The moment captured.

Have you notice that the moment can be captured? A freeze frame of exactitiude, that validates the purity of the moment. Once by silver oxide, but now by 0's and 1's

Not an exact science, the artist's eye communicates the truth intrinsic in the moment. The interpretation is evident to those who have the mind to see. Valid? Eternity will tell.

The Moment.

The moment is what exists. The moment is reality. All that is valid exists in the moment. In the moment I see clearly if I understand that the future is nothing but speculation. Prime ground for the enemy to whisper lies. This unknown, who should I commit it too? The lover of my soul. There is no other.

Though I am weak, I have the one who sustains me. Though I am in the dark, I have the one who shines the lamp unto my path.

Do not trust in a sharp axe. Trust in the axe sharpener.

My Boys

I love Hudson. How he struggles with his inner conflicts. It shows me the Holy Spirit is active and engaged in his life. His struggle is my struggle. How do we overcome the natural man? I trust in God to give me the victory. I pray Hudson will too.

I love Harrison. How he has insight and understanding and comprehends truth presented to him. He is a pragmatist. He evaluates the moment with a sense of the bigger picture. It's easy for him and there lies the danger. I pray he will trust in God instead of his own understanding.

I love Randy jr. He is a humble guy, looking for his place. I pray for his forgiveness. His place is as my son, the one of my youth. We have much to learn from each other.

I pray that I don't pass on a sharp axe. I ask God's grace to introduce to my boys the axe sharpener. 

What is valid?

There are so many truths that seem to be valid. What context should they be placed? Truth has its foundation in reality. Reality has its source in the beginning. Connect to the source and all truth makes sense. Misinformation is abundant, why is that? There is one who doesn't want you to understand the truth.

Valid

1 having legal efficacy or force; especially : executed with the proper legal authority and formalities
2 a : well-grounded or justifiable : being at once relevant and meaningful b : logically correct

All of us are becoming.

We can't stop making choices but our choices determine who we become. The dynamic cause and effect interaction of mass and energy can be overcome by choice. Our choices determine our destiny... or do they?

Yale, MIT, Open Courseware

Wow,

You have got to google this. Access to most of what is being taught.

Let's get back to the start.

Satan is a liar.

That is the truth I knew as I began my quest to discover what time was.

Truth is simple once discovered. But the quest for truth is nothing but complicated. The father of lies doesn't want us to know the truth.

The simple truth is found in Christ. He reveals creation as it was intended. Complication is the work of the enemy of our soul.

All of us are becoming.

Now is where I am. Where I am changes and that change is beyond my control, mostly. Try to stop the moment from passing by. Can you? It is just like your choices. Can you stop making choices?

Tensed facts are created in the now of the continuum of reality. In their creation they become unalterable. They are created by the temporal, dynamic cause and effect interaction of mass and energy.

The observer, you and me, are confronted by reason and memory. We remember the way things were and we anticipate how things could be. I say "could" because memory and reason give us the ability to make a choice. This, not that. It is the power to over-ride the determinism of the continuum.

All of us are becoming... what? It's up to us to choose. We can't stop making choices but we can decide what we will choose.

Presentism vs Eternalism

What exists resides in the now. What exists is temporal because it is dynamic and constantly changes and the change is tensed because cause and effect produces the change.

What exists in the now creates tensed facts that are unalterable.

The change is deterministic outside of the observer's ability to choose. The ability to choose comes from the capacity to remember what things were like and the ability to anticipate what things will be like. Memory and reason.

Choice creates the potential to break the bonds of determinism.

Once the choice is made it becomes unalterable.

The now is eternal. Divide infinity in half, what do you have? Calculate how many moments eternity holds?....

The truth is always simple.

Consistency.

Google it’s meaning… hmmmm.

OK, what does consistency mean to me?

In video production we use one camera. To get the appearance of using multiple cameras we re-shoot the same scene from different angles using the same camera. “Continuity” then becomes critical. Say we shoot an actor sitting down on a chair and he crosses his legs as he gets comfortable. The one in charge of “continuity” better notice that he crossed his left leg over his right and not the other way around. It’s all about the illusion, keeping things consistent with the previous shot.

What has this to do with time or consistency? It’s natural to tie the past, present and future together. But how are they connected? How are they connected?? There is only one connection and that is in the now, the present, is what exists. Their consistency, their continuity is a result of their presence in the now and the power that enables them to create the tensed fact of their existence. It is unalterable. Tensed facts are being created constantly. Cause and effect define their continuity and consistency. Choice, allows them to be productive or destructive.

When you realize the moment is absolutely unique and therefore priceless you begin to pay much more attention to the now.

Time? What I know.

“The true currency of life is time, not money, and we’ve all got a limited stock of that.” 

– Robert Harris

Time, a cruel master. Wait a moment and you have one less to work with. Time, the older you get the faster it passes. At some point you realize it's going to run out for you. But... why is that an issue? Why would you care? Maybe you think I need more time? Time for what? Change? Why do I think I need to change? Something about time makes me think... now is the time. Now is the time to be what I should be.

If you think time is real then you think you have a future. Our mind can anticipate what we call the future and we put our hope in it. Hope in the future gives us an excuse to put off the truth of the now.

If you know "Now" is all that exists, you'll pay much more attention to it. You'll cherish the moment because it is unique, priceless and then gone. You can now take full advantage of the opportunity the moment is providing you.

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”

– Harvey Mackay

Chaos Theory, Choices, Decisions and Actions.

Who we will become is determined by our choices, decisions and actions. The choices, decisions and actions that we take in the now create facts that cannot be altered.

In chaos theory, the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location, reveals that even a small action has the potential for an extraordinary consequence.

The "Now" is what exists. Reality is the cosmological temporality of tensed facts that are created in the "Now". A fact cannot be altered. Change is a constant in the "Now". The illusion of time is created by this observance of change brought about by movement. The movement is deterministic outside of our ability to choose. Choice is what gives us the ability to be creative. But it is also the ability to destroy.

Who we can be is not yet determined because we still have the ability to choose. Past facts cannot be altered yet potential still exists. We can choose to tear down or to buildup. There is no other choice before us.

On our deck again

The night was beautiful. The moon, a few days from full, still lit up the cloudless night. I recalled similar nights in northern British Columbia and how the blanket of snow made the night luminous. Hudson, my son, echoed this image as he told how one early morning in winter he came out on the deck and was amazed at how bright and glowing everything was because the moon was shining bright. His regret, "I didn't stay longer".

It was a "stop and smell the roses" moment. I shared about how we'll never be here again. How when we miss seeing the blessing of the moment, the moment is gone.

We sat there watching the embers of the fire glow as it burnt down. I was compelled to reminisce back to the time, as a young boy, I had a miniature deck of cards that I had got from a bubblegum machine. How I had worked hard at separating each card. How I had demanded my Mom come and play with me. How I had threatened her with the destruction of the deck if she didn't come and play, now! She was busy cooking supper. Another moment, but not so Rosey.

I made a choice. As I ripped up the deck of cards, she came into the living room and said: "OK, lets play cards".

The sense of loss was magnified by the realization there was nothing I could do, the deck of cards was gone. Then the realization... It was my fault. Another moment, yes. But oh, the regret, the sense of loss!

Well, what has that to do with our study of time? Hmmm?

I exist. I exist in a continuity. The continuity of the continuum is big. There is incomprehensible complexity in the continuity that exists in the totality of the now. Now is dynamic, it changes with every moment. "Now" is tensed, its change is in one direction. This moment exists in the temporality of God. What was, will never come again.

What is a 6-year-old to do? The moment is gone, never to be recovered. My own choice brought upon me an unanticipated consequence. A sense of loss beyond compare. Is there a lesson to be learned?

Well, of course there is.

A conversation with my son.

As we sat on the deck, enjoying the fire we were watching in the fire pit, I asked Harrison, my son, what words he would use to describe everything that was happening in the universe at this particular moment. He seemed confused, my question held no context.

 I said look at the fire, what is happening there?

We started talking about oxidization and chemical reactions inherent in the fire. How would you describe the fire? We realized there is a lot of information generated by a fire and how to describe it accurately.

I asked him, as we watched the fire burn, what do you think is happening now to the stars in a galaxy on the other side of the universe? He said, "they are moving".

Now think about all the galaxies right now, what words would you use to describe everything that was happening in the universe at this particular moment. He said "overwhelming".

It was then I began to tap his knee. Every few seconds I would tap his knee. I said it looks like I am touching your knee repeatedly. He said yeh, you keep touching my knee over and over again. I said look at the fire, I'll touch your knee again. Was that the same as when I touched your knee earlier? Harrison said no, the fire was different. So each time I touch your knee it's different? Yes, each time you touch my knee it's unique.

I asked Harrison, "What does it mean that something is unique"? He said, "it's one of a kind." I asked him "if it's one of a kind, does that make it valuable"? We considered such...

Harrison is 11 and a half.

Every moment is unique, it will never be repeated. Its value is incomprehensible.

All that exists in the Now.

The interaction of all that exists. How do we describe this interaction? Do we see it in its totality? No. Is any part separate from any other part? No.

The interaction of mass and energy going on in my brain as I write this is correspondent to the movement of stars in a far off galaxy. Any moment in the continuum of our Universe when viewed as a whole is unrepeatable and completely unique.

Unrepeatability. Nothing is repeatable. Nothing is repeatable. Nothing is repeatable. Everything happens in context to everything else. Everything, as a whole, is dynamic and temporal, Because God is dynamic and temporal. Our experience dynamically exists in the eternal temporality of God.

The eternal temporality exists in an uniqueness of tensed facts. These facts have causality that is determinate outside of the creative ability of life to choose. Choice can over-ride determinate causality. This choice creates the realm of "possibilities" for creative innovation.

As we see the uniqueness of each moment, as we understand this moment will never happen again, we can begin to fully appreciate the great value of the moment we are in.

Now we can take full advantage of the opportunity the moment is providing us.

The speed of light. Space?

It is very hard to see the now. In fact, none of us can see it in its totality. Why is this? Because the facts of now are only accessed by us through the the delay that is inherent in the speed of light that slows the acquistion of facts. This delay that comes from the limitation of light's speed creates the illusion of time.

This constant; the speed of information transmittal, creates the illusion of space. Space, what is it? How can galaxy's be moving away from us faster then the speed of light?

If information of events reached me instantaneously would I perceive space? Would it have any meaning to me?

If light where faster would things seem closer to me?

Here's an idea. Before the big bang, light reached everywhere instantaneously. After the big bang light began to slow down. As light slowed down space was created. Distance became real.

God's Now and ours.

"Now" is reality. "Now" is what exists. What exists is the totality of all that interacts. The interaction of Mass and Energy plays out in the now and is the physical realm.

God's "Now" is the direct experience of all tensed facts as they come to exist in the now. For God, space is of no consequence. He knows everything because He is everywhere. He is the ultimate "reference frame" for the universe.

Our "now" is limited by location and the speed at which information comes to us. This limitation of information acquisition creates a "horizon". This event horizon is established by the limit of the speed of light that creates the illusion of time flowing with past, present and anticipated future.

What can contain God? Time? No. Eternity? No. Space? No. If God is eternal, that which is in Him resides in eternity. "Now" is eternal because the now is in God.

What exists is dynamic and temporal, because God is dynamic and temporal. Our experience dynamically exists in the eternal temporality of God.

Duration is the observed rate of change in a given inertial frame. Duration is subjective to the observer. Changes in the rate of change are undetectable for an observer in a given inertial frame.

The eternal temporality exists in an uniqueness of tensed facts. These facts have causality that is determinate outside of the creative ability of life to choose. Choice can over-ride determinate causality. This choice creates the realm of "possibilities" for creative innovation.

This physical realm exists as part of the Spiritual realm. Because of the limitations of the physical realm I cannot experience the totality of all that exists in the Now.

The Illusion of Time and the "Now" of reality.

Understanding that time is an illusion brought about because of my ability to remember my observation of things when they were different, I am now able to consider "Now".

Past, present, future are words we use to make sense of the "eternal temporality" of God that we exist in. God is temporal therefore His creation is temporal. The now is what exists. It is dynamic and temporal. Dynamic in that change is constant, temporal in that the movement is tensed. Our mind is just like God's mind. The difference, He is not limited by location. God experiences temporality like we do but for Him duration is flexible because he is not limited to an inertial frame. (A day is like a thousand years...) For us duration is the observed rate of change in a given inertial frame. Duration is subjective to the observer. Variations in the rate of change are undetectable for an observer in a given inertial frame.

Without the mind's memory and reason time has no meaning.

"we experience a piece of music as a whole with the help of memory and anticipation"

Wolfhart Pannenber.      

The illusion of time helps us make sense of reality. It brings cohesion to existence and our place in the "eternal temporality" of God.

What is Time?

The illusion of Time is the observation of the interaction between Mass and Energy.

This interaction of Mass and Energy results in Movement. Movement produces change and it is the change recognized by an observer that gives Time it's conception. For each observer in a given inertial frame the rate of change is observed as constant.

Movement, then, is also continuous in the

way in which time is - indeed time is either

identical to movement or is some affection of it.

                                           (Aristotle, Metaphysics)

The rate of change can vary in a given inertial frame but since the change affects the whole frame of the observer it can not be detected. This change therefore appears constant for a given observer’s locale. An observer can compare frames and detect variations in the rate of change relative to each. This gives the illusion that Time slows down or speeds up.

We percieve time passing because we remember when things were different and we call it the past. We think of the future because we can anticipate how things will be different. The observer recognizing change brought about by movement is only possible because of memory. Reason can anticipate change and the mind imagines the future. This all happens in the present now. The Now is held together by God who upholds the physical reality that creates the illusion of time by the observation of change brought on by movement that is a result of the interaction of Mass and Energy.

Without the mind's memory and capacity to reason time has no meaning. The illusion of time helps us make sense of reality. It brings cohesion to existence and our place in all that exists.

The Open View of God and Time

The Open view of God seems to work for me. What I mean, from what I understand of it, and how I view the meaning of certain scriptures, that the Open View of God uses, I kind of think... yeah, that makes sense.

I'm not one that came to Christ because it made a lot of sense. God broke into my situation, made Himself known to me, promised to give me a new life and asked if I would trust Him as my Savior. I was desperate, so I agreed. He then told me He needed to be my Lord to make it happen. I said ok.

Along the way He has transformed my thinking. I had a lot of baggage that I was hanging on to. False idea’s, concepts, attitudes and desires that had been carried over from my old life and the lies I lived by. I'm still in process and it seems God is hopeful, He hasn't given up on me.

Well back to the Open View of God. It put into words what I kind of thought already. I liked how it affirms my free will. How it focuses my responsibility to work with God. It seems that it also says God is in time. I can't imagine anything outside of time but I didn't know what time was. So I set out to understand time.

If you google "the meaning of time", well let's just say there is a lot of opinions. I found some really interesting things when I added "Physics" to the search of "the meaning of time". Then I tried "Time and Quantum Mechanics". After months of investigation I've come up with my own opinion for the meaning of time...

TIME IS AN ILLUSION (DON'T LET THIS BE A DISTRACTION FROM THE GIST OF MY BLOG). Let me explain. How do we know that time passes? Because we remember when things were different and we call it the past. We think of the future because we can anticipate how things will be different. The observer recognizing change brought about by movement is only possible because of memory. Reason can anticipate change and the mind imagines the future.This all happens in the present now which is "Eternity". Eternity is held together by God who allows all the movement.

I don't have to speculate about how long a moment is. They don't exist. I don't have to spend time wondering about time travel. I'm already there.

God said "Let there be Light" and everything began moving. Everything moving in relationship to everything else. The movement is sequential and in one direction. It's a great illusion.

Lies and Distraction

Satan is a liar and he uses distraction.

Wikipedia defines Distraction as the process of diverting the attention of an individual from a desired area of focus and thereby blocking or diminishing the reception of desired information (TRUTH).

The world is full of distraction. It is designed to take up your time. To occupy your attention and to bring your focus on the temporal instead of the eternal.

The enemy’s basic attack is to make you doubt what God has said is true about who you are in Christ. Your identity. He does that by trying to get you to focus on the flesh and what your 5 senses tell you. What you can see as opposed to the unseen. The work of the enemy is to destroy relationship with God and those around you. The battleground is your mind and the weapons are truth and lies. (in your thoughts)

II Cor. 10: 3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. 4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience (Lordship) of Jesus Christ