Honoring My Friend, Matt Billingsley

In high school there were so many groups, the athletic group, the band members, the art crowd, the smart kids, the not-so smart kids, the rebels, the loners, the ones who just didn’t care. No matter where you fit in or stuck out, you still form a bond with your classmates. My class has lost our share of members – nearly a dozen. I’m not sure what happened in all of the cases but I know for sure the most recent loss hit close to home.

At our 20th class reunion, a lone Matt Billingsley asked if he could sit at the table with a few of us. Arriving just a bit late, there were only a few seats available. I welcomed the opportunity to share a few moments with Matt, explaining to him that we shared a common bond, or two. I was excited to tell him that I attended church with his uncle. But what Matt found most interesting is that my father was a member of the Pine Tree Masonic Lodge. Matt was also a Mason.



In 2007, he was raised as a Master Mason at Lockhart Lodge #690. He went on to be made a 32 Degree Mason at the Austin Valley Scottish Rite, a York Rite Mason, and a Shriner. Although he had no affiliation with Pine Tree Masonic Lodge and Pine Tree OES, he offered guns for fundraising purposes at his cost and filled out all of the paper work on his own. Matt always had a smile on his face and was willing to help out a person in need.

Matt was one of the good guys. The world has so few good ones and this loss is far reaching. You don’t know who or how many lives you touch during a life time. Matt touched so many lives. I believe it’s because he lived by a code. He didn’t learn this code from the Masonic Lodge. Matt was taught how to be a good young man through the Boy Scouts of America. The lessons he learned there were only enforced and applied to adulthood through the Lodge and church.

The code? First and foremost honor your God and take care of your family. Raise your children so that they have morals and that they fear God. Also, help care for families without a father. This comes from the Biblical Book of James. Religion that God, our Father, considers pure and thoughtless is this, to look after widows and orphans in their distress. The ones who follow this code also live their lives in a pleasing manor toward God and man. You can tell by someone’s actions what kind of person they are. There is a song that says “they will know we are Christians by our love.” That is how Matt lived. That is how Matt will be remembered.



On Friday, June 17, 2011, the Supreme Creator of the Universe saw fit to call Matthew to His side. He left to honor his memory, the love of his life…Sandy and an unborn child, Haley.

Rest In Peace Matt, you will be missed, greatly missed.

History

History is important to the future. When I was younger I thought different. I felt like history was in the past and it was best to leave it there. I don’t remember exactly when I changed my opinion about this, maybe it was in 1994 as I watched the Waco compound of the Branch Davidians burn. Or perhaps it was in 1997 when the San Diego based Heaven’s Gate cult members were found dead of suicide. It was an eerie reminder of the 1978 mass suicide/homicide of members in The People’s Temple in Guyana. Not to make light of a tragic situation but the lesson here is this, “Don’t drink the lemonade!”

One of my favorite quotes is from author George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". Ironically, this quote was posted above the doorway to the main gathering tent at the Jonestown facility in the jungle of Guyana.



Perhaps they should have heeded this warning. In 1906, a group in Bali was concerned because they felt the Dutch were invading their beautiful land and would drive them into slavery. According to the web site Brainz, The Raja commanded that all valuables be burnt and that everyone from the youngest child to the wives and priests be marched ceremoniously towards the aggressors. When face to face with the Dutch regiment, the head priest thrust a dagger deep into the Raja’s heart signaling the commencement of Puputan. From here the entire group simultaneously began to kill one another while the women mockingly flung money and jewelry onto the stupefied troops. Over 1000 Balinese people committed suicide.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" George Santayana

Here are some historical moments worthy of remembering.

June 10, 1752 – Benjamin Franklin flies his kite during a storm.
1935 – Alcoholics Anonymous founded
1980 – Nelson Mandela writes from South African prison



June 11, 1962 – 3 inmates escape from Alcatraz
1967 – Israel’s 6-day war ends
1979 – John Wayne dies

June 12, 1987 – President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet President Gorbachev

June 13, 1966 – Miranda Rights established

June 14, 1777 – Stars & Stripes adopted by Congress

June 15, 1215 – Magna Carta sealed

American Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance
to the flag of the
United States of America,
and to the republic
for which it stands,
one nation
under God,
indivisible,
with liberty
and justice
for all.

The Shadow Government

In the recent days, there has been much talk of the birth of a new world order, martial law, signs of the end of the world, aliens, the Mayan calendar, and the coming rapture. Another topic popular with people who are familiar with the above issues, is something called “The Shadow Government”.

I know most people are not familiar with the theory of a shadow government, so I will put the key players into place for you. And probably end up on a government watch list at the same time. I should say right here and now that 1) the shadow government is the proverbial “THEY” – those who are really in control, and 2) I don’t actually believe in the existence of such a group.

To begin with, the theory states: The term shadow government refers to what is sometimes called "the secret government" or "the invisible government" , an idea based on the notion that real and actual political power does not reside with publicly elected representatives but with private individuals who are exercising power behind the scenes beyond the scrutiny of democratic institutions. According to this belief the official elected government is in reality subservient to the shadow government who are the true executive power.

Power-holders can be individuals, families or even companies. I will introduce some of the key players. Not wanting to sully anyone’s good reputation, I will start with known “bad guys”, such as Saddam Hussein…the late.

According to some, he was a CIA/Israeli asset and was flown out of Iraq before the fall of Baghdad. Apparently it was known that he had several “doubles”. In 2004, a visit by Hussein’s wife results in her claims that the prisoner was not her husband. Was she correct or was this a ploy to take the wind out of America’s sails?

I read on the Internet (so it must be true) that the real war in Afghanistan was not to curb terrorism but to control the poppy fields. Those self-righteous Muslims over there want to destroy the all the poppy fields so the US government can’t keep its citizens doped up. (there are so many things wrong in so many ways with that statement…no hate mail pls)

Disney…according to one web site (no, not just one)…Disney wants to brainwash your kids into submission. I thought that was the parents job.

Tony Blair – former British Prime Minister, paved the way for Genetically Modified food, inclusion of fluoride in the public water system, and to usurp Christian leadership and expose religious belief to ridicule. Some also believe that Blair is a reptilian. I am not sure how to describe that, perhaps in another blog.

There are many, many more named in the Shadow Government, such as current and past presidents, first ladies, cabinet members and large corporations. I will cover more later.

Until next time.