Year End Reflections: A looming crisis

When I look back over this past year I realize that I have been really blessed. No, I haven't been able to get a steady job. I have however worked really hard helping out with my parents. I am blessed to have them still in my life. I do treasure the time I have with them, even though some days I just wish to be alone.

I'm also grateful to have a home. So many have lost everything this year through floods, fire and hurricanes. Yes, I do know that the pressure to confirm to global standards is increasing. I do see the push to get rid of cash. Cards are very convenient, but also a very good way to track your purchases. Some people are saying that it won't be long before the globalists take over.

I tend to believe that President Trump is in office for a very good reason. He is there to slow down the progression to the world government. It can't really be stopped. There are forces that are too bent to have it happen sooner rather than later. You remember what I said last year? I believed then that Trump's election allowed us time to reflect and recover.

Some might say that he hasn't handled things well. I've seen the results. I may still not have a steady job but like the fact that he is pressing forward to reform.

I do however see a looming crisis in my hometown. It hurts to think about the destruction. There are still so many questions that I need answered here. I'm a little nervous as this situation is something I've never encountered before now. I have to ask myself the following questions:

Am I willing to do what I can to save these buildings from destruction?

What consequences will happen should it be revealed that "kickbacks" were taken to sell off and claim eminent domain on private property?

What benefits will anyone receive from this wanton destruction of both private and public property? I know that I will have a fight ahead of me. Yet I also know if I didn't say anything or raised any objections...then I wouldn't be doing my job. It is funny that I just kind of fell into this role. It is also a little bit scary.

I do keep asking to find out if anyone really cares. They complain about stuff after it happens...but the fact is that we should be really concerned. This is very different from having a private building being threatened with demolition. This is a borough handing over the keys to the town and allowing them to literally wreck the town center...:-( Some people have raised some good questions about this. I am going to write a letter with a series of questions. My hope is that the borough answers them honestly and thoroughly.

The thought of having a Super WAWA in the town center is making me physically ill. I pray that I don't get obsessed with it.

Death and Taxes: What it all means

I've been thinking too much about this subject. It is very hard to understand why everything keeps happening. This time of the year is supposed to light and joyful. Everyone is supposed to be happy. Yet no one is. There has to be a reason why. I think it's because every Christmas or holiday book I've read has a death scene in it. I must have read 10 or more this season so far. That makes ten books with a death theme. It does make me wonder until I realize the true meaning of the season.

You see God knew from the beginning of time that we were dead. He knew that only he would be able to make us alive. He created us. He came in the form of a helpless baby over 2,000 years ago. He came to be our sacrifice. He was born to die.

The debate about the tax reform bill has me thinking about the role taxes play in society. It was because of taxes that Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem. Caesar wanted to squeeze more money and have more control over his populace. I can't help that that some of the ones objecting to this tax reform see it as a loss of control. Maybe it is. When you take away the incentive to tax, you free citizens to make up their own minds.

I wonder if the monkey wrench in the system will continue to hold fast. I wonder how many feel vindicated by the win on Tuesday. I wonder when the restrictions will take place.Will it kill whatever incentive people have to live? Will we be forced to accept invisible money? I have to admit that it is convenient to have electronic payment. Yet I still want to stick with physical currency. I like the feel and texture of the paper. I like feeling the cool silver coins in my hands. I like the control that physical money gives me. I won't give that up easily.

I hate the fact that I feel like I'm being more and more disenfranchised by everything that is going on. I miss quiet times when I walked without a care in the world. Sometimes I do long to be with God in heavenly places. I know my place is here.

Growing Fears and Putting it all in Perspective

I took last week off to reflect and regenerate. It was Thanksgiving week, so my thought processes mainly went in the direction of being thankful. I do have a lot to be thankful for this year. I still have a home. I am in reasonably good health. I have a family that still supports me. I have enough food to eat.

The growing fears of being homeless are still there. I haven't had sustainable employment for almost six years. I also fear being alone. I have my family around me now, but they are getting older and more frail. There is also the fear that being unable to handle the fact that time is speeding up for me. I can't seem to grasp all the new technology. It seems so invasive and cruel. Machines have no soul. They can't think like human beings.

When I start to think and put things in perspective, I realize that the Lord has my back. He knows my every need. He even knows what I need before I need it. I just need to accept what he has for me. It's not easy. The fear of homelessness is still there. I can't deny it. I also can't deny that sometimes I feel so alone. I wonder if anyone even cares. I worry about my parents and grow weary with the pressure that they unconsciously put on me. They don't understand that the job market isn't what it used to be. There is just too much competition for employment.

I realize too that in some significant ways that people like me are being ostracized because they refuse to expose their personal information online. I have compromised a bit but there are some things I just refuse to expose. It did cost me. The younger generations are so used to putting it all out there that they just don't think twice about it. Sometimes I do wish I could be so free. I can't.

It's not just me. I see many people around me that distrust putting personal information online. The security leaks are enough to turn anyone's stomach. The manipulation of data is way too easy now. I do try to put it in perspective. I want to trust these organizations, but I can't. I've already been burned a few times with my very personal and private information. I also see the damage that this manipulation has done to others. My growing fears are that I will be sucked in the electronic vortex and lost forever....

Autumn Reflections and Dreams

I've been really busy lately. Two projects are pressing down on me. One of the projects is for Darby while the other one is for Collingdale. When I think about these projects and the ramifications that could affect the area for generations, i is sometimes overwhelming. I am looking for direction and a miracle. I need financial and moral support.

Five buildings are threatened with demolition. Two of the buildings are relatively new. The other three are almost 100 years old. The issue is that the developer is pushing through the demolition because they feel that there is no revenue to keep the buildings. In other words there is no incentive for them to keep the buildings. There is also too much expense to keep those buildings.

My dream of having a building that showcases the community's history. It would be great to see those buildings used as a community center. It would be wonderful to see the revitalization of this area. My dream of having a building that reflects the family values of the community would be nice.

Falling Forward and Facing Backward: The Transition From Autumn To Winter

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was sweating. This year has been a very warm one. It didn't really snow that much. It never really got cold. It did however get very hot and humid. Saturday night we will once again make the transition from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. This signals to me that we are also transitioning from Autumn to Winter.

The days will now get even shorter. It will be cold. At least that's the hope of some. I'm not a fan of hot, humid weather. Frankly hot, humid weather increases the chance of severe weather. We had a few times when we held our breath when a hurricane formed in the Atlantic. Hearing about the devastation in Texas, Louisiana and Florida was enough to twist my stomach and set my heart aching. Some days I admittedly just felt numb. I didn't know how to handle it. I prayed and God answered. My friends were spared. Some will have to pick up the pieces of their lives but they have the resources they need.

Reflecting on the time change....I always get confused. Is it Fall Back and Spring Forward or Fall Forward and Spring Back? Lately I felt that I have been falling forward towards a future I never would have dreamed of when I was younger. The fact that there is a growing interest in historical preservation is amazing. I sometimes feel like I'm facing backward because the changes are happening too rapidly for me to process. The transition is scary. What will happen tomorrow? Will I still have this platform? Only the Lord knows....

There is a New Day Coming

After everything that has happened over the past two months it is hard to put things in perspective. Yet I know I must. I do have a lot to be thankful for at this time. I can be thankful for my family and friends. I can be encouraged that this night won't last forever...even though it seems like it. I can praise God that he has spared my Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Gary from the fires raging in Santa Rosa, CA. I can praise God that he has allowed me to continue to post these writings freely.

There is a new day coming. It will be like no other day. We will have to go through some tough trials before we see that new day. For some it will be a day of disaster and eternal hell. The signs are there for anyone to read. We need not be afraid to tell others the Good News. He is coming.

Every day I see the signs. I wonder if this will be the day of his return. Some days admittedly I fear that I will be found unworthy to be counted as his child. I struggle with the concept of holiness. I know that I can't be holy. I need God's help to be holy in his eyes. I want to be ready for that new day when God will make all things new.

When the pressure of life gets me down I focus on that new day. I imagine the streets of gold and the beautiful jewels. I realize that the pearls on the gates fit because pearls are the result of pressure. Lord, help me bend to your will and not my own. It is too easy to be stubborn and set in my ways. I want to go your way and trust you under the pressure of life. Thank you for molding me to your image.

Unintended Circumstances and Weighty Matters

You may be thinking to yourself about the meaning of the unintended circumstances. With everything that has been going on lately it can be overwhelming to even think about what could happen. You know that there have been strong forces trying mightily to "blow" you off course. You may be thinking to yourself that you never expected to be dealing with so much. It has been too much to handle at one time. Those unintended circumstances loom in front of you.

I know that I've probably seem to be talking nonsense to some. It is those weighty matters that concern me. Everything that has gone on has got me thinking about freedom and what it means. Technology has slowly but surely taken some freedoms away from us. You may not think so. You may think that technology has allowed us to have more freedom. It has. We have the freedom to connect with people worldwide now. We have the freedom to express our opinions. Yet the more "freedom" technology gives us the more it takes away. I know that doesn't make any sense.

I recently visited a food store and was very frustrated. There were no prices on the product or on the shelf below. All I saw was those scan codes....so maddening....did they expect everyone to scan the codes? It scared me in a way too. With no prices and no way to pay for food via cash, that food store was promoting discrimination. They in fact were using the electronic payment system as a way to bar certain people from purchasing food.

Sweetgreens is a perfect example of this type of discrimination. They stopped accepting cash purchases at all their restaurants in 2016. Instead they only accept cards or the Sweetgreen app. Yes, I get the fact that they are trying to keep their employees safe. Yet this type of discrimination bars people nevertheless. It says that cash isn't important and the unintended circumstance is that these people aren't welcome. The implications are staggering when you really think about it.

It is way too easy now with the newer technology to bar certain people from jobs, places, food and water. The weighty matter is that by eliminating cash you are essentially forcing people to "go your way or the highway." I don't see any good coming out of this. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised if something really sinister happened.

I do have to keep reminding myself that God is in control. He is. I thank God that he is...