Mass Incarceration: Hmmm – What does that Mean?

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Well have you given this any thought??  Funny me!

Went to prison today! Started talking about how modern humanity regarding the Middle East around the world tends to jump off nearest cliff and then tries to justify it! Worse in America we have young people who bye and support words they themselves can not define – like Mass Incarceration and decolonization – the cliff jumpers!
I wonder does the reader know?
Well wouldn’t you know two lifers got into the stinky human (pride) argument that has a destination head strong toward the cliff! Question runs through my mind and I begin to wonder  “Oh Lord what the heck am I doing”?
You know Faith and Trust are sometimes oh so difficult to hold onto!
So one lifer finally has had enough and abruptly walks out! Sounds like America and the world today? Well folks, I gotta pull the Hope hiding in my pocket (helps if your Catholic) and we begin our Communion Service! Yes we did – 1!
We manage to get through the readings and reflect upon the nature of humanity and that of the Son of God who came to teach us what we often don’t really what to know! The Truth about our nature from the very beginning! That dang tree is mine or something very close – very close is LBGTQ! Yep man’s desire to recreate old selfie into whatever man wants!
Do we know the leaders of Jesus day just had to shut him up! This Truth thing gets in our selfie way! Well the Son of God is far smarter than I! He knew He had to teach without speaking! Yes it was the non verbal Suffering that communicated the pathway to the narrow gate always open to those who choose to take the deep dive!
Well as the bread of Life is being who – just who walks back into the room??
Lord Have Mercy has long arms! Thank You Lord! The power of forgiveness works! And just before we has prayed the Our Father. “Forgive us our trespass’s as we forgive those who trespass against me! The Two lifers embraced – Holy Smokes!
Yep I was the student again today!
There is an explanation to this story that can be very hard to see! During the past month one lifer was up for parole and his hopes were high!
“Lifer” is a term that carries a heavy load because these lifer’s both received sentences that included the possibility of Parole after 15 years!
Keep in mind both have been incarcerated over 30+ years! Perhaps the best description of their circumstance is they get to ride on an annual Parole Roller Coaster most of us never think about.
As parole time approaches their hopes begin to ride high as the coaster approaches the peak of the highest point the rail of reality for them! The anticipation and emotions increase as each approaches the moment of receiving the official decision!
Who am I that I get to ride along being unaware and not included in the exact decision process or notice! Repeat the ride over 15+++ times over and one begins to get to stare again and again at the consequences of that day many long ago!
Yes this is an annual test!  Many ever so many are ignorant that it even exists – the ride to the Top and then Oh My! Mass Incarceration what is that?  Do we really know?  Bet not many do!
Freedom and Liberty always have a cost! Ever so many in our modern world are caught up in an unreality of the true cost of Truth!
Crucified – the cost!  Mini crucifixions – I walk where so few ever consider even ever giving any thought let alone enter the story!
For me this ministry has lead me to a doorway!  Hope has lead me here!  Will Justice and Mercy ever embrace and kiss?  Please pray for these men!

Walnuts:

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Ten or more years ago I planted Walnut Trees on a new 34 acre property my wife and I purchased. This week October 3, 2022 I stopped by the property for a look see. As I drove by the Walnut Trees I noticed some had green walnuts hanging in the branches. Upon further investigation I found numerous Walnuts had fallen to the ground. I began to pick them up one or two at a time. Before I knew I had a bucket full.

I took them home and on the way I began to reflect upon the walnuts hidden inside the husks. Some still green and others had already turned black. What to do? How does one recover the nut hidden inside the husk? After watching a video I ventured into trying to de-husk the walnuts.

Oh woe is me!! I filled the bucket with water, began to stir the walnuts in hope the husks would fall apart. No such luck! So next I tried using a spoon handle to extract the husks from the nuts. Those that had already tuned black peeled rather easily. Those that were still green no suck luck. Before I knew it I had soaked my hands in the raw walnut soup I had created. Oh Oh!! I pulled my hands out for a moment! My Oh My – my hands are black!!

Quickly to the sink with warm water and soap! No luck, no luck, no such luck! Next to my handy computer – search “how clean walnut stain from skin” I pray – yes I pray!!

Stain stain go away – black hands I pray! I began to reflect upon my youth when my dad took me to a large house near the street. It had a huge walnut tree near the street. It was in the fall. My dad showed me all the walnuts – multiples of walnuts covered the ground. I still remember, I was just a kid 7 or 8. My dad told me the walnuts could stain things but that memory hit me just a little late at 80 years old.  Just a kid and I remember — Yikes I have black hands!

White Vinegar next, hydrogen peroxide next, vegetable oil next, warm water and soft scrub and brush! Lord have mercy the stain remains! I am a marked man and my wife will be home so very soon! Lord have mercy!

Ah sucks — Not going to be able to hide this stain!

Well! I surrendered! The good Lord had giving me a blessing to reflect upon – a stain that wouldn’t go away soon! What’s this all about Lord?

Nature and the Holy Spirit speak through the nature of a walnut! Yes I know how crazy “a Walnut”!! It has a hard husk to protect the growing nut inside as it grows and develops. Oh yes, as the walnut matures over time the walnut husk begins to turn black slowly and finally falls to the earth.

It lays patiently waiting for someone like me to find and pick it up – completely depending upon curiosity to investigate! Yes a hard husk to protect it as it matures and then begins to soften into a mush with a unique ability to stain one’s skin. Yet hidden inside a real treat – yes protected by the hard hard shell of the walnut as if to protect it’s heart!

The gift and treasure within in hiding! Nutrients with the potential to sustain life. Imagine two hard layers of protect the inner core – the heart of the Walnut. Given time the shell will soften and disintegrate back into the earth. To die and be transformed as nutrients so that future new life can be reborn again! And yes the gift to the taste buds – the walnut provides the needed nutrients to sustain there treasure of new life more abundant for those with eyes to see and mind willing to open to the potential hidden within a very hard husk!

The Cost of a Misstep:

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Beyond these Stone Walls:

Charlene has learned something about mercy. The lesson did not come cheap, as her memoir describes. Only such a wounded healer could call upon the Church’s shepherds with the force of having lived the Gospel of Mercy, to refine the voices they are listening to in all this. “What kind of shepherds,” she wrote. “abandon their sheep when they make a misstep.”

I hope someone will open and read the following link:

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/voices-from-beyond/drinking-from-the-saucer?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=64d6fbdd75edc55ad4addfb7&ss_email_id=64d7679a8f6372475ca904bc&ss_campaign_name=Drinking+from+the+Saucer&ss_campaign_sent_date=2023-08-12T11%3A06%3A27Z

Beyond These Stone Walls: Prison and the Cross:

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Some months ago in my search to find myself amidst life’s twists and turns I found the web site “Beyond these Stone Walls”:   I subscribed to this site and now receive periodic updates.

The following post is associated with the spiritual struggle of one who finds themselves in a prison – not necessarily by choice yet very much confined by circumstances in life.

The Cross of Human Suffering:

I have to say it was a lesson unexpected as a result of ministering to prisoners and then encountering the essence of a prison one can not see yet can be imposed.  What I discovered through reflection on this reality is the unspoken message Jesus Christ communicated while hanging on the cross.  The language used in the message is the unspoken word clearly passed through the cross of human suffering.

Jesus Christ – The Way:

In order for one to begin to understand this language of the cross, one must suffer sufficiently that one becomes willing to search in earnest to find the narrow gate “hidden in the cross” and then be brave enough to take the necessary deep dive into the abyss of life required to find oneself and there the answer that lies in wait.

The reward one finds when they take the deep dive is simply this:  One begins to see with spiritual eyes and one begins to hear with spiritual ears that which has always been present.

Another example of a journey to discover “the already and not yet” doorway only possible with ones cross!

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/posts/for-pornchai-moontri-hope-and-hard-work-build-a-future?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=64c0d419c7d6884f8cdf115b&ss_email_id=64c0fd132875624279b75a03&ss_campaign_name=For+Pornchai+Moontri%2C+Hope+and+Hard+Work+Build+a+Future&ss_campaign_sent_date=2023-07-26T11%3A06%3A01Z

New Beginnings

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Hey to Lily and Molly!  July 2023, beginning of new adventures.  Junior in College, my how time flies.  Graduation from High School with dreams of new adventures in College and the world.

What am I going to be when I grow up?  Whom am I?

Was asking my self that question over 60 years ago.  Never dreamed I would do the things I have.  Never dreamed one day I would program computers in the Nations busiest Air Traffic Facilities.  Never dreamed I would make changes to the software program “on the fly” (real time).  Nervous and jerky was I!  I knew it wouldn’t take long for the computer to give me the answer out if my changes worked.

Dreams — Today, Tomorrow, and Unexpected:

So it is today in 2023, I wonder what will unfold in the world of your dreams are wrapped up?  I wonder if I will ever even find out what your dreams are?  I wonder if you are able to see and articulate the “Spiritual War” that is raging and unfolding as I write this post?

Barriers Unseen – the Nature of Humanity:

Hidden within human nature barriers exist!  Stumbling blocks await!  Wounds and hurts accumulated especially as a child unaware.  Have not heard a word from your mother since 2006 or so.  Intense is my description!  Kinda like being fully awake and alert and one enters the code into a computer with fingers crossed all the while trusting in a gift one was born with yet having no idea until later in life!

Forgiveness – Really – Is it Possible?:

The real test of growing up and becoming mature!  When one reaches 50 years a testimony has been clearly articulated.  Multiple phone calls and trips speaking without using words – one who pursues even when rejected “Forgives”.  Not so easy to understand or accept!

Hope One Day to Hear your Voices:

Really Real 2023: The Donkey and the Tiger:

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The Donkey told the Tiger.  The grass is blue.

The Tiger replied:  No the grass is green.

The discussion became heated, and the two decided to submit the issue to arbitration, and to do so they approached the Lion.

Before reaching the clearing in the forest where the Lion was sitting on his throne the donkey started screaming:  “Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue!”

The Lion replied :  “True, the grass is blue”.

The Donkey rushed forward and continued:  “The Tiger disagrees with me and contradicts me.  Punish him!”

The King then declared:  “The Tiger will be punished with 5 years of silence.”

The Donkey jumped for joy and went on his way, content and repeating:  “The grass is blue.”

The Tiger accepted his punishment, but he asked the Lion:  “Your magistracy, why have you punished me, after all, the grass is green?”

The Lion replied:  “In fact the grass is green.”

The Tiger asked:  “So why do you punish me?”

The Lion replied:  “That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green.  The punishment is because it is not possible for a brave, intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with a Donkey, and on top of that to come and bother me with that question.”

The worst waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who doesn’t care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his belief’s and illusions.  Never waste time on discussions that make no sense…  There are people who for all the evidence presented to them do not have the ability to understand, and others who are blinded by ego, hatred and resentment, and the only thing they want is to be right even if they aren’t.