The Shepherd Who Stayed

I love poems and stories that make me think of something I hadn’t thought of before, and this poem does just that. 

Although most of our Nativity Scenes have the shepherds there with at least two or three token sheep, the Bible only says the shepherds went to Bethlehem. There’s no mention of them taking any sheep with them. And they probably didn’t, which means somebody had to stay behind and tend the sheep. 

So help me, I never thought of that before. But I should have because surely Our Good Shepherd would not want sheep at the mercy of wolves. The shepherd who stayed behind was fulfilling his calling as much as the shepherds who went to Bethlehem. 

This poem is by Theodosia Garrison (1874-1944) from a little book called Christmas Poems, selected by David Stanford Burr.

The Year 2020

The year 2020 will be etched in our minds forever. Everything changed - and not for the better. But prior to this extraordinary year, 20-20 meant perfect vision. In a sense the year 2020 did improve the vision of a large segment of the American people. Before 2020 we knew we were being used, but the picture wasn’t quite in focus. 

We elected Donald Trump in 2016, hoping for a clearer picture. Even before the 2016 election it was apparent that the establishment hated him. We thought it was because he was boorish. He wasn’t polished. He wasn’t presidential. But we thought this was routine politics. Neither party likes to lose. Neither party is above demonizing the opponent who won. Both parties always focus on the weaknesses of their opponents. Trump’s demeanor and his endless tweets gave them plenty to criticize.

Even so, we were inclined to think that the Democrats would eventually settle down and accept that they lost the election, and we’d be back to the routine ugliness of politics. But that didn’t happen. There was the Mueller investigation into baseless charges of “Russian collusion” followed by an impeachment trial. It started to become clear that more was going on here than the usual ugliness of politics. 

We knew the Democrats were promoting socialism, but we hadn’t realized just how far they were along the road to communism. We hadn’t realized the evil methods they were willing to use to reach their communistic goals - rigging the 2020 election - using a questionable pandemic to wreck the economy, curtail basic freedoms, and control the populace - allowing unlimited illegal immigration to insure that they stay in power.

The year 2020 has given us 20-20 vision. Is this a divine sign or merely a coincidence? I don’t know. You be the judge. But whether it’s a coincidence or a sign, 2020 was a year of revelations. He who has eyes to see, let him see.

Vaccine Logic

This logic about the Covid vaccine was posted by someone on Facebook.

"Out of all the vaccines I have had in my life....tetanus, small pox, measles, polio, meningitis, TB, etc... I have never seen so much wishy washi-ness over a vaccine that says I have to wear a mask and socially distance even when fully vaccinated.

That I could still contract or spread the virus even when fully vaccinated, never been bribed by establishments to take the vaccine in order to win a car and/or cash prizes. I was never judged if I didn't take it. I was never discriminated for travel or other regular services. 

The vaccines I listed above never told me I was a bad person for not taking it.....or taking it for that matter. 

I have never seen a vaccine that threatened the relationship between a family member and/or a close friend. 

Never seen it used for political gain. Never seen it used to persuade kids in favor of free ice cream. 

I never seen a worry about mix and matching and yet told it's ok to do it one day and then told the next day to not do it...then on and off, on and off again and again. I have never seen a vaccine threaten someone's livelihood, job, school etc.

I have never seen a vaccine that allows a 12 year old's consent supersede his/her parent's consent (that one alone blows me away!!!).

So, after all I have said can someone tell me how on God's green earth I am a conspiracy theorist, uneducated, non researched, not following the “science” for not willing to take this vaccine UNTIL the clinical trials are over at least two years from now??

Finally, after all the vaccines (shots) I listed above, I have never seen a vaccine like this one that discriminates, divides and judges a society such as this one.

This is one powerful vaccine. It does all these things that I mentioned and yet, It doesn't do what all the other vaccines (shots) that I mentioned earlier were designed to do (and successfully achieved I might add) which is…..fight off Covid"

*copied and pasted from a friend….

The Media - Selling Subhuman Status

Candice Owens recently shared this article. It’s an excerpt from a book entitled Less Than Human by David Livingston Smith. There is an ongoing media campaign to paint those who choose not to get the Covid vaccine as uncaring, insensitive subhumans. This media campaign has a lot in common with the methods described in this article. It’s worth reading. 

https://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134956180/criminals-see-their-victims-as-less-than-human?fbclid=IwAR2jgZhW2tOfzRVFMrHycWF1KrWTpbz-lENzGsp38pGNtbbvcSo3JhjlhGI

Facebook’s Heavy Hand

Posting links on Facebook can be tricky these days. I was put on probation earlier this year for a link that Facebook found to be offensive. I don’t remember what it was now. Recently, my account was suspended for 24 hours for two links I posted back in May that questioned the information we’re being given about Covid. I also shared a link to an article in opposition to gun control. Facebook’s explanation for reprimanding people is always that what you have posted goes against their “community standards.” 

Facebook posters aren’t paranoid. At a recent press conference, Jen Psaki came right out and said that the administration is working with social media to flag “certain problematic posts.”  She said that the administration is urging social media companies to supress anti-vaccine ideas. They supress posts by removing them or attaching a notice to them that says they are inaccurate or out of context.

According to conservative Mark Levin, by saying these things, Psaki has given Trump a gift. Trump is suing Big Tech, arguing that since Big Tech has taken direction from the government about the pandemic, they must abide by the First Amendment. Psaki’s statements support Trump’s allegations. 

I’m glad Trump is suing Big Tech, but the wheels of justice turn slowly, and there are at least a few corrupt judges in the system. No telling when this will be settled.

Read more about Psaki’s press conference at this link: https://www.robmaness.com/2021/07/mark-levin-says-psaki-made-a-mistake-and-now-shes-trumps-best-witness-in-big-tech-lawsuit/

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You have to ask yourself what’s going on when state governments offer multi-million dollar lotteries as an incentive to take the Covid vaccine. I don’t recall this ever being done for other vaccines. Why are governments taking such extreme measures to promote a vaccine for a disease that doesn’t kill in any greater numbers than the flu?

The lottery is not the only thing that bothers me about the Covid vaccine. All the conflicting information about Covid and the vaccine should give any thinking person pause. And why is the vaccine promoted by foundations that also promote population reduction? If they want population reduction, why promote a vaccine that they claim is going to save lives? And then there’s the fact that the vaccine is not FDA approved. It’s being distributed under an emergency exception. 

Are those who decline to get the vaccine making a mistake? At this point, I don’t think we know. Maybe time will show that they are indeed making a mistake. But it’s reasonable to want answers to questions, to want conflicting information sorted out, to want to know why strong-arm tactics are being used. 

Read more about the Louisiana vaccine lottery: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/coronavirus/article_8b7e8afc-e645-11eb-a837-4bcc7e05aa12.html

The Couch That Came and Went

 

The new couch and I had a quick wedding and an immediate annulment.  The trouble started when the delivery fellows told me they couldn’t take the old couch.  They didn’t know why the sales people at the store told they could.  The best they could do was haul the old couch to the road - heedless of the severe weather that was expected in an hour or two.  I felt like the old couch had entirely too much life left in it for such a fate.  I told them to push it halfway into the kitchen, and we’d figure out what to do with it later.  But I wondered what that would be.  We had already tried to give it away with no success.  How long was the living room going to look like a warehouse with us sidling between couches?

When the movers assessed the situation, they discovered that they’d have to take the front door off its hinges to get the new couch in.  This had not been necessary when the old couch arrived in 2009, but the new couch’s back is slightly higher than the old one. At length the new couch made it’s entrance, having to be lifted up over the stair bannisters.  These movers are young 20-somethings, but still - how do they spend eight hours a day moving big pieces of furniture in and out of houses?

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when the new couch finally made it to the living room, and I was shocked to find that the seat cushions did not have upholstery fabric on the bottom - just some nondescript cheap, brown, muslin-looking stuff.  It wasn’t an outrageously expensive couch, but I thought the price warranted better than that. 

I pointed out to the 20-somethings that this wouldn’t do because the cushions can never be flipped over.  They assured me that the couch had been Scotch-guarded, and I didn’t have to worry about stains.  Poor innocent babes!  They think it’s all about stains!  I pointed out - trying desperately to keep my sweet disposition - that for couch cushions to keep their shape, they must be flipped periodically.  I told them as gently as I knew how that I couldn’t keep the couch, but that I wasn’t going to quibble about having to pay the delivery fee.

They went outside and conferred - and probably did a fair amount of venting about the shrew who lived inside.  I don’t even blame them if they did.  When they came back in, they said I’d have to pay the delivery fee and an extra $15 for taking the door down and putting it back up.  I agreed.  They said I could settle things up later at the furniture store. They lifted the new couch back over the stair bannister, loaded it in the truck, put the old couch back in place, and were probably glad to see the last of me.

I went to the store today and talked to the store owner who we’ve known for years.  He borders on being a saint.  I told him my complaint about the cushions.  He understood, but said putting a cheaper fabric on the bottom of the cushions is pretty standard practice these days unless you pay the price of a small car for a couch.  I told him I’m not quite ready to buy a small car.  He laughed and refunded everything, but the delivery fee.  He refused to let me pay him for the door being taken down.  I’m thinking of giving the 20-somethings a gift card for a meal at a local restaurant.

The only thing that’s wrong with the old red gingham couch is that one of the back cushions has come un-sewed from the back.  I’ve watched a couple of Youtube videos that show how to fix this with a curved needle and some upholstery thread.  I already have curved needles in two or three sizes.  I went to the fabric store today.  There was nothing there called upholstery thread, but they had button & craft thread which looks pretty heavy to me.  The repair attempt will begin as soon as I can get to it. Stay tuned.

The living room seems to have fallen into the quintessential English Country look with the antique side chairs, the old gingham couch, the gold recliner, and the flowered rug - all different patterns, vying for attention.  It’s a look that you either love or hate.  I love it, and since I live here, I guess it will do.