Injustice or money hungry system?

The court system in Quartzsite sure presented me with a terrible birthday present. Seems I own more than 800 dollars for missing a court date.

This spring I had allowed my vehicle registration to expire and was stopped by an officer. He told me my address was wrong on my driver's license and I told him no, motor vehicles had the correct address. Sadly I apparently signed a notice for a court appearance. I call motor vehicles and brought my registration up to date. I asked about the address and yes they had the correct address. So I thought all was OK. Wrong, it seems one organization doesn't talk to another organization so even though motor vehicles was satisfied apparently the Quartzsite court was not. 

No notification by the court until I picked up my mail last week, a notification from ADOT that I was delinguent in paying a fine. I call the number provided by ADOT and got the case number, the amount of the fine and the Quartzsite court number.

In talking to a Quartzsite court employee it seems I have no choice but to pay this fine. Although I can hire a lawyer I'm not allowed to handle it myself, Pro se:

"Litigants or parties representing themselves in court without the assistance of an attorney are known as pro se litigants. “Pro se” is Latin for “in one's own behalf.” The right to appear pro se in a civil case in federal court is defined by statute 28 U.S.C. § 1654." 

So much for the year of law school I had decades ago. 

I haven't given up so I'll likely go to the Quartzsite courthouse once a week and pay them 10 dollars towards their "pound of fresh." I'll be sure they know that I'm paying under protest and not as an acknowledgement of my being in the wrong.

Added a few minutes later:

All of this kind of reminds me of when I took on the US government over my student loan. Years after I paid it off I was being threatened so months later off to court. I had sent a notebook full of copies of canceled checks and monthly statements.

The case ground slowly through the court system and I finally had a court date. The assistant  Prosecuting Attorney told me that he thought I still owe just a few dollars. I could sense an agreement and we settled for $200. 200 dollars which I did not owe but was cheap money to get the government off my back. We were then called into the judge's office and he ripped into the assistant prosecuting attorney about coming after me after all these years, the judge had copies of my canceled checks, etc. The prosecuting attorney said we've reached an agreement for $200. I said to the judge I am totally in the right and I do not want to start a precedence where they'll go after other students years after. I was willing to go to the mat. The judge just looked at me like don't be a martyr. The judge said just pay 200 dollars and and get it discharged with prejudice. The judge asked me if I knew what discharged with prejudice meant and I said res judicata. That year of law school was not wasted after all.

Added 8/29/22

No court of appeal!

Today I went to the Quartzsite Town Magistrate office to ask for a court date to appeal a fine I received for missing a court date. I missed it because I thought I had taken care of with ADOT. It seems I've had my day in court as per the citation. As soon as I didn't show up it went to collections. It seems there is no requirement for the Quartzsite Town Magistrate Court to give any notice before sending a case to collection. Now I understand some of the shenanigans that happened in past elections with candidates being disqualified.

By the way, the citation was for having a different address on my driver's license than my actual address. Four years ago I renewed my driver's license while at my summer home and that was the address mistakenly put on my license. It had nothing to do with my allowing my vehicle registration to expire. I had been assured by ADOT that there was no problem as they have the correct address. So ADOT and the officer had a difference of opinions of the importance. That said, it seemed I committed the ultimate sin of not paying due diligence to the Quartzsite Town Magistrate.

Times a wasting

 I've had a shop on eBay for years but never really promoted it. A sale comes in every month or two but with inflation eating away at my fixed income... well perhaps time to get back to listing.

Add to that it looks like eBay has increased the number of free listing from 100 to 250 for my basic store and has a more attractive seller fee.

After trying to get on my laptop for weeks all is well. Now all my listing images, item description and, most important, inventory control spreadsheet are waiting for me. Did I mention the supplies that are waiting for me to free them from storage and turn them into jewelry.

As years go by

 The optimism of eight years ago. Several years later I started to very badly neglected my studies at the Koinonia-Institute and in turn my blog. I also closed my shop, full disclosure, more of a hobby than a business.

So what happened? The Trump years brought great optimism but fully disclosure of the TDS on the left. Years fly by and, another full disclosure, I haven't really gotten over the fraud in the 2020 election.

Add to that 2 1/2 year of fear mongering about a virus with more than a 99 percent survival rate. Sadly early treatment with re-purposed drugs not allowed, no profit in these life saving drugs, money far more important than human lifes.

More fear mongering and so many have taken the Jim Jones Juice. Hard to say what the future holds for then as the media is in lock step with the Alphabet people.

We're told by the Globalists we'll own nothing and we'll be happy. Really... 

Little boys in positions of authority have big weapons, seems MAD is a concept from past.

Now the really good news, Jesus is coming for his Church meanwhile Matthew 24:13 KJVS, "

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

People, while there is still time.

From eight years ago:

Lots of classwork tonight for the Koinonia institute. I need to finish up the weekly quiz for 1 & 2 Peter, continue with an open book final for the Book of Ezekiel and three more discussion questions before the end of the week. 

Add to that my shop is open Friday through Sunday. Today was a good day, not much money but good traffic. I'm very optimistic for next season.

Continuing...

 After sticker shock at the grocery store yesterday today I bought gas. Nearly four-fifty up from my last fill-up. I feel sad for those heading to their summer homes. 

I was beginning to think about spending at less part of the summer at my northeastern Arizona home, Much cooler there at 6,000 feet. The nearest small grocery store is a 60 mile round trip and Wal-Mart is 100 miles round trip. Plus I still have memories of the 377 wildfire nearly three years ago. Mostly I miss my church family when went I'm gone.

After Good Friday service, picking up a few shelf stable items at Ken's Discount Grocery and buying gas I headed home only to find I have a pinhole leak in my water hose. So off to buy a replacement. Try as I might, I don't have the strength to replace the hose and our assistant park manager quit. 

Like Tevia from Fiddler on the Roof I asked God was that really necessary. For all my venting I'm blessed and the hose will be replaced. We are still able to come together in worship and remember especially on this day the great gift of salvation by grace we were given. It is ours to accept...

Inflation

 Breakfast is the meal I most care about. Sadly this morning I used the last of my eggs so off to the store. Two small bags partly filled for just over 20 dollars. 

Bacon and eggs, well, I settled for a dozen eggs and will add the real bacon bits I have on hand to my eggs for flavor. Add to that a package of the less expensive off brand sour dough muffins.

Olive oil was expensive so I settled on the store brand. Bananas  and oranges rounded out my purchases.

It's just me so while I'm very annoyed I'm not about to starve. I'm concerned mostly about families and also about all of us with raging inflation.

Are we hearing an advanced warning of the Black Horse...the sound of hoofbeats? I'm reminded of:

Revelation 6:6 KJVS

"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine."

Prices so inflated that a day's labor was required for bare subsistence. Oil and wine, possibly the Elitist, however I'm betting not the store brand of olive oil.

Slide Rule, Old is new Again

 I haven't used a slide rule since my college days more than half a century ago. At least one of the classroom had a huge and working slide rule over the door. It was an impressive four feet or more in length. Fast forward to today.

I was studying for the General Ham Radio test and was distracted when the author referred to exponents and log functions using a scientific calculator. I have a scientific calculator but what of an EMP. 

When North Korea was threatening us with an EMP I started packing spare electronic gizmos and solar chargers in Faraday bags. After President Trump visited North Korea and actually stepped across the border I got a little careless and less worried about little rocket man.

Now with the current administration time to get back to taking inventory. 

I remembered my slide rule from decades ago now long since lost. I found and won a familiar looking used slide rule on eBay for a very reasonable amount of money. This I don't have to worry about protecting since it is operated manually. Not electronic, what a concept.

Second Coming of the First Century Church

Given how PI the Church seems to be viewed by many the "Second Coming of the First Century Church" seems to be an appropriate title for this post. As often happens with me, I was sidetracked by remembering a teaching by Chuck Missler from several years ago.  Chuck provides a good history of the  persecution of the early Christian church and then goes on to talk about home churches. Again, very relevant today.

It seems that the Wuhan Virus has had a negative impact on religious freedom. Attending church is being discouraged, so the home church is a possibility. Was the First Century Church that met in catacombs in Rome is a type for present day. How close are we to underground meetings to be able share the Word of God?

For years my favorite Bible study was  a small group meeting openly winters at a camping site in the desert in a 10’ x 20’ tent on Bureau of Land Management land. There is something about studying the Word of God in the desert that makes me feel even closer to Jesus. Our Bible study leader, Jay, always  prepared thoroughly and had many references and included word studies in her teachings. Jan didn't just talk at us, we were encouraged to join in.

Even this little gathering didn't escape minor persecution. Several years ago one of the local politicians challenged Jay about holding a Bible study on BLM property. This person brought with her an air of darkness but Jay stood her ground as we had permission to meet there. We even invited her to join us, her reply was something like "You would like that wouldn't you." Yes we would have welcomed her and prayed for her salvation, however, she glared at Jay. After she left the atmosphere that had been so uplifting was weighted down by a feeling of darkness. Our little group joined hands and prayed and the atmosphere was cleared up. A preview of coming persecution? 

Sadly last year our Jay had a series of strokes and her extensive teaching are scattered among a pile of yellow legal sheets and in her confused mind. Thus ending Jay's desert Bible study.

As an aside, should we be forced to meet in small group, well, there are some advantages:

· Members of a small group seems to me to bond with each other

· The group can get into a very in depth Bible study

· Members of small groups can be very supportive of each other

· There doesn't seem to be the clicks in a small group

· Everyone is involved in the discussion

The 2020 election is tending towards a Biden/ Harris administration, however, there still are courts cases pending and the Electoral College is still to meet. Will the church be going underground if the left takes over control of our national government? Home/ underground churches have the advantage of not drawing attention as does a large church in these post Wuhan Virus days. Small groups may very well be the future churches in America as they are in so many other countries.

There is more and more discrimination against the Christian faith and Christians even here in the United States. Some state governors have restricted church attendance and even banned singing praises to the Lord. I would pray that rather than having to go underground, we will see great revival in the United States. For now, the possibility of a Biden/ Harris administration may be a shaking of the Church (capital C) a wake up call, a rebirth of the church at Pentecost in Acts 2.

Dr. Missler’s teaching on the “Once and Future Church” is available at https://store.khouse.org/products/the-once-and-future-church