Random Variables :: random thoughts deep and wide

nice office

diploma frames — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 00:05:52 GMT

sounds cool

nice poem

wow gold — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 21:56:55 GMT

love it~

Moving to...

randal — Tue, 04 Jan 2005 16:32:00 GMT

It finally happened. Got my own space for www.randalmatheny.com . Go and check it out. All my energies will be focused there from now on.

Bibliography for J. Randal Matheny

randal — Sun, 20 Jun 2004 15:50:00 GMT

This is the form of name (J. Randal Matheny) I use when publishing material. Though sometimes editors have dropped the first initial, and a couple of times it appeared with two "L's" on Randal. At least, the Lord and my mother know who I am.

Some articles have been lost in ancient history. In the 80s I wrote an article for Heartland Harvest and another or two for publications whose names even are obscured by the haze of years.

21st Century Christian

"Running Away," 55 (1 Oct 1992): 25.

Christian Chronicle

"Fifth Congregation in Brazil Ordains Elders," 54(1 Aug 1997): 26.

Global Harvest

"Starting a Congregation in Brazil," 1 (Summer 2004): 42.

Gospel Advocate

"Endless Supply of Power," 122 (24 Jul 1980): 462.
"Parachurches and the Local Church," 142 (1 Jul 2000): 22.
"Who's Doing the Work of the Church?" 141 (1 Dec 1999): 27.
"God Named Them Man" (submitted).
"Books by Brethren that Have Benefited Me" (submitted 2004 July 7; published, but I've not seen it).

Magnolia Messenger

"X-treme Thrills," Nov/Dec 2002: 17.

Power for Today

Various devotionals in the 90s. I found these:
"All Dressed Up with Somewhere to Go," 42 (Oct-Dec 1996): 7.
"Cutting Through the Resistance," 40 (Apr-Jun 1995): 86.
"Doves and Hawks," 40 (Jul-Set 1995): 18.
"Safe in God," 40 (Apr-Jun 1995): 17.
"Take Your Pick," 40 (Apr-Jun 1995): 10.
"The Lifted-Up Christ," 40 (Apr-Jun 1995): 41.
"The Name of the Game," 40 (Jan-Mar 1995): 48.
"The Signature of Death," 40 (Jul-Set 1995): 16.
"To See Jesus," 42 (Oct-Nov 1996): 55.

Voice of Truth International

"Brazil," .
"How to Stay Strong When Trouble Comes," vol. 38, pp. 81-82.
"The Valley of Trouble," vol. 39, pp. 94-95.
"Get a Life," vol. pp. 68-69.
"Growing," vol. 42, p. 57.

Miscellaneous

"Tired Out by the Journey," " in Chattels of the Heart, Patricia Wolf, ed. (Summer 2004): 15-16.
"Life that Matters," " in Chattels of the Heart, Patricia Wolf, ed. (Spring 2004): 4.
"The Least I Can Do," in Randy Cassingham, ed., The Best of Heroic Stories, vol. 2.

Book reviews

Secret to Waking Up the Pew Potatoes, by John-Mark Wilson, in Gospel Advocate, 145 (1 April 2003): 4.
Fire in My Bones, vol. 2, by Glover Shipp, in Gospel Advocate, 146 (1 July 2004): 4. (Brief, unsigned, mention given in Christian Chronicle as well.)

Works of Poetry (in chronological order)

2002

"The Man I Want to Be," in The Voice of Truth International, ed. J. C. Choate, vol. 32, inside cover.
"As Far as Grace May Last," in Time of Singing,, ed. Lora H. Zill, 28 (Winter 2001/2002): 34.
"Off the Paper," in Time of Singing, ed. Lora H. Zill, 28 (Winter 2001/2002): 31.
"Young David," in Möbius, The Poetry Magazine,, Jean Hull Herman, ed., (Spring & Summer, 2002): 15.
"No Greater Love," in Möbius, The Poetry Magazine,, Jean Hull Herman, ed., (Spring & Summer, 2002): 20.
"New York, September, 2001," in Möbius, The Poetry Magazine,, Jean Hull Herman, ed., (Spring & Summer, 2002): 35.
"As Far as Grace May Last," in Chattels of the Heart, Patricia Wolf, ed., (Summer 2002): 10.
"The Gurgling Brook," in Chattels of the Heart, Patricia Wolf, ed., (Summer 2002): 10.

2003

"Fallen Stars," in Paragould Daily Press, Feb. 8, 2003.
"Ruby Stones," in The Discerning Poet, Margaret L. Been, ed. (Summer 2003): 4.
"Deprived Addict," in Möbius, The Poetry Magazine, Jean Hull Herman, ed., 18 (Spring and Summer, 2003): 57.
"Your Will Be Done," in Möbius, The Poetry Magazine, Jean Hull Herman, ed., 18 (Spring and Summer, 2003): 70.
"A Water Basin," in Chattels of the Heart Patricia Wolf, ed. (Summer 2003): 16.
"Their Only Hope," in Christian Bible Teacher, Bob Connel, ed., 47 (August 2003): 184.
"Holding Out Hope," in Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Essay, Susan Bono, ed. (9th annual contest issue, vol. 9, no. 1): 11. [One of my many couplets.]

2004

"Both Prayer and Pains" in The Scripture Standard, Robert Marsden, ed., 71 (January 2004): 16.
"God Without Peer" in The Bible Meditator, Don Ruhl, ed. Accepted.
"Results" in Chattels of the Heart, Patricia Wolf, ed. (Summer 2004): 16.
"On the Jungle Floor" in Chattels of the Heart, Patricia Wolf, ed. (Autumn 2004): inside front cover.

Online

"20 Seconds to Die," in Daily Wisdom, 13 Jan 1999.
"Affirmatives" column on Morrock News Digest (February 2000-March 2002).
"Building on the Rock," in E-Youth.
Heartlight has published a handful of articles. Plop "matheny" in the search and read'em.
"I'm Proud to Be a Christian," on Heartlight's Prayer for the Nation, 21 Feb 2002.
"No Hesitation," also on Heartlight, but didn't show up in search.
"The Name," and "Paces" (April 2003) on ThisChristianLife.com.
Webzine for the Christian Woman

Tooth story

randal — Thu, 11 Nov 2004 16:32:00 GMT

I'm heading for my second trip to the dentist today. Back in Sept. a tooth broke and I got it fixed. Yesterday the resin filling came out. This morning the dentist (Next door to the office) fixed it in under 15 min. But I think it was a little high and though I wasn't chewing on that side, the top part broke. So back I go at 4h (or was it 4:30?). She didn't charge me this morning. Let's see if she does this afternoon.

The Sower - October 28.2004

rhua1 — Mon, 08 Nov 2004 15:42:55 GMT

My words
they can seem small
as little mustard seeds
that the friendly wind will surely carry,
they fall in every where,
the Lord
will command to His Angel
to water and attend to them.
So they will grow
colossal trees
ready to give
comfort and relief
to the wayfarers.

"Rhua"

Kerry fan philosophizes in German

randal — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 13:09:00 GMT

h**p://www.techcentralstation.com/110304U.html

These guys just don't know how to speak English without resorting to foreign words and phrases.

But they think the old news media are fair, too: "News coverage of the election was cautions [sic] and careful, ..."

And they still don't know why they lost.

It's Bush

randal — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 16:17:00 GMT

Kerry has admitted defeat.

The most decent thing he's done in 30 years.

Now we can sleep easy in our beds.

Dialogue with the Lord - 10.10.2004

rhua1 — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 16:14:30 GMT

Dialogue with the Lord
10.10.2004

The hand trembles
and the mind is fixed
it have no words to express
the bitter damage.
The betrayal presses again ,
where are your Giudas?
Mine are near me,
they have drunk milk from my breast
and honey from my lips,
they have listened to the word of the Lord,
but in their hearts it isn't penetrated,
they have eaten the bread of the Life
and drunk the water of the Sacred Source,
but this proved useless.
The heart turned to the enchanter
has allowed the old snake
to enter their house.
They are sold, prostituted,
they became covered with him again.
He laughs, he that is the deceiver
while he' s banqueting with their cowardliness.
I have seen the face of my Lord
reflected inside of me,
He smiled at me, shrouded in sparkling light,
the world in my hands He has set
and me, incredulous, I have held it narrow.
Torturers from the evil tongue
they believe to defeat the Good.
No!
Good belongs to each of us.
God has given us the eyes
to also look in the invisible
and two hands to do great and small things;
but why doesn't the mendacious word
jammed on the obscene mouth
pierce the fool?
- Oh, my little lark,
don't you never realize
the wolves disguised by lambs? -
My Lord, I find it hard,
I still want to see the good where it doesn't exist,
I still want to mould the heart without love.
- But don't you realize, my soul,
the threatening look, the cynic thought,
the lewd aspect? -
I want to cover with flowers and perfume,
with vanilla sugar
the dull cheeks
of whom doesn't have Light.
But you are always right,
you are a warrior and you know the crazy one,
you know the Evil, you know the crime.
- The last fish is fished,
fallen in its mendacious trap,
like a fly in the spider's web,
like a suspended worm to my hook.
Me, The Fisher of Souls,
I throw again to the sea what is not mine!

“Rhua”

Off and On

randal — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 15:44:00 GMT

This is supposed to be my Afternoon Off.

So what am I doing in the office?

Taking swipes at my to-do list.

Poverty level?

randal — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 08:54:00 GMT

From a story on taxes:

"In 2004, HHS estimated the poverty level for a single person to be $9,310. For a family of four it was $18,850."

Do the math: that's $1545.83/m.

In Brazil multiply it by three to get reais: R$4712,50.

I know maybe one person here who makes that.

Don Quixote

randal — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 11:29:00 GMT

Finished the book on Monday. I'll admit I got tired of it before the end.

Innocuous content

randal — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 11:17:00 GMT

Most spam arriving in my inbox now is for Rolex watches. Not as bad as the pornographic stuff.

Election returns and flubs

randal — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 10:50:00 GMT

CBS News dot com called Nevada in the Bush column, and in their tools map promptly colored it blue.

FoxNews.com reported that the Bush campaign declared victory, with a brand new state voting:

Although Iowa, Nevada and Mexico had not yet made their results officials, Card said the GOP camp was counting those states in its column.

More truth than we know?

Dialogue of 24.10.04

rhua1 — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 15:35:33 GMT

The weak light
illuminates the white sheet.
I look at you,
you are in front of me
sweet and gentle
brave and sincere.
- "Write" -
Ok.
You dictate:
- "The human race
disintegrate itself!
The bitter weeping
gushes out from heart to heart,
the imprudent snake wants to stay the master
of your house,
mouldy, your walls
exhale odor of stale.
Yes, my word is forever,
but for each age there's a song,
so now the age is changed
and also my song.
I sow in the world
through my Angels,
newly children
from the brave heart.
They will take possession
of the Earth,
at your place they will live
the peace and the beauty
that you degenerates
refuse.
Your soul,
of whom doesn't want to hear,
of whom doesn't want to give,
of whom doesn't want to love,
it still will remain wandering
in the universe. "-
My Lord, what are you saying ? You frighten me!
- " No…my heart,
you take breath and don't tremble.
I try everything,
but who believes to manage my word
do it without love,
do it for his remembrances,
for his profit,
for glory and for boast". -
My Lord, but there will be someone
that speaks with a sincere heart?
- "Yes, luckily, but they are few,
those people that as fresh sources
thirst the wayfarer.
They are poisoned puddles
of stagnant water.
I will polish up my garden
from all of this.
I Have already started, don't you know? "-
I fold up the head in front of His will,
his wet eyes of sad weeping
they shine more than the stars in the sky.
Heat, of a not recognized God,
exploited,
not beloved.
It is not his discouragement,
it is denial
towards that terrestrial people
that doesn't want to enter
in the crib of the King.
I smile…
After all
He is the true Life…

"Rhua"

To see with different eyes

rhua1 — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 17:24:06 GMT

I am the Spirit of the world,
the Saint Sophia
the faith and the hope,
mother Earth and sister Moon.
My belly is always pregnant
cause I am the Mother of the universe.
I go through the wolves, the vultures,
the snakes, the arrogant men,
everyone thinks to possess the savanna
scene of traps, of preys and victims,
of red hot sunsets, of strong smells,
of absent and deads.
Everyone thinks to possess the mountain,
but the Apu rule and laugh behind your back.
Everyone thinks to possess the lake,
the river, the sea and the desert,
the tundra, the brushwood,
the sky and the universe.
Unwise…
What a haughtiness to fight the weak brother,
you sell him the weapons, you poison his wheat,
you steal his wealth , you trouble him
and you put yourself as ruler.
You lay down the law right, left and centre,
you strut, you rise yourself, you crown yourself.
Foolish…
You know everything and you know nothing,
you have everything, but you have nothing,
everything you would like to have, but nothing you will tighten.
This is the law of the time,
of the Real Justice.
The end is also for you,
oh deadly!

"Rhua"

To see resources

randal — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 16:19:00 GMT

www.acton.org

"... a person needs quite a lot of human virtues to be able to see resources. First of all, one needs a certain passion for theoretical thought; that is, contemplation. Consider this example from the story of Ulysses and the giant cyclops Polyphemus in Homer's Odyssey: Ulysses and his companions are imprisoned in a hole by the cyclops and are overwhelmed by fear, becoming so passive that Polyphemus is able to take and eat a few of them. Ulysses speaks to his heart-believed to be the organ that controlled passions-and asks it to help. Ulysses then becomes calm as he is freed from the debilitating fear over his personal safety, and when he regains mastery over himself, he is able to see that a nearby pole, when sharpened, may become a weapon against the giant and that the sheep can be used as instruments to get out of the hole. Ulysses can now struggle against the giant-a symbol of nature-because he sees clearly and is no longer blinded by his passions. He can see because he was able to recover his contemplative attitude."

As bad as I thought

randal — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 10:58:00 GMT

"Browning ... tells us that what won him for Christ was this, that while others tried to soothe his angry conscience, and kept urging that, really, things were not nearly so bad as he was making out, Christ looked him in the eyes and told him bluntly that he was a desperate sinner, worse, much worse, even than he realized. And that, queerly enough as you might think, the man was not discomfited but heartened. Here at last, he felt, is one who understands and knows the facts. And since His desperate diagnosis is so accurate, may not His optimism also justify itself even in me. Well does He know what is in human nature, and yet, knowing the worst, He still has confident hope." --A. J. Gossip (1873-1954), The Galilean Accent (1926)

Indeed, Christ is the ultimate realist, and the ultimate optimist, for he, and he alone, is able to change our sordid reality into glory.

Living in the Lord

rhua1 — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 10:17:05 GMT

October 8th 2004

The hand flows fast
Supported and pushed by the sacred fire that is me, the time is slow but it doesn't ache to my tired soul yet. My Lord asks and I serve him. Today life has brought other acts: lived, beloved, faced with weeping and with a smile. Somebody has born and somebody else has dead, while I was writing an essay on the Immortality that God had created.
The man has not born for dying, but to live the eternity together with the Angels in the House of God. My femininity resounds of a ancient warrior of love, Amazon from the sweet and strong matriarchy. Now I listen to the acute whimper of a dog from the open window its pain enters bossy, tied up to the chain cries its imprisonment, the being is not different during the life: cloud minded he runs after a forgery God’s way forgetting the love that the True God has brought us.
And tomorrow that will happen? You still ask yourself.
- My Dear Girl, face your life, I will be by your side, I live in your thirst and your hunger , I cry and I laugh with you, think about it and you won't be alone, neither imprisoned. –

- I love you my Lord –

- So do I , my Dear Girl,

Rhua

Without Schemes

rhua1 — Fri, 22 Oct 2004 16:27:19 GMT

What do they say the men that strut in front of theirs Creed and have isolated it from the truth of the existence of a female form of God?
I hear false preachers that write verses and verses, sentences and sentences, but I don't feel in them the burning flame of true passion.
I believed that the man had been created to God image, but what I see and feel brings me to understand that it is the opposite: it is the man that has created God in the likeness of himself…
This is really awful cause the man sees and feels in distorted way, he lives in distorted way the word of a cruel God, created for a cruel and hard people… Why don't we leave to that people their history and live the essence of the Gospel that brings us the good tale of a kind and generous God, and at same time also warrior and tough? He's the son of a Mother as much agreeable and powerful as him, that ancient mother that begat Angelic forms in the primary time.
Why do we judge the greatness of the Lord only through the pain of the Passion? I know that He has made great things and still He's still doing it , greater than that deadly cross and I hear His voice shouting:
- Son, what you sow , you'll mow and if you sow wind you will reap the whirlwind! -
I also hear the men that full of power and certainty of a God that all forgives, they live without conscience as children that steal candies and jam, their daily brutish foolness and cruelty.
Friend, think about the depth of this concept and roam freely over the obstacles of the crafty man, that makes the word of God his personal rule.
Rhua

Off to teach ...

randal — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 18:32:00 GMT

Off to teach in a moment in the city of Guaratingetá, about an hour and a half away, where our brother Jorge has been teaching family members and neighbors. We hope it will develop into another congregation for our region, the third, after SJCampos and Taubaté, to reach the millions between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

J. Randal Matheny

randal — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 07:59:00 GMT

My Bible verse to express my aspirations, prayers, and hopes for 2004 is 2 Timothy 4.5: "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry" (NIV).

Read James Burton's commentary on this verse.

Read about The Snuggery, my place of work, my partial bibliography, and even details of my bio.

LISTS

Christian Poets -- discussion, crits, poetry, and more.
Cloudburst Poetry -- a weekly, spirited poem of rhyme and meter in your inbox.
Forthright Magazine -- daily articles for spiritual edification.
UPLift -- get a lift with UPLift, fresh quotes, short verse, pithy perspectives, sometimes taken from Random Variables.
BZeal news and reports -- stay up to date with our work and the church's progress.

SITES

Christian Poets -- the real action is on the email list.
Forthright Magazine -- the online version, where you can pipe up.
Brazilian Zeal -- news of the work and church in Brazil.
Alcance -- our main Brazilian website.

HANGOUTS

Bible Study Forum -- Solid stuff.
church-of-Christ email group -- a really friendly and supportive bunch. I'm the most absent moderator. :)

CONTACT

Mailing address:
Caixa Postal 11
Sao Jose dos Campos, SP
12201-970 -- Brazil

Telephone: (11-55-12) 3942-7753

Messenger (seldom connected):
AOL/AIM: randalmatheny
Yahoo: randalmatheny
ICQ: 304284039
MSN: randal32916{{at}}hotmail.com

EMAIL ME: RIGHT HERE

A few links

Official site of city of São José dos Campos with photo gallery
My favorite state park, Crowley's Ridge
E. Hemingway's connection to Piggott, Ark.
Gainesville, Ark., church, where I was baptized (The Stonewall church building didn't have a baptistry.)
Hometown newspaper, Paragould Daily Press
Hospital where I was born, though it didn't look like that then. Non-IE users beware!)
Photos along the Crowley's Ridge Parkway

PLACES I HAVE LIVED

For years 1-18: In Greene County, Ark.: Hooker, Stonewall, Lafe, Marmaduke, Paragould.

Henderson, Tenn. (college, 1975-79)
Shiloh, Tenn. (1979-80)
Ashland, Miss. (1981)
Abilene, Tex. (1982-83)
Paragould, Ark. (Jan.-Nov. 1984)
Belo Horizonte (MG) Brazil (1984-94)
Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil (1995-present)

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS

My reading list
My wish list

Readings of late

randal — Fri, 15 Oct 2004 12:07:00 GMT

As a distraction from work and relaxation, I read works not related to what I do. In the past, I've read Clancy, Grisham, and others of their ilk. Lately, for lack of more modern fiction, I've turned to older authors.

A few weeks ago, I read through the original Alice in Wonderland. Then a play of Ibsen's. Now I'm over halfway through Don Quixote, but I stopped for a while to zip through C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy, which I finished yesterday.

This morning I picked up DQ again. Joel had read an excerpt of his for his school, so I started the unabridged edition, which we have in our home collection. Shortly after that, Joel rented the video, and we watched it at home. That dampened my enthusiasm to finish the book, but I plod on, like a valiant knight errant.

Church sign

randal — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 18:44:00 GMT

"Here is what we put on the church sign

God made Adam and Eve
Not Adam and Steve

'Nuf said, Manly"

New Greek-Portuguese lexicon

randal — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:53:00 GMT

Bought a new one today, by Carlo Rusconi, translated from the Italian. (Published last year.) Shows some Catholic bias, but seems to be good. Won't replace D&G's Shorter Lexicon, translated from English in 1984.

Was pricey at R$78,00 (about US$28.00), but I waved cash and took it for R$70,00, or US$25.00.