Currently Requested - Inside the Snake's Head - Vatican Audience Hall

Call this a J-drop. The month of May is going to be rough on the Pope.

Most people do not know about the Vatican Audience Hall, inside Vatican City. It is quite deliberately designed to represent the inside of a snake's head, seats about 6,000 people, and is open only to those with an invitation. No tourists are allowed.

 Is there anything more Satanic in symbolism than a snake?
Someone added a graphic to make it clear.

 From above, the hall is shaped like a snake's head and is covered with scales, which are solar collectors.

 This is the close-up if the gigantic sculpture behind the Pope's chair. The face of Christ "emerging from a nuclear explosion" is clear here, but the overall effect - from far back in the hall - is a snake.

 Does this look like Snake-Man to you?

 The church and grounds are shaped like a key, because the Pope has the keys to God's grace, doncha know. The audience hall is below the church, along and also outside the Vatican City wall.

First Year Plant, Second Year Sleep, Third Year Leap - Tips for Growing Hosta

 Someone posted this graphic on the Net, because people wanted everything good to happen at once. The topic came up in a sermon and an email message to me.

I often talk with my neighbor about the news since his family will not listen to him. He is impatient to hear more good things happening, which is a common theme on independent news threads right now.

I see everything zooming by too fast, not too slowly, unlike the early days when I thought 12 grades of public school were too many.

Aristotle said, "Patience and courage are so closely related that one is either the daughter or the mother of the other."

Hosta Advice
The hostas I planted last fall have sprouted, encouraging me to move more plants from the backyard. Hostas grow well in deep shade, enjoy shade and sun, and produce flowers perfect for hummingbirds.

The advice for hosta growers is:

• Plant them the first year.
• They sleep the second year.
• They leap the third year - easy to divide and multiply.

That seems to be true of most plants. Roses bloom the first year as bare roots, but additional blooming that year is rather slow. The second and third years are much more productive, which only makes sense when considering root growth and the underground network established by fungi.

Three years easily become three decades, believe me. When something seems too much to bear, too long to wait, God's own solution is often around the corner, but just slow enough to give Him credit instead of congratulating ourselves.

Our front yard looked as barren and abandoned as any land could, because I let the leaves and weeds feed the soil for spring and summer rains and sunny days. Soon the roses will bloom among many different perennial plants and my favorite herb - the dandelion. Two years ago, a real estate agent driving by hit the brakes, opened his window, and said, "What a yard!" when all the roses were blooming. 

Mints Too

I have coddled and watered mints, which seem to be so weak the first year. They were the first to grow this icy spring, far ahead of the roses. Now I have large minty mounds ready to flower and host beneficial insects and butterflies.

My helper buried Mountain Mint, which broke through the newspaper and wood mulch anyway - much later. Last summer it turned into shoulder high mint. The old stems are still there but the new larger colony is growing among those stems. I am very late to do anything with old stems because they are shelters for good insects, such as solitary bees.

Scattering

Mark 4/Matthew 13 teaches us to scatter the living seed of the Word carelessly - no soil testing. I am waiting for the Church Shrinkers to wear sackcloth and ashes, wail, and apologize for all the damage they have done while "soil testing."

Scattering means:

Blogging every day, with posts expected twice or thrice a day.

Broadcasting the Means of Grace on Sunday.

New sermons every week and on special holy days like Ascension.

Holy Communion offered each Sunday.

Bible study on Sunday.

Greek New Testament lessons on Wednesday.

Some books here and there.

Teaching the Gospel in graduate studies, Old Testament, etc.

Neighborhood visitation.

Thank You for the Personal Messages
I get a lot of personal messages, which are always encouraging. As people recognize, I omit names and obscure origins. Those who speak from the battlefield have a lot to share about their experiences. I am just a traditional Lutheran with traditional Lutheran, liturgical services and the reliable KJV for readings, with great hymn classics. 

I should not be alone in this, but that is the unfortunate truth. 

1. The ELCA traditions have abandoned Justification by Faith and all common sense. Worship? - no - social justice warrior training.
2. The LCMS-ELS-WELS grandees would never stoop to read or quote the classics from the much earlier ELCA founders - like Jacobs, Reu, Lenski, Krauth. These SynCon fakes have nurtured and grown the Stephan-Knapp-Walther heresy, calling it the Gospel, despising Luther no less than ELCA does. Worship? - no - recruiting through entertainment, no matter how this has become a proven failure. 

 Good news! Missouri is losing members twice as fast as we are! We are winning, winsome, and winnowing out the dissenters. That's a win, brethren and sistern.

The New Testament - Updated and Erased

All footnotes in the modern translations insert rationalistic apostasy, such as "explaining" the Virgin Birth in Isaiah 7 - "or young woman." Now that is a big Sign from Heaven, a young woman will have a baby.

The footnotes allow that the verse they have cut out of the New Testament can be found in manuscripts, just not in their favorites, which have a dubious history, to say the least. Tischendorf was the Sandy Burger (Burgler) of an earlier age.

They learned. When someone commits a grand outrage - such as the RSV translation removing the Virgin Birth from Isaiah 7:11 - people remember and resist. But pick away, a little at a time, without disturbing any dreams or illusions, and they accept it - even make it normative.

 Remember the hot WELS discussion about the New NIV? Only one district president spoke against it. That was the blowing off steam meeting, and it worked as planned. The next time, no one objected, and Mirthless Mark Schroeder - who supposedly hated the NIV - blessed all translations. Seifert never objected to the NIV or anything else - except the Intrepid Lutherans.

Name Day Rant about Latin - and Greek. Latin Is Bad? - How About Today's English Literacy?

 Today is the name day for every Gregory, which is Greek for
watchman, the verb meaning - stay awake, watch.

Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

2 γινου γρηγορων και στηριξον τα λοιπα α μελλει αποθανειν ου γαρ ευρηκα σου τα εργα πεπληρωμενα ενωπιον του θεου

Latin Is Bad? - How About Today's English Literacy?
Someone complained about studying Latin, which is itself a dead topic, unfortunately. Latin teachers and the Left conspired to get rid of Latin and replace it with something more relevant (it seems). Everyone in the following fields should have several years of Latin:

1. The liberal arts, since literature and music owe so much to Latin.
2. Law - most legal terms are Latin.
3. Medicine - medical terms are either Latin or Greek.

I learned Latin the bad, old way - vocabulary lists, grammar rules, painstaking translating, often using rather musty texts.

I taught Little Ichabod the good, Roland Bainton way, a method similar to federal efforts to train people for foreign assignments.

Immersion is how we learn best.

 Roland Bainton learned 20 languages using my method.
OK, I borrowed his method.

Latin and Greek

We read the Gospel of John in Latin, with a little bit of training in endings and grammar, but very little. No words were written near the text and an English version was only used to figure out some difficult passages. By the end of the Gospel we were reading a chapter at a time, and he was translating with ease. 

Emphasis - reading a lot of Latin, using a simple (but profound) text, which has a simple style of grammar and word usage. John 1-4, slowly, then repeat John 1-4 with some speed, then the rest of the Gospel

We repeated that exercise (home-schooling) with the Greek text of John, an even better experience, because there is nothing like the Greek text. The initial verses were difficult, just like Latin, but the final chapters were easily translated - sight-translated. 

Emphasis - The goal was to read text, pick up basic grammar and vocabulary daily, and repeat the first four chapters so that translating turned into reading it like a newspaper.

Why don't all Lutheran clergy do the same? WELS pastors are always telling people about having studied Greek and therefore being infallible. When children learn a foreign language early, it is easier, and the next foreign language is easier. If they have the same language in school, a year is easily skipped. 

LI tutored fellow students in Latin and Greek. NWC paid him to tutor students in Greek because they were not getting it from the old-fashioned pain-in-the-neck method (which only works on those who easily grasp languages). The Bainton-Jackson method works for everyone because that is how we learn our first language, from Mom and Dad. If someone is gifted in languages, it works even better and paves the way for enormous strides in those languages. 

Funny how I never got asked to repeat this experience in higher education. Many schools have overlooked the chance to make the classic languages come alive in Biblical languages. But - no worry - thanks to our congregation's attorney, Glen Kotten, I began the lessons for everyone.

Tis strange how a couple of messages can launch exciting and fulfilling courses in Biblical studies. We are studying Romans in Greek now.
Attorney Glen Kotten is on the left.

Woods Trial: Defendant dependent on Ecclesia College money, prosecutors say | NWADG

As Oren Paris III says, it's good to take money from Satan - the taxpayer - and use it for the Kingdom of God (the Paris Family) instead of wasting it on the Kingdom of Satan (Arkansas).

Woods Trial: Defendant dependent on Ecclesia College money, prosecutors say | NWADG:


"The kickbacks were from state General Improvement Fund grants to Ecclesia College, which received $550,000 in such grants from the two now-former lawmakers, according to prosecutors. Oren Paris III, former president of Ecclesia College in Springdale, paid Shelton fees, and Shelton passed some of the money back to Woods and Neal, according to the indictment.

Woods of Springdale; Paris; and Shelton, formerly of Alma, were indicted in March 2017. Paris pleaded guilty April 4 to one count of conspiracy and is expected to testify for the government. He resigned as Ecclesia’s president and from the college’s governing board the day before entering his guilty plea.

Total deposits to Paradigm Strategic Consulting’s accounts from 2013 through 2015 were $285,994, with Ecclesia providing $267,500, or 93.4 percent, of all deposits.

Woods’ financial records show he made cash deposits to various accounts of his totaling $82,488 from 2012 through 2015. That includes $24,877 in 2013 and $37,782 in 2014, bank records show. This compares to $3,700 in 2012 and $16,138.89 in 2015.

Paradigm accounts show cash withdrawals, transfers directly to Woods and one transfer to the Plaid Jackets, a band Woods managed, totaling $284,391.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser described Paradigm in his opening statement April 10 as a “bogus company” with the purpose of passing kickbacks from Paris to Woods and Neal. Neal pleaded guilty on Jan. 4 of last year for his role."


'via Blog this'

Nothing changed during this massive influx of tax dollars, except a small addition was put on one building, apparently for more political meetins there. Paris was always hob-knobbing with politicians. The main catch-all building was repaired a bit, but the big half-built building was left to sway and rot in the open elements.

***

GJ - I was at Ecclesia College during this time, and even went to meetings, but nothing was ever said about this windfall from the tax fund. Everyone was paid a pittance, except for Oren Paris III ($100,000 a year) and his mother ($60,000) and various family members. I told one non-family member, "Get a real job. Anything is better than this."

There is one exception to the low pay. A woman suddenly appeared as Oren's assistant, even though he was hardly present at the college. She drew something like $50,000 plus a cash bonus!!! - for answering the phone, etc. Her salary was part of a deal with one of the politicians.

Apparently the money came in and a large chunk was kicked back, all without the knowledge of the carefully chosen board, which included Oren's mother. And the actual net gain was blown on buying 50 acres of land the college did not need.

I was with Oren when he chuckled and said, "The board told me no more real estate buys." He wanted to get even more.

Motive? I think he longed to make a killing in real estate, with the Interstate bypass going past the college. The addition of the largest Walmart in the state made nearby land skyrocket.

I attended meetings where the leaders discussed fund-raising and even paid a fat fee for a sketch of the future campus.  I did not know that Oren Paris, BA, was becoming land-poor. But I knew enough to tell the entire mailing list that I did not approve of his handling of money.

I can recall three failed Oren Paris schemes from the news reports: 1) A fund for work-colleges in the state (one - Ecclesia); 2) Some connection with recycled shingles (Oren Paris and political buddies); 3) my favorite - sharing medical marijuana fees with Ecclesia College. 

Reader Speaks Out on Education's Corruption

 The youngest generation has no chance for a good education in the public system, so it is best to home-school them.

This should be very short or very long. I will choose short, for now.

One reader has dealt with higher education issues for many decades. The radicals own public education and most of higher education. Anyone can see how everyone in education marches to the same drummer once a trend starts - and the trend becomes settled law within months.

 ELCA-WELS-ELS-LCMS members have Mark and Avoid Jeske to do their thinking for them.

This corruption corrupts the Lutheran schools too, because they go along with those trends. Many see education as a union card for having an easy life, good income, and benefits. The go-along-get-along attitude has nothing to do with leadership or education - it is just greed, deception, and laziness. WELS was already promoting what they publicly deplored in ELCA - just ask Hochmuth and Schroeder, the Party in the MLC blokes, and the trannies. At one point, "We didn't know!" rings a bit hollow.

 Don't ask, either, cuz you don't want to know.

Social Media Overtaking the News Cycles

The most important news is not being reported in the big-bucks news outlets, which are far more involved in entertainment than they are in reporting the facts.

Instead, quite a few independent groups and individuals are pursuing the breaking news ignored by the networks and publishing families. This change was predicted when I was in journalism school - outsiders taking over the news, publishing their own research, photos, and videos.

The best way to keep up is to do Google etc. searches on these topics:

• Money-laundering in the DNC and Hillary campaign;
• Haiti and fraudulent charities;
• Crooked FBI executive agents;
• Q;
• Deep State, actors, staged crises.

The next topic is breaking world-wide news, especially because celebrities are involved. However, most people do not want to know the details, and would be physically sick over the known facts.

1. Celebrities - Allison Mack (Smallville), India Oxenberg,
2. Raniere, NXIVM - cult involved with celebrities
3. Bronfman sisters - $150 million given to Raniere's cult
4. Child trafficking, Child "charities", human organ sales
5. Epstein and his private island, Little St. John.

 This is satire, of course, but some are smiling.

American citizens need to know their own documents (Declaration of Independence, U. S. Constitution), their own history, and the actual news. It is up to each one of us to be well informed and vote.

 Managed news, grrr.

Text messages presented at Woods trial show alleged conspirators' successful efforts to grab GIF cash from multiple legislators | Arkansas Blog

Text messages presented at Woods trial show alleged conspirators' successful efforts to grab GIF cash from multiple legislators | Arkansas Blog:

"As Thompson takes some pains to point out, the other legislators have not been charged or implicated in the kickback scheme. But let me take pains to point something else out: These lawmakers, unnamed in Thompson's article when it first appeared yesterday, helped Ecclesia nab more than $700,000 in public GIF funds during a time when they were targeted by an alleged criminal conspiracy trying to influence them. The recipient of that money is an institution that operates as a church for tax purposes, raising constitutional questions to begin with.

 One scheme involved state money given for shingle recycling, and Team Paris had a shingle recycling business.

It is an obscure school with 200 students (around half of whom are enrolled in distance learning) that requested the money to make land purchases of no obvious need for educational purchases. Though most of the money was supposed to be for construction of student housing, there's no evidence of construction or structural renovation and the land was purchased at well over its appraised value. The stench on this was rank, and at least eight other legislators were happy to grease the wheels. Put it this way: Woods and Neal were able to nearly double their own contributions in the alleged kickback scheme through the help of at least eight of their colleagues.  "

Another scheme was to use state medical marijuana money for Ecclesia. 

'via Blog this'

Greek Lesson Three - Romans 1:18-25

 Norma A. Boeckler

Parsing Link

Romans Lenski - Download and save public domain PDF.

ΠΡΟΣ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣ 1:18-25 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

18 αποκαλυπτεται γαρ οργη θεου απ ουρανου επι πασαν ασεβειαν και αδικιαν ανθρωπων των την αληθειαν εν αδικια κατεχοντων

Anarthrous - no article - emphasis - δυναμις γαρ θεου - It is the God-power, verses 16. Here - God-wrath is revealed. Lenski - more of a compound word. Notice - Uranus.

16 ου γαρ επαισχυνομαι το ευαγγελιον του χριστου δυναμις γαρ θεου εστιν εις σωτηριαν παντι τω πιστευοντι ιουδαιω τε πρωτον και ελληνι

19 διοτι το γνωστον του θεου φανερον εστιν εν αυτοις ο γαρ θεος αυτοις εφανερωσεν

Epiphany  - God making Himself known in the miracles.

20 τα γαρ αορατα αυτου - απο κτισεως κοσμου - τοις ποιημασιν νοουμενα καθοραται; η τε αιδιος αυτου δυναμις και θειοτης εις το ειναι αυτους αναπολογητους

a is opposite - unseen, without excuse. Unseen kath-seen. Apolgy of Augs Confession.

21 διοτι γνοντες τον θεον ουχ ως θεον εδοξασαν η ευχαριστησαν αλλ εματαιωθησαν εν τοις διαλογισμοις αυτων και εσκοτισθη η ασυνετος αυτων καρδια

Gnostic, doxology, Eucharist

22 φασκοντες ειναι σοφοι εμωρανθησαν

Sophist, moron

23 και ηλλαξαν την δοξαν του αφθαρτου θεου εν ομοιωματι εικονος φθαρτου ανθρωπου και πετεινων και τετραποδων και ερπετων

alla-ing, changing; tetrapods; herpetologist, herpetic whitlow

24 διο και παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εν ταις επιθυμιαις των καρδιων αυτων εις ακαθαρσιαν του ατιμαζεσθαι τα σωματα αυτων εν εαυτοις

Context matters - hand over can mean tradition or betrayal in the sense of giving up. Use of a - not - repetition for emphasis, both on the positive and negative side. Not kath, not tim (honor); som - body.

25 οιτινες μετηλλαξαν την αληθειαν του θεου εν τω ψευδει - και εσεβασθησαν και ελατρευσαν τη κτισει παρα τον κτισαντα -ος εστιν ευλογητος εις τους αιωνας αμην

alla-ing to changing; pseduo. More paradox creation, Creator.

For next Wednesday

26 δια τουτο παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εις παθη ατιμιας αι τε γαρ θηλειαι αυτων μετηλλαξαν την φυσικην χρησιν εις την παρα φυσιν

27 ομοιως τε και οι αρρενες αφεντες την φυσικην χρησιν της θηλειας εξεκαυθησαν εν τη ορεξει αυτων εις αλληλους αρσενες εν αρσεσιν την ασχημοσυνην κατεργαζομενοι και την αντιμισθιαν ην εδει της πλανης αυτων εν εαυτοις απολαμβανοντες

28 και καθως ουκ εδοκιμασαν τον θεον εχειν εν επιγνωσει παρεδωκεν αυτους ο θεος εις αδοκιμον νουν ποιειν τα μη καθηκοντα

29 πεπληρωμενους παση αδικια πορνεια πονηρια πλεονεξια κακια μεστους φθονου φονου εριδος δολου κακοηθειας ψιθυριστας

30 καταλαλους θεοστυγεις υβριστας υπερηφανους αλαζονας εφευρετας κακων γονευσιν απειθεις

31 ασυνετους ασυνθετους αστοργους ασπονδους ανελεημονας

32 οιτινες το δικαιωμα του θεου επιγνοντες οτι οι τα τοιαυτα πρασσοντες αξιοι θανατου εισιν ου μονον αυτα ποιουσιν αλλα και συνευδοκουσιν τοις πρασσουσιν

How It Works and Doesn't Work - Neighborhood

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this Springdale. 
Earl of Oxford, Edward II, edited

One of our members mentioned how unusual our neighborhood is. I doubt whether we match the beauty of English towns and cottages, but I thought of this famous passage as it relates to a place we love.

Army Ranger Bob loves to work on cars, and he fixes mine, often after we view a YouTube on car repair tips. His brother Mike enjoyed my outdoor solar lights and had me buy him some. They were not used, so they put them up on the tree at the Four Esses (each daughter's name starts with S). I wanted to share my Crepe Myrtle lights with them so I could prune the bush with impunity. The girls' mother said, "The last strand didn't last." But her husband said, "I ran over a wire with the lawnmower." We contribute to the mom's garage sales, which are great ways to recapture our garage space.

I help Ranger Bob deal with Social Security, the IRS, and various legal papers. He reacts to documents the way I relate to fixing cars. The last impasse was how to fill in data he did not know. I said, "Write - in your records."

 Hot Cocoa was sold out, but I got leftovers for $5 each.

My Hispanic neighbor trimmed my trees for a good price, and he asked me to get him "rainbow roses," where the suppliers sell five bare root roses for a total of $30.

The vet tech boasts two teenage children and an endless supply of pine needs. The daughter harvests pine needles for my mulch needs, though I also collect my own.

Sassy is the uniting element. Everyone watches out for her, and all the children adore her. She even blocks the vet tech's children on the sidewalk until they stop, talk to her, and pet her.

The Synodical Breakdown - The Sterile Sects Labor in Vain
For years the Lutheran synods have rewarded their incompetent friends and punished anyone who questioned their foolishness. In a neighborhood, people help each out. The synods are limited by the people they have driven away, hated out, kicked out, and punished in various ways.

Now they are blubbering about their losses. Notice how Matt the Fatt, Pope John the Malefactor, and Mirthless Mark have clung to their high-paying jobs for so long. So what do they offer Lutherans for the Reformation's 500th? They agree with Huber and Knapp, but disparage Luther.

Caution - NPH Also Stands for Nazaren Publishing House - There Are a Few Differences, I Think. I Hope.

 NPH accepted this for publishing, then sent a letter saying they would not until I "changed my attitude." They thought I would convert to Church Growth for a few dollars. NPH did promote the book when I printed it myself, but they also punished and expelled those who tried to make it a Lutheran publishing house. I was glad they leveraged my entry to independent publishing.

Dear NPH customer, Thank you for relying on Northwestern Publishing House for books and other materials which assist you in your spiritual growth. Your support of our ministry through your purchases provides us with the ability to serve you and others with God’s Word. I am writing this to share with you an upcoming change at Northwestern Publishing House. As you may be aware, Christian publishing has faced many challenges in recent years. Publishers affiliated with church bodies have declined significantly in number and size. For many retailers, there has been a dramatic shift by their customers toward purchasing online rather than at physical retail store locations. Northwestern Publishing House has been impacted by these trends as well. In response to the challenging realities we face, Northwestern Publishing House has had to make some difficult decisions with the objective of exercising good stewardship of its limited resources. After much prayerful deliberation and consideration, it has been determined that the NPH Christian Books and Gifts retail store in Milwaukee will close this fall. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. We at Northwestern Publishing House remain committed to our mission of developing biblically sound, Christ-centered, and trustworthy resources. We will continue to publish new books, music, and other materials for our customers. These new materials along with previously published books and resources will continue to be available through our website www.nph.net and by phone at 1-800-662-6022. We will also continue to make church supplies and a selection of books and materials from other publishers available through our website www.nph.net and by phone at 1-800-662-6022. If you haven’t visited www.nph.net lately, we encourage you to do so. You will notice improvements that make it even easier to find resources you are looking for. Thank you for your continued trust and your support for the ministry of Northwestern Publishing House. Please contact me at Bill.Ziche@nph.net if you have any questions regarding this change. God’s blessings, Bill Ziche                 President, Northwestern Publishing House

A Job for Woods' fiancee followed grant receipt, records show. Oren Paris - Taking Money from Satan (Taxpayers) and Giving It to Oren's Family-Run Little College.Plus Taking a $25,000 Bonus for This Sleight of Hand

 "I think it is great to take money from Satan and [the] Kingdom of darkness and put it to Kingdom of God use," Paris said in one of his replies to Woods in that day's text exchange."

Job for Woods' fiancee followed grant receipt, records show:



"Paris pleaded guilty April 4 to one count of conspiracy and will testify for the government. He resigned as Ecclesia's president and from the college's board the previous day. His sentence is pending. Paris disguised the kickbacks as consulting fees paid to Shelton's company, Paradigm Strategic Consulting, according to the indictment. Shelton then passed the money along, the government contends.

The texts between Woods and Paris placed into evidence Monday also show Woods turned to a medical marijuana legalization plan to help support Ecclesia College after both the governor and state Senate leadership announced plans in 2015 to reduce the General Improvement Fund to help pay for tax cuts.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson told Woods on July 1, 2015, he wanted tax cuts, not more grants given by lawmakers to local projects, according to a text message that day from Woods to Paris. Jonathan Dismang, Senate president pro tempore, backed the governor in what Woods described as a "very disappointing" meeting the same day.

"I think it is great to take money from Satan and [the] Kingdom of darkness and put it to Kingdom of God use," Paris said in one of his replies to Woods in that day's text exchange."

'via Blog this'

Little by Little the Creation Garden Is Built

This is a real rose, carefully preserved and edged in gold.

Ranger Bob looked across the backyard and said, "This is a perfect place for e-wigs, ants, and insects..." And I added - "And birds and bees and butterflies and hummingbirds."

Bob hates e-wigs, also called earwigs. He suggested some chemicals so toxic that one had to be certified to buy them. I said, "I use birds and toads for that." His training as a landscaper has given him a mindset that is only dislodged when I ask, "How many roses do you have, Bob?"

He mutters, "You do have nice roses."

 California Dreamin'

All this chit-chat is meant to support the theory that a Creation Garden is built a little at a time. God does 99.9% of the work through His creatures while the gardener tilts the work in favor of the temporary owner. We lost track of the wood mulch, newspapers, and cardboard absorbed into the soil. I have looked for heavy logs in places, only to find them hollowed out by rot. These materials do not go away but support a larger biomass in the heavy, clay soil.

The biomass is symbolized by earthworms, but is really built upon the microbes - fungus, bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes. One example - earthworms have been praised and protected from the time of ancient Egypt, but how do those earth-movers work? They are "cows grazing on bacteria." And the bacteria digests the contents of the earthworm gut, which results in nitrogen products in castings (manure) and from its tiny kidneys.

Fungus is the network that delivers nutrition and water to the plant roots, and they must have carbon to grow. Plants trade carbon for water and nutrition - a network only recently discovered and appreciated.

 Paradise Rose is why I said to Almost Eden - "You are Almost Eden? We are Eden." He was gracious. The Biblical Garden of Eden can be reproduced, though poorly, by letting God's Creation carry out the work it was designed to do.

My additions of organic products to the soil feed all of these living things at once, providing a vibrant and energetic base for the plants, from the weeds to the roses, from the vines to the wild strawberries.

I cannot explain the complexities of a single living thing, nor can anyone else. The complexity and overlapping dependencies are too great for our minds to manage. The role of fungus was only recently discovered, though it was at work since Day One. The same could be said of cover crops on farms that flood and succumb to drought easily. When I am tempted to pull or prune a weed, I think, "What Would Gave Do?" His dictum is - "Leaving growing roots in the ground as long as possible."

I also think of the Lunatic Farmer, Salatin, who with his father showered tons of organic matter on their bare bones farm and kept organic matter on the soil until the farm became a paradise of production and nutrition.

Engineering at a Microscopic Level
This can only come from divine Creation, engineering, and management. Sometimes people stop at Creation, which is a marvel by itself, since everything began by working together perfectly. But I am also impressed by the perfect engineering of the tiniest creature, such as the fungus that can trap an enemy with a spring-like device. That is why evolution is a punch-line in our house.

Divine Management
Wait, there's more. We have all suffered from corrupt, poor, or bad management - and I do not mean just in the Lutheran synods. Business and higher education are no different. But look at what happens in Creation. Man ruins the land with toxic chemicals and fertilizer from the factory. The first thing to take over is the opportunistic weed. Given time, the weed will go roots down and leaves out to fertilize the parched soil. Once the initial repairs are made, other plants and animals will move in. Eventually, divine management will make the land fertile again.

This is how I let God manage the aphids. I grow plants loved by beneficial insects and I never use insecticide, which is also very efficient against the spider Spetsnaz troops. When plants are under attack, they give out chemical signals. The beneficials lay eggs near the pests, and the eggs hatch to eat the aphids and other parasites. These infants grow into adults who do the same thing for me. Just as the fire station is close to housing, so are the beneficial plants close to the roses. I like the mint family and daisies to host beneficials, and sunflower are also great.

Application to the Apostate Church Institutions
One person cannot mount a frontal attack on organizations (like WELS, ELS, LCMS) that are organized and funded to protect themselves and destroy dissent. Those who pretend they will fix things from the inside - as John Seifert indicated - are only campaigning for a better job and benefits.

The Lutherans proved this 100% apostasy at the leadership level - politicians and professors - by making the Reformation's 500th Anniversary an embarrassing spectacle of Luther-hating and Luther-ignoring. Bravo! Well done! Now everyone awake has their number and more are waking up.

I am waiting for the 501st so I can buy a railroad car full of Here I Stand socks for $10 - from CPH. Matt the Fatt reads Luther. No, really. He showed us a worn volume in a video.

What Can We Do?
The only effective things are to strengthen the family unit, especially among the clergy and teachers, and to strengthen the congregation.

Synodical meetings are a total waste of time. Attending only enhances their power. Objecting only helps the officials mark people for future extinction.

Having a meeting (even though supposedly secret) about what's wrong with the synod will accomplish nothing. They know how to extinguish brush fires. Probably the pastor most sympathetic and on the phone or email all the time - is working for a promotion from the DP, or maybe to become DP. Ask John Seifert how to work that gig.

Instead, make the family first - not "being busy", often confused with "working hard" for the church. Secondly, teach the family and congregation from the Scriptures Luther and the Book of Concord.

Time is fleeting, so the time spent with little ones - when they cannot learn fast enough - is quickly over. But the time spent in the early years gives credibility to the parents in later years.