapers when she is not working. So while we ate this morning we looked through newspapers the Holland Sentinel, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. My wife can sit for hours and read newspapers. I never looked at newspapers or watched television till we got married.

Josiah is still sleeping and Beth and Carol left to do errands. I have been writing in my personal diary and reading "London The Biography" by Peter Ackroyd.

I have no plans for the day. Right now I like to go back to bed.

Last night I listened to music and read till 11 o'clock PM. I went to bed and got woke up by Carol coming to bed sometime around 1 o'clock AM in the morning.

Now it is another day and I feel like closing my eyes and dreaming of a perfect life.

music: Malcolm Middleton "A Brighter Beat"

It is 9:12 PM Monday night or is it Tuesday night? I can not remember what day it is right now. The evening newspaper told me the day is Tuesday the first of July 2008. I am sitting in our dining room typing on my lap top. Josiah is playing computer game on my computer in our living room this evening. Carol went to work around 7:55 PM and will be home at Midnight, she only works four hours this evening. Beth went off to have dinner with girlfriends. I have been listening to music and reading for evening devotions "New Testament Theology Magnifying God in Christ" by Thomas R. Schreiner.

I had another super quiet day. Josiah was gone all day wandering Holland. Josiah told me he played for hours computer game on his lap top at our local public library.

Carol slept all day and got up to eat and drink coffee. Then she got ready for work and left.

Not else to report this evening. Besides reading New Testament theology today I read some more of "London: The Biography" by Peter Ackroyd. I did not read this afternoon any more of "Tree Of Smoke" a novel by Denis Johnson.

Today I mainly read "London: The Biography" and "New Testament Theology Magnifying God in Christ."

I do remember talking to my wife as she ate food this evening. I do not know if my wife finds my conversation interesting? We can not escape each other since we have been married now 29 years. We have learned to live with each other without freaking out or feeling rejected. You take the bad with the good as the old saying goes. Some things will just never be, so learn to live wating for glory. "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.

For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinth. 5:1-7

Beth came home and she took Rudy for a walk around the neighborhood. We have the house open because the weather has been milded the last couple of days.

Well I do not know what else to write so I will close to sit in the darkness and listen to music. Soon it will be time to go to bed and read till I get sleepy.

music: The Sea And Cake "Everybody"

"The God who has revealed himself to human beings is truth, and hence he is trustworthy (John 3:33). He has manifested his glory to the world in sending his Son to die as the Lamb of God for the sin of the world (John 11:4, 40; 13:31-32; 17:1, 4, 5). God's love and mercy, of course, are not all that can be said of God. John, with his realized eschatology, emphasizes that unbelievers are already stand under God's judgment. Those who do not believe are condemned already, and God's wrath remains on them (John 3:18, 36), but he also teaches that there will be end-time judgment for those who practice evil (John 5:29). Moses will stand as a witness against Jewish leaders who refused to believe (John 5:45).

John emphasizes that salvation is God's work and cannot be accomplished or effected by human beings. Those who are saved have been born of God (John 1:13; 3:3, 5, 7). The new life is bestowed supernaturally by God himself. The gift character of salvation is emphasized in John. Those who come to the Son in belief are given by the Father to the Son (John 6:37). Jesus grants eternal life only to those whom the Father has given him (John 17:2), and Jesus reveals God's name to those whom God has given him (John 17: 6, 24). Jesus restricted his prayer to those whom the Father has given him (John 17:9), and he fulfilled the Father's will in preserving to the end all those given him by the Father (John 6:39). He also prayed that the Father would keep and preserve them until the last day (John 17:11, 15); hence, they will never apostatize and will be raised from the dead to new life on the last day.

If people are not drawn by the Father to the Son, they will be unable to come to Jesus for life (John 6:44). Conversely, those whom the Father has taught will certainly come to Jesus (John 6:45). They are part of the flock given to Jesus by the Father (John 10:29), whereas those who failed to believe were not given by the Father to the Son (John 6:64-65).

Human beings are to respond to the revelation of God in Jesus by believing in Jesus (John 14:1), and we will see more about this in due course. Here it should be noted that human beings are called upon to give glory to God in all that they do. For God's glory is to be understood as a revelation of God, or as the intervention of his power in history. Hence, the man born blind to whom Jesus restored sight should glorify and praise God for his healing (John 9:24). Jesus healed Lazarus (John 11:4, 40), conducted his ministry, and went to his death (John 13:31-32; 17:1, 4, 5) to bring glory to God, for God is glorified in the work of his Son.

The object and the aim of one's existence are to bring glory to God, and so we see that the foundational theme of NT theology-the glory of God-is central in John's Gospel as well. Peter's death, though gruesome, will bring glory to God, presumably because he will die for the sake of Jesus Christ (John 21:19). The Jews who did not believe in Jesus are indicted because rather than prizing God's glory, they lived for the approbation and respect of human beings (John 5:44; 12:43).

They were not animated by love for God (John 5:42), but rather lived to please people. The purpose of life, however, is to serve God, even though some who think that they are doing so are deceived (John 16:2). God is served when he is glorified, and, as we will see later, God is supremely glorified, according to the Gospel of John, when he is trusted. In particular, God is glorified when human beings believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God (John 20:30-31)-the Lamb of God who has come to remove the world's sins (John 1:29), for the Son glorifies the Father particularly in his death (John 13:31-32; 17:1, 4, 5). pp. 134, 135 Thomas R. Schreiner "New Testament Theology Magnifying God in Christ"

Where? not What? Well, the where would be wherever i find to be a safe haven whether it be with my family my friends or myself, in which case i have mulitple homes. I would even say my church counts as a home.
 

July 12th

Sentient Bean

13 E Park Ave, Savannah, GA, 31401

Half familiar and half brand new prints.

Free beer at the opening.

Also, an exclusive first look preview of my Israel book, including twice as many images as the show.

Israel By Land first edition and Being Inside second edition currently available.

You may want to wait for the coffee table sized edition with higher print quality, but I put these up for those of you who are impatient and love cute little books as much as I do. Prints are also still available for those of you who can’t make it to the show. Since I print each one myself, I can guarantee quality a lot more than I can guarantee the books.

See you all at the show! Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Idea:

A world map that has the names of other countries that the inhabitants of that country would call it, rather than the names given to them by English-speakers.

IE: India, Bharat

It would be a nice nod to culture's diversity.

PAGAN CHRISTIANTY: by George Barna and Frank Viola

Part One Of The Review by Ben Witherington III

I found this review by Witherington III interesting and thought others might want to read it who are students of Early Christianity.

http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/

Blest are the humble souls that see
Their emptiness and poverty;
Treasures of grace to them are giv’n,
And crowns of joy laid up in Heav’n.

Blest are the men of broken heart,
Who mourn for sin with inward smart;
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes.

Blest are the meek, who stand afar
From rage and passion, noise and war;
God will secure their happy state,
And plead their cause against the great.

Blest are the souls that thirst for grace
Hunger and long for righteousness;
They shall be well supplied, and fed
With living streams and living bread.

Blest are the men whose bowels move
And melt with sympathy and love;
From Christ the Lord they shall obtain
Like sympathy and love again.

Blest are the pure, whose hearts are clean
From the defiling powers of sin;
With endless pleasure they shall see
A God of spotless purity.

Blest are the men of peaceful life,
Who quench the coals of growing strife;
They shall be called the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of peace.

Blest are the suff’rers who partake
Of pain and shame for Jesus’ sake;
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord;
Glory and joy are their reward.

a hymn by Isaac Watts

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/a/h/bahstsee.htm

It is 10:30 AM in the flow of existence. It is a Monday in the flow of another week. I wonder how many weeks I have been aware of my Self in relationship to the Lord God? I started seeking God in the Summer of 1970.

I have been awake since 7:14 AM this morning. I woke up remembering a dream about shopping carts. It is a nice mild sunny day today. Perfect day to go sailing on the Lake.

Carol got home from work around 9 o'clock AM. Bethany got up around 8 o'clock AM this morning. She is about to go out into the world and consume material goods. Josiah is still sleeping. Carol has gone to bed for the day.

I took Rudy for a walk at Kollen Park this morning around 9:35 AM and was home by 10:10 AM. I have the whole day ahead of me for fun and games.

I really have nothing to strive for except the crown of eternal life. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainity. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." 1 Corinth. 9:24-27

Yesterday I mainly sat waiting and reading my books. During the evening hours I listened to music and went to bed around 11 o'clock PM.

Well I suppose I will close to count my blessings one by one.







music: Rogue Wave "Out Of The Shadow"

I never thought I would be attracted to someone shorter than me ever again. BUT DAMN.... this guy is seriously smokin'. :^]


Just like ships, we float through each other's lives
Through the waters of beauty and grace
We will one day dock at the same port
And give rest to our weary legs
There is a light placed up in the sky
Like the stained glass, time slows down
I wish I could sleep, I wish I could dream
I love the sound of my feet against these empty streets
I saw the whole town burn down
I'm walking away
Nothing stays, these feelings have wings
Our arms outstretched, we are soaring

He leadeth me, O blessèd thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

Refrain

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

Refrain

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

Refrain

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/l/hleademe.htm

The time is now 3:37 PM Monday afternoon in the flow of existence. I really have not done anything the last time I reported in. I am out of it these days. I am weary of existence. Life at time can be a heavy load. I often bow my head and silently pray to the Lord for grace to keep going.

I read yesterday Giant Sand has in the near future a new album coming out. I am a fan of the music of Giant Sand.

Today I have mainly wandered my cage. I have been talking to Beth and Josiah today when not wondering what to do with myself.

I read yesterday a great amount of the novel "Tree of Smoke" by Denis Johnson. Yesterday I had a hard time staying awake. All day yesterday I kept falling asleep. Today I am having a hard time focusing on anything.

I have though written three pages in my personal diary. There are days when the ink flows freely. I am keeping track of my existence. I do not know who is going to read all this crap when I fall over dead?

Carol works tonight. Tomorrow is July 1, 2008. This coming Friday is the Fourth. I am planning to go to used book sale on the Fourth of July.

I will close to make a pot of coffee. I am not sure if there is anything else to report this afternoon?

All I have been trying to read today when not lost in thought is a book titled "New Testament Theology Magnifying God in Christ" by Thomas R. Schreiner. When I am falling asleep from existence exhaustion I like to have on my mind New Testament theology.

It is now going on 4:30 PM in my private flow of existence. Josiah went for a walk and Beth went to visit a girlfriend. I am here in front of my lap top in my cell making a report. I will close to drink a cup of coffee and then take a hot shower. The Lord is in control.

music: Giant Sand "Cover Magazine"

It is 1:14 PM Monday afternoon. It is a sunny day here in Holland, Mich.. I have been up since 9:30 AM this morning. Beth's bus from Chicago did not get into Holland till 2:30 AM this morning. She was over five hours late getting home. Beth said she is never going to take a train home again.

I got up and made myself a cup of tea and wrote in my personal diary all morning. I am really out of it these days. I feel restless, but there is nothing to do important. There is no place to go, so I just sit in the dining room waiting it out.

Last night I listened to music, read "Tree Of Smoke" a novel by Denis Johnson and watched television.

Carol went to bed around 9:30 AM this morning for the day. I think she works tonight. Beth left to go to the bank and get her hair cut. Josiah is in the back yard sawing tree limbs.

Well there is nothing else to report so I will close to wait it out.

music: Gas "Nah und Fern"
http://www.gridface.com/reviews/nah_und_fern.html

Holy crap. I realized that with the exception of one day (which I have to go to a wedding reception on) I am going to be out of town from July 8th through July 25th.