John Lewis, Testing, & a Vaccine?

Georgia US Representative John Lewis passed away Friday evening. Lewis, 80, was one of the last of the original civil rights leaders back in the early 1960’s.

Denison: I disagreed with Rep. Lewis on moral issues such as same-sex marriage, religious liberty, and especially on abortion, which is devastating the African American community. But I share his belief in "redemptive suffering," a commitment he demonstrated courageously and sacrificially. In his early twenties, Lewis embraced a form of nonviolent protest grounded in the principle of "redemptive suffering." In his memoir, Walking with the Wind, he explained that there is "something in the very essence of anguish that is liberating, cleansing, redemptive." He added that suffering "touches and changes those around us as well. It opens us and those around us to a force beyond ourselves, a force that is right and moral, the force of righteous truth that is at the basis of human conscience." This philosophy centers in the belief that your attacker is as much a victim as you are. It requires the choice to forgive "even as a person is cursing you to your face, even as he is spitting on you, or pushing a lit cigarette into your neck." Lewis explained his life philosophy this way: "At a very early stage of the movement, I accepted the teaching of Jesus, the way of love, the way of nonviolence, the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. The idea of hate is too heavy a burden to bear. . . . I don't want to go down that road. I've seen too much hate, seen too much violence. And I know love is a better way."

Did you get your test results back? Let me guess – you tested positive. Jack Nicklaus admitted he and his wife tested postive back in March. I’m going to continue to be careful, but with so many problems coming to light about false positives, people dropping out of long testing lines only to be notified they tested positive, dozens of testing centers in Florida reporting 100% positive results, that tests come back positive not only for COVID-19 but also previous strains of coronvirus (and even the common cold).

When you go out in public, what do most of the people who aren’t wearing masks have in common? 

 

Even though I wonder how accurate the covid test is, I will still be super careful and stay home as much as possible. Hearing Freddie Freeman talk about how sick he got was scary.

 

Romans 8:37-39: In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Chilling article about “the vaccine” will include an implanted computer chip to allow tracking – as well as the ability to pay for goods and services like a credit card (and the ability for government to track movements and what you spend your money on). Is this the Mark of the Beast? The End Time Blog reminds us that no - according to the Bible the rapture and tribulation come before the mark, which cannot be taken without pledging allegiance to the antichrist. 

 

https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/africa/item/36432-gates-funded-program-to-begin-tests-on-biometric-id-vaccination-records-in-africa

 

Another article: the number of babies born had dramatically fallen worldwide. Fanilies were having almost five children in 1950. In 2020 the number is half that. For various reasons many couples are only having one child, or choosing to remain childless. You’d think this would be great for the environment, but evidently that isn’t the case. The world’s population is aging with far fewer taxpayers coming along. Christians are reproducing at a rate far lower than other religions. What happened to “Be fruitful and multiply?”      

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521

 

Philippians 3:20-21: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savoir, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.”

 

I Corinthians 13:6: “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.”

 

Have a good weekend? Mine was okay. Since I am working from home all this week, last Friday I stayed busy at work doing office things. Cleaned out a bunch of old files. Organized. Whittled my email in box down to three emails.

After work I drove northeast to Discover Mills to sell two bobbleheads. Then back through downtown Duluth to Alpharetta to Roswell and home. Supper was Mexican fixings. I piled everything up together to make a Taco Salad: lettuce, chips, fresh corn, seasoned ground beef, cheese (above). 

 

Joel Norman got engaged to his long time, on again / off again girlfriend. Catherine Norman came to town for the event. W&MC went over for the announcement. He facetimed us so Catherine could say hello (below, right). Most there were wearing masks, including Will.

Saturday morning I stretched out the six foot long Chipper Jones growth chart we got at Turner Field back in 1999. Very rare. Posted it on eBay.

Dug out clothes and other things from the attic. Giving some away. Throwing other stuff away. Posted some on eBay. Watched some of the Memorial golf tournament. Supper was grilled chicken tenders, fancy baked potatoes, and tossed salad.

Sunday morning we watched Louie preach. Later I went to Goodwill to give away the carload of stuff in my car. Stopped by the Roswell post office to mail a package but the kiosk wasn’t working. Drove up to Alpharetta and bought the postage, but the box was full. Drove back to Roswell. That box was full as well. Had to drive back to East Cobb to post the package. Also shopped at Kroger and drove thru Arbys for a root beer flat and sweet potato waffle fries.

 

Attended a wedding shower for Mary Lee and John William, in the backyard of my friend Reid’s house. Twenty-five in attendance, including Anna and Mary-Clayton (Will had to work). Plenty of room to social distance. Catered Mexican food. Groom’s family had driven up from Wrightsville. Nice people. His dad was a freshman when Herschel was a senior.  His dad has done work on Herschel’s parent’s house, and John William has been in the basement to see the Heisman Trophy and other memorabilia. Stories of bulldogs and football clinics and Fourth of July parades.

Not sure how I missed this, but the Hawks are getting new uniforms for the new season. Just what we need: more black uniforms. Plus yellow letting and red trim. Speaking of yellow, Georgia Tech is painting Grant Field – safety yellow. Wasn’t it just a year ago the Jackets unveiled the official shafe of GT gold, saying everything school related would be this color gold? That didn’t last long.