I am grateful for the week to rest and seek to grow deeper in my relationship with You!
Me: Good afternoon, Jesus!
Jesus: Good afternoon, Jon!
Me: You are awesome beyond compare! Despite my tendency to focus on myself, You are endlessly faithful. Your mercy is great and Your love is obvious in that You gave Yourself in our place to the cruel death that would be just punishment for us. You are innocent of all wrong. I am not. Yet you have exchanged Your innocence for my penalty and my penalty for Your innocence. I recognize that time does not constrain you in the way that it does flesh. All eternity is present and open before You. I do not see how that would exclude the cross and the shame of my own transgressions. Let me shy away from every sin that I might not heap up more of my guilt for You to have to bear.
I do have a question for you. (Don’t I always?)
Jesus: Yes?
Me: I have heard several speak this week about the principle of “tacit approval”. (I think that was the way Bill Federer put it). He brought out a number of scriptures that dealt with the idea that the failure to object is taken as complicity or approval in law and that the principle derives from scripture. I know one scripture that he used was in Numbers 30; that if a woman still under her father’s authority made a vow and her father heard of it and failed to veto it – kept silent – then her vow would stand. Likewise with a woman and her husband. However, if the father or husband objected, then the woman would be innocent of the vow before You.
I think he also spoke of a duty to reprove. Here is an example where you have deferred Your reproval and yet make it clear that it is coming.
Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
Psalm 50:20-22
Mr. Federer did talk of the passage that tells us to take the log out of our own eye before attempting to remove the spec of sawdust from our brother’s eye. And, of course, we all have our own sin.
So, my question is, what is our responsibility to call out the sin among us? You have given us free will to do the very things in question, things that grieve You when they are done.
Jesus: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31). Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4).
I remind you Bill used this passage from Proverbs:
If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
Proverbs 24:11-12
Are not those walking in habitual or intentional sin, who do not know Me, being drawn unto death? One who loves with My love will earnestly seek to point them to Me. If they refuse, it is upon their own head.
You know of the so-called “live and let live” philosophy. It supposes that the misdeeds of another are none of your concern. A better approach is to live and help live, if you are seeking to draw near to Me and the other will allow your exhortation. I will also point out that much of what you hear of is not within your sphere of influence. There is plenty, however, that is.
Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You! I pray that You will help me to have Your heart toward all.
Jesus: You are welcome! I love you! All that I Am working in you is toward transforming your heart in My love.
Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
Matthew 17:17
He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
Mark 9:19
And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
Luke 9:41
Me: Good evening Jesus!
Jesus: Good evening, Jon!
Me: You know, Jesus, that last week I sat through another of those talks about improving one’s approach to the different attitudes and beliefs of the generations. It seems to me the basis of the books and lectures I have been exposed to is that every “generational cohort” has a set of more-or-less common experiences that shape outlooks.
Jesus: What did they say that resonated with you?
Me: I can certainly see a foundation for the notion that major life events could shape one’s thinking. I thought of my own upbringing during the cold war, complete with nonsensical duck and cover drills in grade school. Many in my generation developed fatalistic attitudes, not expecting to reach adulthood.
Jesus: Fatalistic attitudes are not limited to your generation. Why do you say the drills were nonsensical?
Me: A little later in life, when I had real NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) warfare training in the military, and had seen from close-in video records how the shockwave of a nuclear yield tosses everything in the air and then blows it away. I saw pictures of items further out etched on regular walls by the flash. I realized that ducking under a school desk with one’s hands on his head was really a kind of placebo, not a survival tactic.
Jesus: What did you find most eye opening from the presentation on generational interaction?
Me: One thing was hearing the defining anxiety for the latest generation getting to working age (gen-Z, I think) is fear of the consequences of global warming. That it would be incumbent upon employers to present their best “sustainable” face in order to attract and retain these workers because they had a need to feel they were “part of the solution rather than part of the problem”. Another thing was that at least part of the Millennial generation in the United States was strongly shaped by the events of September 11th, 2001.
I had just finished watching a documentary on the collapse of the Twin Towers and building 7 that brought up a lot of unanswered questions and asserted the discovery of residue of high tech thermite in the debris along with steel micro-spheres, which require molten steel to form. Those assertions (with many others) and those explanations that have commonly been put forth are at odds.
During the section in the presentation relating the different concerns shaping the various generations, It immediately occurred to me that no mater the generation, if these things were the defining events, they were all also highly politicized and the narratives that had been put forth were carefully constructed. They all bear the marks of propaganda designed to produce fear.
Jesus: Your observation about playing on fear is as accurate as it is intentional by those involved. Worse things are coming ahead of My return, nonetheless.
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luke 21:25-27
Yet those who listen to Me hear My admonition to fear not.
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luke 12:31-33
Perfect Love gets rid of fear.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1
John 4:18
And fear of any but Me is inconsistent with who I Am. To be made perfect in love is to grow in perfect relationship with Me. That is not of your own doing, but My gift, if you will accept it.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:8
Me: What about the influence of the parents on the next generation?
Jesus: I gave parents the responsibility for raising their children.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
Deuteronomy 11:18-20
Most have vested this responsibility in stewards from whom they have required no accountability. Many have abdicated altogether. Your nation has adopted law pertaining to public schools contrary to My instructions in Deuteronomy 11 for parents. Much more often than parents know, their children are taught that the beliefs of their parents are outdated and wrong. So even if parents endeavor to teach My principles for life at home, they are being undermined in many cases.
I have given plenty of warning that the spiritual condition of parents has long-term consequences.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exodus 20:5
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Exodus 34:7
The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Numbers 14:18
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
Deuteronomy 5:9
You know anger often comes in response to fear. Consider these instructions.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Colossians 3:21
Me: The presenter of the talk on generational interactions said over and over that different beliefs and outlooks are not wrong and need to be embraced by the other generations, written into policy, and trained into the workforce. It seemed to me an assertion that moral relativism was fine. Just. Fine. Truth? What Pilate said…
Jesus: Here is a truth you can count on.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Proverbs 14:12, 16:25
I want to talk to you about another passage that you have not recognized is related.
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
Matthew 11:16-17
Do you recognize the voice of the children of this generation? Saying to each other, “Fall into line with us. Do as we say is right and you will be accepted.”
“Peer pressure” and “Wokeness” are the order of the day. But I Am saying, “Listen to My voice! Set your heart on things above! Be filled with My Spirit! Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 7:12-14
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You! I pray you will help me have the right attitudes.
Jesus: You are welcome! I Am working on your attitudes as you submit them to Me. I love you!
I am grateful that You are the Sovereign of the universe, and I am not.
Me: Good evening Jesus!
Jesus: Good evening Jon!
Me: I was reading Step Four in the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelves Steps and Twelve Traditions book, and it was talking about various character defects as examples that they might help one learn to examine them. It sort of jumped out at me that this sentence was one of those hit-the-nail-on-the-head moments:
… griping that others failed to recognize my truly exceptional abilities?
While the authors didn’t also mention the desire to say, “I told you so!”, they could have. Then the thought came that You had many fail to recognize Your truly exceptional abilities. Yet, I’m sure You never griped about it and I can’t think of an instance of You telling an individual that they had been warned after things went wrong. What is the secret to being at peace about such “votes of no confidence”?
Jesus: Have you noticed that you do not also have a tendency to analyze ways in which your own shortcomings contribute to various problems, especially failing to help those you are responsible for adequately prepare to meet what is expected of them from those with higher authority in the organization? I know that the items that progress into crisis mode are most evident once someone in authority begins to express they view it as a problem. But as a manager (technically) responsible for directing the work of another you would do well to help them with your experience. I know the “chain of command” that is referred to in military service is often violated in private business; your protege’s get directions you hear nothing about unless there is some kind of trouble. Meanwhile, you tend to assume all is well, whether there is a storm brewing, or not.
I know the end from the beginning. Do you ask Me about these things, and what you should do about them? Recognize My truly exceptional ability to help! I ask My Father about everything. Then I do what He tells Me. This is the answer to your question about how I remained at peace. It is faithless to gripe about things you have asked Me to help with. If you have not, it is because you have asked not.
The best kind of discernment, is My discernment. I will help you with insight into the unseen. I know the thoughts and intents of the heart. Just ask.
Recognize, also, that I chose a few to disciple. These were generally not among those casting no-confidence votes, though they were all works in progress; as are you. This is the secret to multiplying the exceptional abilities that I Am giving you. Seek Me. Listen carefully. See clearly. Be diligent. Abide in Me. Keep My love for you and for your charges in mind. Love them in the power of the Spirit.
If you find you have detractors, so do I. Do not blame them. Pray for them. They are being used by the accuser, almost certainly without consciousness.
Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You! I ask you to help me make a habit of seeking You about these situations. I have so much I need to grow in!
Jesus: You are welcome! I love you! I am helping you grow. I Am the Vine.
Near the two-lane’s center stripe, I saw him; His lifelong mate, lifeless, lay nearby. Staid stood he, at my coming; Her recently-stilled breast faced the sky. Still, save for feathers slightly ruffled; By the breeze, enveloping a sigh. His grim mourning filled the spirit realm; Deeply felt, while carefully, I crept by.
His eyes, a window to bereavement; Her color, mottled gray, except the chest, Added cream, perhaps would best describe. All with dismal loss, will sometime wrest. The enemy comes not, but for killing; Delighting if his appearing takes the best. Late return, I found her mate still standing, The evening would bring his heart no rest.
Went to town and back 24 hours later than yesterday. Both going and coming home again, there was a lone dove standing in the same location on the center line of the road.
Can I swear it is the same one? No. I saw others on the trip. No others on that exact spot, though. The female is gone, due to some scavenger, I suspect. There are many of those.
I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Psalm 22:10
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14
Lord Jesus, I ask You for protection for the little ones, who yet have no voice to speak for themselves, who have no option to flee. My heart is heavy and my sorrow is great. No euphemisms can assuage what I know deep inside. Hear my cry, for I am without words.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. 5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: 6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay (heavy debt)! 7 Shall they (creditors) not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? 8 Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. 9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! 10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. 11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. 12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the Lord’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. 17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. 18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Habakkuk 2
Me: Good afternoon, Holy Spirit!
Holy Spirit: Good afternoon, Jon!
Me: It seems the instruction you gave to Habakkuk to write what You told him for later and for others, was very good.
Holy Spirit: It is a way of respecting what I Am telling you. The one who thinks he will remember all later deceives himself. This, he would know, if only he looked at how his remembering has worked in the past.
Me: Then Your word is not like the manna which was to be gathered only for the day, and spoiled if the direction was not followed to consume what was gathered? I have heard preaching that says the gathering of manna was meant to teach that we are to have to have a fresh conversation with You every day.
Holy Spirit: You are to have a fresh conversation with Me every day! However:
For,“All flesh is like grass, And all its glory is like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
1 Peter 1:24, 25
I asked Habakkuk (and you) to write down what I Am telling you to make it more permanently available to you. You are flesh, and do not always understand Me at first. If you go back and look at what I have said to you earlier in light of what I have told you later, I Am able to reveal both error and incomplete understanding. Habakkuk was called as a prophet. Whereas, you are not. Yet, I Am watching over My Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12)
Me: Most (all?) of the prophets spoke of the iniquity of the people, serving idols instead of You.
Holy Spirit: Yes. Has the iniquity of the people changed? Do not many serve idols to this day? If anything, they are more proud; they serve their own appetites and stop their ears to all that I Am saying, all the while claiming that idol worship ceased with antiquity. In fact, they are more corrupt; serving only self and thinking not of another.
The Old Testament prophets spoke under the Law. You understand that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law:
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.
Romans 13:10
The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8
Do you yet love as Jesus loves?
I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are.
John 17:11
The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one;
John 17:22
Are you seeing unity, or division?
And knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
Matthew 12:25
Do not despair that many are not seeking Me. Have I not proved that I will work with the remnant? And, that it is My work to change hearts of the willing?
In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.
Romans 11:5, 6
Me: I pray you will help us consider what idols we have put before You and help all to lay them down, seeking You and Your righteousness! Let us individually be restored to You that we might together be all that you have desired!
Holy Spirit: I will help any who humbles himself enough to consider.
Me: Thank You Holy Spirit! I love You!
Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!
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The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
PS: About the First Amendment Tablet on the Newseum building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. : Bizjournals
The featured picture is simply one I captured on December 12th. In no way am I suggesting that our (US) Constitution or Bill of Rights is an idol. These are not things we should lay aside. Ever. Rather, these truths have always been properly understood as the intention of God concerning the liberties He bestows on His children because we are made in His image and He is constrained only by His own word and by His perfect nature.
I was on the way home from town when my wife told me on the phone. I had that sinking feeling. “We’ve got a new cat.”, she said.
I don’t mind cats that much. But, they are a lot of work. Though we were down to four due to the oldest two passing. (Did I mention I’m the one who does cat-box duty?) The youngest is a calico who was “rescued” by my stepdaughter, who couldn’t keep it, of course. She found it as a kitten. It was crying in the park in the rain over one-hundred miles from where we live. Jill brought it straight to us. Where else? After the initial three-hundred dollar visit to the vet, I named her Pricey. What can I say? I am easily amused. Pricey is probably four years old now.
All the cats came that way, more or less. Neither my wife or I actually tried to get a cat. At least, I don’t think so.
Two days before that phone call, one of my wife’s friends called her with a litter of newborn kittens which the mother had abandoned. That happens sometimes. My wife has had some significant experience fostering and placing kittens. So, she agreed to take them. That is pretty much a full-time job at first. Everything else kind of comes to a stop. She is a little over a week and a half in now and they all have their eyes open.
That is the backdrop against which the news that, “We’ve got a new cat” came to me.
That is his picture that heads this post. Someone had apparently dumped him near our farmhouse. It must have been quite a while before he found my wife outside on the porch. My wife was waiting for Lady the permanently-fostered Pit Bull to finish her outside business. The cat came running when he saw her. He had been down near the road, which is about one-hundred yards from the house. There is a creek down there across the gravel road where a cat could get water to drink.
He was severely underweight. Clearly very friendly. Obviously didn’t know how to hunt for himself. His first trip to the vet was only a little over $100. Males are cheaper to neuter. Besides, “Pricey” was taken. It seems like he has eaten non-stop for the first week. He is starting to look better. And, as the picture shows, now he will now opt for a neck-scratch before diving into the cat food.
I named him “Covid”.
The name is part of the story I tell myself to lessen my tendency to condemn callous cat-dumpers. Here is how it goes:
Constrained to “shelter in place” and out of a restaurant job due to shutdown orders, the father struggled with the choice to feed the kids adequately for the next few days or buy another bag of food for the cat. He decides the cat could get lost near a farm in the country and the kid’s wouldn’t have to know how it disappeared. He didn’t like the choice, but he felt he had to make it.
That’s my story. No other hard choice would explain it, really. Surely not just convenience. I can’t make my mind be OK with that.
I don’t know how long Covid managed to evade the coyotes that often howl hereabouts at night. Long enough to begin to border on starvation. It was probably the ability to drink from the creek that saved him long enough to catch someone outside.
I suppose it remains to be seen how much trouble it will be when we try to introduce him into the rest of our little cat population. At least I am working and Covid will get to eat on a regular basis.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24 King James Version
(The featured image taken outside Larry Pearson’s metal shop in Radcliffe IA.)
Two and a half years ago I wrote a blog post called Subsidized Vandalism about the extensive new wind farm being put in near us by MidAmerican Energy. I won’t rehash that original post here. The link above will open it if you like. I took the featured photo for this post down the road from where I live on Sunday this past week. You may have heard about the “wind waste” problem related to aging wind farms. Did I mention this one is less than three years old?
I believe we are charged by God to be good stewards of His creation, though I have witnessed much done by men that has proven to the short sighted and destructive. Some short sighted and destructive behavior can easily be attributed to me. If one hangs around me long enough, though, I will be heard to say that failure to “count all the beans” if a fatal economic flaw in many projects. I would be hard pressed to imagine an undertaking where that ill wind blows more faithfully than in the wind-energy industry.
I understand that many are being – how shall I say this? – proselytized by the climate change religion whose preachers assert that we have been much worse than poor stewards of creation; but predict with certainty in their voices that we are on the verge of destroying the earth’s ability to sustain us. The preachers are often in our schools; that particular religion is apparently OK within those walls. The motivation is usually held to be greed, rather than pure malice. Those who live where there is public transportation may blame drivers of cars. Those who need a car to get to work may blame eating meat. The point seems to be that someone must be to blame. I suspect ignorance is the most prevalent root cause of casting blame. Any climate change non-believers must endure attempts to shame any who are capable of such, into giving assent to any effort that can be remotely classified as “green”. We have to save the planet at all costs, after all.
Once one discounts the existence and promise of the Creator, it becomes easy to let fear consume all hope and believe the (carefully crafted and oft repeated) propaganda that we are feeling the breath of the mercenary evil who have set themselves over us and backed us up against the final precipice of doom.
I might as well own it. You can probably tell by now, anyway. I am one of the “deniers” that drive the fearful-of-climate-change-due-to-man to distraction. There are many reasons that I take this stance. Some of them are even based on science. However, the most powerful is a promise that I find in scripture. (At least I admit that mine is a religious argument.) The promise was made to Noah after the earth was destroyed by flood. In Genesis 8:22, we find this:
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
And in Romans 3:3-4
What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”
I trust God with my future. You can trust Him with yours. As a Christian, I don’t even worry about the case where earth “ceases to endure”. I have other promises of my continuance and that of anyone who believes in the One who has made it possible for us to get past anything (Romans 8:38-39). I “get” that those without belief in God persist in hopeless worry. If that was my state, I would never risk getting into a car.
Enough of owning my view on climate change. Let me get back to the rant at hand.
The best numbers I have heard is that break-even for a wind turbine is around twenty years; roughly the maximum lifetime. The numbers the industry cites in public statements, however, are more like one to two years to profitability. Of course, that includes the subsidies and many other shenanigans. It is maddeningly difficult to get a straight answer about the economics. I do know that here in Iowa there are plans to raise our electric rates to subsidize more wind farms. Why, oh, why would that be necessary in a profitable industry? Iowa wind power has now exceeded 42% of total generated power in the state. We Iowans are apparently all-in.
I started this rambling post to complain about the use of material that is not economically recoverable to manufacture the massive blades. The solution of the wind industry to this problem is to plow up large swaths of western prairie to bury them, where they will never decay while the earth endures. How green does that seem to you?
Lest you come to the conclusion that I am blowing wind waste all out of proportion here are three links to articles in publications that are usually willing to go way out on the limb of veracity to be supportive of anything “green”. If you read these, you will see that even they have a hard time putting a good spin on the waste generated by the wind industry. In the Des Moines Register article, you will see that MidAmerican is creating a great deal of this waste by reworking ten-year old windfarms to install bigger turbines. I would liken this to an individual trading in a vehicle for which he still owes more than its value.
Our treadmill gave up a few days ago. I took the motor down to the local motor shop for a check-up, mostly because that was easier than reverse-engineering circuit boards (for which I had no schematic). Alas, the motor checked out fine.
Reverse-engineering a circuit board takes patience and careful inspection. Since I do electrical engineering design work for a living, the function of the boards is clear enough, but the circuit details have to be ferreted out the hard way. At my age, that means a magnifier and an Ohmmeter, drawing a schematic as I go. These old through-hole designs are much easier to deal with than modern surface mount circuits. The original designer placed some handy LEDs in the circuit to give indication of various functions for troubleshooting technicians who would have to make a living doing service calls. That was great, because it drastically limited the scope of what I had to trace out. In this case, the PWM LED would blink, so I could tell that the input speed-control signal was good. But there was no output to the motor control board on the wire that is supposed to set the speed of the motor. I was able to measure the forward voltage of all the transistor junctions, except the final opto-coupler output (4N35 / U3). Careful inspection of the white wire that plugs in to HD5 revealed a skinned place where it had gotten trapped between the top of the housing and a heatsink. This short would have easily taken out the optocoupler output circuit.
I ordered a part. The shipping will be much more than the $0.60 part cost. It is way less than the price of a new treadmill, of course. My wife is very attached to this particular one anyway. I am grateful to God that the problem wasn’t more time consuming to discover. You can see from the schematic and this picture of the circuit board that I didn’t have to get anywhere near drawing out the whole thing.
I hope you have enjoyed this temporary nerd-break in the usual fare on missionary sojourn.
Friday Night Update: The UPS guy pulled in behind be when I drove in from work today to deliver the optocoupler that I ordered from Digi-Key. After replacing it, the motor on the the treadmill started doing its normal spinny thing again. My wife is very happy! I’m not just a nerd. I’m a nerd hero!
Missionary Sojourn 