Tag: Santi


Peculiar Listings


As most of you probably already know, I have some items for sale on various websites. Sometimes, when I’ve finished listing new items for sale, I find that some of the listings seem peculiar.

The purpose of this article is to let you know that I have never created peculiar listings by my own intention and that the peculiar listings do not always reflect truth.

So maybe you’re curious why most of the time I leave the listings active when I see it has happened, whether or not they reflect truth. Well, when I do leave them, it’s because I’ve come to know some of the reasons God likes it when we are presented with conflictive information.

For many years, God inundated me with a continuous, seemingly relentless, flood of conflictive information. I disliked it immensely. I was very angry and bitter about it. However, eventually the flood eased and then stopped. It was then that I began to understand some of the reasons why God had put me through it. I saw great wisdom in it. I became very grateful and appreciative to God for it.

God bless everyone!


Currently reading…

Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard


Called by God


One particular otherwise uneventful day, back in 2011, I was just idly sitting around in my living room at my home in Troutdale, Oregon. Out of the blue, I, an agnostic non-churchgoer, had an abrupt and strong urge to go to church. This was very out of character for me, but I didn’t question it because it felt so good to want to go to church, and also to know I was about to go to church—very abnormal for me back then.

Immediately, I went to my car and made use of my GPS navigation unit to locate the nearest church. To my delight, I found that there was one just a very short distance from my home: Troutdale Community Church. I then immediately walked to TCC. It was a Thursday, so I didn’t feel at all sure I would find anyone there. Lucky for me, it was their pastor’s office day, and I was able to talk with two pastors for a while, and they invited me to return on Sunday for their weekly service. Thank you very much, Pastors Bart and Tom, for being so very helpful and kind throughout my experiences at TCC. You guys are awesome!

The following Sunday, after that first visit on a Thursday, I did attend their service. After the service, there was a social gathering in their fellowship hall, which I stayed for. I talked with various people, and eventually I found myself talking with a very nice fellow named James. We were enjoying a pleasant conversation when he asked what had brought me to TCC. I replied with the story about suddenly having an unexpected urge to go to church. To which he replied, “Oh, God called you.” Until then, I hadn’t even considered such a thing, so I just sort of acknowledged that perhaps it was possible God had called me and left it at that.

After the church activities were finished, I went home and thought about what James had said. I realized that, as a very stubborn agnostic who was absolutely convinced that the answers I needed could not and would not be found in any church, it didn’t make any sense to me why I would, seemingly on a whim, go running off to church unless God really had called me. So, I quickly became convinced that James was correct.

The following Sunday, I returned to TCC for their next service. Afterward, at the social gathering, I kept an eye out for James. I wanted to share my realization with him. After a few minutes, I spotted him and went over to talk with him about it. Here’s where this story gets a little, or a lot, strange. I approached James, and we exchanged greetings. I then excitedly confirmed with James that he had been correct. God did call me. What happened next, I cannot explain. James seemed to have two very different reactions at the same time. I saw both of them happen with my own eyes, and it was very, very disorienting! One reaction seemed to be that James mildly and calmly said something to the effect of “Oh, that’s so good,” then continued chatting pleasantly with me. The other reaction I saw at the same moment was James bursting into tears and hurrying away without further comment.

So anyhow, that is the story of myself being called by God and of my enlightening and inspiring but also confusing conversations with James. I hope to talk again with him someday. Perhaps, if we compare notes, we can figure out what happened in that second conversation.

God bless everyone!

P.S. To another pastor I met along the way in this journey we all share: I swear that what I said to you years ago is true, and I imagine that even if it wasn’t clear then, it is quickly becoming so… What all this is, there isn’t anyone who is going to love it more than you! God bless you. I hope we meet again!


Recently read books…

  • Star Trek Enterprise: Rosetta, by Dave Stern
  • Star Trek The Original Series: Starfleet Academy, by Diane Carey
  • Star Wars Old Galactic Republic Era: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, by Drew Karpyshyn
  • Live Right and Find Happiness (Although beer is much faster), by Dave Barry
  • Star Wars Old Republic Era: Darth Bane: Rule of Two, by Drew Karpyshyn

Starting a new book next… not sure yet which one, though.


Some Q’s & A’s


Here are some questions and answers on some topics that I think some people have been wondering about…

  • Q: Where was I born?
  • A: I’m not sure where on Earth I was born, but it was probably in San Diego, California. Hopefully, God will make this clear to me eventually.
  • Q: Did my mom and dad do what moms and dads usually do to have me?
  • A: Nope! And I doubt they’ve ever even met one another.
  • Q: Am I some sort of laboratory-created person?
  • A: Nope!
  • Q: Do I know that I am not eating cows, pigs, goats, cats, chickens, etc?
  • A: Yep!
  • Q: Do I have any parasites?
  • A: Nope!
  • Q: How long has Jesus been in the Small Place?
  • A: I don’t know for sure, but since about 2015–2018, I think.
  • Q: Does the Small Place have any other name?
  • A: Not that I know of.
  • Q: Have I ever been to the Small Place?
  • A: Never in full physical form, but I have been there in part several times and I was able to glimpse it.
  • Q: What is it like in the Small Place?
  • A: It is very much like “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, if it were a sci-fi/fantasy novel.
  • Q: Have I ever been to the Big Place?
  • A: Nope! I understand it is very futuristic compared to Earth, though.
  • Q: How many Peace-Guys are there?
  • A: Seven on Earth; gazillions back home in the Big Place.
  • Q: Are Peace-Guys cockroaches or ants?
  • A: Nope!
  • Q: Are we just barely scratching at the tip of the iceberg of amazing and good things to come?
  • A: Yes!

God bless everyone!


Interesting / Not-Interesting


It occurred to me recently that some people may think that when I describe something as interesting or not-interesting, I’m trying to somehow relate that subject to my grandfather. Please rest assured, I am not doing that.

When I describe something as interesting, I just mean that it seems to point at elements in our experience in a way that seems too accurate or close to accurate to be dismissed as mere coincidence.

When I describe something as not-interesting, what I’m trying to convey is that it seems to relate to something in our experience, and it is too amazing to be mere coincidence, but it is not accurate, nor is it near accurate. On all the occasions I have ever described something as not-interesting, I was never trying to say that something is boring (nor Boring).

When I wrote about having a houseguest, I described things here (in my apartment) as uninteresting, but that is a different word, so it’s not in conflict with what I wrote in the paragraph above, but I would like to be clear that what I meant is that things here are boring (lower-case b, adjective). In that instance also, I was not at all trying to relate the subject to my grandfather.

My original intent was to simply convey an idea in a very concise way instead of being long-winded about it. Well, I made an unfortunate choice of wording, and so here I am being long-winded about it, but at least I only have to do it once… yay!

I didn’t mean to cause confusion. I’m sorry that I probably did, and I apologize for that.

God bless everyone!


Peace-Guys


Are Peace-Guys like the Minions? They are like them in many ways, but there are also some very big differences. For example, they do not seek a villain or villains to serve. What they actually do is seek emotionally troubled people in order to help them. Another difference is that they are very, very good at what they do, not clumsy and accident prone.

How are they like the Minions? They are fun, silly guys. They love to play games and have amazing adventures. Their favorite games to play with each other are Tag and Hide-and-Seek. They also like it when I set up scavenger hunts for them or when I announce surprise races and give a destination… fun stuff!

Are Peace-Guys my pets or my servants? Nope! They are my friends, and I am theirs.

Do Peace-Guys serve anyone? Yes! They know, love, and serve God.

Do I boss them around or ask them for information about other people or situations that I’d otherwise not be privy to? Never! The closest I ever come to bossing them around is when I occasionally insist that they be careful when there may be a danger present or nearby. As for asking them for information about other people or situations that are none of my business, I just don’t do it.

Do Peace-Guys know and understand what you all are doing? Yes, they know it and understand it better than I do.

Do I know how very blessed I am to be having this experience with them that is much like the experience of the kids in E.T. (screenplay by Melissa Mathison, book by William Kotzwinkle), or Keith Gridley in The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary? I do! And I sometimes thank God for letting me have such amazing friends!

God bless you, everyone!


Who John Boring is not


I know that you all know this already. I feel more than a little dumb saying it, but maybe I do need to say it so that all of you know that I know it too.

John Boring is not God.

I know this. I have always known this. I never meant to suggest otherwise, but I do see how something I said years ago could have easily been misinterpreted as me claiming that he is God.

My apologies to anyone and everyone adversely affected by any seemingness that I was claiming something so very bizarre and ridiculous!

God bless you all!


Heart issue


I imagine that even if word wasn’t out previously, it is now. I have a heart problem.

First, the good news: As severe as my heart problem is, I’m going to be okay. I will survive. I don’t know all of God’s plans for me, but I do know that death is not part of them. God has revealed to me some of the plans he has for me in the near and distant future, and they are all things I could not do if I were dead.

Exciting news for cardiologists! (I have deduced that this has not ever been done previously). I will eventually be receiving a Big-Place-medical-science-level artificial heart at the first opportunity. I don’t know who will be installing it, but I do know who is designing it, and that person has come strongly recommended by Almighty God, so I have no doubt my new heart will be a good one!

In the meantime, everyone, please be patient with Leader-Guy. He is not delaying the treatment of my medical needs without very, very good reason. Leader-Guy is putting the safety and needs of everyone ahead of mine alone. I totally agree with him on this and support his choice to have me wait.

I should probably mention this too. I don’t actually know that an artificial heart is ready for me yet. I do know that the designer was contacted a few years ago, though.

Side note: Neurologists can expect some VERY exciting news and HUGE scientific breakthroughs eventually too!

God bless everyone!


A tiny flutter


About a week ago, I had a conversation on the topic of the strength of my conviction in the existence of God. In the conversation, I claimed to be more certain of God’s existence than I am of my own.

I know it isn’t a great conversational practice to make a statement and then finish evaluating it afterwards, but that’s what I did on this occasion. I suppose it was because of the boldness of the statement that I then found my mind wandering and evaluating the statement. I asked myself, “Am I really more certain of God’s existence than I am of my own existence?”

I thought for a moment that what I had said was not true. I thought, “I am equally sure of God’s existence as I am of my own.”

I continued to think about it. I noticed that my thoughts fluttered a tiny bit, almost imperceptibly, while contemplating my own existence, but not at all when pondering the existence of God.

I realized that I am really and truly more sure of God’s existence than of my own. The difference in my strength of conviction from one to the other is small, but it is there. I marvel at that.

I am amazed at what God has done with me. He literally led me from a place of strong, stubborn agnosticism to being more sure of his existence than of my own. It wasn’t an easy journey. As a matter of fact, it was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but the result is very well worth the difficulty I endured.

God bless everyone!


Tinnitus


Tinnitus (pronounced tih-NITE-us or TIN-uh-tus) is the perception of sound that does not have an external source, so other people cannot hear it.

Tinnitus is commonly described as a ringing sound, but some people hear other types of sounds, such as roaring or buzzing.

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov

While I cannot promise a cure or treatment for tinnitus, I would like to share some of my thoughts about it.

God did not directly teach me what the cause of tinnitus is. However, by my own deduction from my lessons, I have come to think that tinnitus is probably caused by some soul-related issue. Maybe the tinnitus sufferer’s soul is micro-vibrating at an incorrect frequency, or maybe it is pressing too strongly against some auditory apparatus (hearing-related anatomy), etc.

There is going to be a lot of information about the human soul in the Playback. I am feeling optimistic that the information will eventually help science find a cure for tinnitus and that a lot of people’s ears are going to stop ringing/roaring/buzzing. I wonder how it will be for myself and other tinnitus sufferers who have never experienced silence to experience it for the first time. Words such as “bliss,” “calm,” and “peace” come to mind as I try to imagine how it will feel.

I don’t know why God made sure that I know the very talented and very likeable Mr. Michael Tucker (actor) is severely affected by tinnitus, but I suspect that it is because God would like me to mention Mr. Tucker in this article… ✅Done!

God bless you all!


Zee & Zim — G. & Jim


Many years ago, my dad wrote a book. I don’t know its title, and I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been published (not yet anyhow). I haven’t read it (yet!). However, I do know that it is the story of a pair of characters named Zee and Zim. Throughout the book, Zee regales Zim with many, many stories. And finally, later in the book, when Zee has finished with the stories, Zim sets out to share the stories with other people.

I find the names of the characters interesting. First off, “Jim”, which is phonetically similar to “Zim” is a pretty common nickname for a person named “James”. I also find the names of the characters interesting because, back in 2011, when I was a new believer (in God), I often referred to God by the nickname “G.”, which bears phonetic similarity to “Zee”. I don’t call him that anymore, but those of you that listen in on the Playback later will hear that I did refer to him as such quite a bit for about 3–6 months (in my best estimate). Side note: I was doing this long before I ever became aware of the social trend of people calling each other “G.” as an abbreviated term for “Gangster”.

I also find the plot of the Zee and Zim story interesting because this is what God did with me. He spent several years sharing many stories with me and fragments of many others. At this point, I’m just barely getting started talking a little about those stories, but I fully expect that soon I will become very occupied and stay so for years to come, sharing those stories and story fragments.

This is all I have on this topic for now. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to read the book soon! I have no idea yet if there may be additional interesting content within the story.

God bless everyone!



Recently read books…

  • Star Trek: Enterprise – The Expanse, by J.M. Dillard
  • Star Trek: Enterprise – Daedalus, by Dave Stern

Currently reading…

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic – Annihilation, by Drew Karpyshyn