Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 29 December 2018

Last Saturday in 2018.  Lord willing, in just a few days we will say a farewell to the year 2018.

We are now more than a week into official Winter.  A long way until official Spring, and longer still until decent weather.  But it could be worse.  Been through worse, so I know.  Tomorrow will be a whole 32 seconds of "day" better than today has been, so right now we are gaining an additional 4 seconds + the amount gained yesterday.  Meaning today was 28 seconds more than yesterday was, tomorrow will be 32 more than today, etc.  So, I guess, in the not too distant future, we'll be gaining more than a minute per day, and that "more" will be increasing in amount.  Long way until 12 hours of "day", but we're heading in the right direction.  But from a mere 9 hours 13 minutes today, we have a very long way to go.

The morning was interesting.  Generally, over the last few years, my sister and her husband come through the area twice per year, and grant me a whole hour or so to meet with them.  Today, this very morning, was that occasion.  Wife was too sick to come along.  They came, and brought middle brother with them.  They just retired, that brother is still about two years away from it.
We spent about 80 minutes talking, then off they went.  Tomorrow morning the plan is to head back to Virginia.  So much for family time for the year.  Better than running into them at funerals, as was too often the case.

I made a stop for Wife, then home.  Then across the yard to next door.  Niece & husband had a sudden errand that could not be delayed, HAD to be done today, without fail, and end-of-the-year thing.  So ....  we "watched" the 6-year-old great-niece and the 18-month-old great-nephew for a couple of hours.   The errand was successful, much more so than they'd expected or even dared to hope, so all is good on that front.

I had to go with Wife on this detail.  She was, and is, in bad shape.  If she's not better by Monday morning, it's time to try to get into doctor.  Failing that, we hear that there is some sort of doc-by-email option.  I think she's been battling yet another of her frequent sinus infections.  All too frequent.  But we shall see:  I've seen instances where she was in good (for her) condition in 36 hours, others where she was in the ER in 36 hours.    Just another day.

Ends of the year like this are not a great time for me.  I don't do the big drunken parties, never have.  Have seen, in my various roles, the less than wonderful results that too often occur.  And the combination of weather, darkness, my own somewhat less than sunny disposition, and the regrets of wasted days and wasted nights, in conjunction with a less than rosy future, don't make for a great atmosphere.  But we shall see.

My sincere wish that all have a safe and wonderful New Year and that 2019 is a wonderful one for all.

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Today, the completion of the book of Zechariah, chapters 13 and 14.

Zechariah 13

1In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

2And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

3And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.

4And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

5But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

6And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

7Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

8And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

Zechariah 14

1Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

3Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

6And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

8And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

9And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

10All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

11And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

13And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

14And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

15And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.

16And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

17And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

18And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

19This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

20In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE Lord; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

21Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.