Monday, December 9

Author walljm

I have been writing on the web since 2000. I am a christian , a photographer, an occasional poet, a recovering dreamer, an occasional philosopher, a software developer, an autodidact, and I resemble the INFP personality type.

Trump is a divisive figure and there has been a lot of argument about his presidency.  Since it is near election day, I figured now is the time for me to be open about why I can’t, in good conscience  vote for Trump. The bible has plenty to say about what God does and does not want in people and leaders. Micah 6:8 “He hath shown thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” The book of Micah in…

Its a frustrating time.  Politics are polarizing.  There is a lot of lying and half truths being spread on the internet.  This is especially true when there is a lot at stake, as there is when there is a pandemic, or in politics when the opposing sides have dramatically opposed positions. The motivations for lying are pretty basic.  Greed and Pride have been with us since nearly the beginning of time.  Hackers create fake news stories because they know that controversial and inflammatory articles drive traffic and traffic drives ads and that makes them money.  Political parties and their members…

1) The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien 2) The Trials of Apollo, Book Three, The Burning Maze – Rick Riordan 3) Bitterblue – Kristin Cashore 4) White Sands, Volume 2 – Brandon Sanderson 5) Infinity Gauntlet (graphic novel) – Jim Starlin 6) The Delirium Brief – Charles Stross 7-11) Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians 1 – 5 12) Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 3: The Ship of the Dead – Rick Riordan 13) Guardian – A. J. Hartley 14) Brief Cases – Jim Butcher 15) Bilbo’s Last Song – J. R. R. Tolkien 16) The Black…

2017 was a good year for books. I came in at just under 50 for the year. Next year I’d like to have a few more non fiction books in the list.  Here is the list: 1 # No God But One: Allah or Jesus – Nabeel Qureshi – Jan 2 # The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – Becky Chambers – Jan 3 # Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asguard – The Sword of Summer – Rick Riordan – Jan 4 # Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asguard – The Hammer of the Gods -…

heal me father, for i suffer i am in sore distress lay your cooling touch upon my troubled brow bestow peace unsurpassing upon the turmoil of my heart — 4/10/10 – 143

Chicago was beautiful.  The weather was cool, and the wind off the lake did not disappoint.  I checked out the Shedd Aquarium and the beluga whales and dolphins put on a show.  I saw the lake, and the city, and hung out with my nieces and nephew and older brother and his wife, and generally had a really good time. Then I was off towards Saint Joseph, MO to see my other brother and my newest nephew.  I followed the Illinois River and stopped a couple of times to take in the scenery, then crossed over to the Mississippi and…

I’m sitting in a coffee shop downtown, listening to the music playing in the background, and the pleasant murmur of conversation.  Chicago is a cool 69, and not so windy today.  Yesterday’s riding was harder than expected.  I think the toll of the trip had started to catch up to me, so having a couple of days to chill is welcomed.  I’m going to explore the city a bit, then sit down to do some reading and hopefully some writing.

I left the McDonalds and headed west.  I quickly found that US50 was boring and after about an hour of straight road, two lanes either direction, I pulled off and took a detour through Wayne National Forest.  I stuck to smaller roads after that, no more than one lane in either direction. Ohio can be beautiful.  Some rolling hills that eventually flattened out into farm land.  Miles and miles of little houses and farms, surrounded by the new growth of corn, just a foot or so high, shades of green varying from a deep verdant green to lighter greens verging…

I’m sitting in a McDonalds in Philippi, WV.  The sounds of old men talking and catching up about this and that murmur in the background.  One gentleman asks another, “Is your wife still livin?”  Such candor is unexpected, but it makes me smile. :) I spent the night in Blackwater Falls State Park.  The day and night have been clear and dry and the temperature cool.  A fire after setting up camp was welcome as temperatures fell after dark.  I drifted off to sleep to the smell of wood smoke and the gentle sounds of distant campers and crickets. The…

pour out your soul, my brother and let the rich effusive emotion spread out upon the sacrificial stone. embrace the whirlwind, my brother the shifting maelstrom of change until completed you emerge the man you were meant to be. — 4/9/10 – 141 #favorite

To know God.  That is the full measure and purpose of the Christian life.  We know God in many ways, both by searching out and listening to what He has revealed to us about Himself, and by experiencing Him through relationship, by abiding in Him through obedience, by interacting with Him through prayer. In the last article, we spoke of God’s eternal nature.  In this article I want to talk about His unchanging or immutable nature. The fact that God is unchanging provides the Christian with a number of important guarantees, not the least of which is confidence that God’s…

1 2 3 118