Janylee McGlinchy (Cloutier)

Literary Criticism, "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

During a Southern Literary Renascence class, I received twenty-three out of twenty-five points for this essay. Dr. Taylor Hagood, who always struck me as a brilliant scholar was most kind to have mercy on me as I wrote two whole pages without indenting. Mercifully, he stated, “paragraph breaks needed, but nice essay overall.” I have kept it to this day…

The character that I see occupying the centered position is Benjy. He has the gaze of panopticism, all seeing. Benjy is like a sponge. He absorbs everything and sees everything. To me, it’s like, that he takes on the craziness in the house onto himself and acts it out. Maybe he’s not retarded. If he couldn’t see in the text (like Helen Keller), I would venture to say that he was blind, but with an extra sense. People that are disabled can usually do other things better. However, we know in the text that he watches, as I did a close-reading to be sure. The only time he speaks in any way is when Quentin disappears and everyone especially Jason, is frantic as to where she is. I believe Benjy knows and he knows a lot of things. Caddy slept with him and said to him, “We were asleep.” Benjy also narrates so the reader gets a peak inside his mind. He pays attention to things, the fire, “the dad’s face says to hush.” Benjy is the focus and I believe he represents to the novel the severity of the household, the “Carnivalesque” going on. It goes like this, Jason IV kept booze in the sideboard. Faulkner repeats this often. Benjy knows what’s going on. He’s like the feelings for everybody and the pain. What the text does is present the fragmentation so it appears normal, all is well in the Compson household, when it is far from the truth. He is the all seeing, all knowing gaze. I think he occupies the center however, he goes to the periphery at times, can be both. Benjy cries and this to me is what is the most truthful emotion to be felt in that house. It certainly is not the home of June and Ward Cleaver. But, what I think works is Faulkner makes it appears as a normal family’s goings on. People in Benjy’s family take care of him and he might be the most normal one in the bunch besides Dilsy. What Faulkner has done is given him power in the text. Benjy is also predictable, until at the end when he cries and somewhat speaks a loud moan. The reader is left wishing he’s say more but then Faulkner wrote the book didn’t he? It occurred to me that a clock is referred to as a Big Ben. Time is an important feature in the novel. Time is a constant. Ticking is predictable and a sound, a comfort in the midst of chaos as well as “saw” is monotonous, but predictable-back and forth, back and forth. In dysfunctional homes, life is unpredictable so Benjy is somewhat of a comfort to his family as long as they have him to focus on they don’t have to look at the other stuff. It’s like having an elephant in the living room and everyone dances around it. Benjy come and play, where’s Benjy? Focus-gaze is on him, from the periphery, because he’s in the center most of the time.

Addendum (written later on down the road)

On December 28, 2007 as I was reviewing the dates that were presented in the book, I thought the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th might be biblical, representing three days that Jesus was in the tomb and then his resurrection. Perhaps, Faulkner was speaking about death and resurrection. There is mourning and weeping in the days before Jesus rises from the grave. People are sad because of the death of Jesus on the cross. Mary Magdalene is one of them, as she stands outside the tomb crying, “Woman, why are you crying?” (book of John). The first date being April 7, 1928 is the Easter month and Easter is when Jesus rose from the grave. Then, Faulkner regresses in time to June 2, 1910 and the only thing that I could come up with is, first, that there are eighteen years in a child’s life before they become an adult and the father is a significant figure in the home. June is the month that Father’s Day is celebrated, which could prove significant since this family needed a “real father.” Then, Faulkner moves forward again to April 6, 1928 which could be the time that the body is still in the tomb and, as we know that Jesus rose on the third day and there are three days that work here. Along that same line of thinking, now looking at April 8, 1928 to account for two more days in the tomb before resurrection. Lastly, October 10, 1928 would be after the resurrection and the spread of the gospel after Jesus appeared to his disciples for forty days and then ascended into heaven and then the disciples, by the power of the Holy Spirit continued to spread the gospel as he told them to do. This is a hopeful time to end on, a time of rebirth.

Drugs and Real Life

I was walking along the beach today and I was thinking about how sad it is that many of the youth of today are turning to drugs and so I decided to post this true story about why I have never used drugs and never will. John Hagee, minister has a saying, "There's no high like the Most High God," and he is right. Even though things are not perfect in my life and I don't expect them to be cause even Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. My life is so much better now that I have Him in it. And don't believe the lie about marijuana, it is a drug and unfortunately in some places they are using it for "medicinal" purposes which gives a mixed message to people. It is ok to be yourself and not under the influence of anything. I do not drink, smoke or do drugs. So when people tell you everyone does it, they don't. Let this be a witness to someone today. And if it helps even one person, it was worth it. God Bless You...
I do not use drugs; I never have and I never will. When I was younger, I saw a family member being carried from the house, after a convulsion due to drug interaction between two medications used to treat her kidney disease/transplant. As my father carried her out of the house, we kids thought she was dead. She was as stiff as a board and I will never forget that image, indented in my mind. She had to take drugs to stay alive and as I grew up, I could never understand why people take drugs recreationally. I sometimes found myself among groups of people who would gather at someone’s house and, not to my knowledge at the time; they were involved in drug use. This happens when you go places with your friends and end up in another place you would rather not be. Even though you are innocent, you are now among people who are not. I also lost a friend at the age of thirty-five from brain cancer. He taught me how to play the guitar. The song that I picked up quickly was, “A Horse With No Name.” Kind of ironic now as I remember the lyrics, “On the first part of the journey, I was looking for the light…” Unfortunately, he used marijuana in Vietnam and continued on using it throughout his short life. He said that it relaxed him. Him and his roommate partook. They never did it in front of me. He knew my position on it and that I thought it was stupid. He didn’t wish for me to know about the cancer, but his friends told me that he had less than a year to live. He died less than three months later. He finished out his days in the hospital on a morphine drip because the pain was so bad and he did not even know that I was there. I visited him in the hospital and it is a sad thing to watch someone die an agonizing death, especially my friend Alan. The Bible says, “Bad company corrupts good character.” Choose your friends wisely. Keep your standards high and do not settle for crumbs. Your will never regret it. Kids, say NO to drugs. Schools, brings on the DARE program, it works. (Dedicated to my friend, the late Alan Turner of Eliot, Maine, rest in peace.)

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten the last slice of pumpkin pie you left on the shelf for which you might have desired with your Thanksgiving leftovers forgive me for my indulgence I savored every bite and I must say it was so good Note: This poem was inspired by William Carlos William's poem, "This Is Just To Say."

Literary Criticism, "Sorrow" by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Thus begins my venture into Literary Criticism, one of my favorite classes in college. I have always enjoyed doing a close reading of the text. My first love is the study of the Bible. Herein lies the first of what I hope will be many more. Sorrow by Edna St. Vincent Millay Sorrow like a ceaseless rain Beats upon my heart. People twist and scream in pain,— Dawn will find them still again; This has neither wax nor wane, Neither stop nor start. People dress and go to town; I sit in my chair. All my thoughts are slow and brown: Standing up or sitting down Little matters, or what gown Or what shoes I wear. A close reading of the text reveals that the poem, "Sorrow" is a very sad and tragic one. Sadness is the emotion on display. And it is tragic in that the sadness only gets deeper. The reader gets a vivid sense of darkness and gloom, "a ceaseless rain." And the writer tells us that life is passing her by and she does not care, to her it is only, "slow and brown." That is the way sorrow is. There is a sense of numbness to reality. Nothing touches her soul. For her, there is no dawn (one which brings the light) but only the others who "scream in pain" are afforded it. And even this does not matter to her. I do suspect if Edna read the poem to herself time and time again, the tears would come and sorrow for that moment at least, would be done.(Edna St. Vincent Millay is related to me through my paternal grandfather Alton Orion Pease's side of the family).

Literary Criticism, "Jesus, The Wine, And The First Miracle"

“Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it” (Mark 15:23). People try to infer that Jesus drank wine. When his mother says to him at a wedding at Cana in Galilee that they need wine, Jesus replies, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come” (John 2:4). Jesus uses this reference to “time” to mean when he would go to the cross and die for the sins of the world. And then he performs the first miracle of turning water into wine. The reason that he says to the bridegroom, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now" (John 2:10) is because wine is a sacred symbol for the meaning of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The reader is not told what was in the “cup” when Jesus and His disciples were gathered around the table for the last supper. The Bible says, “Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:27-29). When we take communion we remember the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross when he died for our sins. All the more reason to keep it sacred and for its purpose. To drink wine casually takes away the meaning for which Jesus intended it: to be in remembrance of Him and the sacrifice he paid when he died on the cross. If one drinks wine anytime and then receives it at church during communion it loses its sacredness. Like the pretty white linens that grace the church altar on Sunday would not be used on a dinner table at the parsonage when the preacher and his wife have guests, they are special, set aside for the church sanctuary. In the same way, wine is symbolic of Bible times and needs to be kept in a special cupboard until it is time to partake in communion with Jesus, just like He did with His disciples 2,000 years ago. What Jesus touches is sacred, even water being turned into wine. Note: The Lord revealed to me these things that are written in this essay. It is not intended to offend anyone, but with the intent to honor Jesus Christ.

Literary Criticism, "Jesus Walks On The Water" The Holy Bible

"When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading” (John 6:16-21 New International Version). The disciples had rowed out 3-3 ½ miles in the dark, in rough waters and strong winds. The scripture tells us that Jesus brought them in immediately. Only Jesus can calm the waters and rescue us, even at many miles of separation. Are you in rough waters? Jesus is there to help you, immediately. A close reading of the text reveals that they went out in the evening when it is dark. And Jesus was not with them yet. Jesus was testing their faith. They had rowed 3-3 ½ miles which is exhausting at best. It was dark when they saw Jesus approaching the boat. Jesus is the light. His light always shines, even in the darkness. The disciples were terrified, even though they knew it was Jesus. He had to reassure them. He had to give them a word., “It is I.” The spoken word is powerful. When God spoke, he created all things. Why do we always have to be reassured before we trust Jesus to pilot our boat? Jesus's own disciples’ faith was being tested. They needed to learn to take Jesus at his word. Jesus was teaching them to trust Him. And as soon as they did, he brought them in. There is no distance, no miles of separation when you are in Jesus's hands. Won’t you place your trust in him today? He’ll bring you safely to shore.

Literary Criticism "Black Sam and Uncle Felix, characters in a text/real life"

During a Literature class, our professor assigned a novel to study involving a poor white farmer/gold-digger named Ty Ty Walden and his two African American sharecroppers that he owned, Black Sam and Uncle Felix. While Ty Ty and his family lived in the farmhouse, Black Sam and Uncle Felix lived in the barn. Ty Ty had gold fever and was always digging holes. He had promised a portion of land as a tithe to God but the problem was that he would dig there. He was always shifting the land around that was supposed to be his tithe to God. Ty Ty made other promises to, that he did not keep, one of them was to feed Black Sam and Uncle Felix, but the days grew longer and as it turns out, he had food to eat, they had none. They were hard workers and grew hungrier and hungrier everyday, so hungry that their ribs were showing. One day Black Sam could not take it any longer, he was determined to kill one of Ty Ty's two mules and eat it. Ty Ty got word of it and said he would "run their a...ragged." Ty Ty sat in his farmhouse eating to his heart's content and never once asked Black Sam and Uncle Felix to share food at his table in the farmhouse. They were starving and he never offered any food, not even a slice of bread. Ty Ty had two sons, Buck and Shaw, they were lazy but got to eat with their pa. Buck would feel bad for Black Sam and Uncle Felix and tell his pa how hungry they were but Ty Ty did not care. So, on occasion Buck would sneak food from the table and take it out to them. Ty Ty had food to offer to his sharecroppers, he knew they were starving, but withheld it from them. He stole what they could have had by keeping it for himself. Now, imagine this is real life as it exists in the 21st century, people are dying from lack of food. Who do you know that may be hungry, that you could help today? Will you search your heart and do what you can? When you offer bread to someone in need, you honor God.

Literary Criticism "Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden"

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him (Gen 2:18). But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. The LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man” (2:21-22). It is clear from the scripture that the man came first, not the woman. God also made the serpent that tempted Eve, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden” (3:1)? The devil is a master manipulator. He goes to Eve in the garden and puts a question in her mind. “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (3:2). Then he lies to her, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die” (3:4). The ultimate deception is when he entices her with what would happen if she did eat of it, that [he knew] but neither Adam or Eve did. “For God doth know that in the day ye eat of it thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (3:5).God doesn’t tell this to Adam, he tells him only that he will “surely die.” God doesn’t give Adam all of the information. Perhaps he’s testing Adam’s faithfulness. But the devil knows the plan and he is sure to try and thwart it cause the devil doesn’t go to Adam he goes to Eve though God had commanded Adam her husband who should be leading his wife. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (3:6). Eve shouldn’t have looked at it. How many times do we entice ourselves with things we shouldn’t even look at? Then she not only sins but entices her husband to sin. Eve listened to the devil when he told her that the apple would make her wise, then she entertained that thought and took it a step further and gazed at it and when she did she saw that it was good for food. He had her over a barrel. Then she ate of it. She did what she knew was wrong. She allowed herself to be tempted. "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (3:7). They now know that they are naked so they cover themselves up, literally and figuratively, because they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves and they tried to cover up their sin. “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden” (3:8). Adam and Eve heard God but didn’t see God in the “cool of the day” which would be dawn or dusk. He says, “Where art thou,” (3:9) even though God already knows where they were; he created them and put them in the garden. God always knows where we are. “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? God had not told them that they were naked. “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shoudnest not eat?” (3:10-11). Then God says, “What is this that though hast done. (3:13). Eve blamed the snake and in turn Adam blamed Eve. No one took responsibility for their part. The snake was cursed by God because he tricked Eve. “Your descendants and his descendants will be enemies” (3:15). Adam was not a good husband and Eve was not a good wife. God already knew about the goings on and so God puts clothes on them after the fall. It was a perfect world until sin entered it. We are born sinners because of what Adam and Eve did. Adam faltered when spoken to by God. God had not clothed them so Adam was caught red handed in his sin. God knew that Adam could see in order to know he was naked. People try to outsmart God but He is our Creator and he knows all things. We must always revere Him and we must always obey Him.
Note:
And because of their sin we are born sinners and we need a Savior. His name is Jesus Christ. He paid the “sin debt” by dying on a cross for all sinners and was resurrected from the grave on the third day. All part of God’s divine plan for mankind. This is the Easter message. There is hope because of what Jesus did for us. No one is beyond His mercy and grace. Won’t you place your trust in Him today? Bow the knee and pray to Jesus. He is alive. And you can have a new life in Him. He will give you the living water that wells up to eternal life. And His well never runs dry.

An Epiphany Moment

Epiphany is defined by Answers.com as "A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something. It is a "Christian festival celebrated on January 6 and "one of the oldest Christian holy days."

I had a dream last night of the song, "Rainy Night in Georgia," and I could hear Ray Charles singing it. That is such a pretty song. There is one line in the song that says it all, "Oh, have you ever been lonely, people?" How can anyone listen to that song and not be moved. There is a lot of lonely people in the world. I know what loneliness feels like. I think for most of my life, I was lonely, and then one day, the Lord changed all that. I know that he walks beside me, and holds my hand, and I never have to feel lonely anymore, because he is always there. I hope that this thought helps someone today. You know what is really lonely? is to believe in God in your head, but not to have him in your heart. Won't you ask him into your heart today? He will come in, and heal that lonely place, and he will hold your hand, and you will never be lonely again.

My tear stained pillow

I've been lonely
most of my life
when I needed to be held
I hugged my tears in the night

I wake up with no one beside me
in the dark room I lay
It's four o'clock in the morning
how I wish for love today

Love in a family
is what's passed down
there may not be enough
love to go around

So I'll hug my pillow
and hang onto my tears
cause loneliness is the only love
I've known all these years.
Note
This poem was written before I found Jesus who healed that empty place and who is always there for me and now I don't have to feel lonely anymore.

911 Story

On September 11th my day began as usual, up around 6:15 am to see my daughter off to school and then to sit down with my Bible and a cup of coffee. As I lingered over my reading in Psalms I couldn’t seem to shake a “profound sense of sadness” and began to weep. I decided to pause and call a friend in Maine, we help each other, both divorced single moms with one daughter. I placed a call at 655 am to her work place and we chatted. I then decided to go for my morning jog. As I went outside to my patio I noticed two Chicago peace roses were perfect to be cut, they weren’t ready the day before. This bush was put in the ground many years ago, so it’s a rare sight to get beautiful roses still and they were side-by-side and identical. I walked outside to start my jog and looked up and saw a beautiful rainbow. I remember thinking to myself by not coming out when I did I might have missed this! As I was jogging I ran by my neighbor who also grows roses and I told him about my two that were beautiful. Upon returning home, as I was walking up my sidewalk I almost couldn’t believe it; in my butterfly garden I saw three unique species of butterflies, a rare sight. Once in awhile I might see one but this is what I’d hoped for someday. They were so pretty and I watched them for a few moments thinking, my patience had paid off, they’d found my garden! As I went inside the patio I decided to cut the roses before they opened anymore and then I noticed my very first flower on my bleeding heart vine. I was once again amazed at all the blessings of they day! A bleeding heart flower is white and has two red flowers in the center of the white. So I thought I would let my friend know with a quick call back that I was feeling better now. That call was placed at 8:33 am. It was through a phone call I learned of the tragic events of the day and had to turn on the television to see what I, like many others couldn’t believe. It wasn’t until days later I learned that my parents always flew Flight #11 American Airlines from Boston to Los Angeles every September to see his sister who lives in Palm Springs. He had said it was too expensive to go this year. Also, in 1982 I had dined in the World Trade Center at “Windows of the World.” Before the attack I had told my minister I was sad with the way the world was going. I’m happy that we’ve drawn together. To me the good far outweighs the bad, not to minimize everyone’s losses. My sister’s death in 1983 affected me in a profound way and I truly believe I became a better person because of it. I’d like to close in saying this, in a symbolic way as when they rolled the stone and Jesus was not there, I’d like to think in the same way that the people that haven’t been found in the World Trade Center have risen and become angels. It’s a nice thought, isn’t it? If anything I’ve said can help someone in their grief, I’d be honored by that, but more importantly give God the glory. God Bless you. Note: my rose bush died after the last two rose bloomed.
(Heartstrings, a collection of poems and stories copyright 2002 Library of Congress)

A Wild Mustang Named Star

Got a sweet story to tell you. It is about how I met some country folks, here in Smithfield, North Carolina. On a trip to Maine from Florida, I had stopped over in this town and stayed overnight in a lodge. One night, I took a walk down a long country road, and a dog followed me home. Her name was Precious. She happened to be a boxer, and she brought three people together before she left this earth. They wanted me to come and visit again, and being as it is at a time in my life, where I am trying to find out where the good Lord would have me to live, it seemed fitting to come now. The peacocks, who were on top of the barn seemed to remember me. An animal never forgets it when someone feeds them...I noticed a new horse named Star. It seems that she was rescued from a family who had not been taking good care of her. She was of a beautiful dark brown coat, though thin, and I found out, not trusting of people. My friend told me that she had originated from the outer banks of the Carolinas. I went on over to her and I held out my hand, and she moved over to the other side of the fence and put her head down. In that moment, I felt sad for that horse. You see, I have had a hard time in my life trusting people, and I knew just how that horse felt. You love people and they hurt you. Right there, I wept a few tears as I thought to myself, that I had been like her. But my Jesus, he showed me that if I would just place my trust in him, he would fill that empty place. So, I went into the house and peeled about eight apples. I decided that I was going to try and feed Star. I put those apple peelings on my hand and I waited for her to come right on over at my coaxing, but she did not right away. She looked at it, all the while looking at me with that look of distrust. So, I had a thought to toss it to the ground to have her see that I was trying to feed her, and she would see that it was good, and then we would start building up some trust between the two of us. And I talked to her in a sweet voice. Well, next thing you know, I was standing there and she was eating out of my hand. And I just loved the way she took it so gracefully and how she nuzzled my hand, and the feeling of what had been accomplished between us. We worked up to carrots, and noodles, and I must say the man of the house was quite surprised, since she would not eat out of his hand, and when I go over to her stall now, she comes right on over to see me. She is learning to trust me, and I sure like it when she caresses my hand so soft and sweet, and I remember when I was a little girl back on the farm in Appleton, Maine, when I first learned how to trust a horse.

Sexual Immorality in the Holy Bible

Old Testament

Genesis 18 The Three Visitors

The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.

Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.

The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"

"If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."

Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"

He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?"

He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."

Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"

He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed

The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.” "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."

Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

"Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door.”

Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door. The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place.

The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished" When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.

As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life.

But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

New Testament

1 Corinthians 6:9-20

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also."

"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit."

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

Galatians 5:19-21

"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and dedauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

1Thessalonians 4:3-8

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him."

"The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit."

Note
The Lord God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish. Because he loved his creation so very much, he sent his son Jesus to die on a cross for our sins, past, present and future. But, his grace is not a license to sin. We must deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him. As the preacher taught today, "set our minds on divine things, not on human things." Love is sacrifice. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice: death by crucifixion. But, on the third day, God raised him from the dead. And you can have a new life in Jesus because of his resurrection power. You only need to repent of your sins, and ask him to forgive you, and he will come into your heart and make you a new creation. Jesus changed my life.

Respect Life

God’s word says, “But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts, I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly” (Psalm 22:9-10).

"Since 1973, over 45 million legal abortions have been performed in the United States.” When the Constitution was signed, it read that the people would have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Our Nation was founded on Christian principles, “One Nation under God.”

God cares about life and he cares about the unborn. Yet, as I did my research on Wikipedia, the biggest reason that people (25.5%) gave for having an abortion is that they wanted to postpone childbearing. And the next biggest reason (21.3%) was that they couldn’t afford a baby.

Isn’t it sad that the baby, who is a human being, a living breathing life, had no choice? The word of God says, “Thou shalt not murder,” but unfortunately a baby in the womb has been reduced to something equivalent to a “blob of cells”“nothingness,” not a baby, with a beating heart.

There is no excuse for taking the life of another human being and God’s word says that he knew our name before we were even conceived. His word is clear. What choice will you make? Make the right one, won’t you? Abort means to “terminate before completion.” An innocent baby has the right to “complete” his life the way God intended it.

Don’t abort an innocent baby. Get a sonogram and see that the baby inside of you is a living, breathing, human being, blessed by God, before they were even conceived. And he is the giver and taker of life, there is no other like him. He brought us into the world and only he can take us out, by the stroke of his mighty hand.

If you are reading this and have had an abortion, you must know that God can forgive an act of abortion, but only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins.

If you repent and ask Him to forgive you through Jesus Christ, our intercessor, he will. And then you must turn from your sin and live for Jesus, who atoned for your sin when He died on the cross and said, “It is finished.” Say no to abortion. Don’t believe the lie. A baby is a life, even in the womb. Respect life, won’t you?

My Mom

In the year 1969 my sister Lynn grew ill
My mother took over not knowing her will
But my mother was so strong
As she watched over our angel without fear
God love my mother, as she never shed a tear
She worked in our home but was called away
To a hospital where Lynn and other children would stay
And those people how they cherished my mother
For the love she would share
And how she’d listen to all of their despair
Although many years have passed us by and we’ve lost a little one
My mother struggles on, her job still not done
For many will never forget the mom I adore and look up to
Who could ask for more?
She’s taught us the meaning of life at its best
To be thankful to God, letting him take care of the rest
She’s taught us to love because my mom knew best
When our lessons are learned we must go home to rest
How they loved my mother and would really try and understand
Because she simply cared and reached out her hand
She’s the most giving person I’ve ever known
And will always be remembered by those who once felt alone
She gave of herself all the love she had
And never complained, though she may have been sad
My mom’s the greatest, I love her very much
As do many others whose lives she so touched
And now I must close, but want you to know dear mom
How special you are to all of us, each and everyone.

Heartstrings, a collection of poems and stories (chapbook)
Copyright © 2002 by Library of Congress

My Dad, A Tribute

My dad was laid to rest at three
The time Jesus was on the tree
He'll lay next to my sister Lynn
She was an angel, never sinned

It was the year, nineteen hundred, seventy-two
When dad gave the ultimate sacrifice
One of his kidneys so that she might live

So it seems proper at this time
Their graves lie side by side
All is done, in God's time.

Dedicated to my father, Harold Roy Cloutier, Sr
4/4/25-10/19/09

Marriage, in the Beginning

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
(Gen 1:1).
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground'" (Gen 1:26).
“So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female he created them”
(Gen 1:27).
“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it'”
(Gen 1:28).
“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”
(Gen 2:7).
“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to alone, I will make a helper suitable for him'”
(Gen 2:18).
“So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.” "Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man" (Gen 2:21-22).
"The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called "woman," for she was taken out of man'" (Gen 2:23).
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh”(Gen 2:24).
"The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame" (Gen 2:25).

The Real Diana

As we celebrate the life and death of Princess Diana in July and August, I wish to share this sentiment. I think of the legacy she left us as seen displayed in the lives of her sons, carrying on, so brave and strong, just like their mother taught them. That, in adversity, true fulfillment comes through serving others. And sometimes, sweet remembrances come from strangers, and are given to us as gifts to carry us through. It seems that this happened on the night of the tragic Paris car crash which took her life, when a complete stranger, a physician, was called to the scene. As seen in a television interview years later, this renowned physician, who was one of the last person's to be the princess, used the few moments he had to leave the world such a gift. I remember his words, as if he just spoke them, still resonating in my mind. Truly this man has wisdom. He said that as he cradled the princess in his arms, she had the most peaceful countenance. What a beautiful image to remember her by and I think of her faith and of angels and then I think of heaven. For those of us who observed her life from a distance, and never knew her on a personal level, she touched our hearts and her life was not in vain.
Heartstrings Two, Copyright © 2008 by Library of Congress

Dear Baby Richard

The day they took you away
from the only mother and father you knew
I wept deep down inside my soul for you
May my tears help make you whole again
For I'm a mother and cannot comprehend
Why your life with your adoptive parents has to come to an end
And why a man you don't even know, took you away
From the only home you've ever known to this day
Baby Richard please find comfort in knowing God will have the last say
When you join him and the angels on that glorious day.
(Written in 1995, after viewing a Documentary on Baby Richard, then, age 4)
Heartstrings, Copyright © 2002 by Library of Congress