Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
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Monday, October 29, 2012
The stress would have killed me if not for a revelation:
I've been asked about the
importance of faith in my daily life. Over fifty years ago, following a
childhood bout with polio, I began following Christ. I did not begin my walk with Christ with any
real idea of where I was going. I just
set out to follow, day by day. I’m not
suggesting that the entire walk’s been easy. I've been beaten down, and beaten down, and beaten down, on numerous
levels. The stress would have killed me if not for a revelation: I’m not
responsible for each day’s results, or my ultimate destination. I’m simply called to faithfully follow Christ,
day by day, step by step, in the light each new day brings, and to reflect that
light, should others choose to follow.
SC
Your choice is no less monumental than the epic cause of women’s rights itself. I suggest you rise to the occasion and make it wisely.
Over the last 100 years,
women’s rights have made tremendous progress in this country. This progress would not have been possible
had it not been for the passionate efforts of both dedicated women, and those men
who were equally devoted to their cause.
Sadly, many young women today seem entirely unappreciative, if not
unaware of the monumental struggle that painstakingly provided the freedoms they
enjoy today. Many also fail to see that
the hard-fought battles that provided those freedoms continue to this day, rising
or falling, contingent upon their support.
To a large part, the outcome of the upcoming election will determine the
future of women’s rights in America and the world. Women have a choice. They can accept the responsibility that is
currently theirs as a result of those hard-won freedoms, or they can voluntarily
forfeit their responsibilities, choosing instead submission to the leadership
and values of men like Mr. Mourdock and Mr. Akin. Your choice is no less
monumental than the epic cause of women’s rights itself. I suggest you rise to the occasion and make
it wisely. SC
I paused to press my whiskers against the glass.
Here, in my natural habitat in the Ozarks,
Democrats are increasingly illusive.
Occasional mistreatment by a suspicious and disapproving public has left
us wary, and prone to be reclusive and nocturnal. With public Sightings ever rarer, any
prolonged exposure is received with a good deal of curiosity, and as such, will
almost inevitably draw a crowd. During a recent trip to McDonald's I’d been pacing
nervously in front of the condiments, and was sunning myself and stretching at
the window. Becoming suddenly aware of a
group of amused children congregating outside, I paused to press my whiskers against
the glass. Eventually, following a good
deal of encouragement from her giggling and inquisitive comrades, a little girl
approached cautiously to within what she considered a safe distance,
scrutinized me with obvious fascination,
and then snapped my photo and offered me a peanut. It was altogether gratifying, and I soaked it
up with relish, before slinking to my corner to clean my paws. I mean fingers! SC
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Even when we’re old and our robes of flesh are frayed and faded and frail
In honor of
ALL HALLOW’S EVE,
Here’s a good one written
by Mr. Poe, shortly prior to his passing in 1849.
ANNABEL LEE
It was many and many a
year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulcher
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulcher there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulcher
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulcher there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Edgar Allan Poe
Somewhere, in the deepest, darkest, purest recesses of our heart,
most old men have had an Annabel Lee.
Some married her, some merely admired her from afar, some never ever met
her, but neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea,
will ever dissever our soul from the soul of our beautiful Annabel Lee; someone
near, far, or beyond the veil, who loves us deeply, passionately, and
unconditionally, even when we’re old and our robes of flesh are frayed and faded
and frail. SC
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Well I’ll tell ya what, Pilgrim:
Before you let yourself be
swayed by a bunch of irrefutable facts; bear in mind, that Hollywood bunch is
all alike. They wave the flag and all insist that just because you’re an
American, you have rights. Me too!
What a crybaby!
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So, you’re worried that if huge
corporations and the very wealthy don’t contribute their fare share of taxes, that,
in order to collect her Social Security, Grandmother will have to work third
shift, part time, without benefits, until she’s 70. Frankly my dear, I don’t give a …
So, if sea level, ocean currents, and much of the world’s weather is directly related to the polar ice caps, and they melt;
I don’t see the problem.
Am I missin’ sumpthin?
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
ALWAYS REMEMBER:
You
don’t argue politics with old Republican friends.
Ya
just hope to God they’re warm and dry,
And
somebody’s there to feed ‘em.
SC
Monday, October 22, 2012
THIS JUST IN: NEW POLES SHOW AMERICANS MORE UNITED THAN EVER, BEHIND TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY
I've spent some time
recently trying to put the end results of our fast approaching election into
perspective. We've invested some passion, and that’s as it should be. We've voiced our opinions. That’s how democracy works. And we've weighed all the issues and
carefully honed our views. Win or lose, we've joined the fray and cheered our
favorites on. My advice now, keep
cheering. Celebrate freedom. Applaud the
victors, console the rest, and thank God for a peaceful process. No doubt,
regardless of the outcome, life will continue, minutes will tick away, and our lives
succumb to the ruthless advance of time. As a young man I tended to envision
time as a vast, unlimited resource; time it seemed was an inexhaustible
sea. Now in the autumn of my life, each
hour is increasingly precious, and I thirst for each minute as it drips away
from an alarmingly finite pool. So my advice now, use your time wisely. Life and time are far too valuable to waste
precious moments on bitterness and regret. Invest reinvigorated passions into
positive, productive enterprises, participate, exhilarate, and make each moment
count. No doubt, regardless of hard-fought
elections and partisan disappointments, this magnificent blue orb will continue
its rhythmic, primordial spin. Seasons
will enchant us; carefree children laugh, and old men recall old passions with
a smile. Hold on tight and celebrate the ride.
SC
Saturday, October 20, 2012
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
May those with a choice, choose wisdom.
Throughout the long, arduous history of mankind, ignorance
has been suffered, sanctioned, and succumbed to by otherwise godly people, but may God have mercy on those who choose to celebrate it. SC
Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Dear friends,
Further along in this blog you
will find a page of statistics. Between
here and there are several of my attempts to reach out to people in their own
language, languages clearly unfamiliar to me.
It was quickly apparent that, despite my good intentions, translations
are a tricky business, susceptible to misinterpretation. Around the world, our
cultures, languages and societies have subtle differences, and unintended
offenses are a very real concern. It’s not my intention to offend or insult
anyone. My purpose here is simply a
peaceful outreach to the brotherhood of man.
It’s probably safe to say; the
two biggest obstacles to peaceful coexistence today, in our homes, our communities,
and around the world, are politics and religion. Both are comprised of myriad, diverse
and irreconcilable factions. The solution, to the extent that there is a
solution, is tolerance and charity. I am a person of faith. My faith is about sharing the good news that
we can find hope, peace, joy and tremendous satisfaction through a life of
faithful service to a loving and merciful God. My faith is summed up in two Bible
verses:
#1 Micah
6:8 New King James Version (NKJV) 8 He has shown you, O man,
what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and
to walk humbly with your God?
#2 Matthew 7:3-5 New International Version (NIV) 3 “Why do you look at
the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in
your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take
the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first
take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the
speck from your brother’s eye.
Many well meaning people, who passionately
devout their lives to the study of their own faith and scriptures, could also benefit
from just ten minutes of study in Webster’s dictionary. The dictionary defines BIGOTRY as: Stubborn and complete
intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from your own. And INTOLERANCE as: lack of toleration;
unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs,
persons of different races, backgrounds, etc.
As is clearly supported by the preceding scriptures
and definitions, despite what you may be told by some misguided people, and
sadly, from many pulpits, there is absolutely nothing just, merciful, humble,
or in any way Christ like, about bigotry and intolerance. If you consider
yourself a Christian, I’d like to share one additional scrap of scripture. Mathew 10:16 says: 16 “Behold, I
send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves.”
If your faith requires you to
ridicule, insult and slander the lives, choices, and faith of others, you are
almost certainly misinterpreting and misapplying it. If your faith is displayed
in belligerence, hatred, contempt and violence, you’re almost certainly
misrepresenting your God. If your
example inspires hope, peace, and empathy in others, and represents a positive,
peaceful outreach, then by all means practice it. If your faith instills in you,
something that others recognize as something they could benefit from in their
own lives, by all means promote it. But
do so with a humble, merciful and compassionate heart, and with all due respect
for the faith, cultures, and choices of others. If you are unable or unwilling
to do that, then with all due respect, this world and your God are probably best
served if you don’t share your faith at all.
SC
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Beannachtaí, cairde in Éirinn, i dTuaisceart Éireann agus in Albain!
Beannachtaí, cairde in
Éirinn, i dTuaisceart Éireann agus in Albain! Bhí mé ar na mallaibh bheannaigh
chun cuairt a thabhairt do cheantar, agus thaitin sé go mór. Go mbeannaí Dia
richly duit! Do chara, na Sionainne
Salute, amis en France !
Salute, amis en France !
Aimez-vous mon blog? Je serais heureux de vous entendre. Être en sécurité, et
que Dieu vous bénisse.
Grüße, Freunde in Deutschland!
Grüße, Freunde in
Deutschland! Meine Casebeer/kasebier Vorfahr war aus Deutschland. Haben Sie
lesen meine historischen Roman, DRE'S Quest? Haben Sie mein blog?
Здравствуйте друзья в России и на Украине
Здравствуйте друзья в
России и на Украине. Есть ли у вас русских друзей здесь, в Миссури, США?
Greetings Fellow Earthlings!
Mark Twain said, “There are
three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” This does not speak well for statistics. Nonetheless, I’d like to discuss a few. My blog has just reached what I consider to
be a significant milestone. My wife
actually considers my blog a millstone, but enough about romance. I began posting to my blog in December of
2010, about two years ago. As of this
week, it has received over 11,000 pageviews from all around the world.
Following is the breakdown as per Google statistics:
United States
|
6703
|
Russia
|
1627
|
Germany
|
356
|
Ukraine
|
355
|
United Kingdom
|
292
|
France
|
141
|
Canada
|
138
|
Latvia
|
101
|
Brazil
|
49
|
Netherlands
|
39
|
It may be that I’m simply easily
entertained and a bit narcissistic, but I find this fascinating. The thought that my photographs, poetry, musings
and partisan rants have reached fellow earthlings all over the planet is both
astonishing and strangely gratifying. I’d like very much to become better acquainted
with these citizens of the globe who have taken time from their busy schedules
to appreciate my humble efforts. Faced
by the evidence that someone actually visits this remote outpost, I feel
increased responsibility to see that my postings better warrant their time and
efforts. So, realizing fully that my
facebook pages, email address and website are already easily accessible from
this site, I will repost my contact information here, in the hope that some of
you may feel free to contact me so that we can determine our mutual interests, and
I can concentrate future posts on those topics which you and I have in common.
Thanks for your patience; thanks for your time and thanks for your kind
attention.
Cordially,
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
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