Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 28 September 2018

Wild rant alert:

I know, know very well, the importance of focusing on the really important matters.  And the distinction between the important and the urgent.  But some times .....
We have cats.  Well, Wife does.  We first got cats 20+ years ago, several states ago, at a time when our various situations, especially our finances and health,  were much different.  We /she now have three, including the "rescue" one.  (And, I am not a "pet person".  Never have been.  At least cats don't bark.).  One acts as a service animal for Wife, he seems to know when she's not doing well and provides some emotional comfort to her.  All of them inside creatures only, and, therefore, we have to provide food and kitty litter.  Can get into a fair amount.  We found that the most cost-effective approach (short of drowning them all) was to order the stuff monthly from an on-line supplier named Chewy.  Good stuff, good prices, and they deliver right to the door via Fed Ex.  Note, that is FedEx Home, not quite the same people as the ones who I used professionally for many years in many places, mission-critical stuff.  Our monthly shipment was due yesterday afternoon.  Never showed.  Checking with them revealed the stuff was shipped Wednesday, for delivery yesterday (Thursday) as usual.  But FedEx claims they can't locate our address!  Now, this is the same bunch that has mis-delivered four deliveries in three years, including one or two to the wrong STREET!  We spoke with local terminal, thought we had stuff explained.  Nope.  Can't locate the address.  Part of  problem is that they are using Google's maps function, the "street view" portion.  Unfortunately, that view was last updated in 2011, SEVEN YEARS AGO!, our place wasn't even here at the time, but several since-demolished houses were.  The "satellite view", a simple overhead view, updated this year, shows our place quite nicely, and also reflects accuracy with regard to several places where the demolished houses are shown gone.  But evidently, such expertise is beyond these people.

So, I'm not in a great mood, as I prepare to go down the street to a "dollar store" and get enough litter and cheap dry food to last a couple days.  FedEx just notifies us, again, that delivery will be tomorrow.  Yeah, right.  Is basic competence too much to ask?  Apparently so.



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speaking of looking at the long-term really important stuff, here is Isaiah



Isaiah 57

1The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

2He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

3But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

4Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

5Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

6Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

7Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

8Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

9And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

10Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

11And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

12I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

13When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;

14And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

17For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

18I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

19I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.

20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Isaiah 58

1Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

2Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

3Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

4Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

5Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

6Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

8Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.

9Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

10And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

11And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

12And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

13If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

14Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

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Proverbs 24

1Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

2For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

3Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

4And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

6For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

7Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

8He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

9The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

10If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

11If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

12If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

13My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

14So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

15Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

20For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

21My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

22For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

27Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

28Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

30I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

31And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

33Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

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1st Timothy 4

1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

6If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

7But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

9This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

10For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

11These things command and teach.

12Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

13Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

15Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

16Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.