What's That Noise?

   I have been thinking recently about yet another mystery that doesn't have any sure answers so far.  Scores of people around the world have been disturbed by
unusual and loud noises seemingly coming from both the sky and the ground beneath, haunting them since the summer of 2011!

   Reports have come from Europe, across Canada and the U.S., baffling scientists and weather forecasters alike. These sounds range from heavy rumblings from
the ground to loud, harmonic, trumpet~like noises appearing to flow through the skies!

   No one seems to know exactly where the sounds are coming from or why they are being heard in so many different places. Some are using the word, apocalyptic, when describing the eerie `music`and others find the noises rather
amusing, in a macobric~sort of way! I really don't think I would describe the
sounds as entertaining, myself.

   This mystery, along with others that I have discussed, certainly seem to line up
with biblical terms used in various prophetic news sources to date! I believe we
can easily find a plethora of mysterious and strange happenings by simply keeping our eyes and ears open to current events across the globe.

   In the same vain as ufos and ghostly apparitions, I am convinced there is more
to this phenomena than meets the eye! Chalk it up to a suspicious mind or a
strong belief in supernatural powers wreaking havoc through the universe but
I am fairly certain we are only seeing the `opening act`, if you will, to much more strange and un~earthly happenings st a rapid increase in our future!

   Whatever comes and causes eyes to flash open wide or hearts to flutter in disbelief, we must be certain of where we each stand on such things!  For some it's a matter of faith but for others it can cause great panic and uncertainty about there own future. My own mind and heart are made up! These are very
uncertain times we live in and the word `normal` doesn't really apply much any more!

   I am now and will continue to be confident in the sovereignty of God who is above all of these things and in his love and compassion for each of us here on the earth! Too many unusual and strange events combining to bring fear to the masses right now. This is not the kind of spirit God has given us! Quite the reverse is true. His plan for us is perfect and secure, we do not need to be afraid of the unknown.

Jeff Pendleton

6/26/16

If I Could Travel through Time

   Just imagining what events could be changed and what decision's might be different if we could all travel backwards in time. I don't say this with a flippant attitude or with a sarcastic voice but out of a
sincere belief that this is a strong possibility!  Without going into the scientific methods needed for time travel and all the possible results of tampering with the cosmic forces, we can just use our imaginations to roam freely from one period of history to another.

   For instance, being able to travel back to the time of the war between the states in the 1860's and
to actually walk up to one of the courageous soldiers, whether he is a confederate or union soldier, and try to encourage him to fight for what's right. To be able from there to go on to meet and give
your respect to President Lincoln and and members of his cabinet and let them know how important
their jobs are for the future of our country and just perhaps, perhaps, encourage the President to
change his dinner plan's for that fateful night in April!  What would our country look like if that
event was abated?

   Any science-fiction buff knows well the boundries and limits of time-travel and what can happen when you change history in any way, shape or form. Many books have been written and videos made with the question of whether man can actually push his way through the fabric of space and time and
voyage into their own or someone else's history. Some of these books go into deep detail of the
techniques used to coast through timelines of history and map out each stop along the way, gaining
knowledge before never known and thereby enabling historians to have a new perspective.

   Going back into my own history-timeline I can envision watching my younger self, from a safe distance of course, learning how to swim at the pool in our old neighborhood, watching myself learn
from making a basket for the other team how to properly play the game of basketball and take my
enthusiasm into a long career of street-ball!  Another view allows me to see my self as a 12 year old making friends with a golden horse with a yellow mane and riding that horse bare-back through the fields, holding tight onto her neck, in my own little world.

   Swiftly switching scenes, I see myself walking down a long stretch of railroad tracks to an old
grocery store to pick up some candy for a penny and my favorite basketball or baseball trading cards.
What a time that was and what adventures I went on, though most were in the depth's of my
young imagination! As you can see, I haven't lost any of that vivid imagination at all during these
later years!

   I have to believe that in the heart of most human beings there is this yearning and unavoidable
desire to conquer that realm of impossibility and bring it into subjection of our will. Not to sound
like a crazed, deranged man who wants the world to 'bow' to him, but just to express the hunger
and desire that every man has to conquer the unconquerable! Each of us have been born with the
passion to solve the mysteries of life and time travel certainly fits into the top rung of those
mysteries!

   If it is your dream to time-travel and to journey through the avenues of space-time and confront
one of man's deepest fears, the unknown, then climb aboard and become part of my crew and
be ready to bounce back and forth from one point to another, exploring our own history as it
was and could be.

   There's no time like the present!.....oh, really?


jeff Pendleton

6/20/16

Fallen Angels Attacked Twin Towers

The Simplicity Of The Gospel

   While scanning a bit of the opinion~page of our local paper in Lexington, Kentucky, I came across one particular letter from a surgeon who responded to an earlier post by a columnist on the gospel message of the bible.This man's response was precise, clear and very positive! I was pleasantly surprised by the letter.

   From the beginning of his response, the surgeon was kind and precise in his words as he refuted what the earlier article attempted to say, exclaiming that the gospel was simple but hard to obey. Anyone who has heard a clear message of the gospel of Jesus Christ has realized the simplicity of its message and that, by faith, they can trust what Jesus did to bring salvation to them and thereby live for him.

   There is an old saying which states that, "anything worth doing is worth the effort to get it done"! That is exactly the message of the gospel, that God thinks of us as worthy to receive a pardon for our sins and because of that he sent his only son to pay the debt we owed. By the way, we are unable to pay that sin~debt through our own efforts (work).

   In the case of anyone hearing the gospel message, there is the freedom of choice. We can accept or reject it! That in itself is a pretty simple truth! We are not robots, controlled by a heavenly `puppet~master`pulling our strings in order to entertain him. He loves each of us with such compassion and kindness that it's almost incomprehensible for us to grab a hold of.

   Much of what the original letter stated was that the gospel comes with commandments to follow in order to be able to live it. As the surgeon put it, and I agree with him, this is not true at all! Simplicity is the key to this message, the "good news", as it is known. I believe the author of the original article is confusing the gospel with the ten commandments shown in the old testament, in the book of the Exodus.

   Certainly the true followers of Jesus Christ give strong effort in trying to obey his commandments, but this is not in addition to salvation, it is because of it. Jesus said, "if you love me, keep my commandments." He did not say this was in order for us to be saved. It's the fruit of our salvation, not to gain it! We tend to make things hard, not simple. It's a real good thing that none of us is God!

   Finally, I would like to add that, if you are reading this and have never trusted Jesus to forgive you and save you, do it today. Don't waste any more time because the truth is, you may not have it. Be the next one who steps out by faith and accepts this simple message of love from an awesome God! He really does love you as you are, ya know!

To Begin Again

                                             
   Struggling to write something can be very frustrating and taxing! It can feel like an albatross around ones neck. To stroke against the air, searching for that hint of a subject. Just a glimmer of an idea and I could take off with wings of an eagle! The beginnings of an article waiting to be found.

   Knowing from my youth that writing was to be my calling, I have longed to envision that seed come to fruition. To realize that dream and cultivate the ground beneath, where the seed was first planted. A bountiful crop to be had, for sure, is what I can see just ahead!

   Writing is fun and it is also hard work, as many authors and free~Landers will
attest to. Both are indigenous to the craft! If what we do is not mixed with fun and satisfaction, then what we are doing is a waste! It sure never be this way for any man or woman. Realizing a dream should be common ~ place for every
human being on the earth. To dream can be thought of as a fine fabric, knitted into the linings of our DNA. Dreaming is human.

   So where does the struggle to write come from? Is it a lack of knowledge on a particular subject? A lack of self~confidence, perhaps? Maybe it's trouble with correct spelling. Many writers have trouble in this area. Whatever the problem may be, it can be overcome with persistent and consistent work! There certainly is work involved and the effort put into it will be the reward coming on the other side

   I have gained much knowledge in the art of writing from those who have blazed the trail ahead of me and each one has my respect and great appreciation. Knowledge without action, however, is pure folly! Gratification will come only after I have done my due diligence and put in the passion and
steadiness needed for the best results! No consistency, no fruit from the ground!
The dream will die a slow, agonizing death, to be sure!

   With this in mind, I have accepted the challenge and my destination is clear. The compass is set and the course is dead~ahead, into the deep waters of expectation and adventure. There must be no turning back and no quitting on my part! I alone am responsible for the success of a writing career because it is upon me that God gave this gift and duty, not someone else!

   To Begin again only helps me understand better the importance and sense~of~urgency that is visible to me and the ministry that writing can be to others. It certainly is a ministry to me, filled with many blessings and surprises and a love for learning. What tales need to be told? What adventures await just around the next corner for both writer and reader to engage in?

   For a novelist or freelancer, writing is indeed a "work of art" and our canvas is the entire world . Gentle strokes and a steady brush are needed for each and every portrait readied for public and private consumption!

   Make the pen ready and your eyes as a flint to conquer the blank page from which comes your greatest of all challenges!

   Note to self..


   Jeff pendleton

   6/13/16

Is America Dead?

   A very provocative and engaging title to this blog, no doubt! Lets explore that question, though. Is it possible that America has died as a nation and we, as its people, aren't even aware of it? The Land of the free and home of the brave, right? Say what? You can't be serious! This country has outlasted every other nation on the planet and has prospered more than any other. We have come to the rescue of more countries than any of us can remember and sent more missionaries than other nations as well
yet we have to ask this vital question1

   Since the late 1950's it seems that there has been an orchestrated effort to hinder, erode and utterly destroy the great freedoms we have had from our humble but determined beginnings. With the advent of tv and all the mind-numbing programming forced on the American people, because this country was the first for this weapon-of-propaganda, what started as fairly simple and benign television soon transformed into the hypnotizing, 'in your face' beast that we have today! Yet the tv isn't the lone wolf in this attack!

   A barrage of weapons have been used by the enemy to stop this land of ours from advancing any further! Why? Whats the purpose for this assault on society? Our freedoms stripped, our morals melted away by the acidic poison from the elites and what seems to be more rapid and devious
assaults on our land. Again, we ask, whats the purpose of this? I think its pretty apparent from the
bleak picture shown above.

   What can be done to hault this sinister game? Do we take up arms against the enemy? Do we stand-
in-protest on the steps of every court house in every state? Can we unite as freedom-loving-patriots (oh, there's that word) and push back against this terrible tyranny? Yes, yes and again I say YES!
That's exactly what we can and should do. After all, we are the people for which this country was
built from a previous dismal and oppressive government!

   Lets not let these offensive tactics be all that we do, however. The very best and most effective weapon in our arsenal is no doubt that of prayer! Not some ethereal murmuring and fruitless banter
towards the ceiling. No! What we need is soul-wrenching, heart-bleeding, effective communication to the Almighty God above! This is vital for our survival and, yet, it is still not all we must do.

   There must be, first, a crying out and genuine turning away ourselves from every known sin that
we are currently involved in! If not for this beginning action, we will all perish! There is no getting around it, no pretending that we don't know which sins have taken over first place in our hearts. We know each one and can probably name them! This is not a game and it most certainly is not Mr.Roger's neighborhood! Its for 'keeps' people and America is on 'life-support'!

   The time is NOW. Not later, not tomorrow morning. It is right now and every second we wait
bring's our land that much closer to a 'flat line'. Do we really care about our future or is all we have
wrapped up in the present? Most of us don't like thinking beyond our little circle. My needs and desires are the most important above anything else, any way, right? Ponder that statement for a moment. Let the seriousness of it burn into your spirit.

   There is a call-for-action from the Most High for this nation! God pleads with the people to repent, to turn around back to his direction and be healed! There is no peace without confession and no
victory without preparation! America may have already sealed her fait but I, for one, don't believe in
a no-win-scenario, to quote Capt.James T Kirk, I believe there is still a gracious amount of time and
the means by which we can turn this battle back to our favor.

   To our knees we must fall and let God bring an end to the anguish and pain that so many are
afflicted with throughout the shores of the U.S.A.  He desires nothing but good for each of us and to
prosper us with much more than money. A full life, an abundant relationship with him and the peace
that passes all of our understanding. Man, that sounds like an awesome plan to me!

  
Jeff Pendleton
6/8/16

  



  

Out Of Time

  As much as I have written about the possibility of time~travel, I feel like I need to take a second and really think about what time truly means. Do we really appreciate the gift of time? Are we aware of just how precious and vital every second of every hour is to each of us?
   Certainly we all have schedules to keep every day and most of us begin our day with that interuptive, rude, loud alarm clock that blasts through the bedroom...time to wake up, dude...without so much as a, "please", in its chimes! How can something so small make us so annoyed, anyway? Such is life!
   For the most part, we don't think about time . It's one commodity that is usually taken for granted in many aspects of life. We often want to offer excuses in touchy situations as to why we `don't have time`to do what's asked of us. Regardless of who is doing the asking, be it family~member, friend or foe. Of course, our foes don't usually do much asking for favors.
   Time is linier. Our existence on the earth consists of seconds, minutes and hours, for the most part. When we throw in jobs, appointments, ballgames and sleep, there is much left over for anything else. Truth is, we each have the same amount of time..60 seconds in every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days in the year, not counting "leap year"'. Of course, you knew that already!
   So what am I saying here? Just this, that time is a very special gift for each one of us! We must use it wisely. It is a gift to be shared, to treasure and to promote!
In a very real sense, we can think of time as a present (no pun intended) and we
alone are the one who possesses it! The other guy doesn't own your time, he owns his! Now that we are more aware of this, what will we do with this most valuable commodity?
   Someone once said that "time once lost can never be recovered" and in a very practical sense, that is true! Within the realm of science, however, the possibility of traversing time will argue with the statement above. For those of us who are fans of science fiction, time travel is a `given`and it can manipulated! Maybe it isn't really fiction, after all. Your call on that!
   Whatever our lives bring we can take comfort in the fact that we all have just spent another moment in time together and that is worth everything! Use it or lose it is a very wise statement, I think, and today is "all we have". Let's make the most of it and thank God for this precious gift.

Stand Back

  

   Does the end look near?
   Are your knees weak and your heart feeble?
   The night brings despair, no light for relief
   You bow down and the life drains,

   Stand back,
   look forward once again,
   the victory is just there, no need to weep,
   From beyond comes sure hope,
   revealed in the purest sweet,

   Stand back,
   taste victory again, proclaim life, refresh the view
   and stride its beauty within,
  
   Stand back,
   look forward once again,
   behold the gift, it yearns for you,
   death is not welcomed, it has no place
   here,

   For you it sustains and you breath in
   anew, proclaiming life, refreshing the view,

   Stand back,
   live in victory, for everything
   is new


jeff Pendleton
6/3/16