1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17

 13 Moreover, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death,so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope. 14 For if we have faith that Jesus died and rose again, so too God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in death through Jesus.15 For this is what we tell you by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death; 16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. 17 Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord.

Who will descend?  ".. the Lord himself ..."
How will he descend? "...with a commanding call, with an archangel's voice.."
From where will he descend? ".. from heaven..."
Who is he?  "... the Christ ... the Lord ..." 

The Christ is the archangel.  

Jude 9But when Miʹcha·el the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms, but said: “May Jehovah rebuke you.”

Whom else is the archangel?  "... Michael ..." 
Whom did Michael call on?  ".. Jehovah .." 

Daniel 12: 1 “During that time Miʹcha·el will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of your people.And there will occur a time of distress such as has not occurred since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape,everyone who is found written down in the book.

Who is Michael?  " .. the great prince who is standing in behalf of your people...." 

Revelation 12: 7 And war broke out in heaven: Miʹcha·el and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven.  

Who battled the dragon? "..Michael and his angels..." 

Revelation 12: 10 I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God!

Who does the Kingdom belong to?  "... our God .." 
Who does the Christ belong to?  "... our God..."  ".. his Christ.." 
What does Christ have? " .. the authority.." 
Who was conquered?  "... the accuser of our brothers.. "

Revelation 12:11 And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death.  

Why was the accuser conquered? "...because of the blood of the Lamb ... " 

Jesus is the archangel. Michael is the archangel. There is only one archangel. They are the same person. Michael disputed with the Devil over Moses body. Therefore, Michael existed before Jesus was born. He had a prehuman existence and has a posthuman existence.

Jesus is not God. The Christ belongs to God and is given authority by God. He is the great prince, the archangel, the Lamb. 

Matthew 1:24-25:

 NIV: 
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

NCB: 
24 When Joseph rose from sleep, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary into his home as his wife, 25 but he engaged in no marital relations[a] with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus

RSVCE: 
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had borne a son;[a] and he called his name Jesus.

WYC:

24 And Joseph rose [up] from sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary, his wife; [Soothly Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord bade him, and took his wife;]

25 and he knew her not, till she had born her first begotten son, and he called his name Jesus.

YLT

24 And Joseph, having risen from the sleep, did as the messenger of the Lord directed him, and received his wife,

25 and did not know her till she brought forth her son -- the first-born, and he called his name Jesus.
KJV

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
NWT 

• 24 Then Joseph woke up from his sleep and did as the angel of Jehovah had directed him, and he took his wife home. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son,+ and he named him Jesus.+
  
  There's another fine myth shattered by a little light reading. Imagine what studying would get you? 

Proverbs 8:30-31

 NWT: 
"Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time; I rejoiced over his habitable earth, And I was especially fond of the sons of men."
Footnote: or, "mankind". 

NIV: 
"Then I was constantly[a] at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind." 
Footnote: (30) Or was the artisan, or was a little child

NKJV: 
"Then I was beside Him as [a]a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men."
Footnote: (30) A Jewish tradition "one brought up" (punctuation is mine)

WYC: 
" I was making all (these) things with him. And I delighted by all days, and played before him in all time, and I played in the world; and my delights be to be with the sons of men (and my delight is to be with the sons and daughters of men).

NLT: 
"I was the architect at his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence. And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family!"

VOICE: 
"All this time I was close beside Him, a master craftsman. Every day I was His delightful companion, celebrating every minute in His presence, Elated by the world He was making and all its fine creatures; I was especially pleased with humanity." 

Proverbs 8:30 in Hebrew on Bible Hub 

OJB:
"Then I was etzel (at the side of, beside [see Yn 1:1]) Him, as an Amon (master craftsman, builder, architect, artist); and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him [Mishle 30:4] ;Rejoicing in the tevel of His Eretz; and my delights were with the Bnei Adam."

The big question is, now that we see there was someone "at his side" and that they "was the architect" or "making all things withi him" or "master crafsman"  or "architect" or "artist",  whose side was the master crafstman at, and, who is the master craftsman? 

It is obvious to me that this master craftsman was at the side of God. That's why "Him" is capitalized in some of the above translations. Now, as to the master craftsman, some say this was Satan. That he used to be the most favored of all of God's creations and he was the first born, known as the morning star. 

Let logic prevail. 

What is most logical as a storyline for a God of order? That he needed to destroy his master craftsman so he pretended to be human for 33 years and allowed himself to get nailed to a pagan worship sexual device so as to pretend to die, so that he could make people wait for more thousands of years? What is most logical for a master craftsman that was at God's side and rejoiced in His work and ompany and whom was fond of mankind? That he would suddenly take a wild turn and decide to mislead mankind into rebelling against the person he loved, knowing that they would die from it and then inflict cruel suffering on them for thousands of years?  I mean, he would have to know they would die from it, if he was the master crafsman.  Right? 

Or, is it more logical that the God of order, seeing that mankind was being msled by another spirit creature, was also fond of mankind and didn't want it destroyed despite this. So, with knowledge of his master craftsman's fondness of mankind and love of Him, he set a plan in motion by which that very one who delighted by his side would be born into humanity and be allowed to save them by paying a like terrible price for their salvation that Adam did for their death (which occurred on a stake, which is a device of torture and death known to be employed by Romans during the time period in which Jesus died) and then come back to his side.

Then, in short order, the one who loved mankind best, next to Him, would be placed as their king and priest, a replacement for the humanly father that betrayed them before they were even- the rest of them - born? 

God cannot die. Nor can God lie. If he cannot die, then he would have had to be lying when he enacted his death on the stake (not the cross, which is a pagan worship sexual device). Therefore, since he cannot lie, this did not happen.

Jesus was never God. He is the master worker, who was at the side of God before mankind rebelled and went back to the side of God after he paid the ransom price for the return of mankind to God. 

If one reads the Bible as a whole, and considers it unto itself instead of by what various religions who have proved themselves unable to listen to God much at all- what with all the killing of their own kind and burning people at the stake, etc.- have to say based on philosophies of man. 

Feel free to ask questions.

Politely. 



 

Stop Being Anxious

There were times in my life when things were so bad  .. multi-level bad - that I felt paralyzed from being so hemmed in. There was nothing that I could see to do, be, say, ask for, pray about or in any other way move toward that wasn't blocked off from someone, something, or, some circumstance.

All I could do is sit, try to pray, and, write in my notebook, over and over, "stop being anxious", or, for variety, sometimes, I would make it, "don't be anxious".  Sufficient for each day is its own badness, for sure. Sometimes, that days badness is good enough to last a lifetime, and, it is connected to yesterday's badness, last week's badness, and, one can see a revisit from last month's badness on the horizon, with badness in some new form thrown in just for good measure. Not to mention how it reflects on and highlights all the badnesses that have come before it. Or, if not all, the major events that mash together in one's mind to make it a "bad life".

Q. What's your problem?  A. Life.  <--- I've had that conversation. Guess what I was often told. Go on! Guess!

Was it, A) I'm not sure what that means, but, would you like to talk about it? B) Everyone has bad things happen to them. You're just a whiner. C) You must be crazy. Everyone knows you had a good life and nothing really had ever happened in your life. D) You are just overly sensitive  E) Oh, I know all about that. Let me tell you what happened to me! or F) Why don't you do something to fix it? (topped by advice that can't possibly be followed) ? 

One thing for sure, it was never A).

No one really knows me much at all. Some people know some parts of me very well. Primarily, because, my life has been insanely weird and hard, and, no one wants to know that. They do not want to believe that. It would be easier to believe I am mentally unbalanced, lying, overly dramatic, making jokes or just saying things to seek attention. < -- All true, by worldly standards.  Thanks to the fog of Fibromyalgia, it's often even true of myself.

Enter Jehovah, by way of Jesus and his bringing up that sufficient for each day is its own badness and the command - not random lacklustre advice, but, actual command - to stop being anxious. In Luke chapter 22, he gives this command at least twice, during quite a bit of talk as to why we should not be anxious.

However, Jehovah's spirit did not only speak to us through Jesus as King or as the man who would be king. There were others. I mean, even what we know about that Jesus said was written down by another man that was inspired by Jehovah God. So, this command to stop being anxious is the part of the Bible that I happen to think of most during bad and stressful times, but, not the only time we are told not to be anxious.

In Isaiah 41:10 Jehovah God says not to be anxious, couched in a promise. There is a beautiful article, Do Not Be Anxious, For I Am Your God, which examines this promise and helps one to understand it more fully.

Sometimes, this is all that helped me. No human ear could listen , there was no eartlhy comfort. There was no praying and finding comfort in that, because, I was so wracked with loneliness, oppression, actual fear for my life, self-loathing, or, whatever was going on - maybe all of them, on some days - that I couldn't even still my mind enough to connect to Jehovah God in that way. Not even my human ear could listen, as it wasn't going to hear anything helpful that would get it and th rest of me out of that situation.

So, I wrote "stop being anxious" or some facsimile thereof, and, I cried, usually, and made false starts on prayers, and, wrote it some more, until, at least, I could pray for help in not being anxious.

Sometimes, that's all we have.

Good thing Jehovah gave us a book and a few million people who like to go around talking about it, reading it outloud to others and such as that, then. Even when those imperfect people are part of the problem, they can still be part of the solution. If one listens to good advice, when one has it.

It would be nice to have someone human and who loves Jehovah God to sit down with and discuss the madness of my life. It would help me to feel more a part of their society. But, I am not the first of Jehovah's servants who was misunderstood, even by rather good persons, or, whom was surrounded by weirdness and insanity and strife. Therefore, I am also not the first to discover that , however often it is disappointing to have no real companions of the human variety to connect with on a deep level, where they know you and accept you anyway and expect good for and from you, it doesn't really matter in the long run.

Because, this is not the long run. This is the short run and in this short run, which is almost over, Jehovah God knows those who allow him to do so. Jehovah God is the long run. He and his purpose and those who choose to dwell within that purpose, so to speak.

He knows me. He is my friend.  Eventually, everyone alive will be known by him, fully and deeply and voluntarily. Within that long run, once all the chips, cracks and deep distresses are fixed in our psyches, there will be friends of the human type.

I know this is true. I have had plenty of proof in my life that the Bible contains the truth, and, the Bible says there will be no more sorrow. Jehovah will wipe out every tear from our eyes. No more suffering. Well, what do you think loneliness is? Or, what is it to remember the fetid past, whether it is something awful done by or to us?

When the world acts the way the world so often does and a new badness comes sweeping in, an old badness lurches back into view, or, they just lurk in the recesses of my mind and I look around to find no one with which to share my anxiety, thanks to the Holy Scripures and those who try to live by them, I know the best thing to do is through the anxiety out and search for the One not seen.

It's just that on some days, much like scraping the contents of a plate into the trash , old things stick more and it takes a lot of effort to get rid of them or there is a lot to remove that is fresh and needs a bit more planning on how to remove it.

Either way, living water is bound to get the dirt off.

The end.

Abraham and Isaac

This week we are studying Genesis, chapters 22 and 23. This is a very controversial section of Genesis, especially, Genesis 22:10. Which makes it also a great point of learning more about Jehovah God, by, instead of exclaiming "Why!" and turning your face from him, asking, "Why?" and listening to him.

There are three things I have learned about the events that transpired in Genesis, chapter 22.  For those who claim that Jehovah's Witnesses brainwash people into their way of thinking, let me assure you that I learned some of this by studying on my own, before I became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In fact, before I ever felt even mildly accepted and was able to find someone to study with long enough to feel I had become even somewhat a part of any congregation.

And, because, of those who claim that Jehovah's Witnesses bible studies are tools of indoctrination and not meant as tools of learning at all, let me assure you that I, already knowing what I believed was true, learned more deeply why it was true, or, where I had genuinely misunderstood, why I had, in a way that was backed up by facts from the holy scriptures, and, other sources of learning, including quotes from scientists, theologians of different denominations, historians, etc. Though, in this particular case, Genesis, chapter 22, it was mostly me studying on my own and doing so with the right motivation of wanting to learn and to be obedient to Jehovah God. 

So, now that we have gotten all that out of the way, let me tell you what Jehovah God has helped me to see, as I willingly studied on my own, both with and without the prompting of materials proferred through his organization. Please?

1. Genesis, chatper 22 is a foreshadowing of the death of Jesus. The son of a beloved father, who did no wrong, who will one day be the leader of millions, sacrificed. The pain of a father who, knowing that his son will rise again, having to initiate the sacrifice and see his son die.

In my initial understanding of this, I saw it as being Jehovah God saying, "I have promised to do this for you, to save all who believe. Show me that you will do the same. Show me your belief. That there is a man, there was a man, who believed in me enough to show that the dreadful sacrifice I must make to save mankind is going to be worth his life."  And, I still stand by it. I believe this was and is part of the lesson.

2.  Which means it is also about obedience and faith. Somewhat as a separate issue. Abraham knew what he was promised would happen with Isaac. If someone told you that your son would become a man who would do this and that - someone who could make it happen - and, then, told you to kill him before he had done any of it, would you think that someone had reneged on his promises? Would you think that someone was a person who grossly misrepresented themselves? Even if you believed, still, in their promise, would you say, "No. This is too much. There is a limit to what you can ask me?"  How much faith do you have? How far do you want Jehovah God to go for you? How far are you willing to go for Jehovah God?

3. Genesis, chapter 22 is a both a foreshadowing of what will come and a review of what has been. The clue is in vers 2 and, again, in verse 12.  Is Isaac the only son of Abraham?

Last week, we were studying Genesis, chapters  20 and 21.  Wherein Abraham already had a son born to him of his wife's handmaiden; or, servant girl, if you prefer.  That son was named Ishmael. The how and why of this child being made is told of in chapters 16 -19. Well, mostly in 16 and 17, but, if you read chapters 20 and 21, too, you are probably going to want at least from 16-19 beforehand, for context.  I'll just give you the link to Genesis, to make things more simple.

The foreshadowing is not just of Jesus' death, but, also his life, his place in the scheme of things before and after his death and his relative position to the other son, who was and is, but, is not. 

What? ???

Bear with me.

Ishmael, like Adam, was a son. Not the son promised to the woman who was unlikely to be bearing a child. Not the son for the fulfillment of a need.  But, a son and a beloved son. Who. ike Adam was sent away from his father for his own bad behavior. Whereas, Isaac was a child promised, a person to fulfill a need. He was the beloved child. Who remained beloved because of his own good qualities.

So, we see in Ishmael and Isaac, a smaller version of what occurs when Jesus is sacrificed and truly becomes the second Adam.

Isaac proved his faith and obedience that day, too.

This is what I have learned.

I welcome all sincere questions.  I am not promising I can answer all of them, especially without research; but, I do welcome them.

Have a lovely day!

A study of fruitages of the holy spirit (pt. 1)

To study something, it is wise to know what one wishes to learn. Not in the way of a scientist on company pay, where one sets oneself up to find the result desired; but, in the way of a vigilant reporter, whom actively goes out seeking both the questions and the answers to them. The questions are always some version of "who, what, how, when, where and why".

Such as:  What are the fruitages of the holy spirit? How are they fruitages of the holy spirit? When does one receive them? Where does one find them? Why would one want to?  This is what I have found along the way, as I studied to find the answers to these questions.

What are the fruitages of the holy spirit?"
Galatians 5:22-23  mentions the fruitages of the holy spirit, which are  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, mildness, faith, modesty, self-control and chastity. In different translations, different words may be used to express what the fruitages are, but, the words mean the same thing as the ones I have used.

They are the nine attributes of a Christian person whom is living in accord with the will of Jehovah God. This does not mean that no one else can have some measure of one, a few, or even all of them. What it really means is that if you do not have them in some measure, and, are not trying to attain them, then, you are definitely not seeking (at least, not often enough) to follow in the footsteps of the Christ. It is a point for self-examination, then.

But, it is also an explanation of real benefits of service to Jehovah God and a promise of a better present, followed b y an unbelievably better future.

Too, by observation, one finds within the description of the fruitages of the holy spirit, a method by which to recognize good association and if oneself is good association for others.

How are they fruitages of the holy spirit?
This is a two-fold question. One part is, "If anyone can have some measure of these attributes, how can they be called something which is grown by holy spirit?"  The other is, "How does holy spirit grow them?"

First of all, we are all, in potential, by creation, children of God. We were all created, as a species, by Jehovah God through his Master Worker, whom later became known to us as Jesus the Christ. We were all made, then, through the power of Jehovah God, which is his holy spirit, and, we are living on a planet with ;plants, animals, dirt and rocks of which the same can be said about.

We have the life force he gave to our original ancestors and we eat from that which has life force from when their ancestors were created and which was passed on in somewhat the same manner. So, until dead and decayed to nothingness, there is nothing that is devoid of some measure of holy spirit.

This much, this energy to keep one moving is a gift, freely given without expectation, for a time; like the rain, wind, light of sun and moon and stars, green vegetation for food and all the other things that none of us deserve, but, all of us have as we accept it and are not forced away from it by people who are not Jehovah God.

We have free will and can choose to follow the spirit or the flesh. If we follow the spirit, we seek it through the will of Jehovah God and receive more of it. If we seek flesh, we have less of the energy we were given freely as a gift. So, you have the seed by which the fruit may be grown, but, you do not necessarily have the fruitage. Or, perhaps you have small, unripe fruit. Or, fruit that keeps growing ripe and ready, then rots where it was grown, from neglect. We are all born with the possibility of serving Jehovah God in spirit and truth.

The second part of this two-fold question must wait for another time. Simply because this is getting longish.

..

Learning to live in simplicity

Today, I should be going out in service. By "should",I mean "want to", and, also, "cannot", with a "partially due to my own stupidity,which I am very tired of." tacked onto the end of the sentence.

I am baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  I know rather a lot about Jehovah God,  Jesus, the Bible, etc., despite my poor memory. Yet, since I was baptized (at the beginning of July), I have learned that there is so much I still do not really know.  To wit, I thought I was putting a lot more trust in Jehovah than I was.

When I realized I was wrong about this, I also realized that I have to learn how to trust. And, the only way to learn how is to do.

Let me tell you the specifics of this particular realization. Let's start out with some scriptures.

Matthew 13:22  As for the one sown among the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, but the anxiety of this system of things+and the deceptive power of riches* choke the word, and it*becomes unfruitful.

Proverbs 12: 25  Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word cheers it up.

Luke 21:34 “But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you 35 as a snare.+ For it will come upon all those dwelling on the face of the whole earth. 36 Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication+ that you may succeed in escaping all these things that must occur and in standing before the Son of man.”

And, most importantly,for the subject at hand:

Matthew 6:25 “On this account I say to you: Stop being anxious about your lives as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not life mean more than food and the body than clothing? 26 Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27 Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? 28 Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I tell you that not even Solʹo·mon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? 31 So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. 34 So never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles.

Well, I have, at least at times, been really trying to follow this advice. I cut down quite a bit on all sorts of anxiety and put more trust in Jehovah. But, I found that when it comes to the worrying about what I am to eat, I fail miserably on not being anxious.

I have a lot of allergies. I am also quite poor. Besides these, I have quite a few health problems. Funnily enough, mostly from chronic symptoms due to lifelong, continual bouts of extreme stress. Due to all of this, I have quite a bit of trouble in not being anxious.

But, that is not an excuse for the way in which I have been anxious. Because, there are three kinds of anxiety I have been engaging in, which could be easily avoided by turning to Jehovah and throwing my anxiety upon him, which are not alleviated, because, I don't really do that, at least not correctly/thoroughly.

Psalm 55: 22 Throw your burden on Jehovah And he will sustain you Never will he allow the righteous one to fall.

The three ways I fail to do this, with regard to eating are:

1) Feeling left out of fun food. You know, when there is a gathering of brothers and sisters that is a potluck, or, a chance to go get some tasty food at a restaurant, or, to get a piece of really quality candy; and,in my case, this almost always involves things I really just shouldn't be eating.

I tend to fail at not being anxious over missing out or in being different because:

a) I really am so poor and I do worry about turning down things and then not having food later, and, having this lack of acceptance of what was freely offered being thrown back in my face, later. Even if that unpleasantness doesn't happen, there is still the going home and having no food, though.

b) I hate making people feel uncomfortable It seems better to make myself uncomfortable than to make them feel bad for having offered things that they now think I am offended by, or not joining in, or, by them having to eat while I sit there.

c)Simple selfishness combined with sadness. I have spent most of my life thinking of others and not being thought of by others, except by way of being considered too poor, ugly, short, fat, Alaskan, or,in some other way undesirable to associate with. I was the youngest child.I almost never got anything and when I did it was usually from the dump or as a worn-out hand-me-down. So,you know,sometimes, I put undue worth on these special treats.

This can also include having any money and living near a store where there are cheap "treats" that seem like a better choice for filling one up than the little bit of healthy food that can be avoided. And, knowing other people want coffee,so, for some reason, drinking it with them, even though - most of the time -I don't even want it for any other reason.

2)Because of my allergies and gut issues, because of my abdomen that didn't shrink near as much as the rest of me when I lost a lot of weight,I tend to obsess over strategies: things to include, things to avoid, supplements, when to eat, food combining, etc.  Then, I realize that,while I do need to avoid some things for now (and, I don't necessarily know what all those are), this is like making unclean the things that Jehovah God has made clean. Then,I have a major bout of illness and go crazy, trying to figure out how never to have that happen, all over again.

3)Running out of food. Which is easy to do when one is poor.

Now,all these have some overlap. Quite frankly, if I made better choices,I'd be less likely to run out of food. And, if I didn't run out of food, I would be more likely to make better choices. And, if I made better choices for my own needs, so that I could serve Jehovah better, then, I would not be so influenced by the desires of people who are not Jehovah.

Also, this is a truly sad thing to know, but ... I have some experience with fasting. I have done intermittent fasting for various lengths of time, with and without alleged ketogenic eating. I have done some not entirely voluntary extended fasting, water fasting, dry fasting. I know I can fast. But, I get stuck on, "What should I be doing when the fast is over?" and "But, I don't want to waste the food that is here,which will go bad while I am fasting." or"What will ....eat, when I am fasting?"

All of it is unnecessary anxiety.

Over the last few days, starting this Monday (today is Wednesday) after listening to an inspirational talk on subjects related to what I am speaking of here,I have removed many superfluous things from both my physical and mental life, which had been impinging upon my spiritual progress.

Artwork, writing. Things that mean a lot to other people and are all about self-expression and entertaining and which are held up as worthy pursuits by the world. And, no, I don't mean I quit all of it, altogether. I mean, here I am, writing. But, I threw out all the old material which would have taken countless hours to put to right after all the rude things people did to it,if I ever wanted to make it viable to sell.

During that time, however, I ate the sort of pizza that gets set outside of a nearby not-so-high quality pizza place, due to being slightly burnt or whatever, because, we were almost out of food and my son brought it home.

Now, this is the point where you say, "Well, so much for Jehovah,if that's the best he can provide for his people!"

And, this is the point that I tell you that this entire blog is about the very subject of my failing to really listen to the points that Jehovah made, especially through Jesus, that I should have made better choices and, then, if I still ran out of food, I should have thrown my anxious burden on Jehovah and trusted him.

You see, I did not give him either a reason or a chance to provide. So, this is my failure.

I am going to use this blog to explore the ways to simplify my life and learn to trust in Jehovah. There will probably be other things,too; but, these are my main goals.

That is all, for now.