Politically Speaking

I try not to get involved in political matters – okay I couldn’t even write that with a straight face. Truth is my dear readers I’m a political junkie and this general election has provided me the fix I need. Never before have I been so engrossed in the debate over any nation’s future, never before had it seemed so absolutely necessary to voice the opinions that we sometimes hold too close to the chest, like a good poker hand. Samuel Clemens, most famously known as Mark Twain is one of the authors from which my style of writing was shaped. Aww come on, don’t pretend you thought I la-di-da’d my way to this point without some frame of reference. I’d like to claim creative originality as much as the next guy, but the truth is that we are all a product of the cultural and philosophical concoction we’ve imbibed all our lives. Besides, I think it was Oscar Wilde who said “good writers borrow, great writers steal”, and thus – me!
 
As I was saying Mark Twain was a writer who never shied away from offering his opinion when it came to politics. He wrote scathing articles that ridiculed the government and the election process, which unfortunately is the same today as it was then. One of his pet peeves was this irrational insistence on the allegiance to one party or the other. How many voters have been turned to chattels, [drones], slaves and rabbits, all while their masters and they themselves are shouting rubbish about liberty, independence, freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, honestly unconscious of the fantastic contradiction; and forgetting or ignoring that their fathers and the churches shouted the same blasphemies a generation earlier when they were closing their doors against the hunted slave(Excpt: “The Character of Man” – Mark Twain’s Autobiography). In my opinion this allegiance to one party or the next undermines the very principles of free election. A man tethers himself to one view, and even if that view is overturned by simple logic he continues to cling to it with unbending fervor. It is unfortunate that most voters, sometimes at the prompting of the media, have bought into this narrow view. It is forgotten, or in some cases suppressed, that on some issues a person may be conservative, while on other issues they may be liberal. Is any man statically one or the other. This kind of intellectual restriction has placed America in the position that she is today. Should a man be allowed to wage reckless wars with harmless nations because he stands against abortion or gay marriages? Yet this is exactly how we have been fuddled as a society by the election of W. a man whose presidency has been such a complete and utter failure that his own party has tried to vigorously distance themselves from him.
 
So my dear readers as you get ready to enter the voting booths, make sure you pull the lever for the man you think will carry out your stance on the issues, not because of what party you’re affiliated with. The differences in beliefs and philosophy between these two candidates are as clear as black and white (no pun intended). One believes that off shore drilling will provide relief to the American energy consumer and therefore we should “drill baby drill”. The other believes that in order to truly become energy independent we must, as a nation, begin to take steps toward alternative energy solutions (wind, bio-fuel, solar). Sort of a cultivate and take care of the Earth kind of approach. One candidate believes in the trickle down economics as per Ronald Reagan, that if the top of the economic pyramid are taxed less then the benefits will eventually make its way down to the working class, the other believes that the stimulation should start from the bottom and work its way up and that if the working class has more resources they will spend more and thus strengthen the foundation of the economy which both candidates agree is small business. Sort of a lending a helping hand to the poor who most need it kind of approach. One candidate believes that it is ill advised to hold talks with leaders of terrorist states because it might lend credence to and legitimize their detestable goings-on. The other believes that diplomacy with these nations will show that the U.S. is not simply a military machine that is unable to be reasoned with but will listen to and try to address the feelings that are being harbored. Sort of a soft answer turneth away wrath kind of approach.
 
I fear I’ve tipped my poker hand. I cut myself this morning and its true…I bleed blue. The dim witted rhetoric from the other side has made it so easy these days. The stand off between Joe the Pumber and the intellectuals of this age is not a fair fightat all. They continue, even now, to spew out venomous words and call us names like “The Liberal Elite” and stand with their hands akimbo, smiling, pleased with themselves because the density of their brains has led them to believe that this is an insult. They pile on bad idea after bad idea, mistake after mistake, sound-bytes that make you feel as though you’ve lost a little intelligence just by listening. Seriously, now I know how the Philistines felt as Samson wailed away, its like being bludgeoned to death by the jawbone of an ass. Except in this case it’s two jaw bones – two asses.
 
Sorry I couldn’t resist.

That thing about Jessica

With a little less than three weeks to go before I marry my best friend I’d like to take an opportunity to write something of this woman who has had such a positive and long-lasting impact on my life. Our connection has always been a source of curiosity to others who may view our personalities as oddly matched, but who may not be able to see that this is exactly why the union works so well. Jessica to me is like a song that you’ve learned but you don’t know when and how you learned it. It plays one day and you find yourself humming along, it’s familiar and beautiful but never uninteresting, always bringing with it a new sensation which you would have otherwise not experienced, some of the lyrics may escape your understanding but you replace them with your own words and it affords you the opportunity to make the song all your own. And that is what she has become, a song I’ve made my own.
 
Our journey has been an eventful one, the path we have walked together has had more than its share of pitfalls, booby traps, land mines, and the like. All the perils of the errant heart of a young man trying to take hold of manhood, and the ever-varying disposition of a young girl’s transition to womanhood have come to bear on our connection. The ties that have bonded us have been stretched to their utter limits, strained but never broken, unwoven but never detached. Alas, I’ve strayed away from my trail and have taken you into the cob-webbed cave of the modus operandi…allow me now, dear reader, to guide you to the light-soaked outlet of the end result.
 
Jessica has become through the years something of a rarity. Her intense love of laughter and enjoyment has been tempered with a keen sense of social responsibility and inquisitiveness of the world around her, and it gives her a balance in personality that is as peculiar as it is appealing. This balance was missing in her earlier years but has since brought a new dimension to what was always a noble character. Not to reduce the importance her life-loving, effervescent, bubbly charm which is most on display when she interacts with children (the very best judges of character on the face of the earth) which of course is her gift and calling.
 
Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite author is Charles Dickens, the wonder and majesty of his writings have, in my mind, yet to be matched in any literature I’ve ever read – and believe me; I’ve digested my share of literature. One of, if not my favorite of  his novels, was his admittedly self-biographical account of one “David Copperfield”. This book may not have started my love affair with writing, but it was certainly akin to a first kiss, that time when you realize - hey, this is actually going somewhere. What does this have to do with my future bride? In the book David falls in love with two women, the first was Dora. Dora grew up in the lap of luxury, she spent her days at the apex of aristocracy, and as acutely oblivious to the world around her as she was beautiful. Dora did not fuss with the house account book, the attendants, the groceries or anything else that housewives occupied themselves with in those days. She would complain of headaches whenever David mentioned something in the news or try to teach her something regarding the running of a home. She needed to be taken care of, she was loving and compassionate enough, and most of all extremely pretty, but she lacked that curiosity that makes women of girls. Yet, there was a charm to her that touched David to his very core, she had a quality that makes hearts melt, so much son that her other flaws were thrust aside, and made him love her with a fantastic kind of devotion, though he knew all along that something was missing. And that missing something he found in his childhood friend Agnes after Dora died young from an illness. Agnes was the antithesis of the lovely Dora, though she did not possess the same wax-doll beauty, she had that kind of appeal that drew respect and admiration from deeper places than the eyes. Agnes was the picture of responsibility, she was everything Dora wasn’t and everything David could ever need. My point in telling you all this is that Jessica, my gorgeous wife-to-be embodies both Agnes and Dora in every respect. She has the beauty and charm of Dora, and the nurturing, calm approach to life’s challenges as Agnes. And so unlike so many others not as blessed as I am, I get to spend the rest of my life with the heroine of my dreams.

“I and I”

In my travels I have seen some of the world, though not as much as I had liked to, but enough to know that beautiful concepts still exist. Truth still makes its indelible mark on humanity, though most us have chosen to ignore its beckoning call. One thing I have developed in my meaningful excursions is a keen sense of self and this enables me to detect truth wherever it may reside. There are brilliant views of humanity that have been conceptualized by those seeking a higher standard and a higher calling to existence; one of those that have affected me the most is the Rastafarian concept of “I and I”:
 
I always wondered what they meant when they used this term, and though my friends and I would mimic them by referring to ourselves as “I and I”, the meaning of it eluded me. It was in my discovery of their culture in my late teens that I finally realized what I was saying when I used the term, and the truth was much more beautiful than the perception.
 
“I and I” though seemingly simple, is a complex term referring to the oneness of Yahweh and every human being. It is an expression to totalize the concept of oneness, the oneness of two persons. So Yahweh is within all of us and we’re one people in fact, and it means that Yahweh is in all men. The term is used in place of “you and I” or “we” implying that both persons are united under the love of Yahweh.
 
It’s grammatically incorrect, but in Spirit nothing could be more right. And so when I do use it, which is normally in the privacy of my own thoughts, it carries with it a kind of Spiritual power that unites me with my “I-dren”, another Rastafarian term derived from the word “brethren”.
 
“I and I” long for the day when these concepts can become the prevailing testament of truth in society. When people will not view and define each other by our differences, but by the common bond that links each living creature – the love of the Supreme Being; Yahweh Almighty.

The Cost of Pentecost

Good morning,

Fire is the main source of life, so it’s no wonder the Holy Spirit took on the form of this element as it descended as cloven tongues which ministered to the masses in their own native language, so that every man could receive a taste of the Just and Righteous El of Israel. It must have been an awe-inspiring sight to see the apostles being taken hold of by a phenomenon nobody had ever witnessed before, the ebb and flow of the steady stream of truth drew the people to the heavenly fire like moths, except this fire could not be quenched by the hands of men or of the Enemy. How futile were the efforts of Satan to have the great event dismissed as mere drunkenness and reveling, the anointment of Yahweh was upon those who had been obedient to the voice of Yahshua and tarried in Jerusalem to await the arrival of the Comforter, the Advocate, and the Avenger of the Saints. To those who disobeyed by esteeming the business of this world as more important than the mission of the Messiah there will remain a cold and vast expanse in the soul, where a roaring fire used to be there will be a pile of dew-soaked wood, the embers of which has long been extinguished. So there is no need to wonder or debate about why the threshing floor of your life remains scattered with debris of past mistakes, to clean it up one needs light, to shed light one needs Fire, to get that Fire one needs the Flame-giver Yahshua, and the fuel – The Word of The Elohim of Israel.

 

I speak from experience.

 

Taking the message to the masses is the key to receiving a true Pentecostal event, for what need have we of different tongues if we are not out ministering to those who need the message? We all speak English, and so if we stay within our walls, what need is there of the Spirit to disperse among us in this manner? At my Temple we experienced this first-hand, when we were enclosed within our four walls the Spirit of Yahweh was elusive at best, the service went on with all the pomp and blare of a funeral hall, the woeful, lethargic looks on our faces told the whole story. But as soon as we stepped outside and took the message to the spiritually starving…wow! Something unique happened. There was a different feeling, that action of being on one accord was almost automatic, and the Spirit of Yahshua emerged among us and saturated the air…stick your tongue out and you could taste it, so shrouded in love we were. And then we were able to “lay down the load” as our minister had advised we do, and…forgive me excitement – THE DAY OF PENTECOST FULLY CAME! So it seems we need get out of the Upper Room every now and then.

 

Back to the fire. It is this fire that descends from above which gives us Spiritual life so even though we look for a special portion on Pentecost, this fire should be burning deep down inside all year. I feel however that even though there are those among us who are earnestly working to fulfill the mission mandated to us by Yahshua, there are others among us who have not been convinced of it yet, as I once was. Babylon still held me captive and so I obeyed the crack of the taskmaster’s whip, never considering the detriment to the Body of Yahshua. But I soon realized that nothing in Babylon works because they build their cities and they break their own laws, and it’s been too long that we’ve existed among them. So I prayed earnestly for Yahshua to take me to a place where justice flows as water flowed from the rock in the wilderness and here I shall stay though the heathen world crumbles all around. Like mountains roundabout Jerusalem so is the Mighty One of Israel encamped around His people…but first you have to know, not wonder, not philosophize – but know that YOU are one of His people. The Babylonian garment was buried. It could not be worn, it could not be sold, so in essence it was worthless though it was beautiful. And so the traitors only wanted it so they could look upon it, admire its fineness, perhaps worship it? So for no gain the traitors laid aside the commandment of Yahweh (they spend money for that which is not bread), and defiled the whole nation. So we may be defiled, but fire is also for the purification.

 

Marc Wellington

 

Scripture of The Day (one of my favorites)

 

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (King James Version)

 

Thus saith the Yahweh: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am Yahweh who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith Yahweh.

 

Quote of The Day

 

Obedience is the evidence of honor:

 

Children, obey. Why does the apostle use the word obey instead of honor, which has a greater extent of meaning? It is because obedience is the evidence of that honor which children owe to their parents, and it therefore more earnestly enforced. It is likewise more difficult; for the human mind recoils from the idea of subjection, and with difficulty allows itself to be placed under the control of another. – John Calvin

 

Have a Blessed Day Everybody!

 

p.s. A special Living Well-come to the newest member of our tiny circle: Sis. Kelly. I pray that the words I write will inspire you to growth in Yahshua.

 

 

Overcoming Sin

Good morning,
 
The resistance of temptation, like almost everything else, begins in the mind. This is the battleground of the Saints, this is where victories are lost and won. The impulses of your body are mere aftershocks. The earthquake, if you will, takes place in the closed and private vestibules of your psyche. The child that steals candy from the neighborhood grocer first makes the determination in his or her mind, and then the action follows suit. And so it is, at this most critical juncture – the transference of the material body’s will over to the material body’s desires, that we need set up our defenses.
 
Defense Mechanism 1: Knowledge/Conscience
 
Most knowledge of good and evil is instinctual. It stems back from the metaphorical story of Adam and Eve. The first man ate of the forbidden fruit and was instantly given awareness of his surroundings, with this awareness came responsibility. One cannot be held accountable for one’s wrongs if one is unfamiliar with the bold, contrasting line between what is wrong and what is right. After indulging in the sweet fruit of the tree of good and evil, Adam and all his descendants became acquainted forever with sin or wrongdoing. Innocence was lost, and so we were born to imperfection as the scripture so plainly puts it. To conquer sin however, we must inundate ourselves with knowledge of the scripture and the law, which is the first step toward reconciliation with the Supreme Being. The inherent conscience which we are all born with is but a primitive and lowly guide to the light of salvation, and is insufficient to bring us to the clarity of truth. And so the Law was delivered by Yahweh to point out sin, and man received a blueprint of great value that would keep us at the very least within the parameters of His Will. Yet, even this was insufficient, law could not remove stain of sin but simply point it out, and so The Son of Man was sent to set man free from the snare with which he had so naively entangled himself.
 
Defense Mechanism 2: Love
 
Love conquers all. This is not a maxim without merit, and Yahshua proved it most of all by laying down His life to save us from certain doom. The Law could not perfect, and it is only by perfection that we can become reunited with Yahweh. The incorruptible nature of The Supreme Being cannot draw nigh unto the corruptible nature of man (which is why Yahshua called out “why hast thou forsaken me?” in the moments before his earthly demise). At that moment the sins of mankind were laid upon him and was wrapped up in His nature, and Yahweh had to step back from His beloved Son. The next step after knowledge of the Law is to obtain the Spirit of the Law. Some may ask what this means. Many people, especially in Christendom, have misinterpreted the words of the Apostle Paul when he said that we are not to live “under” the law. They take it to mean that the law is done away with, this in itself is a great contradiction of the Supreme Being who instituted law because He is an Elohim of order. Without law, there can only be chaos. Imagine the President of the United States announcing the constitution of the country has been made null and void, can you imagine the anarchy that would commence immediately? Is the law of Man more sacred than the Law of Yahweh? So when Paul states that the highest self – the super ego (to borrow a term) wants to be free from the law, he is simply putting into terms the reality of true conversion. Not breaking the law for fear of penalty is to live in a lower state than not breaking the law because you understand the concept of, and see the merit in it when it regards your fellow man. I do not refrain from robbing and stealing from others for fear of the jail cell, but because it is an unjust act. I do not serve Yahweh for reward after death, but because my service to Him is reasonable, appropriate and fitting seeing that it was He who has blessed me with life.
 
Defense Mechanism 3: Recognition of the Two Minds
 
There is a conflict inside each of us, I had wanted to say a war, but I realize that for some it is not a war any more. There belongs to every human being a higher self and a lower self which are constantly at odds with each other because their objectives are quite simply incompatible with each other. This is the battle of the Material Mind which we sometimes call the Flesh, and the Spiritual Mind which we often refer to as the Spirit. To conquer sin and to make impotent the force of temptation we must understand and manage these two minds. Think of it as a tug of war with regard to your will. The Material mind has always been there, it is that part of yourself which has been appropriated by and educated by the body. To see and reason and judge of life in the knowledge of the force which lies behind and creates all forms of matter is called the Spiritual Mind.  The winner of this tug of war is simply dependent on the one with the most brute strength. Strength comes by growth and sustenance. Everything you do in life, everything you watch, everything you listen to, everything you touch, every activity you indulge yourself in becomes food for either of these opposing minds. Nothing is neutral. And whichever one is fed the most will continually be in control of the tug of war. As I said in the opening sentence there are some who are not even in a war any longer, but their Spiritual Will has been made a P.O.W and simply serves the dominating material mind. The temptation of sin can only be conquered by the Spiritual Mind, and when the flesh is made weak, the spiritual mind can prevail more easily.
 
Conclusion
 
The goal of each Believer should be to get to the mountaintop of true conversion, and not just salvation. It is seeing the world through different lenses than we use today. That intense spiritual change can only occur when we shed our own corrupt nature: the id which is only a mass of instinctive drives and impulses. The mind of the newborn babe is regarded as being completely “id-ridden” because a newborn is only concerned with it’s own immediate satisfaction (hence all he crying). In order to conquer sin we must get to the level Yahshua lived His life at, it was self denial for the benefit of humanity, and an inherent desire to please and serve the Supreme Being. We sometimes wonder why we struggle with the same pitfalls repeatedly, and I put it to you that perhaps we have not fully come into the knowledge of full truth, even though we would so quickly declare that we have.
 
Marc Wellington
 
Scripture of The Day
2 Peter 2:8-9 (New King James Version)
 
(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then Yahweh knows how to deliver the righteous out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.
 
Quote of The Day
 
“There is no allurement or enticement, actual or imaginary, which a well disciplined mind may not surmount. The wish to resist more than half accomplishes the object.” – Charlotte Dacre 1782-1841 English Author 
 
Have a blessed day everybody!

Identity

We refuse to be, what you wanted us to be

We are what we are and that’s the way it’s going to be.

You can’t educate us without equal opportunity

I’m talking about my freedom, people’s freedom and Liberty.

We’ve been trodding on this wine-press much too long – Rebel!

And we’ve been taken for granted much too long – Rebel!

Babylon’s system is a vampire.

Sucking the blood of the sufferers.

Deceiving the people continually.

Building churches and universities, graduating thieves and murderers.

This Babylon system is a vampire.

Tell the children the truth.

 

Good morning,

 

The love for the Word of Yahweh is not simply the knowledge of Scripture, this I found out in my later years, and so I always feel a sense of loss whenever I consider the time that has passed; time I could have been understanding my Father more by really allowing His words to saturate my spirit. Yet, I’m grateful that I’ve been taught His ways and precepts even though my understanding of these things lagged behind my knowledge of them, like a child trying to keep stride with a full grown man. But now that my understanding has caught up to my knowledge, and the journey is no longer hindered, I walk confidently toward the goal Yahweh has predetermined. There are not very many people like you and I, and this is not vanity as some may suppose, for we have been set apart for a purpose from the womb, and it’s not until we take on that purpose that peace will finally step out from it’s hiding place and our ‘identity’ will begin to crystallize. Have you always felt that an unseen hand has guided your every step and has protected you even when you’ve so foolishly placed yourself in jeopardy? Has the pleasures that lull the rest of the world to sleep never been enough to sway you, have you found no solace in the temporal thrills that the heathen call ecstasy? Have you always had to come back, no matter how much you’ve tried to convince yourself that this life of holiness and right-doing was just not your cup of tea? Has your mind drifted to scripture during tasteless conversations with people you have tried desperately to fit in with? Has it always been difficult for you to lay aside the guilt of breaking the commandments you’ve recited so emphatically?

 

You just might be a citizen of the Holy Nation. You just might be a member of the Royal Priesthood. You just might be a peculiar person.

 

There are not many people like you and I.

 

One of the most electrifying prophets of the scripture, in my opinion of course, was the prophet Jeremiah. I read the words from that book and I get goosebumps. It is absolutely amazing how Yahweh used this man to affect the whole nation, how early in his life he was called to stand and declare the words of Yahweh, and how drenched in the spirit of Father Yahweh he was – to the point when there were times he could not sit still.

 

“Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you as a prophet to the nations.” 

 

Imagine that. Yahweh had preordained this young man to declare his words even before the embryo was formed, and yet Jeremiah had his doubts:

 

“Then I said; Ah Yahweh! I cannot speak: I am only a child”

 

It seems it is the natural inclination of the gifted and special people not to be able to recognize their own gifts. There are so many examples in scripture of the greatest leaders not being aware of the power that Yahweh had blessed them with. They started out as you and I, confused from the start, because the gift had already been put in place and it was only waiting for that catalyst to set in motion. For Moses it was witnessing a Hebrew slave being beaten unmercifully, for Isaiah it was the death of a King that stirred up his gift, but each of them realized their full potential. They laid aside the business of this life and took upon themselves the task at hand, never looking back to wonder whether they were on the right path. I heard this line in a movie – “One day you will realize that there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” Many of us are already walking the path, eventually we will come to know who we truly are. As in the case of Jeremiah; the end had already been written before the story began:

 

“Don’t say I am a child: for you will go wherever I send you, and whatever I command you, that will you speak. Do not be afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you.” The Yahweh put forth His hand and touched my mouth. “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. I have set you this day over all the nations and over all the kingdoms to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”

 

And here Yahweh defined Jeremiah’s purpose. It was all within, and because Jeremiah’s heart was meditative and responsive to the Word of Yahweh, his mission was made evident. It is not until we surrender our own will and lay aside those doubts and fears which whisper such terrible and weakening things in our minds, that we can begin to understand why it is we are so different from the world at large. And then we can begin to allow Yahweh to use that gift he inserted before we were formed to affect the people we were made to lead into His truth. If we continue to refuse and rebel then another fate awaits.

 

Jeremiah Weeping for the People who forgot who they were:

Jeremiah 9

 

“Oh that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain daughter of my people! Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people and go from them! For they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. Shall not I visit them, says Yahweh, shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? Who is the wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of Yahweh has spoken, that he may declare it, for the land perishes and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passes through. Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voice, but have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim (Babylon), which their fathers taught them, I will scatter them among the heathen, whom neither they or their fathers have known, andI will send a sword after them until I have consumed them. Hear the word of Yahweh O women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daugthers wailing, and every one of her neighbors, lamentation. Death is come into our windows, and has entered our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the strong man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his possessions, but let him that glories, glory only in this: that he understands and knows me and that I am the Elohim that exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. In these things I delight, says Yahweh. The days will come when I will punish the circumcised with the uncircumcised, for even though all the other nations are uncircumcised, the house of Israel is uncircumcised in the heart.”

 

My prayer for the people who have forgotten who they are:

 

Blessed be the name of Almighty Yahweh, who has taken us as his people, to declare His words to the heathen nations, to step aside from their corrupt system. Help us Yahweh never to compromise by keeping the commandments of men for fear of retribution. For we love your judgment and righteousness more than we fear the hand of man, for what is he but the creation of your hand. Your arm is strong enough to deliver us from the snares of the enemy. Who will stand to declare your words to this perverse generation? We will. Who will represent your kingdom in the struggle against Mystery Babylon? We will. Who will rise up for you against the evildoers? Who will stand up for you against the workers of iniquity? [Psalm 94:16] We will. Who will ascend into your hill Yahweh? Who will stand in your holy place? We will. This is the generation that seeks you, that seeks your face O Jacob [Psalm 24]. Then, and only then will you be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering (praise), then shall we offer bullocks upon your altar (worship) [Psalm 51].

 

Marc Wellington

 

Scripture of The Day

 

Isaiah 44:21-22 (King James Version)

 

Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for you are my servant: I have formed you; you are my servant: O Israel, you will not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed you.

 

Quote of The Day

 

“I’ve grown certain that the root of all fear is that we’ve been forced to deny who we are.” – Frances Moore Lappe: Social change and Democracy Activist.

 

Continue to live life in love, continue “Living Well” everybody.

 

 

 

Acts I know of, but who are you “Inaction”?

Good morning,
 
How are you today my loved ones? I hope you’re all in good spirit, and that would be the Spirit of Yahweh which leads and guides us into all truth. I’ve been in a very pensive mood this weekend, and my disposition resembled the weather outdoors, sometimes wet and gloomy, sometimes bright and hopeful, caught within the awkward phase of a mind in shifting thoughts. Ladies and gentleman, debating is good! Not only does it bring illumination to topics that would otherwise remain shrouded in a cloud of ambiguity, but it also shows us a little more of ourselves, what moves us, where our passions lie and, perhaps more important than all, what drives us to action. In Sabbath School this week we had a lively debate about a question “thanks be to Yahweh” that was broached for the first time within our walls. It is a question which strikes to the very core of our beliefs, and so we laid aside the story of Jonah and the Whale, and the intense spiritual relevance of teaching ten-year converts the significance of Baptism, and took on the 800 pound gorilla that has been looming in the corner of the sanctuary trying to get our attentions:
 
What is our role as Believers with regard to social injustice? 
 
My answer: I thought the answer was simple. We should confront social injustice and tear down the strongholds of the wicked. We should let our voices be heard from the mountaintops as Yahshua did when he told the people that the meek would inherit the earth. We should stand up for the disenfranchised; the people who have been taken advantage of by this evil system in which we live. We should do our jobs as the salt of the earth by giving flavor to the bland, unfeeling, unpalatable world. We should do our jobs as the light of the world by uncovering the inequities which seek to find refuge in the cracks and crevices. Just as Yahshua was a voice that brought knowledge and wisdom of the Kingdom to the least in society, just as he showed them a better way and stood up for them when they were being persecuted by those in power at the time, so should we devote our lives to the service of setting the captives free. What better way to bring freedom to the people than by attacking the very system which ensures they remain in a state of want.
 
Opposing View #1: First and foremost we are the children of Yahweh. we see the injustices being carried out around us every day, and we are sensitive to the suffering of the people but our place is not in protest of these things. We should fast and pray for a better day to come about, we should not be joining hands with the heathen on picket lines. We are set as watchmen to warn the people of impending destruction, not to save them from the destruction. Besides, Yahweh has already pronounced judgment on the earth, fighting against the wickedness of man is like fighting against prophecy. What if we died standing in opposition to things like ‘police brutality’ and the blatant disregard for the impoverished people upon whose backs the small percentage of the rich exist? What would become of our souls? Yahweh only promised eternal life if we died standing up for Yahshua and for His Word. Just as in the days of Noah when Yahweh pronounced judgment on the earth, He commissioned Noah to warn the people, so are we to do the same in these days.
 
My Rebuttal: I find it quite strange that you should bring up the story of Noah to support your viewpoint when if we examine the story more carefully I think you will find that it opposes your view. Yes Yahweh commanded Noah to stand in the gap and to warn the people of the flood that was coming, but aren’t we missing a huge part of this story, I seem to remember something about a boat. Yahweh not only warned the people through Noah but he also provided them with an alternative through the action of Noah. Yes we are called to be watchmen and to warn the people, but there comes a time when the watchmen have to come down from that tower and fight. Who needs watchmen in the middle of a war when the enemy has already breached the borders. This is the time when watchmen become soldiers. Our place may not be on picket lines, that I will concede, but is not to hide ourselves inside the Temple either. As children of Yahweh we should be declaring judgment on this generation, as Yahshua was a thorn in the sides of the Pharisees so must we make the powers of today uncomfortable. As for the loss of life in this struggle, I do believe that Yahweh will accept that ultimate sacrifice in fighting against spiritual wickedness in ‘high places’. This is the danger of serving Yahweh ‘only’ because of promise of eternal life after death, instead of serving Yahweh because of who He is, as Pastor Grant so eloquently put it. He that clings to his life shall lose it, but he that lays down his life shall find it.
 
Opposing View #2: How can we stand in league with the unrighteous? These are not our brothers and sisters, so why should we stand up for them? If sinners are doing sinful things then evil follows. The children of Yahweh are under his protection, they are covered by the righteousness of the blood of the Messiah. Those who have not accepted Yahshua yet are subject to the horrors of this natural life and our place is not to stand in defense of them.
 
My Response: The most noble thing a man can do is to stand against injustice when it does not affect his life directly. Case in point – Mary Magdelene. Yahshua came across Mary as she was running for her life. Men were chasing her to put her to death for the sin of adultery, a sin according to the scripture, she was indeed guilty of. Yahshua stood up for her against evil men who would have stoned her outside the city walls. The Messiah stood in defense of an adulteress against the injustice of these men. The system in which we live is designed to punish the under-privileged and to overlook the faults of the powerful and wealthy. Case in point – Eliot Spitzer. This man was appointed to uphold the laws of man, but every day he would, in essence, cast the first stone. He placed people in jail for the very crimes he was practicing, and has yet to face the judgment he was so willing to dole out. As Believers in the Righteousness of Yahweh should we not attack such a partial, unjust system. It is not standing up for the unrighteous as much as it is standing against the wickedness of Babylon. And what better way to draw men unto Yahweh than by standing in their defense, as Yahshua drew the adulteress, and not only her but countless others who were looked upon as ‘unrighteous’ and the refuse of society. Who are we to judge? I think we may be under the misconception that this truth belongs to us, but it doesn’t, we are only servants of the Most High and he has given us an edict not only to ‘go into all the world preaching the good news’ but also showing signs of the Spirit he placed in us through action, showing the people a better way, and  not just telling people of the Ark of safety, but showing them to the Ark, which is Yahshua.
 
Opposing View #3: The Disciples of Yahshua did not protest. When Paul and Silas were thrown into jail nobody picketed to have them released. They simply praised Yahweh because they knew he was more powerful than the bars that kept them locked in, and Yahweh delivered them from their afflictions. If we follow their example we will not show physical resistance to evil but rather carry on our battle spiritually. For what can be gained if we give our lives fighting against the immoral Babylon, we are in this world but not of this world.
 
My Response: The Disciples did not protest? Are you kidding? Where am I? How did Paul and Silas get arrested in the first place if it was not resisting the system that they were under. Each of the Disciples lost their lives in resistance to the government at the time, some of them were crucified, some burnt alive, others tortured, and in Paul’s case beheaded. They did not partake in the system, hence the difference between them and us. We compromise so we can remain comfortable and suck at the teats of Mother Babylon, so it is no wonder we resist the idea of resisitance. John the Baptist resisted the system, choosing to live his short life in caves and to dress himself with camel hair, and to find his sustenance from nature. He resisted evil Herod, shouting his unrighteousness at the top of his lungs. This is what got him thrown into prison and eventually beheaded, I ask you – was this not resistance? Stephen was stoned to death because he stood against injustice. Peter was crucified upside down (in protest!).
 
In conclusion
 
We cannot, as a people, afford to sit idle anymore. Whether we call it protest or whether we give it some other, more digestive name is of no moment. We have to take up arms and fight. Not literally with stones and fire bombs as I said in Sabbath School, but with the Word of Yahweh as our sword, and his righteousness as our shield. by pointing out the evils of this age in which we live and standing up for the downtrodden. I know its a scary prospect but Yahweh has not given us the Spirit of fear. Eventually they will burst through the doors and begin handcuffing our ministers. Eventually they will separate family members. This capitalistic machine that we live in will not stop, and it will not be negotiated with, but Yahweh has already said in His Word that the needy shall not always be forgotten. Let equal rights and justice prevail, and may the way of the heathen perish and be driven away as the chafff. This is the generation of those who will not compromise, but will tear down the wicked, no matter where they rise from.
 
This is the generation of Revolution.
 
Marc Wellington
 
Scriptures of The Day
 
Matthew 3:7-10 (New King James Version)
 
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that Yahweh is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
 
Hebrews 12:4 (New King James Version)
 
You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
 
Quote of The Day
 
“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people. – Martin Luther King: Civil Rights Activist; Protestor of an Unrighteous System; Martyr
 

Have a blessed day everybody!

Gethsemane

Good morning,
 
Now I know you guys have been missing the Thursday Reading Corner segment of “Living Well” and I don’t want to ‘lose my readers’ as the self-help books warn against, so I’ll give you your weekly fix (maybe that’s not the right word). I am only a writer when I write, that’s what some famous guy with ten published novels once said, and I’m beginning to realize the value of such a statement. I am happiest when I am doing this than at any other time, because if you think reading transports you to other places, you should try writing this stuff. Readers are toldwhat to imagine; what to view in their minds; where to go; and who to see. Writers just imagine and every single possibility is just that – possible. To write you have to be slightly neurotic, slightly flawed, slightly maniacal, slightly unsure of your talents. To write “well” you have to be an absolute sponge for life’s minute details. Some of the best ideas I’ve ever gotten have been taken from conversations I’ve over-heard and the many characters I create are simply extractions from the potpourri of personality quirks I’ve come across in my lifetime. So each of you have helped to make me into what I am; from the way you like to comb your hair; to the way your feet are stuffed in your shoes; the scent of your perfume; the careless, wispy hello; and the bland, painless goodbye – they all come together to make up my abundant repertoire, my catalogue of simple instances, my drawer of scattered minutiae, of which you are a chief contributor dear reader. Are you the sweet, gentle giant with the huge strangulation hands that people don’t care to understand, or are you the self-centered beauty queen with the blackened soul and the shiny compact mirror, or are you just ‘you’ because you’re so interesting? Whomever you may be in the wild, fanciful menagerie of Marc’s ideas be assured that I could not do this without the you and you’re as much a partner in this as an agent or a publisher…minus the right to a share of my royalty check of course.(tsk tsk Well) 
 
With that said…on with the story. Yes! On with the story! 
 
Gethsemane
Republican Translation: Get Some Money (low blow) 
 
What a dark and dreary night. It seems as though the walls of the dingy buildings sag in anticipation of what the clouds looming above have in store for them. Smells like rain. Thunder murmurs in the distance. Naked tree branches scratch and scrape at each other and the faint light of the high yellow moon turns their shadows into playful monsters wrestling rhythmically on the cobblestone streets. The earth is shrouded in a sable pall as for the burial of yesterday, the clumps of dark trees, it’s giant plumes of funeral feathers, waving sadly to and fro. All hushed, all noiseless, all in deep repose, save the swift clouds that skim across the moon, and the cautious wind, as, creeping after them upon the ground, it stops to listen, and goes rustling on, and stops again, and follows, like a savage on the trail.
 
The gates to the garden creak loudly as the wind makes its way to its precinct. Shall we follow? The wind dances through the vines which have claimed its entire eastern wall and then suddenly disappears into the orchards; you know how wind is – especially the young, immature breezes that know no such thing as rest. What is this? Beneath the olive tree are four or five lumps of human beings curled up and fast asleep. Are these the homeless refuse of the village come here to ride out the surging storm in the bosom of nature? Or are they some wayward group of youths exhausted by the day’s frolicking taking rest within the fragrant zone? Let’s move on stealthily, I was taught to let a sleeping dog lie…and any other form of life for that matter.
 
Steps softened by the damp grass brings us to a clearing, and there we find an even more curious sight. A man slumped over whispering inaudible words. He is on his knees and buries his head in his own lamp, every now and then rocking back and forth as if in intense pain. Has he eaten something he shouldn’t have? Does he need help? Edging closer we reach out to touch his cloak when suddenly we hear exactly what he is saying:
 
‘Father…if it be your will, allow this cup to pass from me’
 
The End
 
Marc Wellington
 
Scripture of The Day
Matthew 26:45 (New King James Version)
 
Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
 
Quote of The Day
 
“Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast. – William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Justice

Good morning,

It’s a beautiful day in May and Yahweh has blessed you with life. To all the mothers I send a happy belated Mother’s Day with a cyber-kiss and a hug for being the instruments through which life is distributed. To my mother I send encouragement for having spent your first Mother’s Day without your mother, and that’s not to cast a damp spirit over this morning’s festivities. Life is erupting all around us. At service on Sabbath the Temple was buzzing with the sounds of babies laughing, crying, and some even singing, and it seems like every service nowadays is side-barred with the blessing of an infant. So Yahweh has been extraordinarily good to us by blessing us with fertility and expanding our territory, a thing we take for granted at times as a foregone conclusion. Married couples will have babies – that’s the blanket expectation, but its not always a given, just ask any couple sauntering away in frustration through the doors of a fertility clinic. So let us “Praise Yahweh” today for his gracious and loving hand that has delivered so many new voices and smiles to our tiny circle over the past few years, and with all the pending nuptials I have no doubt the carousel of newborns will continue to spin and the baby factory will continue to deliver.

David’s first child was to come by Bathsheba. It was a child that had been conceived through David’s injustice to Uriah. We all know the story that runs with all the twists of a daytime drama. “Man lusts after other man’s wife, man commits adultery with said wife, woman gets pregnant, man tries to come up with a way to cover sin, man murders woman’s husband, man thinks all is well, prophet puts man on blast.” David fell to his face in sackcloth and ashes to atone for his great sin because he knew that Yahweh absolutely hates injustice and takes up the cause of the have-nots. Yahweh likened David’s actions to that of a man who owned huge flocks of sheep and goats, and that same man defrauding another less fortunate man of his only goat which he had taken such good care of. The saddest part about this story is that by David’s reaction to Nathan’s description we can tell that David shared Yahweh’s disgust for injustice, David said the man should die today and no later. Nathan bluntly announced ‘thou art the man’. There are so many lessons to be extracted from this one story, it is sometimes so easy to see the faults of others but not quite as easy to see the fault in ourselves. King David had stooped himself to the lowest of lows and had broken the sacred commandment of Yahweh – ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’, and Yahweh held him entirely accountable.

The child however was innocent. David plead with Yahweh for many days to spare the life of the child. He writhed in the dirt refusing to eat and wash himself. He would not see anybody, but afflicted his very soul for the saving of the child. Can you imagine the anguish of the noble king trying desperately to take the judgment on himself rather than see his firstborn taken away. Yahweh in this case was exacting. Injustice will not be tolerated, and the needy shall not always be forgotten. The child was stillborn.

This shows much of the character of Yahweh. Though David had found favor with the Almighty since a youth he could not alter the consequences of his actions. Though the child was indeed innocent of wrongdoing Yahweh saw fit that it’s eyes should never see the light of day. Justice was doled out to the victim Uriah even in his absence; the sword was never to leave David’s house. This story is among my favorites in the scriptures because it is an example of what a perfect Father we serve. His love for David was indeed profound, yet He delivered justice, and that is the essence of the Spirit of Yahweh and the Spirit of the Law…to deliver justice to the oppressed.

Today I think we should reflect on this aspect of Yahweh’s character. Do you feel as though you are a victim of injustice? Father Yahweh will plead your cause. Justice does not come from the courts of man; from lawyers and judges of corruptible natures. It is not dispensed by the Supreme Court; it is not delivered through the imperfect laws of the hands of malicious men. It is only given at the hands of a merciful and just Creator who will stand in defense of His people and drive away the designs of the wicked as the wind drives away the chaff, so long as we place our trust in Him.

Marc Wellington

 

Scripture of The Day

Psalm 37:27-30 (New King James Version)

 

Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore. For Yahweh loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice.

 

Quote of the Day

 

Our government…teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for the law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. – Louis Dembitz Brandeis 1856-1941 American Supreme Court Justice

 

p.s. Thank you all for your prayers and loving condolences at the passing of my grandmother. At the risk of sounding cold and unfeeling, it’s time to continue the walk. So I rose up from my ’sackcloth and ashes’ as soon as I got word of her passing. As David said to his servants when they asked ‘how come you fasted and prayed when the child was ill but now that you have found out that the child is dead you rise up and eat?’ David’s reply – ‘I fasted and prayed when the child was sick because who could tell whether Yahweh would be gracious to me and spare it’s life, now he is dead so why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?’ Have a great day everybody!

 

 

Indulgent Reminiscence VII

‘Grammy’
 
I fight the tears back as I pen these words, this morning I got the news that I have feared these many days. On Wednesday around 6 pm my grandmother had a stroke and has been unconscious ever since, it looks like this might be the end. My family has enjoyed many years without the cold touch of death’s impartial hand, and now the matriarch lies motionless, and we see him coming from afar off against the low flat horizon of our memories. I feel the pain of her impending absence, but I wonder if I shouldn’t feel it more, its a numb throbbing in my chest like a deep muscle bruise, that doesn’t bring my day to a screeching halt, that doesn’t send my life spiraling out of control – that doesn’t give me nightmares.
 
She was.
 
My grandmother; Lillian Knowles (people called her Lilly for short) was a strong black woman from that age of struggling alone without the benefit of a man to complete the home. Ten children, seven girls and three boys, and only her hand to drive the plough that fed their mouths. My earliest remembrance of her was in the living room of her tiny house on WulffRoad withit’s tin roof that sounded like a stadium full of cheering people when it rained. I held my first basketball there, it belonged to my Uncle Frederick, and she laughed as I fought to get it off the floor withmy toddler hands. I remember spending days there, it seemed like such a magical place, and many years later when I revisited this old haunt of mine I marveled at how very small it was. It was made big with her love in her own stern way. I remembered her getting up for work at the crack of dawn and waiting at the street near the hand pump for the LyfordCay bus that swooped her up and took her to the Western side of the island where the rich folks lived behind gates that only permitted people of her color to enter if they made the beds. She cleaned and scrubbed on her hands and knees – ah yes, here come the tears – for people who most likely viewed her as a lower species, and she didn’t utter a word of protest but served wonderfully for more than twenty years as a maid in a luxury hotel cleaning suites 3 times the size of her whole house. At the end of her tenure there they honored her witha retirement ceremony, and she beamed withpride as they presented her with two gold pins depicting the Lyford Cay crest that she promptly gave to her firstborn grandson wrapped in tissue paper. They were the only lingering symbol of her toils, and I could not know their significance at that age, and so I didn’t lock them away as I should – they were lost in the tempest of my adolescent irresponsibility. I’m ashamed to admit it.
 
She moved to a bigger apartment on Morris Avenue, a stone-throw from her previous residence, and even closer to Columbus Primary School where I spent my first years of education. And so sometimes when she was off from work she would come out to busy Wulff Road and hail to me as I played on the field during lunch. I never told anybody how she would buy ice cream cones from the general store nearby and hand them to me over the cement wall in the shade of the huge Lignum Vitae tree, driving my young colleagues to the kind of envy that got a young boy hurt. They would clamor for a taste, and she would yell out “NO! don’t share” (I blush at it now), and I would listen because her words were law in my eyes and, going against my own, nature I would eat it all alone. Once I paid mightily for this treason at the hands of the biggest boy in school who grabbed me by my shirt collar and pushed me to the ground, he got on top of me and was about to “fist me up” when he was suddenly jerked away. I opened my eyes and looked around, the cheering had become an eerie silence, and there was my Grammy pounding the little boy shouting out profanities I cannot permit myself to repeat, she handed me twenty-five cents for another ice cream cone and then disappeared over the wall again. That boy never touched me again.
 
She was stern with us when we were younger too. Her house may as well had been the Smithsonian museum, we were allowed to touch absolutely nothing. It was torture. Here house was filled with so many interesting things, figurines of little white angels to play superman with, synthetic bouquets of flowers to pass around at our staged weddings, and the crowning glory of Morris Avenue – a balcony that overlooked the flat landscape of the neighborhood. Standing out there always made me feel like the knave of some ancient castle, there to protect the constituents from the carnage of “Big Belly George” a local fat man who ate little children – thus the big belly. She would sit at the door to the balcony porch that ran from one end of the two-story structure to the other end, and watch me create worlds of fantasy in my little head. She would rub alcohol on her legs; she suffered from some kind of condition that caused them to be inflamed, and she would constantly remind us as we slithered past her “watch out for my toes”. The years of hard labor had dealt unmercifully with her lower extremities and I won’t tell you of the blisters and bunions I tried all I could do to avoid stepping on.
 
In Grammy’slater years she turned back to the word of Yahweh. I remember the great change that came over her. That fiery nature seemed to find solace in the “better way” that Paul spoke of in Corinthians. I think it was Annex Baptist Church that she attended religiously and we would have discussions of faith and scripture as she looked at me crookedly whenever I said “Yahweh”. She stopped doing other things too, no more Colt 45’s in the middle of the day, and it seemed Yahshuaentered earnestly and tenderly and completely recomposed Lillian’s nature. She developed a love for her grandchildren that had not been as apparent to the others as it was to me. I always felt weird about her open preference to me (even though she called me Arlington most of the time), we had a lot in common, and held conversations about truththat put her insight on display and allowed me to see into the soul past the exterior hardened with past disappointments, as I fear others never had the opportunity.
 
When I took off for New York she called me to her side and whispered in my ear. “You’re a good boy,” she said, and I could feel her trembling hand grasp my arm, “and the Lord will protect and keep you because you are his special son.” She had my little sister write out Pslams 91…’He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Alimighty’. I still have that scripture that scribbled on a church convention flyer. It turns out it was prophecy.
 
I love you Lillian Knowles and I know you love me. I thank Yahweh for the strength you’ve exhibited with a life that showed you refused to quit though the odds were stacked against you. You’ve raised beautiful children with families of their own, and I look back and wonder – how did you do it? I gave you your flowers as best I could when you were alive; I kissed those cheeks and held those hands, and exchanged words that warmed my heart. You have grandchildren who have families of their own, and children with eyes that twinkle as ours did at the sound of your voice. Was I as good to you as I could have been Grammy? You have been so good to me, sacrificing your whole life so that we could have some kind of future, and never once considering it unfairness, but embracing the task of a Black Woman with Child. 
 
Marc Wellington
 
Dedicated to the memory of my beautiful and wonderful grandmother; Lillian Knowles who taught me that struggle and pain were not an excuse to quit. She taught me that Yahshua can change the life of anybody if you open the door. She taught me that when I take on a task I should try to do as good a job as possible. She taught me never to share an Ice cream cone (smile). May Yahweh richly bless you Grammy as he pulls you to his bosom, I look forward to seeing you again, at which time you’ll have brand new toes.
 
Scripture of The Day
 
Psalm 91:9-11 (King James Version)
 
Because thou hast made Yahweh, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
 
Tonight is the 28th day in the month Nissan in the year 5768. The Sabbath Candle Lighting Time is 7:35 pm EST. The sun sets at 7:48pm EST.
 
p.s. I humbly ask for prayer for my grandmother who’s appointment with her Creator is within the next 48 hours. Have a blessed Sabbath everybody.