Joe Btsplk - a reprint from days gone by

Introduction - someone posted something about "thought forms" on "Friend Face", so I remembered what I'd written years ago.  The point of this is, "what you focus on expands", and this is a reprint:

I think my love of reading began when I was about ten years old and heard stories from the Tomahawk Public Library that inspired me to take out books.  I was able to laugh with delight over comics of Pogo, Peanuts, and even steal Mad and Al Capp comics from my older brother's room.

Al Capp, the creator of Li'l Abner, had also invented some other characters, one of which was Joe Btsplk.  He was a jinx who carried a dark cloud over his head, and everywhere he went, car wrecks and other unfortunate events took place, just because he happened to be around.

I hadn't thought of Joe Btplk until recently.

It was when I came to a realization one night after I had spent some time talking over some unfortunate events with our Creator in the privacy of a nearby park, that I came back after blowing my nose and smoothing my feathers.  I looked out the window that night, and it came to me.  I could visualize a "cloud" of electrical energy in the form of minus signs.  This "cloud" was something  for which I was responsible.  It was hanging in the air.  It was almost tangible. Wow, did that hit me!  What I was doing - expressing myself in a negative way -  was being revealed to me as something which was actually counterproductive.  There it was.  I was just like Joe Btsplk!

Years ago, my traditional, yet metaphysically-minded late dad and I attended a church where a fellow pastor of his spoke.  Dad was so impressed with the message, he called and told him.  It was about how the Israelites spent forty years in the desert (that means a "critical period" or until completion) and took such an incredibly long time there under Moses, because of what?  "Because of unbelief!"  This fellow pastor repeated that phrase several times throughout the sermon.  It seems the Israelites spent a lot of time complaining, carrying on, and telling Moses how much better they had it back in Egypt in slavery, and on and on, adnauseum.  This unbelief (you remember the Joe Btsplk "cloud") had actually delayed and deterred them from their goal of reaching the promised land within a time period that was more to their liking.

Sure, they had faith.  Otherwise, the account wouldn't be there, but the other side of it (for you and me of little faith) is to develop more faith.  It takes learning, a little stumbling, practice, and an awareness of the lesson Joe Btsplk has to teach us.

Since Ma Bell and General Tel

Ma called me on a Swiss Cow Bell,
Now, Moms call kids on a cell.
Used to call folks on the phone.
Now, "Leave a message at the tone."
Used to get the operator,
Now, punch buttons, wait till later.
Once checked to see if I had mail,
Now, I click my dail-e-mail.
Checked the bookstore for a book,
Now, I may look in my Nook.
Watched a few shows on TV,
Now, have many cable "free".
Teachers typed out purple papers,
Now, they copy with no vapors.
Used to thread the film projector,
Now, the DVD's effect-or.
Use to pass our notes in school,
Now, they have a texting tool.
Thought you'd left your schools behind?
Friend-Face classmates are online.
Seniorhood's not really boring,
When you're gaining quite a following,
On your blogs and network threads,
Are a bunch of talking heads,
Some annoyed, so then, "unfriend" you,
Just like school when couldn't stand you.
Most are gracious, have flip-flopped.
Respect, forgiveness hasn't stopped.
And if you write a silly Haiku,
Someone there may even "Like" you.