the Holy Spirit raises our hearts on high

It is 2:16 PM Sunday afternoon here in West Michigan. It is 81 degrees and sunny outside today. We have not turned on the central air system yet. Carol does not like the house being shut up, she likes all the windows opened.

I got up this morning around 6 o’clock AM. When I came upstairs I found Carol getting up and warming up a cup of coffee. I made a fresh pot of coffee and then took my morning pills. After taking my pills I wrote in my paper diary and then I read from a book titled, ‘The Life Of Jesus Christ’ Part Two Volume 2, Chapters 58-89 By Ludolph of Saxony. I read to Carol for devotions from a book titled, ‘”Dominus Illuminatio Mea” Commentary On The Davidic Psalms Volume 2 Psalms 26-50’ By Denis the Carthusian Translation & Introduction by Andrew M. Greenwell. After I read we prayed and Carol left for church. While Carol was at church I read, wrote in my paper diary, and filmed a short video for my Youtube channel. Carol was home from church around 12:45 PM and we ate lunch. Now Carol is taking a nap and I am writing in my online diaries. Time keeps rolling along.

Not sure what I will read on this hot Sunday afternoon. I will close to wait.

Last night I read from the book, ‘”Dominus Illuminatio Mea” Commentary On The Davidic Psalms Volume 2 Psalms 26-50’ By Denis the Carthusian and my new Reformation Commentary on Second Corinthians.

the great harvest day

It is 2:28 PM Saturday afternoon here in Western Michigan. It is another sunny day and it is 79 degrees. As I type one of our neighbors is mowing his lawn. This neighbor mow’s his lawn a couple times a week. I try to mow our lawn maybe three times a month. I plan to mow our lawn next month. I am not into our lawn.

I got up this morning I think around 6:15 AM. I am really not sure what time I got up, but I recall it being early. When I came upstairs I Carol was reading her Bible. I won’t go into what I did this morning in great detail, because my morning routine rarely changes.

Carol did go to the Holland Farmer’s Market after we had devotions. I basically wrote in my paper diary this morning, I read from a book titled, ‘With Christ Through the Year: The Liturgical Year In Word And Symbols’ By Rev. Bernard Strasser, O.S.B. and made a short video.

Carol visited a friend who is dying of cancer and was gone for a couple of hours. She got home around 12:45 PM from her errand of mercy.

So this day goes by normal. I have been basically waiting out this day. Waiting to see what comes in the mail. I have been reading this afternoon from a book titled, ‘The Modern Tradition: Backgrounds Of Modern Literature’ Edited by Richard Ellmann & Charles Feidelberg, Jr.. Yesterday I mainly read all day from a paperback titled, ‘A Manual For Cleaning Women’ Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin.

Carol just went to bed to take a nap. I am not into taking naps. If I take a nap I can’t go to sleep at night. Well I will close to wait. Tomorrow is the last day of July 2022. In August we will be in the eighth month of the Year 2022. Human history keeps heading towards the Day of Judgment.

Day of judgment! Day of wonders!
Hark! the trumpet’s awful sound,
Louder than a thousand thunders,
Shakes the vast creation round!
How the summons wilt the sinner’s heart confound!

See the Judge, our nature wearing,
Clothed in majesty divine!
You who long for His appearing
Then shall say, This God is mine!
Gracious Savior, own me in that day for Thine!

At His call the dead awaken,
Rise to life from earth and sea;
All the powers of nature shaken
By His look, prepare to flee.
Careless sinner, what will then become of thee?

Horrors, past imagination,
Will surprise your trembling heart,
When you hear your condemnation,
Hence, accursèd wretch, depart!
Thou, with Satan and his angels, have thy part!

Satan, who now tries to please you,
Lest you timely warning take,
When that word is past, will seize you,
Plunge you in the burning lake:
Think, poor sinner, thy eternal all’s at stake.

But to those who have confessèd,
Loved and served the Lord below,
He will say, Come near, ye blessèd,
See the kingdom I bestow;
You for ever shall My love and glory know.

Under sorrows and reproaches,
May this thought your courage raise!
Swiftly God’s great day approaches,
Sighs shall then be changed to praise.
We shall triumph when the world is in a blaze.

Ecclesia Magna

It is 2:15 PM Friday afternoon here in West Michigan. It is another sunny day. The weather lately has been nice. Next week we are predicted to have a heat wave go through. Next week we will be in the month of August and then Autumn comes. Maybe we will have a Indian Summer this year?

I won’t go into my morning hours since I do the same things every morning. I left to volunteer at the Book Nook, our local public library used books store around 9:35 AM. The bookstore was not busy, so I basically wandered the store and read from a book titled, ‘A Manual For Cleaning Women’ Stories by Lucia Berlin. Carol took my place around 1 o’clock PM and I came home. When I got home I wrote in my paper diary and ate lunch. Now I am writing in my online diaries.

This morning besides writing in my paper diary I read from a book titled, ‘”Dominus Illuminatio Mea” Commentary On The Davidic Psalms 26-50 By Denis The Carthusian Translation & Introduction by Andrew M. Greenwell. In this volume I was in Psalm 35 and the next time I read this Medieval commentary on the Psalms I will be in Psalm 36.

I did buy one used paperback at the Book Nook today titled, ‘A Far Country’ A Novel by Daniel Mason (I have in my library another novel by Daniel Manson titled, ‘The Piano Tuner’).

Last night I do not remember right now. I am tired. I will close to wait to see what comes in the mail. Yesterday I received in the mail a used book I had ordered titled, ‘The Modern Tradition: Backgrounds Of Modern Literature’ Edited by Richard Ellmann & Charles Feidelson, Jr..

the Gospel shines forth God’s glory

It is 3:32 PM Thursday afternoon here in West Michigan. It has been a long day! I did not sleep soundly last night. Do not know why I slept so poorly last night. A mystery sleep patterns for me to never figure out.

I got up this morning around 6:55 AM. When I came upstairs Carol was up and was about to get ready to go for a morning walk. When she got back from her walk we had devotions. After devotions I wrote in my paper diary and read from a book titled, ‘2 Corinthians’ New Testament IXb Reformation Commentary on Scripture. I read from this commentary on The Second Epistle to the Corinthians by the Apostle Paul most of the morning.

I did leave the house around Noon to go to a local thrift store to pick up a used book I saw the other day and then drive over to VanRaalte Farm County Park to take a walk. At Bibles For Mexico Thrift Store I picked up these used books-

‘Birds In Fall’ A Novel by Brad Kessler

‘Chiang Kai-Shek: China’s Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost’ biography by Jonathan Fenby

‘The American Mercury Reader’ Edited by Lawrence E. Spivak & Charles Angoff

After visiting Bibles For Mexico thrift store I drove over to Van Raalte Farm to take a walk. While I walked I took photos as is my custom. On the way home from my walk I stopped at Gateway Center thrift store to look at their used books. While at Gateway I looked for a small bookcase to shelf my Mark Twain collection and found a one. I bought the used small book case and one used book titled, ‘Manual For Cleaning Lady’ short stories by Lucia Berlin.

When I got home I unloaded the small book case and then the mail came. In the mail a used book I had ordered arrived, titled, ‘The Modern Tradition: Backgrounds Of Modern Literature’ Edited by Richard Ellmann & Charles Feidelson, Jr..

So has gone by this day thus far. Last night I mainly read from these two books before going to bed-

‘The Outsider’ The Classic Exploration of Rebellion & Creativity By Colin Wilson

‘Venus in Exile: The Rejection of Beauty in 20th-Century Art’ by Wendy Steiner

I am tired so I will close to wait. Tomorrow is a Friday, the last Friday of July 2022.

Gospel assurance

It is 2:04 PM Wednesday afternoon here in West Michigan. It is 77 degrees and sunny. A good day to hang wet clothes on a clothesline.

I got up this morning around 8 o’clock AM. I slept later because last night I went to bed super tired. I also decided to take a half a tab of Xanax to help me sleep. If I was take a whole tab of Xanax it would have knocked me completely out. So I slept late this morning, when I came upstairs I found Carol gone on her morning walk.

I had a normal morning. I wrote in my paper diary and read from a book titled, ‘The Life Of Jesus Christ’ Part Two Volume 2, Chapters 58-89 By Ludolph of Saxony. In this volume I read Chapters 82 and 83. Next I read till Noon, ‘”Dominus Illumination” Commentary On The Davidic Psalms’ Volume II Psalms 26-50 By Denis The Carthusian. In this volume I am on Psalms 35 and 36.

So the day has gone by. I did drive over to Bibles For Mexico thrift store to unload all paper products to be recycled and I went into the store to look at their used books. I found these two used books-

‘The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, & Gospel Assurance-Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters’ by Sinclair B. Ferguson

‘The Winter Vault’ A Novel by Anne Michaels

There is not much else to report. Last night I filmed a video for my Youtube channel and mainly read, ‘Desperate Characters’ A Novel by Paula Fox. Not sure what I will read this afternoon since I usually feel drowsy in the afternoon. I will close to wait.

the splendor of the gospel is grace and mercy

It is 12:33 PM Tuesday afternoon here in West Michigan. It is 76 degrees and sunny today. It feels like Summer 20022 has come to a close. Next week we will be in the month of August. The first week of August our son Josiah and his family will be here for a short six day visit. Our daughter Bethany and her family decided not to visit us this Year due to their spending money on a new kitchen.

I have been awake since 4 o’clock AM this morning. I decided to stop taking along with AvilPM Xanax and Ibuprofen-so I slept lightly last night. Xanax knocks me out at night, but I decided to go drug free to see if I can handle life in a Free Drug Zone. I also had the most horrible weird dreams all night-could not shake them off-these dreams centered around a Motorcycle gang-absolutely weird! Finally around 5:50 AM I got up to face life In Christ Jesus the Resurrection and the Life. When I came upstairs Carol was reading her Bible, she had been up since 4 o’clock AM. Carol left to walk with a friend downtown after we had a season of prayer.

When Carol got back from her walk we shampooed the carpets throughout the first floor of our home. We wanted the carpets to be somewhat clean when Josiah visits with his wife Hannah and two little girls Marika and Lydia/Lydia is still crawling we did not want her crawling on dirty carpet. We are planning on getting new carpet and some kind of wooden floors tile for our dining room in the near future.

After shampooing the carpets I read some of my new Reformation Commentary on Second Corinthians. Now I am trying to finish reading a short story in a slim paperback titled, ‘First Love & Other Sorrows’ stories by Harold Brodkey. Carol just left to take Josie to soccer camp and then to take an elderly friend to get her blood drawn-also pick up bird food-maybe if she has time do some grocery shopping for another friend.

Last night I am too tired to write about right now. I will close to feel wasted.

confessional poetry

It is 4:25 PM Monday late afternoon here in Western Michigan. It is 72 degrees and sunny. I am right now recovering from mowing the lawn and setting up a new printer for our computer. The other day our printer suddenly decided to not work, so we ordered another printer from Amazon. When I got home from the Book Nook this afternoon the printer was on our front porch.

I got up this morning around 7 o’clock AM. When I came upstairs from the Lower Level and found Carol gone, she was out on her daily morning walk. I should take a daily morning walk since I want to be able to walk if I live to be in my 80’s. It would be cool to live to be a 100 years old with the ability to write every day in a paper diary. What does a 100 year old man write about that is different from what a 70 year old man would write? A mystery that might never be solved.

When Carol got back from her walk we had devotions. After devotions I wrote in my paper diary and then I left for the Book Nook around 9:30 AM. Before entering our local public library where the Book Nook is located in the lower level I had to go across the street to Holland City Hall and pay our property/city taxes. We have to pay the city of Holland for the privilege of living in its city. One can own their home but you still have pay thousands of dollars a year for city services etc. . .

The Book Nook was not super busy so I was able to read, ‘Desperate Characters’ A Novel by Paula Fox. I bought these used books today at the Book Nook-

‘Finding the Islands’ poetry by W.S. Merwin

‘Breathing The Water’ poetry by Denise Levertov

‘Travelers Of A Hundred Ages: The Japanese As Revealed Through 1,000 Years Of Diaries’ Donald Keene

‘The Woollcott Reader’ Edited by Alexander Woollcott

When I got home Carol was not here, this morning she gather with the HoHo Girls which is a group of 36 women who are retired nurse or women who worked at Holland Hospital but are now retired. These retired women who worked at one time at Holland Hospital get together for conversation-meals-coffee every month.

I mowed the lawn when I got home from the Book Nook and as I was recovering Carol arrived home around 4:15 PM. So has gone by this day in Redemptive History. God is bring in the Kingdom of Glory. Christ Jesus already brought in the Kingdom of God.

Last night before going to bed I read, ‘Selected Poems Of Anne Sexton’ Edited With An Introduction By Diane Wood Middlebrook And Diana Hume George.

I am tired so I will close to wait. Tomorrow Carol wants us to shampoo the carpet.

nothing is worth doing

It is 2:54 PM Sunday afternoon on a gray, wet, humid ugly day. We have noticed the sounds of birds has ceased in the mornings lately. Another sign of the end of Summer and the coming of Autumn. Next sound we are waiting for are the sounds of crickets are night.

We have had rain for two days, which means everything has gotten water outside. Carol and I have been watering all our plants and the lawn a lot this Summer.

I got up this morning around 7 o’clock AM. When I came upstairs I found my wife as she was yesterday morning. We are always the same in our life patterns. When we die our life patterns will then cease. We will then take up life eternal in fellowship with the Persons of the Godhead. Carol this morning tested herself for COVID-19 and it was negative. It seems everybody Carol knows has COVID-19 or has had it it. I stopped wearing a mask a long time ago. The only time I am really exposed to human beings is when I volunteer at the Book Nook. Of course I could be exposed to COVID-19 by Carol since she is always out mingling with people (the Rat Race).

Carol did go to church this morning since did not have COVID-19. I basically have done nothing today except wait. I did write in my paper diary and did read a little from the book, ‘The Outsider’ by Colin Wilson.

One thing I have noticed more lately is the celebration of ugliness. It is cool down to be ugly. People today buy ugly Art. People today are attracted to filth. Beauty is no longer loved these days.

Last night I do not remember much about. I will close to feel moist.

the birth of America

It is 12:09 PM Saturday afternoon here. I am still seeking to get my bearing’s. I got up this morning around 6:15 AM. I came upstairs and Carol was going grocery shopping. I asked her if she wanted me to go with her? She said yes so I put away my paper diary and books and want grocery shopping with my wife. We got home from food gathering around 9:05 AM and we left soon after getting home to go to the Friends of the Library Used Books Sale five dollar bag sale (this the last day of the used books sale). I bought these used books for five dollars-

‘The Birth Of America: From Before Columbus To The Revolution’ by William R. Polk

‘Restless Nation: Starting Over in America’ by James M. Jasper

‘J. M. W. Turner’ Art History Edited By Ian Warrell With An Essay By Franklin Kelly

‘Flowers In The Dustbin: Culture, Anarchy, And Postwar England’ by Neil Nehring

‘Marianne Moore: Imaginary Possessions’ Poetry Criticism by Bonnie Costello

‘Wallace Stevens: Selected Poems’ A New Selection Edited By John N. Serio

‘Cradle of America: Four Centuries Of Virginia History’ by Peter Wallenstein

‘In The Presence of Mine Enemies: War In The Heart Of America, 1859-1863’ by Edward L. Ayers

‘William Carlos Williams: Selected Poems’ Edited By Charles Tomlinson

‘I Never Met A Story I Didn’t Like Mostly True Tall Tales’ Memoir by Todd Snider

‘Full House: The Spread Of Excellence From Plato To Darwin’ essays by Stephen Jay Gould

‘The Forgotten Characters Of Old San Francisco Including The Famous Bummer & Lazarus And Emperor Norton’ By Robert Ernest Cowan, Anne Bancroft, And Addie L. Ballou

‘The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales’ By Franz Xaver Von Schonwerth [Penguin Classics]

‘M The Man Who Became Caravaggio’ biography by Peter Robb

After the library used books sale Carol and I came home. I soon left to go fill my old 30 year old Dodge van with gasoline ($4.10 a gallon today). On the way home I stopped at Gateway Center thrift store to look at their used books and saw no interesting used books. I did buy though four used CD’s for my Music Collection-Michael Franks ‘dragonfly summer’, Crowded House ‘Woodface’, Steve Wynn ‘Melting In The Dark’ and Aimee Mann ‘Lost in Space’.

So Time keeps going by. Time is now 12:41 PM and I will close to rest.

Babylon

It is 2:58 PM Friday afternoon here in West Michigan. It is 82 degrees and sunny this afternoon.

It has been a typical Friday in my life. Nothing strange has happened today. I got up this morning around 7:15 AM to find Carol gone. This morning Carol met an old friend for breakfast. Carol has lots of friends and is always meeting up with them. So I got up and did what I do ever morning. I wrote in my paper diary and I decided to film a video for my Youtube channel. Carol arrived home around 8:55 AM and Josie rode up on her bike around 9 o’clock AM. Carol and Josie soon left to fold church bulletins at Carol’s church.

I left to volunteer at the Book Nook around 9:30 AM. While at the Book Nook besides helping people buy used books inside the store I bought some more used books from the Friends of the Library Used Books Sale. I bought these used books today-

‘The Works of Mark Twain’ 25 Volumes published in 1901

‘American Emperor: Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America’ American History by David O. Stewart

‘Erik H. Erikson: The Growth Of His Work’ Psychoanalysis By Robert Coles

‘Harmony Of The World’ Stories by Charles Baxter

‘The Jukebox Queen Of Malta’ A Novel by Nicholas M. Rinaldi

‘Norte’ A Novel by Edmundo Paz Soldan Translated By Valerie Miles

‘Venus in Exile: The Rejection of Beauty in 20th-Century Art’ by Wendy Steiner

‘Political Fictions’ essays by Joan Didion

Sotheby’s PRINTS New York November 2 & 3 2006 Auction catalog

Sotheby’s Contemporary Art/Evening New York November 9, 2005 Auction catalog

Sotheby’s PRINTS New York May 3 & 4 2007 Auction catalog

Sotheby’s Contemporary Art New York 14 May 2008 Auction catalog

While I was at the Book Nook when not helping folks I read, ‘Desperate Characters’ A Novel by Paula Fox. I also read ‘Desperate Characters’ before going to bed last night.

It is now 3:21 PM Carol and Josie are home from the Book Nook. I will close to wait.