I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.
Praying without faith is like trying to cut with a blunt knife - much labor expended to little purpose.
I used to think that prayer should have the first place and teaching the second. I now feel it would be truer to give prayer the first, second and third places and teaching the fourth.
I know enough about Satan to realize that he will have all his weapons ready for determined opposition. He would be a missionary simpleton who expected plain sailing in any work of God.
Solid, lasting missionary work is done on our knees.
I believe it will only be known on the last day how much has been accomplished in overseas missions by the prayers of earnest believers at home.
The aim of Satanic power is to cut off communication with God. To accomplish this aim he deludes the soul with a sense of defeat, covers him with a thick cloud of darkness, depresses and oppresses the spirit, which in turn hinders prayer and leads to unbelief - thus destroying all power.
Things change when you learn to loosen your grip. I think one way and the future is desperate. I think another way everything is in sight. Trees bend so branches don't have to break. We mend the wounds of our last mistake. . . I live one way holding onto the fence post. I live another way sliding off into space. Each life is loosely assembled. . . Birds swim, fish do fly. Proud man begins to cry. Birds swim, fish do fly. Things change, so why can't I?
Thank goodness my education was neglected.
Gates is the ultimate programming machine. He believes everything can be defined, examined, reduced to essentials, and rearranged into a logical sequence that will achieve a particular goal.
Until we see each other again, keep your head together, read some good books, be useful, be happy.