Hear, creator of heaven,
what the poet asks.
May your mercy
softly come to me.
So I call out to you,
for you have created me.
I am your servant,
and you are my Lord.
God, I call on you
to heal me.
Remember me, gentle one,
we need you above all.
Drive out anger,
generous and great,
and every human sorrow
from our heart.
Watch over me, my Savior,
we need you above all,
truly through every moment
to stand fast,
in the wide world of men.
Send us, son of the virgin,
noble motives,
all grace comes from you,
to my heart.
Heyr himna smiður, Icelandic Hymn
"The great angel's voice sounded serious and sad. 'They didn't recognize Him. Few knew who He was. Most loved their own darkness more than His light, and in the end, they killed Him.'
'Why are they so foolish, blind, and deaf?" asked the little angel angrily.
'None of us angels — not even you or I — know why they did such evil. It is not for us to judge what they deserve or don't deserve. But the fact remains that they killed our King when He was a man and walked among them.
We must not judge them. We who live in the glory of heaven have no idea what it is like to live in darkness. Every day of our lives we hear His voice and the heavenly music like rushing waters, but for them — there is so much darkness, noise and confusion on the earth. Only a few who are humble, wise and still in their hearts hear His voice. But now pay attention. You are about to see something wonderful.'
And then, as the earth continued to rotate, many little lights spread out. Some would only light up briefly and then go off again. But most continued to burn evenly. As they looked further, they saw that a glowing light had spread over many parts of the earth.
'The glowing lights are His followers that He left behind; men and women who, with His help, continue to spread the light on the earth. And now many little lights are beginning to shine all over the world. Sometimes it's a great pain to observe the Earth, and sometimes it's unspeakable joy. The end hasn't come yet. But now you surely understand why this little globe is so important. He has visited it. He will carry out His plan for this Earth. Although I don't understand it. I will never forget that this is the planet that was visited.'"
J. B. Phillips, Ansichten eines Engels
It was a risk on market today, and stocks went out on their highs.
VIX dropped sharply below its 50 DMA.
The Dollar declined back down to the edge of the 98 handle.
Bitcoin edged lower. Again this is surprising given the tech stock strength.
I still think this market is an accident waiting to happen. The setup is eerily similar to the 2000-01 stock bubble.I try not to get discouraged, but it seems like the rule of law is falling by the wayside.
Most of the UN delegates walked out today, as Netanyahu came to speak at the podium. He is threatening all the countries that have recognized the state of Palestine.
I went out and got my flu, Covid, and shingles vaccinations today. I already have a current RSV and TDAP, yada yada.I have been keeping up my vaccinations since the 90's when I was traveling regularly overseas, at times to lesser developed nations, and used to get my medical kits and checkups from the corporate physicians.
My son went with some friends to Iceland for their grand New Year's eve celebrations some years ago. They sell fireworks for local charities by the truckload, and everyone sets them off at midnight. It was something to see.
He is on his way to China now, to reunite with his bride and her family. I would have liked to have gone, but I am on Daisy watching duty. The poor little thing is a bundle of medical issues, but still manages to bully me quite effectively.
People can be just nuts. Try not to let them bring you down. Stand fast, and keep your eyes on the prize.
You can't reason with crazy. But that doesn't mean you have to join in.
Have a pleasant weekend.
