Sliver

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splinter

The definition of sliver, according to the dictionary, does include that which makes up a splinter.  A small fragment of wood is not a splinter.  A splinter is a very light piercing of the skin from a sliver.  I have lots of slivers, I'd presume anyway, since I don't clean my living quarters very often.  I have had far less splinters.

I find it hard to believe that anyone not stuck 75 miles out in the middle of the woods with no access to TV or radio doesn't have a familiarity with the word "splinter".  Up until recently I was completely unaware that a splinter was sometimes known as a sliver.  If my disbelief is unwarranted, I'd like to know.  Unfortunately it seems I'm mainly just talking to myself here.

Ureika

 I almost sent this to my pastor.  I got to the end and realized there's a perfectly sound solution to this matter that doesn't involve wasting his time.

"I was trying to read Isaiah ch30 earlier today.  First 5 verses, he's talking directly to the Israelites.  The header for vs 6 says "oracle against beasts in Negev". Is that part of the original text?  If so, that would make sense, given the overall heaviness of obscure symbolism in this section of Isaiah.  I started this week sometime reading ch26.  [X] was saying he had just finished reading ch28 so I figured I'd start somewhere in that general area.  I don't remember the exact context of Isaiah but I do remember it was largely God rebuking the people for various wrongs they'd carried out.  Chapters 26-29 weren't any exception(s).. I'm guessing vs6 and 7 is God speaking to Isaiah about the Israelites... The header gets me expecting to read exactly that; an oracle against the beasts.  So far it seems like I'm reading about the proverbial beasts...it says "they" travel to Egypt (with a bunch of words in between) ... I guess I should just survey all the  disparate pieces and then run through it again and piece them together... seems like an odd way to read but then again that royalty guy probably felt likewise about being told to take a bath to be healed of his leprosy..."

I'll update this blog once I finish executing my attempt at the above strategy.

UPDATE: I finished reading it...I think I was having difficulty with it because I was trying to read it out loud and the inclusion and placement of various words seemed to me to very dense and I couldn't read what I was seeing on the page out loud with any kind of expression because so much of it is not obvious as to what it's saying.  The only thing I get out of the passage is that God is seriously pi**ed off and wants people to stop whatever it is they are doing wrong.  There's a passage that sounds like it might be referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit and then there's passages that talk about the future which I can only imagine are written for the benefit of future generations and have no intention of comforting anyone who would have been reading them at the time...or maybe I'm wrong about that... maybe some of the not *as* guilty folks who'd gone to Hell pre-Jesus got a 2nd chance to enter Heaven or maybe they were let in graciously...idk.  He says things throughout like "I won't be burn against you forever" which to me sounds like possibly what I just described or at least something similar to it.  I guess maybe He means the collective "you", like collectively everyone who will ever read this text...but the sentence doesn't indicate that.  Not every person who has read The Bible is an Israelite.  And the people who live today and in previous centuries are not the same people who read these prophecies.  So it's really confusing.  The only thing I can think of is the questions I'm asking aren't really relevant.  God does not promise to save the world.  He does promise to offer salvation to it, and it's a given that some people won't get it.  I don't think it makes sense to think God preemptively rejects people on the basis of hatred, which seems to be how many people preach on Romans ch9.  God even tells His people in Matthew 18:18: It's up to Christians to hold the door to the Kingdom open.  If we just give someone an invitation to church and let them be, not talking to them, not encouraging them and challenging them, it is their responsibility to take the invitation but the only thing that might keep them from going is sins that they committed and kept adding to and were encouraged to hide or defend.  God's people are not required to protect every person from falling into sinful patterns of deed and thought.  God's people would be much more numerous if more people were as concerned about the future of humanity as they really should be.  It is beyond tiring though and I believe God understands that but I don't think he's necessarily *happy* about it.  He does confirm it however and accepts the outcome.  That would have been a lot for Paul to include in Romans ch9 and I don't think people would have read and responded to it in a way that God would be glorified in.  God doesn't want a kingdom of Marthas rushing to get everything done and stressing out over everything. He certainly doesn't want an ongoing debate about "Who'se more loving than who?".  Or people despairing over their role in humanity s destruction.  Plenty of people deny God based on a linear meat and potatoes interpretation of Romans 9.

Clutter

I was reading Isaiah ch28 this morning and was confused...  I noticed while trying to research the point of reference regarding an obscure piece of symbolism that the word "as" was included in the text.  He wasn't going to rise AT the mountain, He was going to rise AS AT the mountain.  The word "as" in italics.  The explanation for cluttering up a sentence with squiggs didn't make a bit of sense.  And the concept is rather irrelevant unless you're some serious Bible student, which would require hours of history lessons and possibly multiple seminaries. Most if not all words in The Bible were not found in the English text. My ol pastor was telling me (in more neutral terms) that when The Bible says "loving kindness", it's actually watering down the original Hebrew word because there is no English word that succinctly encompasses it.  Maybe I don't particularly remember lk being italicized because it's such a distinct word you can't confuse it as being a verse number or something.

Someone was making a Bible concordance and felt the need to insert verse numbers a few hundred years ago. I think verse numbers are a lazy person's guide to Bible reading.  You can get some seriously flawed understanding if you hear some person saying "Well.. The Bible says this". Ya?  What verse?  Ooh..I guess it does say that.  I've actually been advised to be aware of context when I'm reading The Bible apparently because I'm one of those weirdos who understands when Paul says "Hello, Philippians" that the book of Philippians is a letter that he wrote to the Phillipian believers.  I have never found it useful or even entertaining to just read some selection of verses from The Bible.  It's one thing when you're buying and looking at home decor but I don't consider that to be Bible reading.  It is good opportunity to meditate on it assuming you're familiar with the context.  Matthew 7:1 is not something to meditate on unless you understand it in context.  And people constantly take it out of context.  And in all truthfulness, it probably is safer to just not judge.  If you look strictly at Matt7:1, you're setting yourself up for Hell if you have any negative opinions about someone else's actions.  From what I've read, God did accept Jeffrey Dahmer into His kingdom but that doesn't mean whoever was in charge of whatever jurisdiction of The USA he was tried and convicted in was committing a sin.  People say "We all have the capacity..." And true, many of us, if not all of us, probably would be mass murderers if it were not looked down on by parents and punishable by most jurisdictions in the US.  Jeffrey Dahmer wasn't raised in some pagan culture.  His evil actions were a threat to anyone who crossed paths with him.  My own perverted tendencies of thought offend God and have maybe an indirect negative impact on other people and although my sins against God are probably not a significant stretch from Jeffrey Dahmer's, I find it difficult to believe that is true with most professing Christians or even ordinary working folk.  The important thing is not to delude yourself into thinking you're the most evil person that's ever lived.  The important thing is to realize your sin, whatever it is or how justified you feel in it, is an offense to God and should be dying if not altogether dead.

Anyway...got a little off topic sorta...

ppphh

 Still inhaling my vomit.  What else is new?

I was supposed to spend half the day in Athens today.  I thought I'd be asleep by now.  I've been awake since 1am after falling alseep at apprx 10pm.  I called the people who were expecting to meet with me and drive me over there and told them I'm not feeling up to it.  I might end up falling asleep shortly.  They're probably in the middle of enjoying being over there.  idk.  

Last night I was at soup night for a little over 2 hrs.  Probably more like 2.5.  My ride lives right down the street from me, so I went with her to take care of something she'd volunteered to do that evening before going home.

Tomorrow...is Wednesay?  I don't have anything planned that day.
I got groceries on Sunday.  So I'm well stocked on food yet again.  I have plenty of milk and...*probably* enough creamer...it's going by kinda fast, it seems to me like...maybe I'm just oversensing the lack of content in the container...like "it's already 1/5 of the way empty!  Noooo..."  (rolls eyes).  I might be able to get more creamer from Walmart to be delivered.  Some food items I can get delivered for free.  I don't know if it's because of my EBT rcving or they just offer that in general...it's not all food items, just an odd assortment of various things...I kinda doubt I can get liquid creamer delivered...I *could* be wrong..I'll have to check when I get done yacking about myself here....

Um..

Idk.  I spent a long weekend with my sister & co.  a couple weeks ago.  That was awesome.  I got over there midday Friday and was there until my usual time, got home about 3 or 4pm, somewhere around that point...I was also supposed to meet with folk at the church on Sunday but I just figured "count me out" because I had no idea how long it'd take to get everything done on Sunday afternoon after church ie: groceries.  I thought I'd be done later than I was the week before...maybe I was and I just misread the time or misremembered what I'd saw on the clock when I was thinking about it...idk.  It seems like I could have tentatively gone over there and had a ride from my sister, but I didn't think of that until she mentioned it.  I don't get why.  The only thing I can think of is I just didn't want to go, when all comes around.  I do realize it's nourishing to the soul to be around Godly men and discuss God's revelations with others, but...idk.  I guess I wanted to be able to come home and enjoy some of the food that I'd bought.  "Their God is their stomach.  Their glory is their shame."  I really have to just hope that doesn't characterize me.

tyran

Failure 1) I didn't read The Bible Saturday

Failure 2) I didn't take my antipsychotics Saturday night

Failure 3) I didn't read The Bible Sunday monring.

AYG!  So I've struck out again, falling into the usual web of temptation....

I'm probably not as miserable as I should be.