UNMARKETABLE SKILL

 Since I am a lifetime nightowl, and being 76 years old has turned this into a non-marketable skill I will update you on my wrapping my mind around my immense but highly unprofitable success as a blogger. First, let me brag on my international scope, which I am kind of understanding but I will not be able to communicate it in normal staticians speak, but like music, I will have to make up my terms as I go. On Facebook, the percentage of US citizens reading my blog is 3%. Three other nations, all of which speak very good eh English, are India, Pakistan, and the largest audience is Bangladesh. That doesn't explain The rest of the countries, but I will say once, I did a log on how many countries viewed my blog for several weeks and I quit at 120 cuz I got tired of keeping the log. Blogger blogspot was the source of my stats.

My more recent success simply comes from the fact that I've activated the blog again the shepherd's Journal, and I'm beginning to understand what's happening. In the last year I have seen hits in Russia and China and that always gets me excited for I have always dreamed of taking my eclectic style of preaching the gospel to the world but I am limited because like my hero Don I don't have a face for television nor a voice for radio nor even the journalistic patience to have worked full-time at any job that involves sitting at a desk. But now with my new secretary pixel phone I can easily dictate my thoughts in a way that doesn't offend too highly the English majors. I think that's enough for now. It's only 11:00 p.m. and it's going to be at least two or three hours before I go to sleep so I will say my traditional good night. Later Gators. 

MAD DOG R E V M AD D O G 1948.

Allstate and California fires.

 Allstate and my clan of the Dittmer Sinclair's go back a long way. Sears used to be the big boy on the stock market and business in America's world at least as far as I can remember back in the '50s and '60s. Two of my uncles, Uncle CB and Uncle Sam not that Uncle Sam, were managers of Sears stores. Sears had a nice retirement plan and that left my uncle's with a hefty retirement package so that when they retired they both bought trailer parks in Florida and move down there. 

All state was part of that whole package you can go into a Sears store and update your Allstate insurance plan at the same time. All in one shopping. Sears was normally the anchor of all of those malls that spread across United States and the major cities. 

With the decline of the box stores and the gradual shift away from catalog stores and online shopping Sears decided to divest Allstate because it was very valuable and that slowed their decline along with the value of all of their real estate, especially the huge mighty Sears Tower. 

I wandered away from Allstate and usually stuck with whoever supplied the church insurance because everybody got you a good deal when you combined everything and I like saving money. 

Somewhere in there, my auto insurance went way up with my local insurance company, so I decided to check into my old friend Allstate. Shockingly, the difference in price was amazing and Allstate really was inexpensive. I remember precisely the formula that they use to get more business they drew a line on US-6 and those that were north of US 6 were folded into South bend with a much higher accident rate and the more modest country areas below US 6. A revelation! 

The next time the question of Allstate came up was when Mary and I moved to Plymouth, and even with the fuse competition of online insurance like Geico and others I decided to try the local office of Allstate, and they had a job dropping low price because we had very low mileage and they had a little Gizmo you could attach to your car and when you got up to $75 worth of insurance and mileage they'd send you a bill actually they build it online and sometimes we got that bill every other month and sometimes every third month because we didn't drive much. 

Now to the current moment. I'm sure you're aware of the California fires and the insurance tragedy of State farm who got out of the neighborhood cuz they can see the disaster coming and I am 99.9% sure that all states saw it coming too. But I suspect they took a much longer view and figured they'd make a lot of happy people if they stood by these Ford burnt out homes in Southern California. I didn't hear anything on the news that Allstate has stayed. I just just put two and two together and came up with four and looked it up online and sure enough Allstate is staying. There's going to be a lot of happy people in California. Good job, Allstate.

State of flux

 I have been in a state of flux last few days probably because of my very good feelings about the election and the future and also The return of my adorable neighbor. So today and yesterday I changed my protocol to actually reading Don's blog first. I was up at 3:00 reviewing extensively my flagship blog THE SHEPHERD'S JOURNAL and got all the way back to 2011. That seemed to satisfy my need to be inspirational by writing posting texting etc etc. And so I will finish this comment by saying thank you, Don and friends, for being history buffs although Don is a professional, legitimately so, and with his profound knowledge of current events he has my undying admiration. 

Later Gators.

https://open.substack.com/pub/donsurber?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1r6gfe

The Condemned Heart and Hell

The spiritual heart is an organic living machine, opening windows to creation and time, a residence for our Eternal soul, able to infinitely amplify and receive words that can destroy or bring life, and a throne room for a judge. Only God can control this magnificent machine, and only when you surrender and become One with The Crucified and Merciful Christ
Refuse this Salvation, and at Judgement you will condemn yourself. Your heart will sever all connections with Joy and Life, fuse itself to the infinite suffering Hell, and amplify your words of self condemnation Eternally.
At Judgement Day, only One can save you, but He will not, for if you refused His Salvation while you faced men, He will refuse to save you when you face Eternity.

The dirtiest job I ever had!

Someone on Twitter asked about the dirties job I ever had:

It was THE TOWERS!

14 ft tall. 14 total, 850 degrees, 110 on the floor, 100% humidity. Running strands of fiberglass and kevlar repeatedly through pans of black carbon powder liquid. I had black hands, face, hair, shoes. I wore black shorts and sleeveless T-shirts. I felt like Johnny Cash.

We made radio suppression conductive wire for the core of auto spark plug wires. We made millions and millions and millions of feet. Every. Month.

The company was first called Ristance. There was an assembly plant in Argos, a building for making silicone slabs and another much larger building for warehousing in Mishawaka. There was a third location for manufacturing spark plug wire that housed several buildings that manufactured both appliance wire and automotive wire. That was located in Bremen and all of the locations were in the state of Indiana. 

I almost retired from that factory. If I'd have made it till 20 years I would have gotten some kind of special recognition but Lynne had passed away, and I had met Mary online and I was anxious to get away from the commitment of factory work and while I was at it I tried to hold on to my pastor but I couldn't keep up two locations Michigan and US highway 6 between walkerton and lapaz. 

This was not only the dirtiest job, but the pressure to put wire at the door and of a quality that would not cause our customers to ship it back to us was immense. We had a ship rate on time of 95%, and the lady, Pamela, that was in charge of coordinating those constantly checked on us and if you violated any sequences you better have a good excuse. I likened us to sled dogs and they were fierce to work with and they would take a bite out of your ass if you started to slow down too much but it was very much a family and they took care of us wonderfully while Lynne was sick.

This will take some time to totally flesh out, so stay tuned. 

Later Gators.

My nickname is Mad Dog

Going on a week on my hybrid night owl/dayshift brain rewiring. To continue down this trail I'll have to limit my caffeine and stop after one k-pod and 6 ounces of pop. Also, I'm socially dangerous until my brain develops sufficient momentum to ride herd on my sarcasm. The other part of my dangerous personality is my penchant for dangerous experiments. Rock and roll gospel music and driving like a NASCAR off-roader are two examples. When we lived in North Dakota, Lynne and I were famous for driving 50 miles from Mohall to Minot after a blizzard warning was issued. Members would call us right after a warning was issued to ask if we were going. We always did. Great time to shop. No crowds.

Thank you for your patience.

Asad Rafi, Micronox, Pakistan

 I've been friends with Asad on Facebook since 2009. He's a hard worker, which always impresses me. He's a businessman that loves Jesus. He wrote something that had such clarity I asked for permission to reprint it on my Journal.

Ngo wala business karna nai sekha sakta. period 

Reason : mangna wala hath Kamana nai sekha sakta 

For all those who couldn’t understand 

People running their NGOs cannot teach you how to become an entrepreneur or how to successfully conduct or start a business ( Period ) 

Reason: They are in a habit of asking and not earning, so an asked amount is never an earned amount despite they have lavish lifestyles. ( not that they have earned but silently requested their donors to donate ) 

Imp: Do not be fooled ask the Lord to give you wisdom and knowledge so you may can choose your direction and mentors wisely. 

Note: it’s not a public service message it’s a blatant truth.

REMEMBER OCTOBER THE 7TH

OCTOBER THE 7TH

I, like many Americans, am trained to be a bully fighter. That is why I saw so clearly and I will mention his name knowing it will cause mental illness among many of my friends Donald J Trump was raised up by God to fight bullies and the biggest most suicidal bullies are the perpetrators of October 7th. You cannot deny the great grief that has been inflicted on this young nation by those suicidal homicidal lazy ass ham assholes. Your perception of DJT's weaknesses pale against The vicious savagery of the October 7th perpetrators and I believe God has raised up Donald to be a friend and a comforter of the new nation of Israel. Unfortunately tragic news is still ahead for the lovely and gracious people of Israel. May the name of Palestine become a stench in the nostrils of all people who believe in love and kindness. October the 7th. October the 7th. October the 7th. Give the Palestinians no sympathy or quarter or refuge. MAD DOG

Trials Can Be Useful in Making Us Useful

 The world says Go big or go home. Doesn't God say, Get small, become more precious? The common carbon, when subjected to massive pressure and heat, sifted and ground at a mine, then further cut and polished becomes exquisitely beautiful and precious as a diamond. So we remind ourselves to rejoice when we are afflicted in many ways, knowing that the trying of  our faith forms patience. We will allow this process to continue until it is complete, until we are certain that when we have Jesus we have all we need. #maddogandqueenmary

MY HERO PHIL RILEY

Bob Schubert and I were both leaders of the Dakota Impact. Bob led evangelism. I led music. Destinies were changed. Epic adventures were experienced. God was glorified. It was an honor to have worked with Bob. The years were 1977 to 1980?

GROWLING AT MAROONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH

I'm in the process of catalyzing my son in law into a FEARLESS MAD DOG. I wrote him a note. It turned into a thank you note to my hero Dakota District Superintendent Reverend Phil Riley.

My dear son in law: Reminder: to practice good mental health, always growl at people who are irritating you. This is sometimes alarming to Day shift people or parishioners of large churches. My bosses at large Nazarene churches sheltered me from judgemental critics by calling me a youth pastor. I also had a fierce Shepherdess partner Lynne who would whisper in my ear, make sure I was presentable, and help by remembering everyone's name. District Superintendents put me in small churches and whenever possible, let me loose on the music. My dear friend Phil Riley actually took pity on me and my garish Neru suit, bell bottoms and long poofie California haircut and purchased every pastor a THREE PIECE SUIT, had every pastor send in their measurements to a professional tailor, and also sent each pastor THE BOOK... HOW TO DRESS FOR SUCCESS. In the IMPACT photo you can see Reverend Riley's influence on me. I'm wearing that suit!

I also could play the piano and lead a youth choir on. Rather than using written music, I would teach the kids to learn by ear. My style was a fusion of rock and roll along with Gather style gospel music. Our choir also had a bass guitarist, Ernie Hockey. Ernie also had a set of drums that one of his friends played. The music was compelling, especially when combined with spontaneous testimonies from kids before singing a solo verse backed by the choir on chorus. God gets the credit.

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

Walmart Delivery

I have to make a shopping list for Walmart delivery tomorrow. I couldn't get to sleep till 2 and still woke up at 6:30. I suspect I may not be able to nap today. Gives me plenty of time to get done on my daily projects, including my favorite, taking care of my beautiful bride, Mary. #maddogandqueenmary  #alzheimers #lymphaticdrainage

Here's our latest picture, squinting in the bright sun.

Alzheimer's: Mary Is Improving

 #storytime x3

1. Kitty was in a favorite hiding place. Now she's snoozing next to Mary on the bed.

2. The EMT went down our street but didn't turn into our driveway which means I didn't accidentally hit my Humpty Dumpty emergency call button on my neck like I did when it was on my wrist. Boy, the firemen pound the door loud when they're checking on me! Since I live in Plymouth Indiana the best small town in THE WORLD there was no charge.

3. Mary is retraining herself to use the bathroom. I've never heard of an #alzheimers recovery like hers. #amazinggrace (my version is called Limbo Low Carb/High Fat moderate protein after my gurus Kelly Hogan and Stephanie Person. I've been changing Mary's diet incrementally and going by her A1c, which is down to 6.1. Making some more changes this week. Got a blood test coming up and I'll get back to you with that. Please please don't throw me out even though I'm a wild child because I use you guys for a reference point and I thought you'd be interested in Mary's amazing progress. My two daughters each have a helper so I have someone coming in almost daily and sometimes more to help with cleaning, cooking, while I focus on music therapy for Mary. Yes, I am blessed.

My oldest daughter is now working for me 30 hours a week, a social services plan to keep me out of a nursing home, and Mary also has full service to keep her out of a nursing home, with me as the care giver. Becky likes to cook low carb, which she gets paid to do. We're experimenting with recipes. Mary loves the salmon with cheesie butter sauce. Because of Mary's shortened bowels she tolerates a large amount of soft cheese which settles her tummy. Eggs, sausage patties, chicken salad. I made a fake cheese cake from super eggy French toast, 1/2 brick of cream cheese, and sugar free strawberry jelly. That's her favorite. Chicken salad straight out of a bowl, smoked oysters with a touch of cream every morning... Stephanie Person idea along with pre cooked sausage patties, also Stephanie. I noticed the biggest improvement when we added the smoked oysters, which greatly improved our complexion. I'm 74, she's 73. I think we look good.

Christmas Day Carol

When my Mom was born, all mothers who went to the hospital, an incredible luxury 94 years ago, stayed in the hospital for a full week. Mom was the 9th of 10 children and there was a large built-in audience for her first homecoming. Since Mom was born on the 18th of December, she arrived home on Christmas Day. Hence her name was Carol. Her serious business skills (120 words a minute typing and 200 words a minute short hand dictation) were a great asset to my Dad's hard working, carpentry, mechanical, and welding skills combined with a mischievous personality. This symbolic gift from God brought many souls into a joyous knowledge of God. She taught me to be fearless when facing bullies and life, to make family life fun, to pursue my passion for music, and to have fun serving God without reservation. She drove the station wagon loaded with 6 kids pulling a camper to Florida and back while Dad worked the high paying firewatch for the strike shuttered US Steel. Tim and I arguing over setting up the camper tent in the dark, then Tim and I almost losing the camper (along with little brother Kelly hiding in Dad's homemade kitchen box attachment) over the steep mountain edge probably have her a gray hair or two. She was a grandmother when she rode the world's tallest, steepest, and fastest wooden roller coaster, the Chicago 6 Flags American Eagle, with me and her granddaughter Becky. The stories of her fearless adventures would fill a book. Thanks, Mom.