Charcoal Test Kroger Revisited (Part 7)

 The Kroger test was run on a warm afternoon and the ash pan picture was not taken at the right time, the charcoal hadn't had time to burn out completely. So I decided to retest under similar conditions to Royal Oak Natural. This lead to refining my conclusions a little as well. Ash pan the morning after:

35 minutes to reach 200 degrees.

Peak temperature 354 degree.

200 to 200 degrees burn time 151 degrees.

Updated conclusions: 

Firstly, the Kroger got hotter this time than it did when it was warm, this speaks well of my Assassin grill's build and insulation. Secondly, the discrepancies between the 2 Kroger burns shines a light on the simple fact that in a outdoor grilling environment the discrepancies in the shape of the charcoal mound, how the lighter gets on with it's job, and other factors make more difference than the charcoal itself. If we were to conclude that all the briquets performed equally that would give the win to Royal, because in this area all are sold at approximately 50 cents per lb, and the Royal is 77% as dense as Kroger, and 91% as dense as Kingsford. So, it burned equally hot with less weight since the test was done by volume. (More literal bang for your literal buck.) Ultimately, the main reason to select a given briquet over another is preference, and I prefer Royal because of how close to natural lump it is. The other 2 have various different proprietary ingredients. On a side note, Charblox burned as advertised but didn't get hot enough to justify the cost. If they revisit their pricing to be competitive with briquets, I would probably keep them on hand for long cooks.

Charcoal Test Wrap Up (Part 6)

  As you scan through the blog, you notice 4 different charcoal tests, I originally set out to do do 3, but a friend kindly donated a bag of Kingsford Blue Bag, ie "Original".  So, I tested 3 different types of briquets and what I consider to be the markets best lump, each was measured by volume, because volume is how you grill. Very few people have a scales by their grill where they measure out 5 lbs and cook. Almost everyone fills their tray to a point, or their chimney etc. So I measured it out with a chimney. Measuring by volume gave Rockwood a chance to justify it's cost, it failed, more on this below. When I weighed the charcoal with the same bucket, the Kroger weighed 13lbs, Kingsford 11 lbs, Royal 10 lbs, and Rockwood 6 lbs.

  Of the three briquets, the Royal Oak Natural is my favorite as of this writing, it has the fewest ingredients, and it's test was done under the harshest conditions. The other 2 briquets performed as well, and burned longer, but in warmer conditions. The other briquets have many different ingredients that are proprietary and secret. Kingsford claims to be all natural and burned nearly as hot as Royal, so it would get the nod over Kroger for me. 

  Lastly, we come to the Rockwood, I wanted it to be the best. I love how fast it came to temperature (and it's test conditions were as harsh as Royal). and how little ash it left behind, I like how the smoke was clean through the entire 200-200 burn. However, it costs 44% more than the Royal by volume and burned for less time at lower temperature than any of the briquets. Of course it would probably win the burn contests time and temperature both if the tests were done by weight, but it costs over twice as much by weight as the Royal. I think for me, the answer is Royal with wood chunks for flavor, then failing to find that, either Kingsford blue bag or another brand with the same ingredients as Royal. 

 Edited on 10/25/21 I tested the 2 extruded hardwood brands: Charblox and Prime 6. I found that they were over priced. You are paying for the density of the charcoal. If you have a grill with limited space, and want to pack more weight in per cook, this is beneficial, but for the rest of us, I would not buy it until the price per lb. drops in line. I am using Fogo lump right now, it burns like Rockwood. Scientifically speaking, lump burns better per lb than any briquet and leaves less ash. Downsides are cost and lack of density. Lack of density is not a problem if your grill has the room. Burn lump if you can find a good one at the right price for your budget with no junk in it and if it's been thoroughly carbonized. If your concerned about cost, a natural briquet seems to be the best value play. 

 If you clicked on this from the science tab and want to learn more about how I reached these conclusions, in detail, click on 2020 and November in the archives section. There you will see all the other parts to this test. 

Kingsford Blue Bag (Part 5)

 Ash pan the next morning:

Preheat to 200 degrees: 41 minutes

Peak temperature: 351 degrees

200 degrees back to 200 degrees time: 152 minutes

Smoke was bitter during startup, it got clean but maybe slightly more bitter than Royal Oak Natural, would call this a draw.

Any ties having to do with temperature should fall the way of Royal Oak Natural, ambient air temperature was aprox 20 degrees colder when the Royal Oak was tested. 

About the test: http://lonny90.blogspot.com/2020/11/charcoal-testing-setup-and-ground-rules.html

Kroger Charcoal Briquets Test (Part 4)

 This test was done at a time of 20 degrees warmer temperatures than the others, I am not quite sure how to account for that. Also the ash pan picture was taken almost immediately after the test due to time constraints. I shook the charcoal grate to get it all down and get an accurate representation. Ash pan picture:

Preheat time to 200 degrees: 44 minutes

Smoke was bitter, but cleaned up in second half, much like Royal Oak Natural.

Peak temperature reached: 342 degrees. 

Time from 200 degrees back down to 200 degrees: 190 minutes. 

About the test: http://lonny90.blogspot.com/2020/11/charcoal-testing-setup-and-ground-rules.html

Royal Oak All Natural Hardwood Charcoal Briquets Test (Part 3)

 Ash pan the next morning:

Preheat time to 200 degrees: 38 minutes.

Peak temperature reached: 354 degrees.

Time from 200 degrees back down to 200 degrees: 133 minutes. 

The smoke was clean for a briquet, but still bitter, only after the peak temperature was reached did the smoke clean up to about the same cleanliness as the Rockwood did. 

About the test: http://lonny90.blogspot.com/2020/11/charcoal-testing-setup-and-ground-rules.html

Rockwood Charcoal Test (Part 2)

 Ash pan the next Morning:

Preheat time to 200 degrees: 26 minutes

Peak temperature reached: 316 degrees

Smoke was ultra clean, only smell was grease from the grill, could have baked bread. This is my preference because it allows me to add more smoke with the wood of my choice. 

Time from 200 degrees back down to 200 degrees: 110 minutes.

About the test: http://lonny90.blogspot.com/2020/11/charcoal-testing-setup-and-ground-rules.html

Charcoal Testing, Setup and Ground Rules. (Part 1)

 I have moved from a gas smoker, to a charcoal grill. I love my charcoal grill. It is an Assassin 36, I can configure it with a drip pan that directs heat across to cook similar to an offset or a indirect heat grill like a Holland Gas. I can configure it with a water pan to cook similar to a classic cabinet style or bullet smoker. I can configure it with no pan in order to grill with direct heat or 2 zones, similar to the classic weber kettle or rectangular charcoal box. Lastly, I can take out the lower cooking grate and cook with wood splits. 

Check out Assassin grills here: https://www.assassin-smokers.com/charcoal-grills/

 The reason for the tests:

 I am used to getting a lot of btus for my dollar because of cooking with propane. Propane is cheap and extremely efficient. However, it leaves a lot to be desire for flavor, and I am a big believer in a charcoal bed with wood chunks added for the best flavor. So, I want the best all around charcoal for my Assassin, I want it to heat quickly, burn a long time, preferably very hot, so I can control it down to desired temperature with air flow, and leave me with as little ash as possible. I studied charcoal tests and reviews online and learned a lot about the theory, however, most tests focus on comparing different brands of lump to each other, or different brands of briquettes to each other. So, I was stuck between 3 options:

1. Nearly the cheapest and most convenient for me: Kroger briquettes, which are made by Royal Oak. Here: https://www.kroger.com/p/kroger-original-ridged-charcoal-briquets/0004126037327

2. A good natural briquet, based on what I found, the Royal Oak brand is about as good as any, and I like the transparency about what's in it. Here: https://www.royaloak.com/products/all-natural-hardwood-charcoal-briquets/

3. A good lump, after reading The Naked Whiz, (http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm) Rockwood, appears to be the best or amongst the best lump charcoal in their database. Here: https://rockwoodcharcoal.com/

The ground rules: 

I will take each charcoal and fill my camp chef brand chimney to the brim, then I will dump it out onto the Assassin's charcoal tray, put a lit pine mountain wax starter in the ash tray, shut the door, leave the vents wide open, and lid down throughout. I will track temperatures with a Thermoworks Smoke. I want to see how long it takes to climb to 200 degrees. How hot it gets, and how long before it falls below 200 degrees again. If the temperature rises to 400, I will choke the vents to help extend the burn time. After logging that, I will check the ashtray and take a picture of it the next day. Each test will be started with a clean ash tray. As far as pricing, the Rockwood is more expensive per pound than both briquets, but, it is similarly priced by volume due to how dense the briquets are. So using a chimney will cause the Rockwood to have less weight in the grill, but also bring it's price inline with the briquets. 

If He Only Knew....

  He looked through his books, he marked his diary one last time, no words, just a cross, the last several years had been hard, he was pretty much bankrupt. He was alone and friendless on the steamship Dresden, the year was 1913. He had a dream, an invention, something that would be revolutionary in industry, but no one seemed to believe him. This invention had nearly killed him, and now it had drained his pockets. He had no backup plan, no hope, no future. He put his last papers in order, and arranged his cabin. Before leaving, he had left the last of his money with his wife, in a briefcase with instructions to not open it until the following week. He walked out, on the side of the ship, he looked down into the cold waters of the English channel, laid aside his overcoat, and jumped in. 

  He had been on the way to England, to discuss his invention with the British. He was a German. There are those who believe he was murdered, but most known records point to suicide. He never made it to England. He thought his life a waste, but it wasn't. With the benefit of time, we can see the point of his invention, we appreciate it even when we don't think about it. The device you are using to read this article right now has benefited from his invention, in terms of shipping costs. The food you eat has more than likely been brought to you by hard working farmers who were made more efficient by his invention. After his death, the value of his invention was finally realized, the invention is an engine, it produces huge torque, it is efficient, and reliable. I'm not sure how we would do without it. They named it after him. 

  Sometimes life does seem pointless, but, we only see our bit of history and our present. Don't waste yourself. Ultimately, trust the one who was there in the beginning, and will be there at the end, He will give you hope. If you need to, talk with someone who knows Him well enough to help you talk with Him. Don't waste yourself. 

Oh, his name was Rudolf Diesel. So, Mr. Diesel, thanks for the engine. :) 

-Loren 

Life Choices in the Jungle of Somewhere (Part 2)

Catch up here. 

 

  Jesus and Helgon arrived at the pool. It was beautiful and so refreshing with the fear gone. Helgon had an idea, how many other people were wanting to come to this pool and were caught up by fear? Could he do something to help? Jesus was still with Him, and so he sketched out a plan, he laid a walkway connecting the path to the pool. Along the walkway he put up a freedom building, he then outfitted this building with the latest and greatest in "constrictor removal equipment". Over time the many different people came down the walkway, and arrived at the Freedom Building in timely fashion to be freed from constrictors of fear of their own. Over time, various different people stuck around and began to assist in the work, some of them younger and more energetic, and more gifted at specific nuances of the work than Helgon. 

  Jesus spoke to Helgon again, He said, "The work here is good, and I am in it, but I am also in you, and the time has come for you to leave the Freedom Building and walk on. Leave this work to others of my disciples" To which Helgon replied, "Where to?" "That is not important just now, just follow me, the faith that I have earned from freeing you earlier, follow me in that faith." Jesus replied.

  Helgon pondered Jesus' words, and he just couldn't bring himself to leave the Freedom Building. So he stayed and kept working. Over time, the fun went out, and different people gravitated towards other workers because there was a something about Helgon, a lack, a weary performing way about him that was so different from the bright cheery nature of the others in the building. 

  One day it all came to a head, Helgon couldn't sleep, his mind was tormented by images of snakes around other people, a sense of futility, and Christ waiting for him by the path, with a sign marked "Future". Helgon finally realized that he had become so enamored with defeating fear in it's many forms, and in what he could do for other people that he had kind of forgotten about Jesus. Early that morning, he prayed with his fellow laborers, those who were called to this place for a time, and were alive in it still. Then he walked out, and joined Jesus and together they went towards the future. 

 There is a thing in us that seems to want to build for Jesus rather than keep it all about Him. He wants the depth of His nature explored and the gospel of the Kingdom spread, but we seem so often to be to busy planting churches, installing politicians, and policies or fixing people through various programs to pay attention to the deep truth that it is all work by human hands, unless it is actually done by the indwelling life of Christ. When Helgon put in the building, he felt alive and fulfilled, it was right, and good, but when Christ interrupted him, he wanted to stay with "his work." The thing he built for Christ had begun to mean more to him than Christ. These things should not be. Every thing we have or believe, we should be willing to test and give up for Christ. Everything. Everything. Everything. In this we actually find freedom. For Christ cares for us better than we care for us. Always has, always will. 

Thought provoking snippet.

  

Life Choices in the Jungle of Somewhere (Part 1)

  Somewhere, there was a jungle of beauty and peril. In some unfathomable way a person found himself in this jungle. This person may be a he or a she, you can decide. I will refer to him as a he and will call him Helgon. Helgon saw the beauty around him, on the surface it was marvelous, and yet there was something ominous, and sinister about it. It looked like it had once been perfect, and yet somehow fallen. There was a beautiful deer, and yet here lay a skeleton from some long dead animal, life and death all in one place. Here before him lay a walkway, well lit, and yet on either side lay dark foreboding shadows with creepy noises in them. Helgon started to walk, he didn't know where, he didn't know why he was here or where he belonged so how could he know where he was going?

  

  After walking for a mile, Helgon saw a beautiful pool off to the left side of the path, he knew that the shadows were dangerous, but he decided to go and look at it anyway, he wouldn't go far he thought. He left the path, he walked towards the pool. It was further than he thought, mud squished around him, and the shadows closed in. Something gripped him tightly, and he found himself being constricted by a great and terrible thing, he fought it with all his strength but it kept closing in around him, and it seemed he was doomed to this thing forever. It was at this moment Helgon remembered that he had just started walking, he had never looked for, or asked for a guide, he needed him now, so he began to call for help. Help came.

  Help came in the form of a man with scarred hands, this man quickly and efficiently uncoiled the serpent and crushed it's head with his foot. After Helgon recovered his breath he thanked the man and introduced himself. The man said, "I knew you from the beginning of time, I am Jesus, I saw you go alone and pursued you." Helgon asked, "Why did I ever go alone? How could I be so foolish? What was that awful snake? Jesus responded, " When you were on the walkway, you were confident, and believed in you. I believe in free will, and so I let you go it alone. When you wanted my help, I came. I followed you and was close by and waited for you to change your mind, for you see, this jungle is fallen, and I knew you would need help, it was just a matter of weather you wanted it or not. That snake is fear, and as long as you go with me, you will never need to face it again." 

Jesus moved towards the pool and Helgon, having learned his lesson went with Him. 

Do you believe in Christ? If so, you are Helgon. A part of God is in you at all times and therefore God is always with you. You never need to face fear again either, when you do, remember God within you. When I say you never need to face fear, I am talking to me....sigh....

-Loren

It's fun you should try It. (Or not) Part 3

  So, here we are again, in part 1 we uncovered the anguish and joy of fishing. In part 2 we uncovered the terror and joy of kayaking. So now, the time has come to explore the tremendous potential for joy, terror, anguish, happiness, peace, stress, and other emotions associated with the wild idea of combining the 2 sports in a union as cohesive and unified an experience as you might expect when a cranky coyote meets a grumpy bobcat. It is simply and accurately called kayak fishing, that is fishing for fish from a kayak, not fishing for kayaks from a fish. 

  Let's unpack this for a bit, firstly, you pack all the gear you might need for kayaking, the important life vest, paddle, and some system for getting water to your face. Also, you may want sunglasses. Secondly you pack all the gear you need for fishing, all the poles you might need plus one, tackle, maybe bait, and a system to hold your victims if you plan to eat them. This system, be it a cooler or a bag, needs to be sized in a strategic way to be large enough to hold your victims, and small enough to fit on the kayak without you needing to swim, dragging the kayak behind you. Lastly, you may want to pack an electronic fish finder system of some sort if ony to prove to all the bass boats that you are also a fishing man (woman?) of taste and sophistication, and not  merely a shouty plastic riding speed bump. Then again, as one of my associates demonstrated, the best way to get noticed is by flying a large "don't tread on me" flag. There is a question as to whether this flag gets you the appropriate attention, it may be wise to not use this flag in California or New York waters....

  Now, you have loaded up your kayak? Good, go use the bathroom, there is a certain annoyance involved in having invested this much time in loading up only to have to paddle to shore at some secluded place, negotiating walking space with the snakes after only 15 minutes on the water. Done hiding in the woods? Good, now set off, you will notice that the fish rather cruelly hide, you cannot expect the biggest bass in the lake to surface a quarter mile away and yell across the waters that he is in fact there and will bite on a certain curly tailed pink thing. Not doing this gives them an unfair advantage, for you paddle over there, and you cast, as you cast you notice a phenomenon. The kayak, which seemed like work to move while you were holding a paddle, now refuses to stop moving when you have a fishing pole in hand, so you must decide if you fish where the kayak wants to or where you want to. Neither you or it have any idea where the biggest fish in the lake is. It knows, but it will not tell. Thus you must grimly wipe the sweat from your brow, decide your having fun and ponder which implement to strike the water with next. The paddle to go somewhere you are not, or the pole to cast back to the place you once were. 

  Now let's discuss the things not fish you may catch. You gaze along the shoreline, you see shallow water under the trees that the big boats have not been, you maneuver your kayak into position and quietly beseech it to hold still, then with a graceful flick of the wrist you plop your lure right in...but there is no splash, you look up and behold, you have caught an oak tree. You remember the wise things your mom taught you about not saying unkind or profane things, you remember that you can actually afford to buy a new lure, and you frantically whack about like one in a rage until the tree releases your lure in a flurry of leaves, you duck as the lure makes an enraged swipe at your face, then wonder if fighting off enraged fishing lures ever caused a life jacket to get tested by a cranky and now very wet fisherman. Speaking of catching things, my favorite fishing associate, commonly known as the wife came up with a creative way to be exempt from the all the poles you need plus one rule. She had pioneered a technique where in she cast but the lure refused to leave the kayak, due to having caught the other pole, not in use. This then called for outside assistance because the tangle is hard to reach without risking a chance of conducting a field test on your life jacket. So the outside assistant paddled up and assisted, and then cautiously suggested she only carry one pole at a time. 

  Lastly, there is the occasional actual fish catch, the fish fights and at times tows the kayak around, it is brought on board and acts as if it were in a life and death situation, which it may very well be. You realize that with this enraged creature in this confined space you are in a wet or dry situation with a 30% chance of pain from the stingers or fins. You also realize that you are having fun with God in the world He created and this catastrophic combining of 2 hobbies has banished all sense of boredom from your life, at least until you get tired. So this then is fun. 

Broken into Freedom

   A massively powerful figure with a stern visage holds a priceless vase, He looks at the vase thoughtfully, and then drops it. It shatters into a thousand pieces, never to be the same. So it is, or so we think it is. It seems for some reason we think that this or some variation of this is what it is like for God to break us. However it is just not true, God is not the author of pain, He does however give you grace to overcome it as you abide in Him. He also uses this pain to help with or accelerate the process outlined and illustrated below. Romans 8:28

  There once was an egg, and the egg was broken. Out of this egg came a worm, the worm lived, it grew, it changed colors, it developed antenna, and did the things that worms do. One day, the worm is done, done with life as a worm, and so it forms a shell, and boxes itself in. It remains in this shell of it's own making for quite some time, it seems safe in here, and yet for some reason, in some divinely ordered way the shell breaks, it is broken, and the worm is dead. In some divinely ordered way, this shell has been broken in just such a time and way, that the worm is dead, and the butterfly has come forth into a new life as designed by the creator. This butterfly then spends its days flitting above the worms, and splashing it's colors and cheer within the gorgeous color display that is summer. The butterfly has a freedom that escapes other insects. The butterfly was led by a divine order, in some way it knew it was not actually a worm, but a butterfly, in some way when the time was right, it quit living as a worm and just gave up. In a divinely ordered way, it died, and manifested as the butterfly it always was. To do this, it had to be broken twice, first as an egg, then as a shell, and it had to die to it's "worm nature." Rather, it had to realize by a divine instinct that it was not a worm, but a butterfly. To be led by those divinely given instincts is why it worked. It would not do for the worm to force itself out of the shell in it's own "wormly strength", for then it could not fly. It would not do for the butterfly to remain "safe" in the shell, for then it could not fly. 

  As a human, made in the image of God and given your own divine stamp of uniqueness, you to were made for more. You were not made to merely live as an intelligent mammal with a sense of right and wrong that eludes the animals. You were made for fellowship with God. I have written on this with a bird's eye view here. The following questions are for those who have accepted that message and have a connection with the only living God. Question is, do you believe that your old self has been crucified with Christ? Are you willing to trust God to fill you with Him so that you can fly in His time and way? Or do you wish to choose to live within the walls of your own making? Or maybe you wish to live life at a worm like crawl? What you believe about that person you see in the mirror has nothing to do with the reality of your sin nature being crucified, this has happened, and it is when you believe this and accept it as the truth that it is, that you can live as you are. A saint on earth.

  I believe that God ordained brokenness is not a matter of you being destroyed by God, but a matter of your old man being broken in order to set you free. If we could only see it from outside our own view, we would see that the breaking of our old Adam or Eve nature is the best thing, that old man nature is actually a prison. It's like living as a spiritual worm.  

Good reading here. 

Galatians 2:20 

-Loren

It's fun, you should try it. (Or not) Part 2

 Well, so it is, that the time has come to write part 2 of my It's fun you should try it (Or not) series. In this series I explore hobbies of which I have experience, some of it vast, and yet some more of it childish. Today's lesson is: Kayaking, the ins and outs, the insides explained, and the universal discovery of which way is up. 

  

 So, the first and foremost thing of interest is a vest thingy that isn't exactly comfortable, it is bulky, and makes you feel a bit like a Michelin man. It's called a life vest or life jacket. I was one day peacefully sitting on my kayak, when one of those cunning humans I call friends rolled my kayak. The life vest made my contemplation of dying only last 15 seconds or so, and prevented my great alarm from developing into a thing called panic. To be fair to the cunning human, I had given him permission to conduct this "experiment." I would say it was invigorating, but I didn't feel inclined to allow him to conduct it again. So, while under water suddenly like, I was not thinking about oreos or ice cream or all the western luxuries of life, I was asking a fundamental and deep question to myself, I was asking, now which way is up though?  Then I asked, which way is up!!? Then finally I asked, OK, IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS RIGHT REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE, I DEMAND A REVELATION OF WHATEVER DIRECTION LEADS TO AIR!!! Or something like that, this is merely an analysis of what 15 seconds of emotions might have contained. Well, you see, thing is, the life jacket hauled me in that direction and I began to breathe again. Literally and figuratively (heh heh).

  Next, we should examine the paddle, the paddle is a long stick that has wide spots on the ends. These wide spots are meant to gently be stroked through the water on either side of your kayak. It is advised to be smooth and calm here, with two major exceptions of which I will speak of later. If you decide to do your paddle strokes in a fashion similar to some of the casting techniques outlined in part 1, then you may find yourself out of the kayak. For detailed and somewhat sober analysis of what this is like, carefully re-read paragraph 2. Anyway, the 2 exceptions to the calm and smooth paddling rule are, 1, If you find yourself crowding 30 and enjoying a wife's good cooking, and these young, high octane creatures known as younger brothers declare or imply you to be old to beat them to some random landmark, and 2, if you are being chased by any creature that you don't want anywhere near your kayak. If this creature is your wife, then stop reading this immediately, and talk to Jesus. 

 Lastly, we must examine the great plastic piece known as the kayak. The kayak could in some innocent way be considered a legalist, because it has certain rules, if any of these rules are broken, justice is swift and immediate. For detailed and somewhat sober analysis of what this is like, carefully re-read paragraph 2. On some kayaks the rules are no standing, no weight over the side, and depending on the size of the human, no more luggage than what is needed to feed a small unhappy mouse. Other kayaks allow you more freedom in luggage and yet are as strict otherwise, and yet others allow you to stand, and then perpetually punish you for taking that liberty by being slow. Finally, there are kayaks that don't need to use paddles for propulsion, they use motors or pedals. This helps obtain a happy marriage of stand ability and speed, with a one time violation of your wallet's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This then means you miss out on all the joyous sufferings detailed in paragraph 3. Anyway, I do hope this helps in your quest of kayaking.

-Loren

The VIP & His Last Minute Trip

   Once upon a time, in the Midwestern USA, there was a VIP, and this VIP had an important trip to make. He was taking on a new job, and it was very important that he serve. He strolled his home town, he caught up with his friends, and packed his bags, it was soon time to leave, but not yet. He decided, that he just had to see his step mom yet. She was a widow and lived in a little cabin south of him. He visited her, and they shared their memories, he wrapped his arm around her and her rocker all at once. For, the VIP was tall, and his arm was long, and strong. They spent a good deal of time together, and it was good for them both. However, eventually, the time came for the VIP to leave, tears were shed, and his step mom was especially sorrowful, for, she said, "This is the last time I will ever see you alive." To which, he responded, "Oh no, surely it can't be so." However, the VIP was wrong, he was leaving for an important work, in Washington DC, and he would die there. The VIP was Abraham Lincoln. 

  

  So, how important is your work, your ministry? No matter how serious it is and no matter how much pressure is weighing you down, the relationships you have with other people made in the image of God is more important, so, when the Lord touches you, and reminds you of someone, maybe it would do you well to listen? 

P.S. In history, there is a spine, which is provable, and has historical facts and event times nailed down, IE d-day, battle of Gettysburg etc. However, attached to this spine are the ribs of history, which are just as true, much more personable and profound, and yet the details of the ribs are hazy, and in those hazy details, I take liberties to write what I believe to have happened, based on my understanding of the source material I have. I have good reason to believe that this last visit to President Lincoln's step mom did happen, and here is my source material: The Lincoln Conspiracy 

-Loren

Passionate Love

 In a vast expanse of nothingness, with no matter, and no time, there was a lonely God, this God, the only true God, the only God worthy of the capital G, decided to create a world, and so He did. In this world he placed a man and a woman, both represented His image in physical form to this new, glorious, beautiful world. The Lord sought a relationship, a free will love He bestowed on them both, and this love was returned by free will by these humans. For you see, the Lord gave them a garden, and in this garden, they were told to partake of all the plants and trees, save one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Lord did not instill fear into them by telling them of the horrors of eating from that tree. He wanted their love, and He gave them love, unspeakable, and unimaginable love.

 Unfortunately, the bad tree was eaten from, and the lovely new world was a wreck. The humans experienced a brand new emotion, fear, fear of being caught, fear of pain, fear of the wrath of God by sin. They had chosen knowledge, and now the price was already being paid. The world descended into chaos, kingdoms arose, all built on hierarchy, religions came, also built on hierarchy, wars came, plagues, death, pain, sorrow, unspeakable evils blemished the world, mankind failed to follow the law that they now knew, they could not do it.

 God, all knowing and all wise, had a plan, to redeem everyone. So, in an unfathomable way, this God, came to earth as a little baby, born into poverty, and he worked hard. He started to preach, he spoke of a new kingdom, that was not of this world, referred to as the kingdom of Heaven, or the kingdom of God. In this kingdom, there was no boundaries, it was not to be a violent kingdom establishing hierarchies, fighting over borders, and religion. It was to be an all encompassing kingdom of redeemed souls, loved by God, and this Lord would put His spirit within each redeemed soul. In this manner, the redeemed soul would be free, not to sin, which is it's own punishment, but free from sin, and not redeemed to fear law, but redeemed to God, dead to the world and very much alive in God.

 This man, who was somehow 100% a man, and yet 100% the Lord, (What Kind of Man was this?) went by Jesus Christ, and He was the son of God. God, it turns out is a 3 and yet still a one. There is His spirit, His son, and Him. Yet He is one God. After only a few short years, the religious system of this day was so fed up with this Christ that they talked the Roman Empire into dealing out His execution, and in typical Roman style it was brutal, a bloody lashing, designed to physically break a man, and inwardly crush his will, then they nailed him to a cross, but before this they did something unspeakably cruel and illegal, after Jesus body was already smashed up from the beatings and lashings, they wove together a crown of thorns and smashed it into his skull, only then was He allowed to go to the cross and get the suffering and torment over with. He went to the cross, died and was buried.

 On the 3rd day, things went wild, somehow, the tombstone rolled away and Jesus was back, and this time He didn't use doors, He just showed up whenever and wherever He wanted. Clearly now, this man was God, and the redemption was paid, and available free of charge to the entire world, before the cross, during, and after. So, if you are a christian, you have a God, who is so crazy over you, that he would create an entire world, and die the worst death, just to love you and to be loved by you. This God, will destroy your religion, and rob you of your fear in order to love you, and to be loved by you. That is if you'll let Him, He loves you enough to give you free will, freedom to reject Him, to fear Him instead, to worship something or someone else instead. So what is a man or a woman to do with a God who loves him/her this much? It's up to you to answer this question....

It's fun, you should try it. (Or not) Part 1

  So, there is a thing to do called fishing. It involves a long bendy stick whose price can range from well, that's a bit much for a stick, to YOU PAID WHAT FOR THAT!!?? On the bendy stick there is a cranking device with string in it. The price range of this cranky thing is anywhere from that's a bit much for a cranky thing, to YOU PAID WHAT FOR THAT!!?? On the end of the string there is a hook, contrary to all my testing, it is not designed to be stuck into any part of a human. There can be pain involved, don't tell me I didn't warn you, 'k? In fact, if it's stuck into another human without forewarning them, hearing loss can occur. You should keep this in mind. Thankfully, these conditions have proven to be temporary. If these hazards can be avoided, it is recommended that you string a morsel of sorts on the hook. This morsel could be something gross, like a artificial worm, crawfish, etc, or something detestable, like a live worm, crawfish etc, or something downright putrid, like raw meat or a fish head. Once all this is arranged, there are casting techniques that can range from, whoa, what are you swatting at? to, wait, where did you put your hook? to oh, nice cast. If the third option is found, and the right bait ends up in front of the right fish which is in the right mood; there might be a bit of a fight, which could remind you of the last time you walked a small dog and the neighbor's cat came up close and swore at him in that language dogs and cats use to trade insults. If and when you win the fight, you'd find yourself in possession of a strange creature that feels slimy and tries to prick you, all while gasping for water much like you would gasp for air if you were in water. This then, is the fish, and it is up to you if you put it back in the water, or murder it and rip the meat off and eat it, like a man of the world that used to be before the invention of the man bun and the smartphone. So, if you avoid the pitfalls of getting speared by your own hook, or the fish you had war with, and you keep your hands clean enough to touch your face without feeling like you may have ingested something truly concerning, then your fishing day at least did not go badly. If however you find yourself doing battle with many fishes, and dealing with lot's of fish slime, and possibly cutting a lot of fish, then your fishing has pretty much gone according to the best case scenario. Anyway, fishing is fun, you should try it.

A fictional(ish) man named Ichibod

It was a long day, and a hot one, when Ichibod gazed up at his work and saw that it was massive. For days, he and his many men had been laying bricks. Never before had he seen such a structure, and yet it still was not good enough. Would it ever be good enough? He didn't know, but, he thought himself and his men as the best brick layers in the world, and he believed he had the very best brick makers and morter making crews on his team. Yet, with all that, nothing like this had ever been attempted, so again he wondered, was this good enough? Were his efforts measuring up? How could he know? He wanted to reach God, how could he do so other than doing everything in his power to get there? It was getting dark, so he went home, little did he know that the very next day, an almighty God would see this as folly and intervene in a way Ichibod would never have dreamed. This shining city he had planned would be remembered, but not the way he expected, the blueprints he planned, and the name he chose would be lost to history, it would be remembered as an unfinished, confusing episode, to be chuckled at. It would be called the Tower of Babel.



Ichibod's failures were a result of making that mistake that humans make, at times we believe our efforts will bring us closer to God, this is just not true. Our works are as filthy rags. We are to abide in the vine which is Jesus Christ. So, we can do nothing without God, the solution is to allow Him, by the Holy Spirit to live His life through us. If at anytime we chose to not abide in him, he respects that decision, and at that point we are removed from the vine. However, this does not come as a matter of our works not being good enough. This comes as a matter of us abiding in something else not of God, it is our choice, not His will. So, I suggest you start asking God to live His life through you, even if that means destroying your babels.


Verses: Genesis 11:1-9 Isaiah 64:6 John 15:1-8 John 6:39-40