Mi Rancho

Had lunch at Mi Rancho in Bemidji recently.  Another "Authentic Mexican Dining Experience".  Yeah right.

Service was excellent.  Food was good (more on that in a moment).  Decor and atmosphere was great.  Tables were really neat.

That table top appears to be a solid block of hand carved wood, covered and sealed with a thick layer of epoxy.  Gives me a few ideas for a future dining room set when my life gets to that point again.

The food, although good and edible, was singularly bland to my way of thinking.  Probably quite appropriate for the tastebuds of Northern Minnesota, but not for someone expecting fire and spice.

Ah well.  Far better than the Patron of Hibbing, but not up to the measure of El Potro in Grand Rapids.

Lamentations 3:1-40

I have suffered much because God was angry. He chased me into a dark place, where no light could enter. I am the only one he punishes over and over again, without ever stopping. God caused my skin and flesh to waste away, and he crushed my bones. He attacked and surrounded me with hardships and trouble; he forced me to sit in the dark like someone long dead. God built a fence around me that I cannot climb over, and he chained me down. Even when I shouted and prayed for help, he refused to listen. God put big rocks in my way and made me follow a crooked path.

God was like a bear or a lion waiting in ambush for me; he dragged me from the road, then tore me to shreds. God took careful aim and shot his arrows straight through my heart. I am a joke to everyone-- no one ever stops making fun of me. God has turned my life sour. He made me eat gravel and rubbed me in the dirt. I cannot find peace or remember happiness. I tell myself, "I am finished! I can't count on the LORD to do anything for me." Just thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That's all I ever think about, and I am depressed.

Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The LORD's kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, "The LORD is all I need; I can depend on him!" The LORD is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him. It is good to wait patiently for the LORD to save us. When we are young, it is good to struggle hard and to sit silently alone, if this is what the LORD intends. Being rubbed in the dirt can teach us a lesson; we can also learn from insults and hard knocks.

The Lord won't always reject us! He causes a lot of suffering, but he also has pity because of his great love. The Lord doesn't enjoy sending grief or pain. Don't trample prisoners under your feet or cheat anyone out of what is rightfully theirs. God Most High sees everything, and he knows when you refuse to give someone a fair trial. No one can do anything without the Lord's approval. Good and bad each happen at the command of God Most High. We're still alive! We shouldn't complain when we are being punished for our sins. Instead, we should think about the way we are living, and turn back to the LORD.

(Contemporary English Version)

O Frabjous Day! Calloo!! Callay!!!

He Is

something I've been thinking about a lot:  Who is God?  What is He like?

Part of this comes from my incarceration.  Most of my fellow inmates don't have any idea who or what He is, they have never been to Sunday School or Church; a lot of them never made it to High School.

If you ask a typical Christian or Bible Student who or what God is, you often get some of the standard list of the attributes of God:

Wisdom
Infinitude
Holiness
Sovereignty
Trinity
Omniscience
Faithfulness
Omnipotence
Self-existence
Self-sufficient
Justice
Immutability
Mercy
Eternal
Goodness
Omnipresence

But if you ask them to explain this in terms that my new acquaintances would understand they can't give an answer.  I think that too many self professed Christians, when they are talking about their God or their religion really do not understand what they are saying; and I think that too many of us have made Christianity into a "Mystery" religion, one where everything is full of mystery and ritual, where only the "initiated" or "chosen" can understand what is really happening.

And this is wrong.  Yes, Moses was raised and trained to be a Prince of Egypt, Daniel was evidently a member of the upper class, and Matthew had some mathematical ability and political acumen as a tax collector, but many of God's chosen people were nobody special.  Peter, James, John, and Andrew were simple fisherman, most likely illiterate, with no education beyond what was needed for mending nets and finding and selling fish.

So, for the last couple of months I've been making note of some of the things that mean "God" to me.  And the first thing I noticed was that when I try to do this for a person, I might say that a particular person is pretty or handsome or smart or a good mechanic, but I generally do not particularly note more than a handful of things that stand out.  As I get to know a person better, I will take note of more things.  And so it is with God, the better I get to know Him the more I notice.

My Avenger Deut. 32:35
My Father Matt. 6:9
My Rest Matt. 11:28
My Comforter Jer. 8:18
My Shepherd Psa. 23; John 10:1-18
My Bread John 6:35
My Light John 8:12
My Life John 14:6
My Vine John 15
My Water John 7:37-38
My Teacher John 14:23-24
My Peace John 14:27
My Counselor John 14:15-17; Psa. 32:8
My Glory John 17:22
My Healer Mark 6:56
My Help Psa 63:7
My Lover Psa. 13:5
My Strength Psa. 118:14
My Song Psa 118:14
My Defender Prov. 23:11
My Creator Isa. 43:15
My Salvation Isa. 43:3
The Still Small Voice in the silence
The Calmer of the Storm
My Foundation
The Word that created this world and will create the world that is to come
The Filler of My Heart
The breath of life
The Sacrificial Lamb
The High Priest
The fire by night
The law giver
Kinsman-redeemer
King
Rebuilder of broken walls and lives
Morning song
Wisdom's cry
Lover's dream
Prince of peace
Stranger in the fire
Forever faithful
The Arms that carry me
Strength
Shield
Fire from heaven
Glorious treasure
Healer of the sick

Psalm 38

O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.
I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You.
My heart pants, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my relatives stand afar off.
Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long.
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
Thus I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no response.
For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.
For I said, "Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me."
For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me.
For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.
But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
Those also who render evil for good, they are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me!  Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

(Psa 38 NKJV)

How Many Kings?

How many kings stepped down from their thrones,
How many lords have abandoned their homes,
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

From "How Many Kings"
Downhere
Martel/Germain

Doesn't matter how many times I hear this song it still brings tears to my eyes.  And I hear it at least once a day.  No matter what I've done, no matter what you've done, God still loves me and He still loves you, and He wants us all to come back home to Him.

Senor Patron

Had dinner with a friend a couple of nights ago at Senor Patron, an "authentic Mexican Restaurant" in the Irongate Mall, Hibbing, MN.  Yes, I know I didn't spell "senor" correctly, haven't figured out the code, and since they didn't have it always spelled correctly on all of their stuff I feel less concerned about it.

Food and service wasn't bad, but was, well, different.  It was on Friday evening, so I could cut some slack for that, but the restaurant was not busy by any means.  I ordered a combination plate that included a chile rellenos, my friend ordered a taco salad.  My plate was delivered several (maybe 5?) minutes before the other plate was delivered.   I can't speak for the taco salad, but although I have had several variations on the chile rellenos theme, I have never had one which had ground beef in it.  Or, for that matter, where the seed pod thingy was left in it.  Just a bit strange, I thought.

I think El Potro in Grand Rapids has much better service, and I think that El Potro's chile rellenos combination plate is the best I have ever enjoyed.  Just my opinion, for what it's worth.