Reading Hugh Nibley. . . .

The name Mephistopheles denotes the ultimate frustration of the Evil One, who with the worst intent in the world, can only contribute to the exaltation of man by providing the opposition necessary for testing him in the time of probation upon the earth. (Just in case you wondered who Mephistopheles is. . . )

In the early Christian Apocrypha Satan's rebellion in heaven begins not with a refusal to worship God, but with his refusal to bow down to Adam. "I have no need to worship Adam, "he says in one early writing,"... I will not worship an inferior and younger being. I am his senior in the Creation; before he was made I was already made. It is rather his duty to worship me! When the angels who were under me heard this, they refused to worship him also...", and so the revolt was on. (Pride goeth before the fall in a big way here. Also note the recurring theme of the older brother refusing to acknowledge the position of a younger sibling who is willing to follow God.)

"Now the Prince," says the recently discovered Bodmer Papyrus X, "not being righteous wanted to be God," he had his own counterplan to propose, and the apostates of the Church "actually accept the plan of the serpent whenever they reject God's plan." (That's the choice guys, we follow God, or we're following Satan who we have already rejected once. Come on, Hang in there on this one!)

"If I am a fisherman of men," says the Lord in the Gospel of the XII Apostles (a writing which Origen says is older than the Gospel of Luke), 84 "the Devil is also a fisherman, who catches many in his nets. ... If I have come to take for my kingdom those who are mine, why should not he do the same?" (Be aware! There is more than one net cast in the sea for you and for me!)

"O Adam," cries the Evil One upon meeting him out in the dreary world after the fall, "I was cast forth from my glory because of thee, and behold I have caused thee to be expelled from paradise... because thou didst cause me to become a stranger to my home in heaven. Know thou that I shall never cease to contend against thee and all those who shall come after thee ... until I have taken them all down into Amend with me!" (I assume Amend is Hell. Nibley assumes we know as much as he does. I do know that this contention will never end and it is up to us to follow the Savior.)


"Light and Darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers to one another. It is not possible to separate them from one another," in this world, that is, though in the next world where only the good is eternal this will not be so.

"Truth did not come into the world naked, but she came clothed in types and images. One cannot receive the truth in any other way.

(Remember, and perish not.)

Ground Effect

I heard someone talk about ground effect recently. I knew immediately what it was and I knew that it could be dangerous. Ground effect is the pull on an airplane when it is close to the ground.
Why is it dangerous?
Because, an airplane flies best when it has air under it's wings, and more is better. But close to the ground, gravity and a lack of lift conspire to bring the airplane down.
This is why take offs and landings are generally the most dangerous times to be in an airplane. (Not counting terrorists.)
As a flight attendant for Pan Am I sat through many take offs and landings, and obviously I survived them all. But, I always gave a sigh of relief when we were up and flying free or, at the end of the flight when the wheels touched down.

There is no way to fly without taking off, escaping ground effect and allowing lift to raise and carry the plane. You have to pull away from the earth and into the air.

So, here is what I thought about: Ground effect in our lives are the things that keep us from being our best selves, from moving up and doing what we were born to do. It is dangerous, it holds us down, and if we can't overcome it it keeps us from being lifted by the spirit which is always there around us, above us.

Wouldn't you much rather fly than crash back into the ground? It takes power to overcome ground effect. But we have power.
So rev your engines, give it your all and soar.

Diet, no exercise

I went to the doctor awhile back with severe stomach pain. She told me I had damaged the vagus nerve, and my stomach could not contract. So she put me on a special diet. I followed the diet and lost 25 pounds, and then when I returned to the doctor she told me I had been misdiagnosed. So, here is the diet which did work in terms of losing weight and not feeling hungry.
First: Eat six times a day. No high fructose corn syrup, no soy.
Second: Eat liquids, soft, low-fat, and low-fiber foods. Include protein in every meal. This is your most important guideline.

So, here is what I ate generally--

Breakfast: poached or scrambled egg, small glass of 2% milk. small glass of juice. Cut fruit juices with water.
or small bowl of shredded wheat or oatmeal with 2% milk (oatmeal and shredded wheat bypass the fiber/protein rule)

Mid morning: fruit, fresh, canned or frozen w/out peel. Plain yogurt. I made fruit smoothies with fruit, 1/2 c yogurt and ice in blender. Nice.

Lunch: Cheese stick, 1/2 can chicken noodle soup or other thin soup.

Midafternoon: Small salad, with tuna or sardines or canned or grilled chicken;
or cottage cheese w pineapple or tomatoes or tuna etc. McDonalds grilled chicken salad is great, but on this diet I could only eat about 1/2 of it.

Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast or other meat (small 1/2!) green beans or other veggies, drink water.

Night time I started having 12 cup of plain yogurt w/bottled grapefruit slices and juice. It started to seem like a really delicious bedtime snack and is really low cal.

You could have white bread with your eggs, salad, etc. But I don't like white bread. I had saltines w/ the soup. You could have gatorade or other low cal drinks, but I preferred water. Drink something with all six meals.

I rearranged the meals for what I was hungry for at any given time. You have to eat something every 2 1/2 or 3 hours. I really cut my portion sizes. I adapted it as I went along, adding more fiber like carrot sticks, broccli, cauliflower, etc.

It was easy and I still eat less than I did before, but it is hard to eat 6 times a day now that I am not following the regimen.

Two of your meals can be liquid--smoothies, fruit or veggie. But remember to add protein everytime. Plain yogurt or cottage cheese, low fat make good base.

The doc said that 2% milk is a nearly perfect combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates. So I use 2%.

Also, don't try to go on a no-fat diet. The no-fat diet stops weight loss--your brain functions off of fat. You have to have a little fat. I only use olive oil in cooking--even in bread and cookies. (Healthy fat.)

So there it is. Simple. Use the foods you like that fit the guidelines.

Worked for me!!

Eighth Grade Memories

Afternoon shadows on pink cinder block walls
Recall childhood memories of hot, frustrating days,
Peeling, curled, cracked linoleum,
The armies of ants parading across unwashed countertops
The hope and joy of a new home, new school, new job
Turned stale and all too much like the last new hopes, new homes,
And new husbands.
The constant nagging dreads that tomorrow will be as much like today
As today is like yesterday.
MKH

Life in the garden

Everything I need to know
I learned in the garden.
Patience, perseverance, hope.
Water deep, nourish, hoe.

Plant the seed, wait,
Wait longer
Nourish hope, Keep adding
Water.

Keep out rabbits, keep out pests.
Protect the seedlings,
Put up fence!

Too much sun burns tender sprouts.
Too much wind can dry them out.

Then one day the world turns green.
Plants grow stronger—vines,stems and
Leaves.

Ground that’s planted keeps out weeds.
With some help gained on my knees!

Ticaboo Mesa

Mide Ticaboo--Hello friend!
Those were the words a Paiute Indian spoke to my great grandmother in the 1860's in the Sevier Valley of Utah. When I found those words written in the story of her life, it gave me the courage to move to Ticaboo.
It seemed like she was speaking to me! And so we too lived out in the wilds of Southern Utah. Those who remember it will have only happy memories I am sure!

Jaywalking

Coming back from the dentist across the line I crossed the street against the light. I jaywalked--when in Rome. . . .hey, in Mexico everybody jaywalks. I was exceptional because I jaywalked in the crosswalk, but I digress.
Crossing the street I thought of a conversation I had recently on consequences and rules. One of my kids told me about watching a man as he tried to cross a street in traffic. He was hit by a bus and thrown 20 or 30 yards toward where my son was standing. And he was dead.
He talked about how helpless he felt standing, unable to do anything to prevent the inevitable accident, a feeling almost of fear. Then I remembered and recounted an incident from years ago, when I lived in London. A woman was hit by a taxi outside our house. She lay on the sidewalk in front of the house with her skull fractured, thick dark blood oozing out of her head. We brought out a blanket, called the ambulance, felt uneasy, helpless. Not something you forget easily.

There are times when we think that those who break the rules should suffer the consequences, they should be brought up short, they should learn that they cannot break rules without consequences.
But--then when we see the stark reality of the consequences we have to back off. Do we really want to suffer the consequences of our foolish, thoughtless decisions?
Justice has its place, but I vote for mercy. Without mercy we are all stepping out in front of the bus.
And so in this life, I hope we learn, I hope we follow, and I hope that we do not always suffer the consequences of our actions.

Thank you for mercy, and second chances, and third. . . . Maybe we'll have time to learn and change.