Saturday, March 22, 2025

Discovering My Grandfather's Daily Devotional







I’m discovering an insight to my grandfather who died in 1962 at the age of 82.

I recently received his book “Johann Friedrich Starck’s Morgen und Abendandachten”, translated means Morning and Evening Prayer, a 1901 copy of a 18th century theologian’s writing.  Reviewing my grandfather Georg (without “e” pronounced GAY-org) Reiter’s daily devotional book, it is fragile, very worn and obviously much used.  To connect with a particular day’s prayer is to wonder how many times has this person read this particular prayer on this particular day over a lifetime.  And, the wonder is also a warm feeling and thought that this person was a good and righteous person.


 I’m seeing a pattern with each day’s prayer ending with psalms, hymns, carols, and ballads.  Here is the Evening - Prayer (Abend) for 21 February.  I used an internet on-line translator as I wrote from the original German text these sentences, trying to interpret the old Gothic letters, used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 to well into the 17th century, if the letter was a U or A


Some words do not exactly fit the logic in this translated prayer, because words in all languages become outdated and not easily translated.  This text is probably translated in the 19th century from the 18th century, which would further outdate todays translation.  


So, here is my translation from page 105 and at the bottom is from Pslam 51:


Evening Prayer for 21 February



Return to me, saith the Lord Almighty, so I will teach you, saith the Lord Almighty   Zech. 1.3


Almighty and gracious God! As night falls, I see all my trust and confidence in you and your merciful side.  I ask you humbly, Lord, to forgive me all my sins and transgressions out of grace. Like a sheep strayed from the herd heading for his shepherd. So I too want to turn to you, faithful Jesus, and hold myself to you, so that I will never leave you again.  Without this inner conversion no one has ever found grace before your eyes. A David, a Peter, a Paul have become completely changed people through your spirit power, so give me such a new meaning, O my merciful.  In grace you will abdicate all uncleanness and all damages from me. Let your holy angels encamp around me so that I may enjoy a good night's sleep under their care.  Ah, Lord, come to me when I pray, and hear me; Comfort me when I am depressed, save me when the floods cross over me. Comfort me when I'm sick and lonely.  Will you, sir, attribute sin, who will prevail? Let my soul, when leaving that mortal coffin, open the entrance into your heaven, where I will be eternally united with you. Amen.



I want from my wrongdoing

to convert me to the Lord;

You want help and advice for yourself

for that, O God, bring

and your spirit's power,

that creates new hearts in us,

grant me with mercy.





Tuesday, March 4, 2025

The Nature of Communication


Ancient scholars deduced that language is symbolic, metaphorical to reason and understanding for the individuals’ thought process. Symbolism language is powerful.

Hieroglyphics were the early form of writing, communication used in Ancient Egypt and the Anatolian Hittites dating back to the Bronze Age 12 century BCE, a combination of logographic symbols. Much like the Emoji of today.


But the timeline of most of History shows that most people were illiterate, could not read or write even up through the Middle Ages. They depended on Oral Tradition, a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and culture was received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.  The transmission was through speech or song including folktales, ballads, chants, or prose and poetry.


Part of Human Existence, is Oral Tradition before written language. One can hypothesize religion was founded upon explaining the unexplainable, giving reasons to fractured happenings before scientific knowledge gave birth. Homer’s Odyssey reveals Human Nature.  ‘Achilles' heel myth for example.


Greek Mythology, when Achilles was an infant, it was foretold he would perish at a young age. Preventing his death, his mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx which folklore supposed to offer powers of invulnerability. She dipped his body into the river water but, because she held him by his heel, it was not touched by the water of the river.


One can see, for example, the Pictures displayed as Art throughout the walls and ceilings of Hagia Sophia, built 360 CE, telling the story of Christianity, a method of Oral Tradition.


In 1454 Gutenberg took the task of the laboring Scribes and put the mass media in motion. The printing press innovation put the written word to the masses, inspired the ‘read’.


Over centuries, Scribes upon Scribes, upon more Scribes rewriting lead to distortions in meaning. Imagine ancient script with no spaces/punctuation.


Charlemagne, 8th century, gave us Carolingian ‘miniscule’, Upper Lower cases, spaces between words, punctuation, and even Cursive Writing. 


Consider the importance of these  innovations, since the Ancient Scribes had this to deal with: allofthesechangesmadeitmucheasiertoreadtheyeliminatedthesourcesofmanyscribalerrors


Add to the Insanity with the Bible having many contradictions because of the Scribes’ distortions over centuries. Maybe one Scribe had a ‘Bad Day’ with his wife and relegated her to “Sit Down & Be Quiet” 1 Timothy 2:12: “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”


“I learned a very important lesson that night. People believe whatever they read. Something magical happens once it’s put down on paper. They figure no one would have gone through the trouble if it wasn’t the truth.  Responsibility was my new watchman.” Eugene Morris Jerome - Niel Simon’s Biloxi Blues


“Nature of Reality in the conscious mind is thru Stories.”- Deepak Chopra

Corporate Media controls the Stories. Therein Lies the Problem.


One could hypothesize, that ‘Social Media’ is the New “Ancient Oral Tradition”

since Journalism is DOA and Corporate Media is Infotainment.


One must realize Corporate Media Mainstream Media is owned by 5 corporations and is not only the filter, but the interpreter of HAPPENINGS.  An Unchallenged Lie perpetuates same. 


The Word “News” connotes Journalism, and one would expect a standard like a placard outside an office “Lawyer” or “CPA”.  Corp Media MSM replaced Journalism with ‘INFOTAINMENT’.


A savior of our communicated thoughts revolves around Lucius Seneca 4 BCE - 65 CE, Roman Philosopher, Stoicism: “You can’t control the situation, but you can control your reaction to it.”  


A Wider Window To Life



 We’re all born to this world with individual wonderment of the same universe. And, sharing gives life to that wonderment. Human nature is revealed on the face of an innocent child where love comes first, shown with a smile. Life is an individual journey.

“The Nature of Reality in the Conscious Mind is thru Stories.“ said Deepak Chopra.

What better excitement of your finding the beautiful flower, smelling it’s unique aroma, adding to the joy by telling a friend who delights in your story?


A fundamental question of Life’s Journey, when and where is the line drawn on the depth of Parenthood?  I find it difficult to share life with adult children who are distant. The sharing of life’s wonderment goes beyond a calendar, or sharing food recipes.


As parents we went through the stage in life and had the ‘Baby Thing’.  Our children grew up, but as adults they decided to be distant. That’s their choice.  We did the ‘Baby Thing’ by raising our children with love and a bundle of care.


The gateway to happiness is held in the hands of Humanity with the Key of Love. Let Love keep us at the top of this tapestry of humanity.


I find wonderment in life with the love of animals.  Watching the little creatures keeps life simple. Sniff, look, feel, hear, taste, all reminded about what’s important, and gives us a wider window to life.  


What motivates us? Remember, life is an individual journey. Some grow up with a competitive effort to conquer the same universe that they were born to, and cleave to greed.  


Reminded that greed is the seed for all kinds of Evil.  Greed reaches its limit when the fate of Humanity is held in the clutch of a few or submissive to one.


“The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” - Tagore


 A reflection from a spoken Native American, which harmonizes with this theme of wonderment, saying their religion is not Faith Based but real. You can feel it, taste it, breathing the air, drinking clean water, seeing the sun, feeling and smelling  the earth, living plants and animals in harmony - living, loving, sharing.


“One is responsible for life: It is the small beacon in that terrifying darkness from which we come and to which we shall return.” - James Baldwin 


“We are all tourists, God is our travel agent who already made our itineraries, bookings and destinations...Trust him and enjoy LIFE.  Life is just a journey! Live today!”- Charles Chaplin


We sit in awe of the wonderment of the miracles of Nature.

My wife Bobbi grows butterflies, from picking itsy bitsy caterpillars on dill from the backyard garden, placing them in a cage, feeding them dill / parsley until they’re big enough to form chrysalis. Then 7 to 10 days when they emerge as butterflies is a miracle.  


Further mystery is the time when the chrysalis stops evolving at Fall Equinox, waits through winter to then emerge in the Spring as Butterflies.   It’s Life’s Wonderment.