$\"Reading$

★★★★★ (4)

Details

Can We Talk 2

by A Very Cold Pumpkin

Rated: 13+ · Book · Family · #2058371

Musings on anything.

My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one.

Comments ·

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Detective

Mar 6, 2026 at 9:52pm
In response to "Changing Seasons"

I'm glad the snow is finally melting. I've been thinking about getting some seeds to do an indoor garden, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

𝓦𝓮𝓫W𝓲𝓽𝓬𝓱

Jan 28, 2026 at 6:50pm
In response to "Snow and Ice Bound"

What a kind neighbor you have.

You're doing the best you can with what you're facing.

Wishing better weather coming your way, soon. In the meantime--afghans are a life saver!

Soldier_Mike

Dec 5, 2025 at 11:45pm
In response to "Food Stamps and EBT"

Although I don't get SNAP benefits, my daughter does, so I've been aware of the purchase limitations for quite some time. I, too, shake my head at the "Sorry you can't have it already fixed; good luck putting together a meal" situation.

1 Like

Jeff

Dec 5, 2025 at 6:58pm
In response to "Food Stamps and EBT"

I agree that fraud and other abuses of benefits programs can be a real problem and should be addressed. But it always makes me sad when the solutions being put forward involve making it more difficult to receive or maintain those benefits for everyone. Our first priority should be making sure people have their basic needs covered.

1 Like

Reagana

Nov 25, 2025 at 6:28pm
In response to "Early Christmas Present"

I had shingles twice, as well. Both times in my 20's which is supposedly not very common. I feel yout pain. It is Terrible. I hope you heal quickly.

Jeff

Nov 1, 2025 at 7:58pm
In response to "New Adventure"

Where we live, our waste management actively discourages us from going to the landfill ourselves. They charge something like $75 per load you want to dispose of. The only way that would be cheaper than a month of residential waste removal services would be if I had a huge truck or a trailer to haul multiple months' worth of trash all in one go.

Jeff

Oct 20, 2025 at 10:45pm
In response to "Recyclables"

I used to have a hard time letting stuff go if it was just going to be thrown in the trash. But like you, I tend to use stuff (especially clothing) until it wears out, so I've had to come to terms with the fact that I got my money's worth out of it and nobody needs a shirt with a hole in it, or a pair of shoes with no treads on them anymore.

Soldier_Mike

Oct 19, 2025 at 10:33pm
In response to "Decluttering"

I don't feel I've acquired much, since my wife passed. On the other hand, I've not made much of an effort to "thin the herd" either, so I think I have a fairly good picture of what you're facing. Best of luck!

Jeff

Oct 11, 2025 at 4:18pm
In response to "Anticipation"

Congratulations on getting a new computer! Sounds like it will definitely be a relief once you're all set up at home with your wifi so you don't have to go to the library anymore!

1 Like

Jeff

Oct 3, 2025 at 5:43pm
In response to "Dental Hygienists"

I have the same issue with my dentist. They really push to have their clients come in every six months, but if I ever have to reschedule, they go, "Well the next available appointment we have is four months from now."

March 4, 2026 at 11:03pm

#1109820

Bible stories and poetry

We just finished up a study of the book of Jonah. I don't think any of us held out for the story literally happening. It is just a little hard to swallow. We ended up with the theory that it is really about ancient Israel, which was supposed to be a channel of blessing for all the world, running away from God and not doing as instructed. Being swallowed by a whale or a big fish is representative of being cut off from God. The place where he was sent were not Jews but readily accepted the warning and changed their ways, winning God's favor, which caused Jonah to be upset. He recounts the tale in a prayer that indicates he went to the bottom of the sea, below where a real whale would actually be swimming and eating. This is where a lot of people compare to the three days after Jesus' burial to his resurrection, which according to the Nicene Creed not the Bible, is when Jesus went to hell and returned.

I am not a Bible scholar and don't want to interpret or teach the book. At my church we believe in the priesthood of the believer and allow free interpretation by the individual, as long as the big boundaries are intact. We don't dictate. I was surprised no one in that group was acquainted with the song from Porgy and Bess by a devilish figure, Sportin' Life. This guy is a gambler, a criminal, a shady guy of the streets and he sings It Ain't Necessarily So. The song mentions Jonah's home in the fish's abdomen, followed with "It ain't necessarily so." It's almost as though some of these stories are fantastic just to challenge the intellect, Of course, the bad guys would tell you not to believe any of this if you can't explain one little part of it.

One of the things the teacher pointed out to us was what I called a form of poetry. In Hebrew (only the scholars understand ancient Hebrew) it starts with 38 words then 5, etc., then reverses itself. I pointed out there are many forms of poetry in English and new ones are developed rather frequently. This was a foreign concept to a room full of non-poets. I do believe that some of the stories, like the parables, are not news reports, but rather didactic lessons for us. Someone did point out that Biblical Israel may or may not be the Israel the world knows today.

What we learn from the study of Jonah is that God loves all people and intends for all of them to be "saved". God gives us more than one chance to fulfill the tasks given to us. I think every day that we wake up, we have another chance to make a difference, to be a better person, to be more and love more than yesterday. When we mess up or come out of a bad time in our lives, it's like being rescued from a whale and we can start over.

Comment

© Copyright 2026 A Very Cold Pumpkin (UN: heartburn at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
A Very Cold Pumpkin has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

◄ March ►
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31
Archive				RSS