In other news ...

 I don't think I posted about this here.  I had to put my cat down Aug 20th.  I've been mostly just going about life like usual, but there's a song by The Smiths that takes on new meaning, at least for me, in light of my cat being put down and the fact that I really just can't say what, if anything, happens to animals when they die.  My pastor noted that a lot of the indifference toward religion these days is due to the manufactured society we're living in.  People at least had no choice but to face the death of the animal they were eating once upon a time ago.  Nowadays, in most consumers minds, food doesn't come from animals, it comes from a store.  Peta type people of course act like it's some new thing they've stumbled upon and I do have to wonder how much less meat I'd be eating if I knew my food.  My pastor observed how some people would not be able to help but observe the fact that something had to die so that we could live and not think there is something wrong.

And in that respect, peta are right.  There is something wrong.  Jesus died so that we could live.  We'd be subject to eternal damnation for all the times we judged and spat on other people!  But Jesus WILLINGLY laid aside paradise for 33 years and suffered unjust scorn and bitter rejections so that we can have the option of having an eternal home, with an eternal father, where everything will be safe.  If on the EXTREMELY slim chance that atheist scientists are right and The Bible is just a bunch of poetic guesswork, I still don't see the point in believing that.  I don't believe I'm just being strung along.  But even if it turned out that I was, it's an encouragement to live a kinder life in pursuit of Christ likeness and in turn do my part to make this world a better place.  No body has a perfect track record in that, but it is possible to keep pushing the envelope, increase in generosity, courtesy, empathy, etc..  (I do believe I could do better at all of those things.)

Anyway....

Before typing this I created an existential/grief playlist.  Figured I'd post it here.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1CNV5sNf1ZOF98QmB21dNx?si=gSXmx3NQT8ORUyH3XzKYdQ&pi=bqzkCtyyQ0Cta

Unsatisfied, now what of it ..

 We are the world, saving each other's lives 

We are thus disappointed.

I have to wonder how much of the increase in kidnappings, mass shootings, and other heinous crimes would have been avoided if people entrusted themselves to God rather than people. This culture at some point let its' guard down. I don't know exactly when it started, but it's gotten worse and man's inclination to rebel against God has been unattended to and thus many kids have been growing up with minimal guidance. People have a false sense of security, instead of pummelling sin into the ground, people give it an inch and it begs for more rope for us to hang ourselves.

Seek Yahweh, The Heavenly Father, of The Resurrected Jesus Christ — while you still have the opportunity to do so. He will give you the power to live uprightly, for the most part, more and more so the more that you seek Him.