CAR MODELS IN HISTORY

With the help of MARINERS on a MARATHON sea excursion, the Pilgrims landed on PLYMOUTH Rock after they made the ESCAPE from CONTINENTAL tyranny of the MONARCH. Over 300 years ago, their EXPEDITION had just begun in the New World as they began to FORD rivers and streams. They were concerned about SPIDERS, HORNETS and WILDCATS as well as other natural dangers. Overhead EAGLES and FALCONS circled. But the GALANT VOYAGERS had found a home in the New World. 

The VILLAGER would settle down in the small METRO area, usually around a fenced fortress. And the MOUNTAINEER would eventually move west over the Appalachians, but never without his COMPASS. He was always on the lookout for a VIPER or BOBCAT. This was a PRELUDE of the later western expansion. Later on these LAND ROVERS would encounter a COUGAR or wild MUSTANG. The PONY was introduced to America by the Spaniards. 

Meanwhile the settlers in both TOWN AND COUNTRY were establishing CIVIC and legal ACCORDS for civilized life. Each town had its own CUSTOM. The local STATESMAN would FOCUS on his LEGACY, while becoming an AMBASSADOR to neighboring settlements. Even though the TEMPO of life was relatively slow, the settlers had to be both FIT and SWIFT to stay safe. Women were RELIANT on an ESCORT sometimes armed with a CUTLASS if they needed to walk through the woods. This provided protection from a MARAUDER or PUMA. 

Home life was nothing like our SUBURBAN communities today. Often a RENEGADE PROWLER would attempt to break in or steal, which was not a MINOR problem. This OUTLANDER would face the FURY of the citizens. With God’s help the Pilgrims survived the challenges of the New World, and eventually moved clear past the ALPINE peaks of the Rocky Mountains. 

Later, a MARQUIS decided to move west.  Not worried about the CHEROKEE he mounted his BRONCO and rode on. He met up with another LAND CRUISER like himself and as CAVALIER as ever, they continued the trek. He had lived in NEWPORT, but it became too crowded. They feared getting lost when they came upon a RANGER, who helped them avoid the JAGUAR and trap the SABLE for fur. 

They traveled on to the southwest and thought they heard the sound of a CORONET. Indeed, it was the horn being played in a FIESTA. But the party was cut short when a CYCLONE was spotted. The next day they stumbled upon a WRANGLER breaking a COLT. One fellow asked the other if they should try to find an AZTEC community, but he simply replied, “No. YUGO.” 

They finally got to the SIERRA range, but it was winter and there was not a LEAF on the trees. After settling in California, they decided to stop traveling and build a GOLF course. They cleared out the BEETLE population and were very successful.

FOREFATHERS MONUMENT

I was not aware of the Forefathers Monument in Plymouth MA, until my friend Nick Montagner told us about it in Bible Study one Friday morning. It’s also been called the “Pilgrim Monument” and the “Faith Monument” and it stands 81feet tall, which makes it the largest free-standing granite structure in the country, and the 3^rd tallest statue.

It was designed by Hammall Billings, who proposed it to the Pilgrim Society in the early 1850’s. He agreed to help raise the funds, and by 1859 there was enough money to lay the cornerstone. However, it was not finished and dedicated until 1889. Cash was hard to come by during the war and, sadly, Billings died in 1874. Thankfully others continued building the structure. Interestingly, Abraham Lincoln donated $10 to the project in 1861.

Our Pilgrim forefathers certainly deserve this honor. Without their courage and faith and wisdom we would not have the USA as we know it today. The plans they had for the New World were laid out in 1620 on the Mayflower Compact, signed by both the Saints and the Strangers on the ship. These forty-one men “joined themselves together as a community of equals for the purpose of self-government in the new world.”

“The pilgrims believed that lawful government was established by God to restrain evil and to advance good on the earth.” This was further clarified in the 1636 “Pilgrim Code of Law” wherein “all its existing laws were compiled into a single volume for greater clarity.” The Pilgrims are best described in a speech by Daniel Webster in 1820.

“We look around us, and behold the hills and promontories where the anxious eyes of our fathers first saw the places of habitation and of rest. We feel the cold which benumbed, and listen to the winds which pierced them. Beneath us is the Rock, on which New England received the feet of the Pilgrims. We seem even to behold them, as they struggle with the elements, and, with toilsome efforts, gain the shore.

 “We listen to the chiefs in council; we see the mild dignity of Carver and of Bradford; the decisive and soldier like air and manner of Standish; the devout Brewster; the enterprising Allerton; the general firmness and thoughtfulness of the whole band; their conscious joy for dangers escaped; their deep solicitude about danger to come; their trust in Heaven; their high religious faith, full of confidence and anticipation; all of these seem to belong to this place, and to be present upon this occasion, to fill us with reverence and admiration.”

All quotations are from the FOREFATHERS MONUMENT GUIDEBOOK.

 COPYRIGHT 2024 BY CARL E GUSTAFSON

A FUTURE VIEW OF CARS

 

I have the view of the future. It’s a future that has been perfected and has become everything we would like it to be. It’s more of a listing of what I see things becoming. It’s extremely optimistic and hopeful. It’s wishful thinking at its best.

             For example let’s look at cars and roads for a start. Not only will there be self-driving cars, they will be absolutely safe with no accidents or breakdowns. If any maintenance is required the car will drive itself to the repair shop while the owner is having lunch or dinner. The cars will be very comfortable and roomy and the roads so smooth it will be like floating along the road. Between satellite controls and radar and sonar modules on the cars, no collisions will ever occur. No pedestrians or animals will ever be hit.

             The car choices will be based on color, size, and accessories. Some drivers will want great sound systems; others will want TV’s or computers. Beds and recliners will be options. If you want to travel across the country you can be very comfortable on the trip. With voice controls you can ask the car to stop at the next restaurant so you can grab a meal or you may decide to visit a friend or relative along the way or you can head to church to worship God – just speak up.

             Every road will be smooth, not just the interstates. No city potholes or manhole bumps. No broken pavement or asphalt will ever be seen, and the painted lines will never fade. There will be a nice wide berm on either side and four lanes will be mandatory. Plus smooth sidewalks will be on both sides of each street. Stop signs and traffic signals will not be needed because the cars will be able to navigate intersections seamlessly.

COMFORT FOR CHRISTIANS WHO ARE AILING OR AGED

For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed -- always carrying about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. And knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

 From 2 Corinthians 4:6-18; 5:1-8 (NKJV)

26 LETTERS AND 88 NOTES

Oh, the music that has been made with this combination! The fabulous songs that have been written! It’s an amazing tribute to God’s creation of language and His gift to men of making instruments and using their voices to sing!

Webster’s has a listing of 470,000 word entries, and that’s just in English. And there have been an estimate of over 100 million songs written worldwide. And there’s room for many more, with new tunes being released continuously. Plus, there are songs that have been written by amateurs and never published. (This author has had a few.)

We could not possibly listen to every song that’s available, so as in every aspect of life we need to make choices. Which kinds of songs, which artists, which instruments, which genre? Some songs make us feel better, others make us want to dance and/or sing, some enable us to worship God through music.

Sadly, some songs are very negative and even harmful. It’s hard to imagine that these bad songs are attractive to any age group, but they are. This is a reminder of the evil and the rebellion in the hearts and minds of humans.

Back to the positive effects of music, here are a few quotes pertaining to its great value.

“Music is like a dream. One that I cannot hear.” – Beethoven 

“Music is the universal language of mankind.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato 

“Music is the art of the prophets and the gift of God.” – Martin Luther 

The Bible speaks often of making music, especially in the Psalms, which has been called the Hymnbook of the Scriptures, as well as in the New Testament.

Psalm 95:1 (NKJV) "Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation."

Psalm 92:1-3 (NKJV) "It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound."

Colossians 3:16 (NKJV) "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Whether we simply listen to good music or sing along with our favorites, music has a healing, uplifting, joyous effect on our body and mind and soul.

MY FAVORITE INVENTIONS

We are blessed with so many inventions that are used today. From the beginning of creation God gave man the ability to conceptualize, design, build, and share useful and helpful gadgets and devices. And there will be many more in the future.

It’s hard to narrow it down to a few favorites, but here goes. The first that comes to mind is the battery. The enabled portability which batteries provide is both convenient and very helpful. Plus it’s life-saving in many situations.

How about the zipper? It fastens everything from clothes to luggage.

The computer is a necessity in this modern age. And today’s cell phone is actually a hand-held computer.

The automobile is a collection of inventions that have evolved over the years to provide us with comfortable and affordable transportation.

The photograph is a boon to our memories. From its birth in 1839, to the modern digital prints, men have been able to record images for posterity. (If only we could keep them all organized)

The television has improved both education and entertainment. It’s bigger than ever and clearer by far, but even the old black and whites were a learning tool.

Pens, pencils, and paper all enable us to communicate with loved ones. These tools are still essential for business and government correspondence.

I could go on, but the basis of all inventions begins with God’s gifts to us in His creation. He made the electromagnetic spectrum; He provided oil and gas; He created elements and minerals for our use, without which no invention would be possible.

In addition, God gave men the gifts and skills to build tools and equipment to manufacture all of the inventions we use today. As the Bible says, “We are fearfully and wonderfully made!” This is so we also can make wonderful things to benefit mankind.

THE REST OF THE PASSAGE

Paul Harvey had the famous “Rest of the Story” segment on radio for a number of years, in which he would share a well-known tale about something or someone and then enlighten his audience with unknown related facts. It was both informative and entertaining.

We sometimes do this with Bible verses. Someone may quote a verse of encouragement or help without the “rest of the passage” that help us understand the context of the scripture being quoted. A few examples follow here.

 "Eye has not seen.” “The Truth will make you free.” “If my people.” “I know the plans I have for you”; also translated “I know the thoughts I think toward you.”

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NKJV) “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Sadly, it can take God’s loving actions in our lives before we humble ourselves and pray, but the promise is still there that He forgives and heals. It’s also sad that not everyone who experiences these events will turn to God.

John 8:30-32 (NKJV) “As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Where do we find this freeing truth? It’s found only in the Bible. Without God’s Word one doesn’t have the truth that will make them free.

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 (NKJV) “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Some say we cannot know what wonderful things God has prepared for us, which is an Old Testament belief. But Paul clarifies that the Holy Spirit reveals this and so much more to his children.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV) “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

The purpose of God’s plans and thoughts toward us is for us to pray, and seek Him and search for Him with all our heart. Thus we will have peace and hope, and we’ll know the future He has for us, revealed by the Spirit.

It’s great that Bible verses are very encouraging and helpful and comforting, but be sure to include the rest of the passage.

CLIMATE CHANGE FREEZE

Some folks think the recent climate change problems are causing colder and snowier winters, as though they have never occurred in the past. The perceived change in winter weather is nothing compared to past low temperatures and blizzards.

According to the Canton Repository of December 25, 2022, in an article by Lisa Sullivan, a list of winter records indicates the severest weather on record.

The lowest temperature in the world was at Vostok Station, Antarctica in 1983, at minus 128.6 F. The lowest in the USA was in Alaska in 1971, at minus 80 F, and for the contiguous states, it was in Rogers Pass Montana in 1954 at minus 69.7 F. The lowest temperature in North America was in The Yukon in 1947 at minus 81.4 F.

The most deadly blizzard in history was in Iran, of all places, in 1972, with 26 feet of snow, killing 4,000 people. The worst blizzard in the USA was in the Northeast in 1888, when up to 58 inches of snow fell, killing 400 people, half of them in New York City. The worst winter in the USA was in 1880-1881, with the Dakotas being hit the hardest.

Of course, some places are always cold, like Eastern Siberia. The cities with the coldest average temperatures in the USA are Fairbanks AK, Duluth MN, Grand Forks ND, Williston ND, and Sault Ste. Marie MI.

So the cold has always been around, and will continue. The Creator positioned the earth on a slanted axis so the seasons occur on a regular schedule in both hemispheres. While the cold continues this winter, we can be assured that spring and summer are not far behind, with more comfortable temperatures on the way. Then, in the heat of July and August, we’ll be looking forward to some cold weather again.

DEATH = LIFE

How can death equal life? I’m thinking more about death these days, since my remaining kidney has a tumor that is most likely cancer. [I’m still praying it’s benign.] My upcoming surgery can go either direction, but it doesn’t do any good to worry or speculate.

However, I am thinking more about the words that Jesus gave Martha after the death of Lazarus in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”

He’s not saying I won’t die in the physical sense. He’s saying that I – my soul – won’t die. My heart will stop beating, but my spirit won’t miss a beat. It sounds to me that I’ll instantly be transported to Paradise, just like the thief on the cross, to whom Jesus said in Luke 23:43, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Death has been described in songs and poems as falling asleep and waking up in Heaven. But, I’m thinking that I will be conscious as I am transported upward. Perhaps the angels will carry me up as they did to the beggar named Lazarus in Luke 16:22, ^“So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.”

I may even be able to see Jesus as Stephen, the first martyr did in Acts 7:55-56, “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” Then as he was stoned, “he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” [Acts 7:60] At least it looked like he was asleep, but he was more awake than he had ever been!

We can’t be both awake and asleep. We are either here on Earth or up in Heaven. Paul confirmed this in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

This is a very comforting truth. It removes the sting and fear of death as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Grave, where is your victory?’"

God will remove the fear of death that has haunted us our entire lives, as it says in Hebrews 2:14-15, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

I must admit, I have feared death and hated the thought of it for most of my life, but now as I am closer to it, as I am approaching the inevitable, unknown darkness of it, I feel God’s comfort, just like David in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” This is not a psychological, self-induced, delusional wistfulness, but a supernatural gift from our loving Heavenly Father to help me in my time of need.

So I can say with Paul in Philippians 1:21-23, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell, for I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.”

I can’t yet say with Paul that I’d rather be absent from the body. I’d prefer to have many more years with my family and friends. But when God wants to take me to my eternal home, because I believe in Jesus, I’m ready to go.

ALWAYS THINKING

 The brain is always thinking, even when we aren’t. I first discovered this while singing in a number of choirs, beginning in Junior High. We would see a new song and practice it a couple of times and set it aside. Then at the next practice, the notes flowed much better, as though we had continued rehearsing it. In fact, our brains had continued practicing the music unawares to us. It was quite amazing to me.

 And even now, with school a distant memory, when I do word puzzles in the Penny/Dell books I have, I’ll be stuck on a puzzle, set it aside, and return to have the answer pop right out. It’s the same with games on my cell phone. I don’t have the answer but, voila, it appears to me the next time I play. My mind continues to work.

 This is due to the non-conscious part of our brain. According to David Rock, Ph.D. “the problem-solving resources of the non-conscious are millions if not billions of times larger than that of the conscious.” Psychology Today (09/18/12)

 Of course, the non-conscious is void without our conscious efforts to think and learn. The effort we put in to evaluate, to solve, and to ponder as we read and listen and discuss with others, all feed the raw data into our mind so it may find a solution we may be seeking. That’s the work of thinking that both adults and children must do in order to learn and increase knowledge.

 The brain, the mind, is an amazing creation of God – a gift to us humans that sets us apart from and above the animals. We can use our brains for good or for bad. What we see and hear will affect our lifelong ability to process the world around us, which is necessary for success in our job, with our family, and finding a relationship with our Heavenly Father.