Fifty Years of Grace? - LCMS Collapse Began in 1970. Here Are the Stars. Preus Elected LCMS Prez in 1969.

 

On the left, Jack Preus became LCMS president in 1969, and it has been downhill ever since. Cousin David Preus, on the right, did the ALC no favors, guiding it into the ELCA. Trainees - I mean trannies - thank David for his leadership.

The power hungry Preus brothers, Robert and Jack, felt subordination to them was the world's destiny. They imbued their offspring with the same timeless call, "Follow ME!" while denying the Chief Article of Christianity. 

Pope Herman the Unready worked with the Preus brothers, Rolf One-Note, and Waldo Werning to remain at the center of every dispute and sell newspapers to both sides, including Roman Catholics and Born-Again Babtists. Grace Otten, the theologian of the family (Herman's words) convinced him of Objective Justification, further dooming the LCMS in its doctrinal decline.

From ALPB - 

"Theology and the Church after Google."  Here are some random points that Larry offered:

-Statistical decline in the LCMS began in 1971 (50 years!)

-Clergy nationwide who responded to surveys about stress and depression are about 70%; the LCMS claims about 25%.  Larry says we should split the difference and then say that about 50% of LCMS clergy are stressed and/or depressed.

-Technology has far outpaced human adaptability.  We can't keep up and we can't catch up. 

 Do not blame the Damascus pastors who went to Fuller Seminary to learn how to be branded "a Damascus pastor" (say that slowly). Their leaders - Preus, Otten, Werning, Kelm, Valleskey - were the Judas goats that led them to the slaughter house.

More Nutrition Basics, Plus Walking To Counteract a Sedimentary Life

 

 "You expect me to walk the dog every day?"

Some readers like the nutrition posts, and I may benefit from following my own advice. My doctor told me I had low potassium and I knew I had low energy. He gave me potassium for that and I looked into possible causes. I was drinking up to 48 ounces of Diet Pepsi a day, partly to keep energy up. But it seems that all diuretics have the tendencies to lower potassium. I let the supply of Diet Pepsi run out.

There is lot to say against paying for a mixture of water, bubbles, and artificial sugars.

I only drink coffee in the morning and when someone stops by for pour-over coffee. 

My A1C number has been steadily climbing, and I can get sluggish from too many carbos. The A1C number is long-term sugar levels, so a few days of monastic self-denial will not work. I told the doctor, "I have been using ice cream for stress relief." He burst out laughing and said, "Ice cream is very effective in combatting stress." I stopped buying ice cream products, which are so easy to enjoy when delivered at the door.

Eggs go well with efforts to lose weight, so I start the day with coffee first, and then with scrambled eggs and toast. 

WebMD

Along with milk, eggs contain the highest biological value (or gold standard) for protein. One egg has only 75 calories but 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.

The egg is a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults. And brain development and memory may be enhanced by the choline content of eggs.

Walking for Health

The #1 prescription for health is walking every day. I kept my gym membership up during the Covid shut-down because I wanted to start over when things eased up. When I began, pre-Covid, I reached a point where the daily pain of being ancient largely went away. Besides that, an all-around approach is good for lower blood pressure, lower weight, and more muscular strength.

Health benefits of walking

You carry your own body weight when you walk. This is known as weight-bearing exercise. Some of the benefits include:

• increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness
• reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• improved management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes
• stronger bones and improved balance
• increased muscle strength and endurance
• reduced body fat.

Ten more reps!

Give Your Garden Your Breakfast Coffee Grounds, Unless You Like Sanka

 

People ask, "Are coffee grounds actually good for the soil?" Gardening sites turn this question into a dissertation.

The simple answer is - "Yes, because most organic additions to the soil are good for plants and the soil critters that fertilize, blend, aerate, and even sweeten the soil. Earthworms sweeten the soil with their unique calcium producing glands.

Creation gardeners do not need to get a degree in chemistry for their work. A blend of organic materials over time will be reduced to soil. My pile of used coffee ground packets (from pour-over coffee making) is not a pyramid because the paper and grounds keep being reduced by the soil creatures.

Packing tape lasts forever in the soil, so consider that when using cardboard for mulch in the fall. My neighbor had a jungle of grasses in her flower bed, so now she has most of that disaster (which she and her husband inherited) turning weeds into compost.

Today I was putting bulbs in the former Blackberry/Joe Pye little garden areas. I saw a black form behind me. It was Atlas, the puppy who escapes with his mentor Alaska. The odd thing was - they were in a locked yard. I had the only gate shut with a chain, and I was on the other side. But they got in and were happy to see their guardian gardening.

Sassy and I took them to their house and informed their staff about their latest venture (repeated by Atlas later today). We had some laughs again. He said, "I know my dogs are missing when I hear you calling their names." 

They generally follow me to their home, hoping for mercy rather than justice. One time they ran farther away.

Atlas walked up to my friend, threw himself on the ground, belly up, and begged for forgiveness, wiggling and faking contrition. We laughed and laughed.