What’s In A Name?

Isn’t it ironic?

Just a bit.

Sometimes a person’s name foreshadows what the real deal is. 

Lori Hacking

Lori Hacking was killed by her husband Mark Hacking and her dismembered body, hacked into several pieces, was discovered after a lengthy search. 

John Wayne Bobbit

The Duke’s penis was bobbed by his wife, Lorena, while he slept. 

Pete Buttigieg

The former Democratic presidential candidate, who now serves in the Biden administration, revealed that he was gay during the 2016 campaign. 

And he also advised that the proper pronunciation of his name was “Booty Judge”

A gay man named Booty Judge.

Rich.

Dr. Fauci

The man that many esteem to be the leading expert on everything covid, has a name with an interesting etymology:

In Italian- which is the ethnicity of the lockdown administrator- Fauci means “the mouth”

fauci noun jaw [noun] (in plural) the mouth (especially of an animal)

No comment

Sue Yoo

The real name of a real Los Angeles attorney. 

https://lawyers.justia.com/lawyer/sue-yoo-1440893

 

Thomas Crapper

Inventor of the toilet

 

Blackout

Due to the Texas blackouts, and moving the past couple of days, I wasn’t able to get the news of the week done this week.

Be safe everyone and consider what you need to do and how to prepare for emergency situations.

God bless,

Bondo

you’ve got a friend in me

joy and fellowship

(I recently saw that there were over 400 cats/kittens at our local shelter) Right now, there is a forever friend for you at your local SPCA, animal shelter, rescue, or pound. You can find a friend for life, a friend that will show you love unconditional and loyalty. This friend will put its’ hope and faith in you- which will teach you alot about yourself- and a rewarding friendship and bond will be the result.

 

Genesis 2: 19- And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

steadfast and loyal

Because they are creatures and creations of God, all creatures great and small bear witness to the wonderful attributes of God, and through them we are shown many Godly traits.

Proverbs 12:10- A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Go to your local shelter, pound, rescue, or SPCA and take a look at some of these little pets and you will see one that loves you and needs you very much.

You may be surprised at how much you needed that little one as well.

friendship and protection

Even if you are unable to adopt a pet at this time or are unsure, many places have foster programs. You take care of an animal who is usually recuperating/rehabbing for a period of time. This could be anywhere from a day or two up to being able to eventually adopting the pet. It is a good way to get to know various prospective pets and let your confidence grow that you can take care of a pet.

If you simply cannot get one but love the animals- you can volunteer at one of these places as well. They really need the help for things like walking the shelter animals and would appreciate it, not to mention the animals themselves, who crave love and attention.

industrious

The best thing about pets is they know what is truly important. They do not care about whatever temporary crisis that is causing you pain and distress, they only know that you are feeling sadness and they will mourn with you, and let you know that everything is going to be ok. They do not care whatever vainglorious event has made you giddy- they only know you are happy and they rejoice with you.

 

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.- Psalm 50: 10-11

All of the creatures great and small are God’s creations and His handiwork. I recommend taking a few minutes from time to time and observe the wonders. The intricate, dedicated work of the spiders’ web. The endless labors and travails of the squirrel. The gliding hawk, who sails for miles unmoving, like an un-tethered kite. The shenanigans of a raccoon. The chorus of insects, birds, and whatever else singing, calling, making a sound. All play their role, fulfill their calling, contribute to the Creation, which is meant to be wondrous and good.

skillful and watchful

peace and love

 

 

wisdom and discernment

 

 

First published April 30, 2018

tears in heaven

You get to a point where you realize you know more people on the other side than you do here… which got me thinking… what is it like ‘over there’. What are WE ‘like’ there? I mean like literally. 

End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path… One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass… And then you see it. White shores… and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.- J. R. R. Tolkien through the character Gandalf the White, who has returned from the dead

I, like many of you, have been there when someone passes. In an instant, they are not there. The light goes out, the life is gone. What a second before was John is now a shell. (it’s the same when other poor creatures die) That beloved person was only represented by a vessel that we could see. The one we knew and loved is not. What are they like now? Where did they go? What is it like there?

There are people who say they’ve died and come back. Most of them describe a white tunnel, a bright light, and loved ones waiting. All in all, that really isn’t a whole lot of information. I suspect that those who die and come back just don’t have the time to thoroughly check out the place before being returned. There are more vivid descriptions out there, but unlike the tunnel light and loved ones- these have no consensus and vary wildly.

There are numerous vivid descriptions of Hell. There are both cryptic and detailed descriptions of various aspects of Heaven (however overall I would have to say most of the details are lacking). But the place we all go when we die before the Judgement- other than tunnel light and loved ones- we don’t got much.

I mean, there’s got to be billions up there by now. How do you find anyone? Do they have those “YOU ARE HERE’ signs? Is there a directory? And, I can promise you, my neighbor will want to know “do they have beer up here? please say yes and bring me two”

What are WE like? Obviously we left this lump of organic matter which is mostly water behind. So now we are spirit. Like ghost I suppose. How do we know each other? These bodies are the products of genes and traits and race and ethnicity. People have deformities and imperfections. And, as Eric Clapton considered in his beautiful song Tears in Heaven which was written when his four year old son Conor died when he fell out of a apartment window in 1992:

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
‘Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven

Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I’ll find my way through night and day
‘Cause I know I just can’t stay here in heaven

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please

Beyond the door there’s peace I’m sure
And I know there’ll be no more tears in heaven

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
‘Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven

Songwriters: Eric Patrick Clapton / Will Jennings

Tears in Heaven lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

How do we know each other up there? What is the same?

I know a lot of people don’t believe this, but I don’t think people come back and visit, or ‘haunt’ places. You hear about the “lady of the lake” and the “horseman of the lane” and this and that but I don’t understand why a ghost would be fully-clothed in the clothes that they had while in the body? Why are certain spirits allowed to hang around while the vast majority are not? Whatever these energies are, I don’t think they are departed people stuck in limbo. I believe when you die, you go through the tunnel to the light, and it really isn’t a process you have any say in. You pass from this realm to the next, just as you did when you got here. It requires no decision or takes any action from you.  King Solomon expressed a similar sentiment:

Ecclesiastes 3:22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

I have read a lot of stories and books and articles and testimonials through the years. Theories and opinions. Visions and epiphanies. Religions heralding speculations. And the one thing I know for sure, it doesn’t end here, and no one knows for sure what comes next. Not is it real, but what is it like? A place with no more tears and no more pain.

For now, I like the way Gandalf said it:

The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass… And then you see it. White shores… and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.

Well, that isn’t so bad.

No. No it isn’t.

First published March 5, 2018 as “the other side- tears in heaven”

 

Memes and things

There is a new button on the real deal homepage: Memes

https://bondo77.wordpress.com/memes/

It is a collection of the latest memes and cartoons and will be updated regularly.

There is humor, satire, and political commentary. WARNING: some may not meet “community standards”.

And of course, some will.

Thank you in advance for checking it out.

when you remove God, what remains is godless

The world has changed. This is not just my opinion, as this seems to be the opinion of many people I have spoken too.

I have considered the possibility that it is always that way- times, trends, issues, are always fluid, shifting like the sands- and that the changes cause grumbling, discontent, doom and gloom.  And certainly, there probably always is a general concern about the world going to hell in a hand-basket. But the complaints today (crime, violence, corruption at all levels, deteriorating family and societal morality) are more specific, more relevant, and are more contextual to what I believe has changed: We have been so hell-bent on removing God from everything we possibly can, that we have become godless.

School children- Ecuador

We have removed God from our schools. Is this a good thing? Is it important that we don’t have the ability to mention God and pray openly in our schools?

I wonder if all these problems with school-shootings and teachers regularly having sexual relations with their students- did this start before or after we took God out of the schools?

Do you think our schools were better before when they could pray and talk about God or do you think our schools are better godless?

What about your family- have you removed God from your family? Do you pray and talk about good things or do you prefer godless things in your family? I wonder if all the single-parent families, declining church attendance, and mocking of traditional values have made families stronger as the ultimate support group or made them weaker and more and more dysfuntional?

What about you? Do you have a relationship with God or do you prefer a godless life? Have you replaced God with other things- football, porn, science, shopping, career, money, social media, celebrities, enlightenment, politics, tv- there are all sorts of ‘idols’ out there to take God’s place in your heart and mind.

 

The world is changed. Children cannot wander unsupervised. There is an epidemic of teacher-student sex. The divorce rate is over 50%. The TV, movies, and music have become celebrations of perversion and violence. God is not respected or sought. He is a relic, an idea whose time has passed. Our churches justify, embrace sinful living. The obsession with rejecting God has borne fruit. Rotten, smelly fruits.

the real danger

The blind salamander lived in darkness for so long, without using their eyes, that the eyes literally disappeared. The same thing can happen to us. We can ignore and remove Godly things from our lives for so long that we lose the ability to see and recognize Godly things. Perversion becomes normal. Wicked becomes noble. Lies become truth. In Genesis 6:3 God says “My spirit shall not always strive with man”…

When you get to that point, you have become godless. You can no longer recognize truth and light. This is not a good place to be. The end of this state is destruction- every time.

Don’t be godless. Without God, destruction is the only sure outcome.

First published April 18, 2018

donald trump is finished!

Ha ha ha ha. Which one gets the Pulitzer?

“if I were the devil”- Paul Harvey, 1965

if I were the devil-

If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness.

I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — thee.

So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I’d subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers.

With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as you please.”

To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I’d confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is square.

And the old, I would teach to pray after me, “Our Father, which are in Washington …”

Then, I’d get organized, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.

I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed.

And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. I’d tell teachers to let those students run wild. And before you knew it, you’d have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon, I would evict God from the courthouse and the schoolhouse and then from the houses of Congress.

In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I’d lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

What’ll you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?

I’d convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on television is the way to be.

And thus, I could undress you in public and lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures.

In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.

coach

One of the modern-day icons of Americana is that endearing figure known to schoolkids everywhere- Coach.

My first experience with Coach was third grade PE class, Coach Haefs. For three years, Coach Haefs led calisthenics, quarterbacked flag football, pitched for softball, refereed kickball, and stood by with a grin during that sadistic spectacle known as dodgeball.

Once Coach Haefs picked up James Florence by the front of his shirt and put him up against the wall. Today, Coach Haefs would be looking for another line of work, but in 1973 Sweeny, Texas everybody- except maybe James Florence- thought this was highly entertaining.

One of the legendary tales at Sweeny Intermediate at that time was how one of our classmates’ older brother, who was two or three grades ahead of us, hit a “back at you” line-drive to Coach Haefs- striking him between the eyes and knocking him out cold. The kids mulled around for a couple of minutes, and then decided to go in and get dressed for class- leaving him sleeping on the pitchers mound.

Sometimes, when the light was right, I thought I could see a little dent in between his eyes.

When we arrived at Jr. High, we were greeted by not one, but three new coaches- Coach Baron, Coach Times, and Coach Marthiljohni.

Coach Baron was the head football coach, and athletic director. He was a good-natured, laid-back middle-aged man. He was complemented perfectly by his assistants, Coach Times and Coach Marthiljohni.

Coach Times was an extremely quiet black gentleman. He was the offensive assistant and track coach who never wasted a word. Coach Marthiljohni was the defensive assistant and basketball coach. He was the exact opposite of Coach Times- he was a big, loud man who always had a lot of things to say. He believed that nearly every problem could be solved by “getting out there and hitting somebody”.

Pre-game and halftime talks would involve Coach Baron telling us the game plan and pointing out what certain players were doing right and encouraging better play. Coach Times would say the line needs to block better. And then Coach Marthiljohni would yell about every penalty and missed tackle and bone-head play before wrapping it up with a high decibel exhortation to “get out there and hit somebody!”

Once, Coach Marthiljohni grabbed James Florence by the front of the shirt and put him against the wall- high against the wall, much higher than Coach Haefs. And, it was still entertaining.

Our football was divided into an “A” team and a “B” team. The A team was really good- winning six and losing two close games. I was on the B team and we were equally bad- managing one 6-6 tie and getting beaten pretty soundly most of the time in the other seven.

In our last game of the season against our rivals Columbia- we came off the field at halftime down only 14-0 and not playing bad- still with a chance.

Coach Baron advised that we were plugging up the middle good on defense, and running the ball good sometimes. He told us to stay with them and play our positions. Coach Times said the line needed to block better.

Coach Marthiljohni gave the speech of Jr. High athletics. He said we were in this game, and actually playing like a team. He got serious and emotional and (correctly) pointed out that for some of us, this was it- the last game. He then told us we should go out winners and sent us pumped-up and yelling out onto the field with the plea at the top of his voice to “get out there and HIT SOMEBODY!”

We went out there and hit somebody. Our quarterback completed a pass to the half back who took it all… the…way!

Yeah! 14-7! That’s what happens when you get out there and HIT SOMEBODY!

We lost 36-7.

High school saw a new role for Coach- occasionally you would walk into a class and find coach teaching a class, which was a mixed-bag.  Most of them were ok teachers- but my science teacher- Coach Eddings- was a great man.

He looked like he should be playing linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. He was one of the nicest men I ever met. But what made him great was that he truly cared for the students- he made sure he interacted with, included, and encouraged every student in the class. He asked everybody what they wanted to be in life at the beginning of the year and remembered what everybody had said at the end of the year when he encouraged everyone to achieve their goals. He made everybody feel special.

My last two years of high school we had Coach Kountze for PE. He had one rule and one rule only- NO grab-assin’.

Coach would call roll sometimes, and then roll out the ball cart and pointing around the room, would sternly state “NO grab-assin'”. For two years, we played three-on-three basketball on one of the goals in the gym. Others played basketball, worked-out, or played backgammon. About twice during the period, Coach would stroll through, usually with a mug in his hand, to ensure there was not any grab-assin’ going on. Occasionally he would sense the beginnings of grab-assin’ and would appear with the loud admonition to “knock off the grab-assin’!”

My life was surely enriched by these coaches.

Of all the life lessons I learned, I would have to say that the most valuable one came from Coach Baron. One day, while I was talking during practice, he asked me “Bond!”- (coaches always called students by their last name)- “did you ever wonder why God gave you two eyes and two ears- and ONLY ONE MOUTH?!”

As ridiculous as it might sound, I had never wondered that before. I know that the answer is obvious, but the statement, for whatever reason, was delivered at the right time and I pondered it and took it to heart: You are not going to learn anything by running your mouth all the time- those are words you already know. When you watch and listen, then you will hear and see things you may not already know.

It was a good lesson for me to learn. Thanks, Coach Baron!

Thanks to Coach, I learned how to observe the world around me and learn from the experiences of others.

And everything is surely more peaceful and fulfilling in our lives when we refrain from grab-assin’.

Get out there and hit somebody!

other sheep

Is it possible that the Bible plainly tells us there are ET’s? Did Jesus himself refer to them?:

John 10:16-  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Who are these other sheep?

I know it is assumed he was referring to the Gentiles- but there are strong arguments against that.

Matthew 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. ²³ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. ²⁴ But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

A Gentile woman from Canaan approached Jesus and he would not speak to her- she literally and figuratively did not directly hear his voice.

Jesus then explained he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He did not differentiate sheep by fold- but rather the specific part of the fold known as the house of Israel.

The Gentiles never “hear his voice”- receive direct preaching and teaching from Jesus- but rather are brought into the fold by “trusting in His name.”

Matthew 12: ²¹ And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

We then see that the woman is able to receive her miracle by trusting in his name:

Matthew 15: ²⁵ Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. ²⁶ But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. ²⁷ And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

The Gentiles daughter was not healed by hearing Jesus voice or by his laying on of hands- but through faith by trusting in His name.

Are there any descriptions of non-human entities in the Bible? Ezekiel saw a vision of heaven:

Ezekiel 1: 1 …the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God…⁵ Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.⁶ And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.⁷ And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.⁸ And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.⁹ Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.¹⁰ As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.¹¹ Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.¹² And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.¹³ As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.¹⁴ And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.¹⁵ Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.¹⁷ When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.¹⁸ As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.¹⁹ And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.²⁰ Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.²¹ When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.²² And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.²³ And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.²⁴ And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

That is quite spectacular. It is hard to even imagine what those entities looked like. l am not aware of anything around here that meets that description.

More strange characters are described in Revelation 4:

⁶ And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. ⁷ And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. ⁸ And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

One could almost get the impression that heaven resembles that cantina scene in the original Star Wars.

I know that these are more rightly considered among the “host of heaven” rather than “other sheep”- but I am simply pointing out that there is more than just God and man. There are beings with an appearance far different than ours in Heaven. They are ET’s- they are not from here.

We are now aware of the existence of 10 trillion galaxies, with the average galaxy containing 100 billion stars. That is 1 septillion stars- an incomprehensible number: (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)

Believe it or not, that is more than all the grains of sand on Earth- which is only a mere few quintillions.

The point is, most of those stars have planetary systems- which is an even bigger number. It is more likely to believe that there are others out there than not. Even if intelligent life is rare and only exists here and there- you are still talking about a huge number. Let’s say that 1/1 billionth of the stars have a planet with intelligent life- that leaves you with “only” a 100 trillion stars. (That we are aware of)

We are created in the image and likeness of God. Our physical bodies resemble God. They are vessels that house our spirit- “temples of God”- with the physical adaptations needed to physically survive in our environment. We do not look exactly like God- we are comparable in form- but in substance, appearance, and ability- we are very different. Read some of the descriptions of God in the Bible.

If there are “other sheep” out there- they could be in the image of God with the physical adaptations needed to survive in their own environment.

With all of this borderline blasphemy- which is only fun speculation and not doctrine of course- I will throw a little cold water: I don’t think we have ever been visited by aliens, and I don’t think we ever will. And I think that is by design. We have been given a place in our fold, and we have been given the True Shepherd.

We have no knowledge or dealings of other folds- that is the business and work of the Shepherd.

Revelation 20:12-

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Read your Bible everyday! The sermon on other sheep is in John 10.