Gold Rush: Don't Rush Into It

       What does gold mean to you? How important is gold to you? Throughout history, gold has been a desired possession. Kingdoms have flaunted themselves using their gold furnishings and funding. The rich became poor just to seek out gold during the great Gold Rush of 1849.1 Today precious metal is a heavily advertised investment. 

      What is your gold? What is the gold you wish for to such an extent that you dream of it when you sleep, worry if you can't obtain it, or strategize about it during your daily life? What is the picture on your mind when you go to sleep and wake up?

"Cause everybody in the back room's
Spinning up
Don't remember what you're asking for
And everybody's in the front room's
Tripping out
You left your bottle at the door"2

      Whatever your gold is to you, here are a few questions to ask yourself as a guide to determine your gold's true value:

        1. Is it true? Does it honor the sanctity of the Creator and humanity?

        2. Is it worth your distraction? Time is a sacred gift and time should be used to honor to Creator and humanity. 

        3. Is it right in God's judgment? Does your gold compare with Holy Scripture?

        4. Is it pure? Will it cause harm to anyone resulting in harming your conscience because it robbed the wellbeing of another?

        5. Is it necessary? Does your survival depend on obtaining this gold or will it destroy your conscience?

        6. Is it respected by yourself and others? 

        7. Is it beautiful? Will it always be beautiful to you or will you grow tired of it in time?

      At this point in my life, I have found my Gold in my Lord Jesus. 

1. https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/gold-rush-of-1849

2. Lyrics.com, STANDS4 LLC, 2022. "Glitter & Gold Lyrics." Accessed January 5, 2022. https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/34282641/Barns+Courtney.

Lest We Forget the Cost

When Elie Wiesel and other WWII survivors spoke at the opening of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, I will never forget the two lessons I learned:

"Lest We Forget" 1

"Thank God for a routine and boring life." 2

I may never fully understand these truths just as most Biblical principals. However, the longer I live, I find it less urgent to forget my failings, and the need to accomplish. I have found the best teachers are the failings in my life and the best comfort is a boring and routine schedule. 

God made us in His image and we are given such freedom to use holy talents to the point we are capable of doing anything we want. It is so tragic when mankind finds power in evil; blasphemy against God and destruction of humanity.

Sometimes people take positive comfort from tangible holy reminders such as the Bible, crosses, Magen David, or Hamsa. The deeper reminders usually come from sorrow, failings, and the remnants of object lessons found in cemeteries as we visit the graves of our family or museums which teach us of what evil can do and should encourage us to reverence God and humanity above our own desires. 

I toured a museum and a living history village on a Native American reservation and I was offended by the evil man can do.

The mental hospital where I volunteered playing music had a treatment history exhibit and I was terribly offended.

Holocaust Museum with artifacts of human remains offends me;
Bull Run National Park where women and children were massacred offends me;
Chinese Railroad Workers Exhibit in San Francisco showing once noble human being reduced to slaves offends me;
Japanese Internment Camp that jailed innocent Americans offends me;
Factory Museum with pictures of poor women and child labor offends me;
A cinema history museum offends me;
Coal Mine exhibit in West Virginia offends me...

Surely I would never be so capable of such inhumanity... or would I? It pleases God that I am UK Celtic, Scandinavian, and Eastern Europe Semitic, but money always talks and I may have a price.

Oh God, Oh God have mercy on me and on the whole world for our rejection of God and humanity.
What are we to do without the reminders? After all, we are only human and money talks.

Money talks. Do I have a price? What is my price to Blaspheme God and destroy man? How much would I be paid?

Would my name be in the paper, billboards, on the cover of magazines, and praised by many followers? I would be paid much for my picture on the cover of magazines. 

Would my influence pound on the hearts of all those who hear me? They will be happy to follow me. 

Would I enjoy the thrill of minions, subordinates, underlings, my own slaves who follow me? I would feel empowered by their gratitude toward me. 

Would I beat their backs or pull on their chains if they don't agree or keep up with me; better yet, I could slowly take away their ideas, stifle their imaginations, and really just throw them a bone once in a while. After all table scraps are better than no food at all and they will get used to it soon enough. 

Would I laugh all the way to the bank completely careless of the destruction of life behind me? 

I passified, comforted my followers and they had no idea they were slowly being erased...dust.

Surely I would never be so capable of such evil... or would I? The Cross of Jesus reminds me that I am offended by sin, by My Sin. What would I do without Holy Reminders?

Thank God I still cry when Remembering. I still cry for the sake of others. I still cry for the pain of others. I remember and I cry. I hold, kiss the cross...listen to speeches by Holocaust survivors...study the scriptures...try, try, try to hold on to the honor of Creator and humanity.

My teachers told me, 'You don't need college.' 

My church, faith, denomination, people who claimed they loved me told me, 'You don't need college' and 'You need to detach from your family when you get married.'  

My own colleagues are disappointed that I don't scrub their toilets.  

O God, please save me from the luxury of this world's endless wealth of hate, self-loving power, greed, and blood lust vengeance and start the work in me first, lest I forget. Give me a heart and longing to serve rather than be served (3) and to be just a doorkeeper in Your House in heaven (4). 

I will cry. Every time I want revenge and I want to hate...o my I cry Lest I forget to pay the cost of following Jesus.

1. https://www.ushmm.org/information/about-the-museum/mission-and-history/meyerhoff
2. https://www.ushmm.org/exhibition/personal-history/media_oi.php?MediaId=2867&th=children
3. http://www.shrinesf.org/franciscan-prayer.html
4. Psalm 84:10

Tefillin: Strap in. It's a bumpy ride

We tie shoelaces to walk better, use belts to secure our clothing, and suspenders can be a dashing fashion statement. Straps are used to secure and help keep us safe in our cars and the rides in amusement parks. 

Archers during the ancient empires used arm straps to keep their clothing from interfering with their aim. They were on a mission to protect their families, homes and fight for their country as quiet, invisible warriors. These invisible warriors were completely dedicated to their mission. 

Just as the archer's arm straps protected the body, the tefillin straps protect the soul. Tefillin represents submission to the Creator by submitting the arm as the strongest part of the body. Wrapping seven times around the arm God is declared and implored, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is One." 1 followed by seven blessings, "Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who sanctified us with God’s commandments and commanded us regarding the mitzvah of tefillin." 2

The strap is wrapped around the hand and fingers with the prayer, "I betroth you to me forever. I betroth you to me in righteousness, justice, lovingkindness, and mercy. I betroth you to me in faithfulness — and you shall know God."3

While I am not Jewish and not worthy to lay tefillin, I have a profound need to embrace the Hebrew roots of my faith system. I know that if I do not commit to God first every morning for unknown battles ahead, I will fail. I have to commit my entire being at all times as instructed in the Great Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6.5). If I am completely committed to God's perfect plan, then I will rest knowing that He will direct my aim with His Supreme will. 

Our world is full of uncertainty and offers no hope. If we ask God to be the Supreme Ruler in our lives, He will answer our prayer and order our steps. Our aim will be God's Aim. 

Make sure you strap in for a bumpy ride. 

For more detailed information on laying tefillin please visit these websites used in this draft:

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-put-on-tefillin/ https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/272666/jewish/How-to-Put-on-Tefillin.htm

https://www.aish.com/jl/m/pb/48969816.html