Today's Reading October 19

Happy Friday.
Yesterday was an interesting day.

• a few weeks ago, two of our three cats got out. I found one, cold and dead, evidently deliberately poisoned. It had been our daughter's favorite. The other one vanished. It was my wife's favorite. So about a month ago, we adopted one from the shelter. Tuesday afternoon it got out, and didn't come back. Dear Wife spent Wednesday, her one day a week off work, calling for it and moping. Late yesterday the afternoon it crawled out of the crawl space under our modest dwelling, so All Is Better Now.
• In the morning I had contact with a person I had once worked with. When push came to shove a few years ago, I ''left to pursue other business interests'' and he remained. Until yesterday. Now he's looking for a job. And I discovered that of the others responsible for my departure, at least one other was unceremoniously fired and one has been massively demoted. I should not grin at all of this, and I will see if I can assist those who were unkind to me. But what goes around .... Several years ago, I had met with the President of the operating company and VP of Operations, and gave them my analysis and recommendations of a course of action to respond to changes in our customer base, corporate structure, and overall market. It became evident that, while I had told them what they needed to hear, it wasn't what they wanted to hear. I left within the year afterwards, being told that my viewpoint was unwelcome and wrong. Virtually everything I'd predicted has come to pass, and now it is too late to adopt my suggestions. A lot of people have been hurt and others will be yet. But the 'company song' was sung the way they wanted, and the guilty escaped with a very nice golden parachute. Oh well. Neither of the two that I met with that day who ignored my recommendations and analyses remain.
  
• I was called in the afternoon twice, once by a headhunter who wants to talk with me in the morning about a big-time process manager job - a very nice position though not in an area I want to live in. The other call was from an HR type in a town that I DO want to live in, we have a phone conference this afternoon.
  

All in all a very interesting day.
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This morning's Old Testament reading begins the book of Jeremiah, with chapters 1 and 2.
Jeremiah was not an accident of nature, any more than you or I. The Lord had him in mind before he was born, just as He did for us. So,

Chapter 1

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

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This afternoon's New Testament reading is 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2.

Chapter 2
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.