The Week That Was - Ending 10/9/26 - Open Memoir - What Exactly is the Definition of Evil?

 

When I'm reading, if I don't understand a sentence, I go back and read it again and, maybe even again...until I understand why the writer wrote something as it appears... I got the habit early in my life, directly out of children's songs I learned...in Sunday School... Like the one above... As I listen to it now, I cringe inside of me... You see, I took the song literally as I was prone to do... First of all, my mother never told me anything about that "being" that is covered in the song. But, after listening and learning the words to this song, I got the message... Throughout my life, I have never willingly said that "D" word except maybe in a silly song that was somewhat of a joke just in the words... Even then I would not acknowledge it as being a part of my life... Yes, I have some pretty strong opinions, once decided to be my Truth... Hopefully, it comes close to God's Truth...

So, of course, when I heard this song by Charlie Daniels, I began to think about "betting..." and promptly made my choice for life... Nope! No betting for money, for anything... It's a stupid choice to ever make in my opinion... And, I've never placed a bet, bought a ticket, or listen to whatever tv ad that declares that I would be "excited" or whatever... Geesh... how do we get into these messes of our lives, I have always wondered...

When I finished the latest book (see below) I was reading this morning around 4 AM, one of the things from that book had immediately come to mind...  There were several short discussions between different people on exactly what evil was... I understood what was being said and perhaps agree to some extent... But then I got to thinking about today's world, how we had arrived to where we are, as I see it (and perhaps, I say, perhaps, because I'm not quite sure, but I believe that the majority of people around the world believe as I do... Or do they? I'll be pondering that if I can ever get back to reviewing and talking about books...  Two behind as of right now...

It's been a bad week for me from a purely personal standpoint... My frustration level, you might say, hit the explosion level. Sure, I've admitted I've lied--as appropriate--for mostly my own protection. We see it in childhood, and can recognize that it's a learned action based upon fear of being scolded--or worse...But at some point, each of us has formed our own choices on how we wanted to live. And that normally includes decisions about how strong, and willing, we are to speak OUR truth...

Me? I was one of those who didn't lie. I didn't say anything. The so-called lie of omission... I don't think it was intended in my life. The fact is that I was the last of four children. My father died before I was born. and my mother immediately had the total burden on her slim shoulders. She didn't have the time or energy, or maybe even the words to spend time trying to explain about not telling lies, or doing this or that, or whatever. She lived her life; her children watched and learned... If one of us--me--took everything literally as it was happening and formed some type of, perhaps, extraordinary moral code, nobody every bothered to discuss that with me--at any time or any place, especially not in church.

I met Jesus, My Savior, through music that spoke to me... It wasn't every song. Some, like the first one above, taught me what I didn't want in my life... But, Jesus... Jesus came to my door and knocked... And all I had to do was open my heart and He would come in...

And He did... It was much later in my life, when His gifts started. I was prepared, though, and had no doubt about what was happening... And then, He spoke through the book I just finished:

Plausible Liars by Lin Wilder

"Never deny the goodness of the gifts God has given you, Kate. That's false humility." He was right; she knew the instant he said the words..."

You See, that was a message, I believe--a God Incident if we wish to continue to use that phrase...  I don't know how or when, but I will begin to share about the gifts God has given to me. Some I may not even yet understand, but, they are part of my life as a child of God...

But I'm not in a frame of mind to be joyful unto the Lord and be thankful... I'm not. He knows it; I know it...

When you feel a need to hug every Black woman you meet for fear of what is happening, there is no time for Joy... When you find yourself not able to trust many people, as they interact with me, A child of God just like everybody else, then, I can feel His pain as well... It may be in His Plan... Or He indeed is in control, as the message I received clearly shared... but trust in human beings, men in particular, has become a heavy burden... And when you've allowed God into your heart, I believe, you, too, will feel the pain being thrown at millions of people across the world, who are just as fed up as I am... And we cry out: WHY?

And yet, we also know not only the why, but the who... We see it... I see it... But the question always returns... WHY?

I do believe that we were made in His Image... But, over 2000 years has passed and things have happened to each one of us that affects how we view the world... I can read the story written by another and know that it could never be my story. That's not a negative statement. That's the reality of living in a world of different people, each with different life experiences... And, let's face it, after so long? Few of us really know much about our own family members... We only know what we perceived through our personal lens of life...

Having read so many different life stories, I've been able to gain and learn to try to see the perspective of the writer. Others have told me I have achieved that with their books--some with gratitude; others with dismay, perhaps... I can only tell what I've learned as I read a book...

It is not the complexity of life that I can't comprehend... It's the why that some people choose priorities so alien from my own... Especially those who do harm to others...

How then can we possibly even consider a future of peace...

But, Hey, I see that I am still unable to routinely click to go to another site, for whatever unknown reason... this time, I was trying to move out of YouTube, which I got into this morning, but when trying to move out of to another site? It just sat there scrolling... Now Gemini told me that the speed in some sites where AI is predominant, is indeed unable to easily move to another non-AI controlled site--my understanding of what was being shared... And it hasn't been helped since it is full steam ahead for the Trump Race during HIS Golden Age of America... Funny, a guesstimate of about 99% of the U.S. citizens do not agree that a golden age exists for any of us now watching criminal and illegal actions in order to increase their wealth...

Maybe some day, in the years after I am dead, somebody will be able to find my memoir... By being assimilated... If computer corporations and Trump have any control of the matter... So, start thinking about YOUR definition of Evil...

I am Gabby, a Child of God

If I have a choice, how about going...Just as I am...

~~~~~~

This is one of the stepping blocks as I look to the how and why of where we are today... This book was recently updated and I contacted Lin about my earlier review--I either wanted to spotlight it or do a new review if a substantial update had been made...

Then I decided to go ahead and reread it. In fact, I might have been nudged a little, since, when I got excited about seeing it, I frankly couldn't remember what it was about...His spirit knew though. What has happened during the last few years gave me an almost new set of eyes since my first reading... I picked up much more than I did, given awareness of the definition of evil, actually.   I decided I would do a discussion by Gabby this time and get into the issues that came to my mind as I read. I'm not quite sure when I can manage that discussion, so you can either read my review of the first book now, or wait until I've achieved some semblance of calmness...