|
|
|
|
In our language, the meaning of 'hag' has been distorted. Among the Kells (my mother was Irish), it is the final stage in the life of a woman. There are three: The Maiden/Virgin, untaken, untamed, wild and free. She's full of fire, dreams, visions and kinetic energy. She is the Waxing Moon. The Matron, in the full maturity of her child-bearing years. She is the great earth mother, the lover, the comforter, the healer. She is the Full Moon. The Hag. Seasoned and wise in the ways of the world, she holds her blood and sometimes her tongue. She enjoys honor and respect among those who hold her favor, and fear/caution among those who have earned her ire. She is the Waning Moon. I take The Hag for Hag Struan, a character in James Clavell's novel Tai-Pan, my favorite of his works. The Hag was born a Brock, which made her marriage into the Struan clan a Hatfield-McCoy heresy. The Brocks and Struans were rival shipping magnates in Scotland during the early days of China trade. The Hag was widowed young and stepped to the helm of Struan shipping, to keep them on top of her birth family. She was a tough, clear-minded, straight from the shoulder kind of lady. I admired her strength, her dignity and her dedication to her family against all odds. I'd have a very long way to go, indeed, before I could be in her league, but the name inspires me and I aim to do her proud. *************** For God sent NOT his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [JOHN 3:17] Peace to All. The Hag ......................................  .......................................... |
|
|
TALE OF A CAT
|
Nov 1, 2006 4:17 am
583 Views
|
MOOD: Hysterical!
It would happen on Halloween, of all nights. I'd settled into the recliner with my steaming mug of after-dinner coffee, picked up the cranberry-and-cream colored chair throw I've been working on this month (now near completion), set the station and volume of the TV for Boston Legal - cozy as a baby in a sacque. The patio door was cracked open so that Buddy could come inside from the back yard in a few minutes. Lola, our seal-point Siamese cat, sauntered through on her way to the kitchen. Between keeping up with the on-screen shenanigans and my crochet during the commercials, I was paying no attention to how much time elapsed, until I caught shadowy movement in my peripheral vision. Lola is sauntering back toward the bedroom with a prize catch: a little grey field mouse struggling to free itself from her fangs.
I'm not at all afraid of mice - when Anna was small, we had, by turns, hamsters, gerbils and Guinea pigs, all of which I handled, fed and tended when her over-crowded schedule caused her to forget. But tonight? The reaction was slap-stick, visceral! I jumped up, sloshing hot coffee everywhere. My crochet hook flew in one direction, the throw in the other, unravelling in the air as it fell. I'm jumping from one foot to the other, squawking, "Ack! Aup! Gawp! No! Lola, no! Back girl! Back! Go back outside, now! Come on, psst, psst, psst! This way, come on, follow me! Pleeeeeeease!" I was holding the front door open, trying to coax her outside with the poor little thing before it's struggles to free itself were successful, and it got loose in the house.
Paul, who was just about to leave for work, rushed into the living room to see what the commotion was all about, thinking maybe pranksters were at work outside. Seeing the problem immediately, he grabbed the broom, lifted the liner from the trash basket by the desk, and started toward Lola, hoping to 'trap' the mouse when she let it go. Now, she's confused (after all, this is why God made these little creatures, right?), angry at being challenged, ears flattened, eyes glaring, tail a slow-swishing "S", crouched low to the floor and backing toward the open door, she's emitting a steady, deep-throated growl. Paul put the broom-bristles firmly over Lola's neck to pin her still and positioned the small trash can just in front of her nose. Sinuously struggling backward, trying to free herself from the pinioning broom, she turned her head just the right way, and the little mouse broke free.
Y'know those famous Tom and Jerry cartoons, where Jerry runs in place for several seconds before his feet make purchase and he's able to scamper away? I saw that tonight in real time, just before it was able to scurry - fly! more like it - across my foot, out the front door and deep into the hedge beneath the windows. Paul looked to see if it had stopped where he could catch it, but that terrified little animal was long gone! Still laughing hard, we sat down together on the front steps until we could regain our breath.
Lola, tail straight as a ramrod, stomped (yeah! silently, but she stomped, friends!) back to the bedroom. She's still not speaking to me, and will be miffed for a couple of days or so - with good reason.
We had no right to spoil her Halloween fun, now did we???
Thanks for your visit, my friends! Hope you had a safe and happy Halloween at your place.
Luv and Laughter,
The Hag
|
|
|
9
Comments
|
|
|
I Am Out-MoDeD
|
Oct 29, 2006 12:34 am
Mood: bitchy,
560 Views
|
S/HE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT, YOUR HONOR, my client lacks the ability to become sufficiently motivated. You see, s/he suffers from MoDeD, Motivational Deficit Disorder. ...
It hasn't surfaced as a defense yet, that I know of, but according to an article I read on SixWise last night, some Australian psychiatrists/psychologists are purporting that it exists as a separate malady than simple depression. The specific purpose statement of the article was: "Laziness does not exist." S'cuse me, but that ain't what my Mama and Daddy thought! Thank God.
I think I'll start a new self-help group: I HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING, THEREFORE I DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST ACCEPT ME, NO MATTER WHAT! I'll shorten that to EX-AXE. Our drug of choice will be EX-Lax(R) (chocolate variety, of course), then when somebody goes into a rage and axe murders a half-dozen people because their parent, school, spouse, employer and society at large actually expects them to DO SOMETHING as an independent, individual citizen - well! We've got our defense already documented and in the bag. This is so close to reality it's making me sick.
What I'd really like to start is the YUDU Movement, short for You Do Your Own Work. Whatever it is you want in life, you go to work to make it happen. This is not to be confused with a cold, indifferent, 'pull yourself up by your own bootstraps' attitude. Nurturing, education, guidance and support are necessary for anyone to feel connected in healthy relationships. Nobody makes it 100% on his own, and most who enjoy a high level of success will tell you, "I had a lot of help along the way." There's a difference between mentoring/coaching, and making excuses for poor performance, though.
Maybe the concept is just too simple: Work is the element necessary to achieve your goals. What you get when you work is results. Willful neglect of your responsibilities (at home, school and work) is the element that engenders consequences, e.g., lack of self-esteem, low energy, anger and resentment because others have more than you do and worse of all, the inability to understand that they have more because they've worked for and earned it.
In my teens, when I'd complain that some of my friends had better-equipped rooms than I did, I was always told, "We may not have that much, Hon, but what we have is paid-for and it's ours." That didn't seem nearly as important to me then as it does now, and I can't help marveling at the number of young adults who've grown up absolutely convinced that they should be able to 'buy' it simply because they want it, then are infuriated when that 2006 Kia is repo'ed because they've not made a payment in two months. I believe there are some among them who are not lazy, they simply were never taught. I mourn that reality for their sakes. I wish they had been told, at every holiday, as we were: "Children, there's food on the table, a dry roof over your head, we're all together with nobody sick. You're blessed and you are to be thankful."
I'm thankful for that family, for this country of mine, and for YOU, my friends of SFF. Have a wonderful day and a fine weekend. I'm glad you came to visit.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most, it's the one who needs the least." - Unknown
"Is not the fear of thirst when your well is full the thirst that is unquenchable?" - Khalil Gibran
Joy in Jesus! Forgive my ranting?
The Hag
|
|
|
10
Comments
|
|
|
The Attack of the Big Phish
|
Oct 25, 2006 4:56 pm
506 Views
|
The Attack of the Big Phish
MOOD: Concerned
[This is a follow up PSA. Further info related to 'Destiny's Blog'. It is a two-part post, and the conclusion to this discussion, on my part. Thanks for your indulgence! PLEASE, ESPECIALLY READ THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF PART 1.]
Are you familiar with phishing scams? I get several in my inbox every day, and I bet you do too.
Phishing is a one of the fastest growing cybercrimes, according to the FBI, and one that costs consumers millions of dollars each year. These scams have one purpose: to get as much personal information from a user as they can. This includes login information, Social Security numbers, date of birth, and other identifiable information that can help them open up bogus accounts under your name, or steal from your existing ones. You can identify a phishing scam by its urgent tone asking you to immediately update your account. There are many other telling signs, which I'll cover later, but the smartest thing you can do is to resist the temptation of opening this dangerous email, and instead delete the bait immediately.
Our advisors have written about phishing quite extensively, and the results of a recent study may encourage us to revist these posts. A study conducted by Harvard University and Berkeley revealed that participants were vulnerable to phishing attacks despite of their education level or computer savviness. Ninety percent of the users were fooled by good web design despite of numerous phishing clues such as questionable URLs, lack of security indicators, and even pop-up alerts.
Identity theft is big business, and phishing schemes are harder to spot than you think. Email is still the most popular method, but as digital thieves get more sophisticated, so do their tactics. Learn about the latest phishing techniques reported.
Email Phish
Always be suspicious of any email coming from any financial institution or online payment service such as Paypal. As a rule of thumb, never click on emails coming from unknown sources. Instead, learn to recognize spoof emails by checking web address, word misspellings, and security indicators such as a locked padlock on the browser frame. Don't even click them out of curiosity. Those sites may install keylogger software that records your keystrokes, then sends this information back to the scammers. If you want to know what a phishing email looks like, visit the Anti-Phishing Working Group, where they have examples of actual emails sent.
Phone Phishing is Alive and Kicking
If you think email is the only way they can get you to divulge personal information, you're wrong. Last year, the FBI issued a warning to the public regarding a scheme involving jury service. Apparently, a group of individuals has been disguising themselves as U.S. Court employees, and contacting citizens advising them that they have been selected for jury duty. They ask to verify names, Social Security numbers, and ask for credit card information. When their request is refused, they resorted to threatening these citizens with fines. If you get one of these calls, report it immediately.
One of the latest phone phishing scams involved the use of VoIP (Voice over IP). Voicemails lead unsuspecting users to believe their bank account had been frozen, and were asked to call the provided number. A friendly voice message greeted them, and prompted them to enter their PIN number and bank account information. What they didn't know was that all the information they provided was being collected by phishing criminals. According to TechWeb, these methods use automated scripts to initiate the VoIP calls, and spoof caller ID so they appear legitimate.
Both methods are equally scary, and prove that phishing is no longer confined to the web.
Social Networks Get Phished Too
Places like MySpace have also been targeted, and users are receiving bulletins titled "Check out these old school pictures..." When users click the link, they're directed to a site that looks exactly like a MySpace login screen. Malware is then installed on their computer, capturing login information to test their other accounts. Check out Dory's post for the latest tactics on MySpace phishing.
What to do if you've been phished?
If you think your account has been compromised, the best thing you can do is report it to your bank. Alert them immediately, and close any account you think may have been compromised. You should also contact one of the the three consumer reporting agencies to place a fraud alert on your account. This will raise a red flag if anyone tries to open a credit card account using your name. Don't forget to contact your local police department, and file a complaint with the FTC and FBI's Internet Complaint Center.
Robin Raskin
Dory Devlin
Christopher Null
Gina Hughes
Tom Samiljan
***************
Part Two follows below. I hope this information helps some of my SFF Family. Thanks for your patience and kindness.
Visit Often!
The Hag
|
|
|
3
Comments
|
|
|
I Love A Good Mystery
|
Oct 22, 2006 5:23 pm
Mood: crushed,
672 Views
|
One bright Saturday morning, when I was nine years old, I was lackadaisically going about my chores, changing the linens and making beds, when my fingers brushed against the corner of a magazine under the mattress in my parents' room. Being an eternally curious, inveterate reader, I pulled it out to find the current issue of The Police Gazette. Daddy had folded down the corner of the page he was reading before he went to sleep.
My love of the mystery genre had begun the year before when, from The Scholastic Book Club, I'd received my first collection of The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries - The Case of The Engineer's Thumb, The Red-Headed League and A Study In Scarlet. Prior to that, even, my grandfather and I had shared wonderful times together watching Raymond Burr's Perry Mason on television...but that's a story for another time.
This was pure gold! It felt verboten! I climbed up into the middle of the rumpled covers, propped on my elbows and began at the lead article. Busy in another part of the house, Mama paid me no attention for a couple of deliciously stolen hours - giving me time to finish about two-thirds of the articles - especially the one Daddy had been reading the night before.
"Elsie!" That sharp, 'snap-to-it-girl' tone told time was up. "Aren't you finished, yet? You have an hour to get your chores done and get dressed. We're going shopping. Now, hurry up!"
I got to my feet and finished making the bed, being careful to refold the magazine with the turned-down page on top and sliding it back where I'd found it. Ever thereafter, once my chores were finished and the afternoon was my own, I'd slip back into their room and purloin Daddy's magazine. He knew. He knew everything I was up to, as a child, but he followed the Native American way and only intervened when it was necessary for my education or protection (there's little difference per Forrest Carter's The Education of Little Tree). When I turned 14, he started passing the magazines on to me openly after he'd finished with them. Earlier than that and Mama
would have objected - sweet, over-protective soul that she was.
The whole experience was entirely to my benefit. By today's standards, the stories were about the same content level as TV's original Dragnet. The photos included were real enough but blurred and distant so that nothing specific could be seen - the imagination (when it was sophisticated enough) supplied the details and my nine-year-old imagination was not at all 'sophisticated' - if I couldn't actually see it, I had no idea what was there. By the time Daddy started sharing them with me, I'd learned a little more, and they taught me at least one life-saving fact: hanging out at truck stops and other late-night business haunts, looking for 'excitement' is a stupid and dangerous thing for a beautiful young girl/woman to do. Thankfully, these stories, sensational though they may have been, killed any interest I might have had in pursuing that brand of excitement.
The featured story I had stumbled upon that afternoon was the recounting of a cold-case murder out in California. This year (1956) marked the 10th anniversary of that terrible crime. A young, would-be starlet had been found murdered and mutilated in Hollywood and her killer had never been found. The article included grainy, black and white photos of the investigators on the scene, the draped body a barely discernible blur in their midst. Her name was Elizabeth Short. Her death remains unsolved, shrouded in doubt, innuendo and mystery, for she is The Black Dahlia.*
I love a good mystery!
****************
Thanks for visiting, Everyone. I'm always glad when you drop by.
Joy!
The Hag
[*Footnote: I'm convinced Dr. George Hodel killed Elizabeth, and that his son, former LAPD Detective Steve Hodel has been right in his discoveries. I think Steve's findings are being discredited because the Department doesn't want the shame of admitting they suspected him, had him and somehow managed to let him go. A half-a-century later, it still shames them. That's OK. He's escaped justice in this world, only to meet true justice in the next. *** Per Mammy Yoakum, "I has spoken!" The Hag]
|
|
|
14
Comments
|
|
|
One Brave Sailor...
|
Oct 20, 2006 4:57 pm
Mood: sad,
544 Views
|
One mighty brave sailor has gone home to glory this morning. He was a Navy SEAL, who served two tours in VietNam, was a survivor of the Tet Offensive and a lover and defender of his country until his death. I am more honored than words can say to have been his friend. We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving (my best-loved holiday!) together in 2005, quietly entertaining friends in his home, where we had prepared a very non-traditional pot-luck feast. We watched war movies from his extensive collection as we played rummy (the only card game I can play with any degree of skill) and shared funny stories about our lives. There's a huge cadre of people who are going to miss this quiet, courageous, caring man - and I am not the least.
God Speed, Chief Hoitt.
[The poem Medals that was written for him has been posted in the magazine today.]
"Old soldiers never die..."
Well, yeah, sadly they do.
The Hag
|
|
|
9
Comments
|
|
|
PSA for Destiny!
|
Oct 17, 2006 3:07 pm
548 Views
|
MOOD: Helpful
A few days ago, I posted a response to one of Destiny's blogs. She asked me if I'd re-post it here, as she feels it will get more exposure. I hope she's right.
Joy in Jesus!
The Hag
***************
A SEEMINGLY HARMLESS PRACTICE IS DECEITFUL AND DANGEROUS ...
I have been advised by someone who works for a computer company that emails being sent through friends under the guises of Jesus, missing children, dying child who wants an email, angels, wishes, friendships etc that require you to forward that mail to others, as well as send it back to the one who sent it to you, are embedded with spyware. This is a marketing ploy for mailing lists, which are in turn sold.
You will find some of these listed as 'data entry jobs at home', 'work from your computer at home', 'read emails at home' etc. The obvious problem is that if you keep resending that same email back and forth it will never end. Secondly, most people fail to remove the email address of others on a forwarded mail. I have found lost addresses by knowing others who knew people I knew. Of greatest concern, this puts others at risk for viruses, phishing etc.
I did try this: I swept my system from spyware, did the forward to and reply back to twice (to myself), then ran my spyware remover program again, and voila', guess what? SPYWARE.
Not only that, but it explained why I kept getting spam in my other account because I was participating in order that I would NOT appear rude. Each time I participated, in essence I gave what I had blocked permission to re-enter. DUH!
Also, I noticed that other emails with names I had recognized from emails of friends were directly coming to me with more chain mail..."and THAT", as Paul Harvey says, "is the REST of the story."
I SENT THIS INFO TO EVERYONE ON MY MAILING LIST BUT I AM STILL GETTING THESE E-MAILS. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET FOLKS TO LISTEN?
***************
Then I received this from my niece, a supervisor at a large university library:
"So, what's going on with you in other respects? I haven't had a chance to sort through email much but noted and enjoyed the "Who are they?" already---the pictures came through. I'm surprised I didn't recognize Bill and Hilary. But that reminds me---on, I think, the WASHINGTON POST page of late there has been a photo of Bill Clinton when he was so outraged during the recent interview. The deal is you're supposed to click on it to vote about whether he had the right to be outraged and by clicking, you download some spy ware. Our system here caught it, refusing the download, but if you clicked on it, you might want to run a spy ware cleaning program on your system.
Just a word to the wise."
***************
I hope some of you find this information valuable. Remember, Big Brother is always watching!
Cautiously,
The Hag
|
|
|
8
Comments
|
|
|
DADDY'S WISDOM
|
Oct 11, 2006 1:31 pm
Mood: thoughtful,
529 Views
|
On Thursday, October 5th, my father would have celebrated his 99th birthday. He has been much with me throughout this week and the echoes of his words whisper to my soul.
As A Little Child
1) Sitting behind Charlie's collar as he led the horses to the barn: Hold on tight now, so you won't fall.
2) Don't stand so close to the (wood burning) stove, you could get burned.
3) Hold Daddy's hand until we've crossed the street.
He worked at his uncle's sawmill during those early years and was gone from home from Sunday evening until Friday night. After dinner, I'd climb up onto his lap with an armload of my many Little Golden Books so that he could read them to me (a few dozen times). I had an insatiable appetite both for his attention and for the written words. He'd sit with me until he was nodding off over those pages and I can still see my tiny hand patting the new-shaved smoothness of his olive cheek, saying in that baby's prattle, "Read it again, Daddy! Read it again!" And somehow, dear God, somehow he would.
Grade School
1) Be sure your homework's done before you go out to play.
2) Move back farther from the TV, Hon, that'll strain your eyes.
3) Remember to put your toys away before you brush your teeth.
4) A lock will only keep honest people and little children from meddling. A lock won't stop a thief.
Attending at least one performance of the Southeast Arkansas Livestock Show and Rodeo with him each fall was the event I looked forward to all year, with a fervor that exceeded that of Christmas. He always made sure he was off work so that we
could attend the afternoon parade on opening night. One year, the school sent home mimeographed notes, saying no children would be allowed to leave school early on that day. I gave it to him and thought no more of it. We were just beginning our
history lesson, about two that afternoon, when he walked through the open classroom door. He looked straight at me, said, "Elsie, get your books and let's go." Not a word to the teacher. I did as I was told feeling like - God! He's braver than John Wayne!
Group Dating 13-15, School and Church functions, Girl Scout outings, etc.
1) If your chores aren't finished, you can't go tonight.
2) Make sure you and your friends stay where the grown-ups can see you.
3) Ask Ruth Ann's mother before you go outside for anything.
4) Don't get into any car except the one you rode in.
5) If you can't behave like a lady, leave the party and come home.
I loved (and still love) listening to Walter Cronkite. It wasn't that I understood everything that was going on - it was just the man's presence and that incredible brown-velvet voice! One night, as I'd come thundering through the house to plop in
the living room floor, he leaned down and tousled my hair, "It's OK to like him, Hon," he said, "just always remember they're only telling you what they want you to believe." Daddy and Bob Woodward would have liked each other, I think.
Old Enough To Have A Job 16-17
1) Don't lie to me. Don't tell me you're going some place if you're not and don't tell me you're not, if you are. That way, if I hear of a bad car wreck somewhere, I don't have to wonder whether it's you that's involved - if you're not supposed to be
in that part of town.
2) Go wash some of that paint off your face and put on some decent clothes (Remember mini skirts and go-go boots?). You don't leave my house looking like a two-bit whore.
3) I'm not your friends' daddy, I'm yours.
4) Boys are not like you and a tease is lower than a whore. Never start anything you don't intend to finish.
5) No matter what you've done; no matter what's happened; no matter how scared you are; no matter how mad you think I'll be - ALWAYS COME HOME FIRST.
Daddy treated his children as independent people with their own rights, needs, thoughts, dreams and personalities, from birth. From the beginning, he taught me to speak with my own voice, and to know that whenever I did, he would listen. As long
as I expressed myself respectfully, I could say absolutely anything to him, and those times when he knew I was holding back, he'd say, "Elsie! Come here and sit down in that chair. Now, you're going to stay there until you tell me what's on your
mind - and I can wait longer than you can." And he could, so I would, and after we had talked it through, we both felt better.
Graduation
The Truth About Personal Achievement
Can do, will do and want to are three different things - you can if you will, but you will only if you want to.
The Facts of Relationship
1) You can't take one that don't want to go.
2) You can't hold one that don't want to stay.
3) You can't stay with one that don't want you.
Rudimentary Horse Sense
1) Not everyone who goes to the races bets on the horses.
2) It's possible to admire a beautiful animal without wanting to own it.
3) Some people never get back up on a horse. There's no shame in that.
The Deathbed Conversation
"Are you going to stay here when this is all over?"
"No, Daddy. Carla's (my best friend and Anna's mother) alone with the children. I'm
going to move back to Knoxville so I can help her out some."
"Well, when you see her, tell her I love her."
"Daddy, is there anything I can get or do for you? Is there anything else you need?"
"No, Darlin', it's just here and there's nothing we can do about it."
He had never once lied to me, and he didn't lie then.
***************
The last rose of the summer is in full bloom just now. Down in the corner of the back garden, among the blackberry brambles, it looks like an enamel painting against the weathered wood of the storage shed. In the coolness of early morning the petals
stand so crisply apart, it looks starched. It's a beautiful coral-colored blossom and I'm going to leave it right where it is so we can enjoy it as long as possible. Soon the rose hips will be ripe for tea. Some of my grandmother's fresh ginger tea cakes with a light lemon icing would go right well with that, I think.
Thanks for walking with me down this old country road, my friends.
Peace, love and joy!
The Hag
***************
Gathering Flowers
For The Master's Bouquet
Death is an angel sent down from above,
Sent for the buds and the flowers we love.
Truly 'tis so, for in heaven's own way,
Each soul is a flower in the Master's bouquet.
Chorus:
Gathering flowers for the Master's bouquet,
Beautiful flowers that will never decay.
Gathered by angels and carried a way,
Forever to bloom in the Master's bouquet.
Loved ones are passing each day and each hour,
Passing away as the life of a flower.
But every bud in each blossom some day,
Will bloom as a flower in the master's bouquet.
Let us be faithful till life's work is done,
Blooming with love till the reapers shall come.
Then we'll be gathered together for aye,
Transplanted to bloom in the Master's bouquet.
Written by Marvin E. Baumgardner
Sung by Hank Williams Sr. and Kitty Wells.
|
|
|
15
Comments
|
|
|
LapKittie Did It THIS Time !!!
|
Sep 30, 2006 8:02 pm
Mood: courageous,
367 Views
|
This is a response to LapKittie's blog regarding the "biblical" responsibilities of men and women in marriage, and whether women are always supposed to 'submit' to the will of their husband:
I think the MISunderstanding of this concept has caused more grief, more pain, more hurt, more confusion and more divorces than any other in the Christian faith.
One of the finest sermons I've ever heard was on The Proverbs 31 Husband. Perhaps I should mention that our minister was a man deeply in love with his wife, but the message was delivered with authority and strong conviction, nonetheless. It enumerated all of the responsibilities a man would need to filfill in order for the wife to be able to carry out the functions covered in Proverbs 31. The term, "sitting in the gates", refers to a position of authiority and responsibility, not a bunch of lazy old men chewing the fat over nothing. It is not now and has never been God our Father, nor Jesus our Savior, who puts women down, and there is nothing Biblical in the concept. It has always been selfish, unenlightened, rebellious men, out for satisfying their needs only, who have propagated this heresy.
Rarely are our men instructed, with any sincerity, that they are expected to: ... love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; (Ephesians 5 : 25 ), and again in I Peter 3 : 7 - Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. ...(1 Peter 5 : 5 ) Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." More seldom still are today's men told they will answer to God Himself when they do not carry out this obligation.
Neither man nor woman, clergy nor lay person will speak often of my favorite woman in all the Bible. Her name is Jael, the wife of Heber. She was a strong, courageous woman who lived in the time of the Judges, when Israel (as always) was at war. They had an enemy - their very own Osama bin Laden - whom they could not catch. Jael placed herself to meet him after a long battle, persuaded him to come to her tent to 'rest'. She fed him, brought him wine, persuaded him to sleep. As he slept, she drove a tent stake through his temple and beheaded him.
Nowhere is one word of reproach or chastizement uttered against Jael. She is honored in one of the songs of Deborah, among the other heroes of Israel. The words "blessed above women" are first used to honor her.
You will find Jael's story recorded in Judges 4:17-23 and Judges 5:23-31.
***************
J. Basil Mull died in Knoxville, TN, this past week. He and his wife had been partners in a ministry that celebrated it's 50th anniversary on the air just a few days before - so they were married well over 50 years. Pastor Mull was fond of saying, "The husband is the head of the wife. - The husband is the head but the wife is the neck, and the neck moves the head." Then he'd look at her and smile. We, as men and women, are a lot more alike than we are different. It's easier to get along than it is to fight, when we put our values in perspective.
The great travesty is that we live in a society that does not value marriage, stable homes, faithfulness (in anything) and loyalty nearly as much as it enjoys sleaze, crudeness, vile behavior and the easy way out of everything. Again the child's response: I don't want to, so I don't have to.
And our society is a clear mirror of the results of that irresponsible attitude.
In the immortal words of Mammy Yoakum, "I has spoken."
The Hag
|
|
|
5
Comments
|
|
|
Thank God, I *AM* AN AMERICAN!
|
Sep 30, 2006 3:59 pm
Mood: happy,
388 Views
|
BECAUSE....
BECAUSE I...woke up this morning
with more health than illness,
I am more blessed than the
million who won't survive the week.
BECAUSE I...have never experienced
the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or
the pangs of starvation,
I am ahead of 20 million people
around the world.
BECAUSE I...attend a church meeting
without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death,
I am more blessed than almost
three billion people in the world.
BECAUSE I...have food in the refrigerator,
clothes on my back, a roof over
my head and a place to sleep,
I am richer than 75% of this world.
BECAUSE I...have money in the bank,
in my wallet, and spare change
in a dish someplace, I am among
the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
BECAUSE... my parents were still married
as long as they were alive, I am very rare,
especially in the United States.
WHEN I REMEMBER TO...hold up my head
with a smile on my face and be truly thankful,
I am blessed because the majority can,
but most do not.
BECAUSE I...can hold someone's hand, hug them
or even touch them on the shoulder,
I am blessed because I can
offer God's healing touch.
BECAUSE I...can read this message,
I am more blessed than over
two billion people in the world
that cannot read anything at all.
BECAUSE I...am so richly blessed in ways
I may never even know, I want to
THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THIS AMAZING LAND
WE CALL AMERICA.
***** ***** *****
Thanks for visiting, my friends. You are appreciated.
Enjoy your day!
The Hag
|
|
|
11
Comments
|
|
|
For Those Who Love to SEE INSIDE
|
Sep 28, 2006 2:28 pm
338 Views
|
MOOD: Introspective
"Fear is like fire, It can cook for you. It can heat your house. Or it can burn you down." - Laurence Gonzales from his book DEEP SURVIVAL.
Fear resulting in hyper-vigilance is a common issue for survivors. However, it is not the lack of fear that separates 'other' people from survivors. Most people experience fear but, they are not overwhelmed by it. They manage their fears while survivors are often paralyzed by ours. Others use fear to focus on taking 'right action' when sometimes fear will reduce a survivor to the emotional age of three and helpless.
How do you deal with fear? What are some of the ways or techniques you use to function in spite of your fears?
Are you always afraid? Is this an area of your life's healing that you need to work on?
Have you conquered your fears from childhood? What was the best advice you received about overcoming lingering fears?
Okay group, let's do some work!
Peace
R.
***************
MY RESPONSE
"Fear is like fire," and it has cooked my goose.
I ignore It now and just do what I'm comfortable with, because I can do that with an attitude of FTW, pull 'my house' in around me like an old box turtle and lock all the coldness and cruelty outside. But any safe haven is only so for a little while. God gives us oases of rest in this life, but the next test, the next trial, the next storm always awaits. That's why Rosemarie Siggins' condition struck me so hard. She's not the first I've ever seen, but she is a re-awakening because, if anybody ever faces fear head-on, she does every day. Fear, not hate, is the opposite of love, for "perfect love casts out fear" [1 John 4:18]. Yet I allow it to hold me down, choke, suffocate and steal my joy.
In my profile, I recount my fear of success as one of the basic, ongoing struggles in my life. In the near four decades that I've been in the workforce, I've turned down uncounted opportunities for advancement, both financial and personal, because of fear. Not fear of my ability to do the job, but fear in the form of revulsion at the idea of the necessary conflicts the new responsibilities would entail. I despise conflict, in any shape or form - and to live is to be in conflict. The hatefearhate combination paralyzes me, so I avoid it. Just don't put myself in the position where I have to take it.
Oh, I'm "reduce(d) ...to the emotional age of three and helpless" with disgusting regularity, from my own point of view. I spend too much time, still, chastising myself because I could/should have said/done something 10 minutes ago, and now the opportunity is lost - and it's not always confrontational, sometimes it's a kind word, a compliment, a note of praise. But, there I stood, tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, heart pounding, brain a wad of cold tapioca, dumb as a wooden Indian (forgive me K.!). WHOA! Isme!
Just about the only time I push beyond it is on behalf of someone else I care about, only rarely for myself. I function by denying it, by ignoring it, by lashing out at times, when the stress is severe enough. Basic coping techniques (deep breathing, visualization, quick bursts of exercise, time outs) all help; as do prayer, bible study, meditation and my church family, but ya still gotta fight the inner battle yerseff (yes, with God's help - even in asking His help in giving the battle to Him [1 Sam 17:47]). And it comes back to how badly I hate the conflict, the inner as much as the outer.
There was a time when I lived in the grip of terrible fear 24/7, but I worked through that in dealing with the divorce - still the worse thing that's ever happened to me - and its aftermath. That's when I discovered and became an acolyte of Susan Forward (popular, light-weight psychobabble guru of the 1970's). I can't innumerate the many basic principles of just getting through the day that I learned from her - and it wasn't all her ability. Most of it was the fact that I was just READY! for the freedom. Oh, so ready! to stop beating that dead horse. Now, the fear comes in spurts and usually is situational. Once the crisis has been worked through or passed, I'm OK again. But, I don't think anyone is ever free of it entirely - to fear is to be
human. Ergo, this is an area that everyone always has to work on. Even when one is healed of the old hurts, the new ones have to be tended and doctored, right?
So, yeah. I've overcome some of the fears of childhood, I'm still working on some, others will be with me when I die.
Best advice: FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY (Susan Jeffers). Someday, if I'm lucky (persistent?), I'll actually be able to DO that.
"Old fears do not die with age and a wider understanding of the world - they do not." - Maya Angelou
***************
As my dear friend, Phyllis says, "It's a great life if you don't weaken!" - and she learned that from her grandmother. Blessings, friends! Good to see you here.
The Hag
(FOOTNOTE: This is taken from a discussion on another site. Emphasis mine throughout.)
|
|
|
6
Comments
|
|
To link to this blog (TheHag) use [blog TheHag] in your messages.
|
|
|
| Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
51
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
|
181
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
|
