Isaiah 43
Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Pathway in the Sea
Ever see a butterfly flutter by? John 3:7-8
Psalm 77:19
Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
"The best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to argue about it or to spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick along side it."
( These are not the domino clownfish I 'm looking for but I'm amused by the unexpected results of my search.)
No. I'm looking for images of a childhood scene in the Tony Scott movie, Domino. Her father had won her a goldfish at an arcade. The booth was festooned with dozens of stuffed orange clownfish and little else. Her goldfish, which survived her father but not boarding school, became a symbol of bereavement to her and was immortalized in a tattoo on her neck. In the next scene, at her father's funeral, our Lord is quoted as saying something like "...I am with you always, even to the end of the system of things." This is a highly unorthodox but superior conveyance of the meaning of the quote. Not your typical memorial service fare,either. Later in her life, another goldfish dies, and she says the goldfish was a sign from a Higher Power. The day I watched this movie, my last call at work was a toilet repair at one of my employer's apartments. (Update: also one of my employers' homes on 7-29-16) There was an image of a clownfish on a calendar on the bathroom wall. I regard clownfish as a divine token of my testimony, and I was wondering if I was mistaken in doing so. That movie was as direct a refutation of that thought as it could possibly be, right down to the fish betokening something significant. (This divine capacity to orchestrate human events to this degree should shake human unbelief to its core, but as "Amazing Grace" implies,the fear of God is something only the grace of God can impart.) So why clownfish? Well, Nemo has nothing to do with it, that's for sure. It originated with an episode of NCIS.
312 - Deception
We found the pervert. Where? The computer he was using traces back to 23346 Maple Street. - Mr. Clown-Fish? - William Lafferty? Come on, let's roll. Just give me 1 0 seconds and l'll-- DiNozzo, we're in position. And all Ron does is spray. Ron, what if this gets on some area of our skin that we don't want it? - DiNozzo coming in. - Clear. Back of the house is clear, boss. Looks like this guy left in a hurry. - You think, DiNozzo? - And he won't be coming back. - Bleach. - He poisoned his fish? Because he couldn't take them with him. These fish were his prized possessions. lf he can't have them, no one can. Fits the profile of a malignant narcissist.
You see, I'm the clownfish, and my ex-wife is the malignant narcissist that poured bleach into my aquarium. Thing is, the aquarium was the habitat of my earthly persona and identity. The domain wherein men may kill the body and nothing beyond. The authentic Christian life transcends this domain and manifests the world-demolishing power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. What do I mean? With God's help and blessing, let me enter the report into the Record. Firstly, this term "malignant narcissist".
While narcissists are common malignant narcissists are less common. A notable difference between the two is the feature sadism or the gratuitous enjoyment in the pain of others. A narcissist will deliberately damage other people in pursuit of their own selfish desires but may regret doing so and will in some circumstances show remorse for doing so, however a malignant narcissist will harm others and enjoy doing so, showing little empathy or regret for the damage they have caused.
Amusingly, my musical muse, Rush, has a piece by that title (of which I was unaware until after learning the term from NCIS}:
They also have a song entitled "The Trees". A tree is a physical example of fractal progression.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
In the early stages of the dissolution of our marriage, I contacted my ex-wife's attorney and former mutual friend, Cheryl Lebow-Knox and we had an informal face-to-face at her office because I wanted to dissuade her from taking sides in the matter. (I believe I said she was making a big mistake.) One of the things she said to me was that she was a direct descendant of Moses' brother, Aaron. (I had been communicating ex parte with the Judge, Josanna Berkow about Jesus Christ's identity as the Messiah and Redeemer of the Jewish people, among other things.) She also babbled something about a Messiah-less "messianic age".
Leviticus 10
1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.
3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 117. What is the longest? Psalm 119. There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after it. 594 x 2=1188. Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
The whole message of Holy Writ can be summed up in that verse. Coincidence? You be the judge. On second thought, you'd better let the LORD be the Judge. (I refer you to our text.)
In that vein, based on 1Cor.6:1-10, I elected not to reciprocate in the legal process with my ex-wife when she engaged it in a campaign to subjugate me, and, failing that, to abandon and destroy me. I have related the precipitating circumstances in a previous blog post, and for the purposes of pertinence, I direct your attention to the portion that begins with "Now let me give an account of
myself to my children."
It's funny, really. After I was released on parole, I inquired of my employer, who kept my job for me, whether they would resume the wage garnishment for child support that was in place before I was incarcerated. The bookkeeper said they needed an order from the court. I asked my parole officer about it and she looked at me as though I had asked if I could move to Mars. (The planet.) I could not contact my ex-wife because I was a "high control" parolee due to of all my "threats" against public officials, my ex-wife and her husband.The only statement I ever made that could be misconstrued as a threat was when I informed my wife while she was still "married" to me, and therefore bound to me, that I would kill her if I caught her with another man. As for her husband, I invoked Joshua 1;5 in his case. Communicating my belief that God would intervene for me against my enemies because He said He would is not making a threat. It is a statement of faith that is predicated on the intervention of God. (I've kinda been left holding the bag, but it ain't over 'til God, and no one else, says it's over.)
To illustrate how seriously the District Attorney's office took my "threats", initially I was charged with disobeying a court order( the one my ex-wife obtained by perjury), a misdemeanor, and ordered to appear in a lower court than the one that had issued the order. Mind you, I had filed a responsive declaration with the court that had issued the order that proved my ex-wife had perjured herself in statements she made to obtain the order. The judge ordered a long cause hearing and set a subsequent date. I was to face the misdemeanor charge prior to that date. I was already facing charges for contempt of court for violating the order in the first court. This was double jeopardy for the same offense. The deputy D.A. that filed the charge shared the same surname as my ex-wife's new husband. I wrote the judge ex-parte questioning whether the filing of the charges violated unilateral restraining orders issued at the time I filed my responsive declaration, whether the deputy D.A. was related to my ex-wife's new husband, and I ridiculed the action on the basis that if I was dangerous, I should have been taken into custody as a danger to myself or others and that if I wasn't, her actions were malicious and harassing and did not further the cause of justice. I used the analogy of isolating a bomb before you disarm it and I referred to the deputy D.A. as "just another cunt with power to abuse."(Her demeanor toward me throughout bore that description out in spades.) I also stated explicitly that nothing in the letter was a threat to any person. I was arrested for violating Ca. Penal Code Section 71 on March 17,1995. While the sherriff's deputies at county jail had no problem getting me to every court session where I was a defendant, somehow only my court appointed public defender (who could barely bring herself to stand by me when I pled no contest to the charge of disobeying the aforementioned fraudulent court order) was allowed to appear at my long cause hearing. My presence could not be arranged, despite the fact that I certainly had nowhere else to be. In summary, the legal system had ensnared me using the restraining order that my ex-wife had obtained by perjury before it could be thrown out in the long cause hearing, and now they had concocted a new set of charges to "get me" with. This resulted in my having two public defenders. One for the family law issues and charges and one for the P.C. 71 case.
The public defender that handled the P.C. 71 case filed a motion to have the D.A.'s office recused because it could not exercise proper discretion in my case. The attorney arguing against the motion cited the SAME case law that my attorney had. My attorney lost. Amusingly, while I was incarcerated in California State Prison in Vacaville I wrote my ex-wife again. The violation was referred to the Solano County D.A. They exercised THEIR discretion in refusing to get involved. THEN, some months later, when I was released on parole, and had resumed working, etc. in Contra Costa County, a sherriff's deputy showed up at my place of employment to arrest me for a warrant related to that violation.The bond was for $3500. I was out in the field the first day. The next day he showed up around the time we normally returned to the shop. (My employer was reported to have said that at least they could get another day of work out of me as they rushed me out that morning.) The deputy approached me and asked me to accompany him about 75 feet away from the other people. He then said something like "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." I told him to do his job and take me in. I HAVE NEVER THREATENED NOR ASSAULTED ANY PUBLIC OFFICIAL!!! But this officer had been told to expect trouble from me and was sent to arrest me for a $3500 warrant. My compliance with the arrest was something he did not expect. (Quite the contrast to Michael Brown's encounter with law enforcement, don't ya think? Somehow, I don't expect people will be taking to the streets on my behalf anytime soon.) When I appeared in court the judge asked me why I was IN JAIL. I could not account for it. He then stated his belief, without any evidence, or the actual existence of any other charges pending against me,that "there must be something else" and declined to release me. In other words, the arrest was NOT routine nor customary for that kind of warrant. Furthermore, after I posted bail, my parole officer informed me that the D.A.'s Office should have placed a hold on me and taken custody of me BEFORE I was released on parole. Seems like a set up to get me into legal trouble with the arresting officer if you ask me, I get the impression that the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office had some trouble exercising discretion in my case. The motion for recusal, however, was DENIED.
From my point of view, my "crime" was standing up for my legal and Constitutional rights against my ex-wife and the lawless family judicial system. Every time I failed to cow before their aggression on her behalf, they escalated the stakes. It is she and they who are the actual criminals. I go for about a year abiding by the court order. I find out she remarried the DAY our divorce was final. I write letters to her expressing my interest in reconciling and to her husband expressing my EXTREME disapproval of him personally due to his taking things of mine that were not my ex-wife's to give. (My reasons for doing so at that point is that she would have to come clean about her conduct without being able to conceal it behind some other issue or pretext,) She files the complaint in the court that issued the order with a request for finding me in contempt. I file a responsive declaration that included PROOF she obtained it by perjury. The judge continues the case to a long cause hearing. The D.A charges me with disobeying a court order in a lower court before the order can be thrown out in the long cause hearing. I write the judge in the issuing court SCREAMING "FOUL". The D.A.'s office charges me with "threatening a public official" and puts me in jail. In light of the spuriousness of the charge,they offer me a plea bargain to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, attend "battered women's alternative" and walk. I refuse because I was not guilty and the whole narrative that this was about me abusing my ex-wife and children was BULLSHIT. (It was about her dominating and subjugating me.) They proceed to trial but convert the offense to a felony. I am found guilty by a jury of my peers due to an incompetent defense (see motion for recusal, above) and the jury's exposure to my highly unpopular views. The prosecution offers felony probation prior to sentencing. I basically tell them to shove it. They sentence me to the mid-term of two years in prison and the judge orders a psychiatric evaluation. (The ex-wife has me sign off on my half of a tax refund, elects to attend sentencing, then calls my mother that evening to chit-chat as though nothing significant had happened. MALIGNANT NARCISSIST! Our paths crossed as she was leaving the building and I was being escorted back to jail. She had a puzzled look on her face before she noticed me. Maybe it was the prosecutor's comment that this was one of the toughest cases of his career. What's so tough about a "slam dunk"?) I do my time and am paroled with a "high control" stipulation. I complete parole. I remarry. My current spouse was aware of all the relevant facts of my prior life when we married in June of 1999.
In August of 2012 I find a Father's Day Facebook message from my son, Joseph, who I hadn't seen since 1994. (I overlooked the little red alert on the message button because I don't have a lot of correspondence.) One of the things he informs me of is that his mother entrusted him to a family friend of my ex-mother-in-law's as a father figure in his life who could participate in a Christian version of the Boy Scouts with him. Let's just say he doesn't find Adam Sandler's "Canteen Boy" sketches funny at all. The guy is arrested and charged with his sexual offenses. His defense was that I was the one that had abused my son and he was "confused" about it. My ex-wife was in no position to have me testify in the case because she had cried "wolf" on me and would be exposed as the criminal malignant narcissist that she is. I also still had parental rights at that point, but I have proven what happens to me when I assert my "rights". The Contra Costa County D.A.'s Office' complicity with her in her crimes speaks for itself. My son's actual abuser walked. (I told him that I would respect his privacy, but he informed me recently that I could not be in his home with his foster kids because of my "history". I asked who had divulged my "history" to the agency. He informed me that he had. So much for respecting privacy.) Around the time I circulated "An Open Letter to the People of the Jews", John Hagee appeared on Benny Hinn's telecast and was deriding "first year Bible students" sharing the Gospel with Jews without understanding their sensibilities, etc. Then he invited anyone who was being sexually abused in their home to call his ministry and they would see to it that the offenders went to jail where they belong. (I had also circulated "Separation of Church and State" around the same time.) Hey John, why don't you see to it that my son's now dead abuser pays his debt to society?
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6
It’s tempting to think of faith as a kind of magic formula. If you muster up enough of it, you’ll get rich, stay healthy, and live a contented life with automatic answers to all your prayers. But life does not work according to such neat formulas. As proof, the author of Hebrews presents a stirring reminder of what constitutes “true faith” by reviewing the lives of some Old Testament giants of faith (Heb. 11).
“Without faith,” the author says bluntly, “it is impossible to please God” (11:6). In describing faith he uses the word persevered (v. 27). As a result of their faith, some heroes triumphed: They routed armies, escaped the sword, survived lions. But others met less happy ends: They were flogged, stoned, sawed in two. The chapter concludes, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised” (v. 39).
The picture of faith that emerges does not fit into an easy formula. Sometimes it leads to victory and triumph. Sometimes it requires a gritty determination to “hang on at any cost.” Of such people, “God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (v. 16).
What our faith rests on is the belief that God is in ultimate control and will indeed keep His promises—whether that happens in this life or the next.
Give me a faith that trusts You wholeheartedly, Lord.
Our greatest comfort in sorrow is to know that God is in control.
INSIGHT:
Hebrews 11 has been called the Hall of Faith. In it we read of diverse people who faced trials and tribulations far beyond what most of us face. Yet all persevered by trusting the Lord. By the grace of God, we can do the same.
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