Last day of February

It was been like Spring here in Fearrington Village.  The warm weather has the cherry trees and Bradford Pear trees blooming as well as daffodils and forsythia.  

I have been living in the 15th C during the Wars of the Roses.  Been watching the Hollow Crown series of Shakepeare's History plays on PBS. I look up all the characters in John's genealogical database and Luminarium to see who's related to me. The answer is almost everybody! I am a direct descendant of about half and niece or cousin to everybody else. The last king from whence my parents descend was Edward III. They each were descendent from several of his many children, half of which were from his granddaughter Joan by John of Guant & Kathryn Swynford. I made up a cheat sheet of the inter-relations of the time and highlight the direct ancestors so when I want to know how this or that character is related I just have to look. I also watched a ten part series of the White Queen that is based on 3 books by Phillipa Gregory. The books are about the women in the Court from 1460-1483: Edward IV's wife Elizabeth Woodville, Henry VII's mother Lady Margaret Beaufort, and the two daughters of Richard Neville the Kingmaker, Isobel and Anne, who each married Edward IV 's brothers. We are descendant from Isobel Neville and George, Duke of Clarence. Many of the others from whom we descend were executed via decapitation, but after they produced children.

Meanwhile, I attend board meetings, call Senators, and play tennis. I started my new Spanish class on Mondays and in March will start a 4-week lecture series on Revelation by an esteemed Duke U. Professor.  Below is a cute pic of Arlo and Lyle playing together. Courtney told me that Lane Baker (Betty Stuart's widower) died last month. And John-Mac Terry has remarried!

Reflections written after election night

Reflections I recorded in the middle of the night after the National election results were called.
November 9, 2016

Hear me, the End Times are at hand!
  Put your house in order and repent.
...

Blessed are the barren
  for they will not weep for their children.

Blessed are the dying
  because they will not experience destruction.

Blessed are the dead
  for their resurrection is soon.

Blessed are the poor and marginalized
  because they are soon to see glory.

Blessed are the blind
 for they will not see injustice and intolerance.

Blessed are the vermin and rodents
   who will inherit the earth.

...

Foolish Virgins (Matthew25:1-13)

I feel this is the time of the foolish virgins, the half of the maidens who were not ready with oil in their lamps to welcome the Bridegroom.  I'm sure you remember this parable of Jesus that he related to the disciples in answer to their question about what sign would signal the Lord’s coming again and the last days (Matthew 24:3).

 “Stay alert because you do not know what day your Lord will come.”

Jesus assures us that we can tell the season of His return (Matthew 24:32-34) by the abomination of desolation and Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31).

The second coming of Christ will be the point of no return (2Thessalonians 2:9-11).

The arrival of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders, and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no places in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.  Consequently God sent on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.

Jesus warns that there will be people who think they are Christians who will not be saved at the second coming.

“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves” (Matthew 7:15)

But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For people will be lovers of themselves, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers without self control, savage, opposed to what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than God.  They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these. (2Timothy 3:1-5)

Now, does that Timothy text remind you of anybody?  We have seen that almost half of voters have cast their votes for a false prophet: a man who lies, cheats, jeers, and disrespects; a man who appoints fellow assholes who will dismantle the good being done. 

Are there signs of miracles and false wonders? You bet – it was a miracle that a person was elected leader of the free world when most people did NOT vote for him.  It seems a false wonder that the stock market continues to rise to new highs when doom is facing us.

And what of the foolish virgins!  They did not bring sufficient fuel to light their lamps.  The fuel that is needed to bring light into darkness includes love, compassion, and tolerance.  The Bridegroom took a long time coming and the maidens fell asleep waiting.  When He did come, half had no oil but it was too late, the wedding feast began without them.  So we also have waited too long to have the needed fuel.  When He comes again, there is no turning back, no saying, “Sorry, save me anyway!”

I fear we cannot correct what is wrong.  The dye is caste. Half will be taken up and half will be left behind.  Make yourselves ready for the final judgment.  Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be bumpy decade!