Alpha and omega 5
At the beginning of part 9 of A Year in the Life, I listed a summary of the posts. If you missed one or if you’d like a refresher, that’s a good place to start. Today on Choosing Peace we’ll explore the Alpha and Omega Days of October. How were the first and last days related?
Get ready to read about a football jersey, a man of God and a masquerade ball.
October 1—the alpha day
Last year, October was Victory Month.
The football victory
Our son Logan called us from college on October 1—The Alpha Day—and recommended that we watch the Miami Dolphins game from the previous week (2023, week 3). We did. Most entertaining. They beat the Denver Broncos 70 to 20. Wow. (See part 4 about the NFL being a show, not a sport.) Did I mention that Miami is my new favorite NFL team? They are. Logan gave me a Tua jersey for Mother’s Day. What a sweetie. (Tua Tagovailoa is Miami’s quarterback.)
Requesting prayers for victory
What happened that morning?
Sunday, October 1 (part 1)
Journal entry
We had a breakfast social in our life group. I sat between Meagan and Brandon. It was good. I shared a prayer request about Cynthia, which started a great discussion about dark spiritual forces. I thanked Elyse and Thomas for recommending the movie Nefarious. …I told our group that Cynthia and I would be praying through her house and anointing it to banish demons. They will pray for us. Jesus is Lord. I mentioned that [our friend] Millie anoints and prays over her counseling office every day—not knowing what evil spirits/demons will be walking in. …I also described the statue that Cynthia will be getting rid of. John said, “When in doubt, throw it out.”
You may be thinking, Frankie Ann, you just left reality and are walking in Wackoville. If you haven’t experienced dark spiritual forces up close and personal, as they say, this sounds weird. I get that. Here’s a brief backstory. Some very disturbing things have occurred in my friend Cynthia’s house, including a door alarm being set off but no one being found there; her dogs going ballistic at something she couldn’t see—with their fur standing straight up; and the murder of one of her dogs. There’s more, but you get the gist. Dark things. Scary things. Deadly things.
The forces—seen and unseen
We don’t see everything that’s going on with our eyes. We walk in a physical realm but also in a spiritual one. The following recounting in the book of 2 Kings demonstrates the powerful forces in the spiritual realm.
The heart of the king of [Syria] was very troubled…. He called his servants, and said to them, “Won’t you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” One of his servants said, “No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” He said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” It was told him, saying, “Look, he is in Dothan.” Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city.
When the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, look, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, “Alas, my master. What shall we do?”
He answered, “Do not be afraid;
for those who are with us are more
than those who are with them.”
Then Elisha prayed and said, “LORD, please open his eyes, that he may see.” The LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and look, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” He led them to Samaria.
It happened, when they had come into Samaria, that Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” The LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and look, they were in the midst of Samaria.
2 Kings 6:11-20, New Heart English Bible [emphasis added]
Here’s the whole story, with the intro and what happened in Samaria. If you read the last three verses, the ending will surprise you.
The spirits
Sunday, October 1 (part 2)
Journal entry
Later, Brandon mentioned the spirits in the house where he grew up. In the past, he has called them ghosts. I said there are only angels and demons. There are only two teams. He understood.
Hollywood and mainstream media would have us believe that “ghosts” can be sweet, innocent friends. I remember an old cartoon series: “Casper the Friendly Ghost.” Au contraire. Please beware. Disney’s movie Fantasia includes this segment, called “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” Notice the skull on the sorcerer’s table. The bat conjured by the sorcerer morphs into a butterfly.
The masquerade
The darkness masquerades as the light. Demons masquerade as benevolent spirits. Psychic fairs are filled with images of Jesus and Mary, when they’re actually dens of the occult. I’ve been to one. Beware.
Read this article: “What does Satan look like?” from GotQuestions.org. It’s important.
And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 11:14, New Heart English Bible
Her Majesty’s masquerade ball
I have a great example of the truth mentioned above: The darkness masquerades as the light.
On Wednesday, the day before I started writing this post, Logan received a certified mailing from Her Majesty, the Sadistic Control Freak—I mean Brandon’s sociopathic mom, Delia. If you’re not familiar with her, these three posts provide a good backdrop:
♦ Portrait of a Sociopath, part 2
♦ How a Sociopath’s Victim Feels, part 4
♦ A Year in the Life, part 8
High drama
It’s hard to know where to start unpacking my evil mother-in-law’s mailing to Logan. Each and every aspect was so bizarre. I could write a whole paragraph about The Drama Factor of the certified mailing part, but I’ll spare you that nonsense.
Let’s see….
Wrong occasion
Delia, also known as Granny, sent Logan a college graduation card. Here’s the problem. He just finished his junior year. Anyone who’s a part of his life knows he didn’t graduate yet. Good grief. So the whole premise for her mailing was a lie, an excuse, or her being old, sloppy and mistaken. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Wrong team
The card she sent was a Christian card, which totally burns me up. When my evil mother-in-law sends a card that quotes scripture, she’s pulling out all the stops, thinking it will convince us that we’re on the same team. Hey! That’s a veiled example of Speaking in “we” terms—one of the 8 warning signs for violence. Touché, Your Majesty. Expertly played.
One of the lovely sentiments printed in the card went like this: “The very best place you can ever be is in the center of God’s will.” Thus saith the designated hitter for Satan’s All-Star Team. Call the card a lovely example of Charm and niceness—another one of the warning signs for violence. If this card had been sent by a Christian at the proper time, it would’ve been great. But Her Majesty sent it to manipulate, to confuse, to control. Not okay. Not sincere. Not remotely right.
See this post from the Grieving series, especially the section called Using the Religious Cover.
Not for sale
Next, she included a $500 check as Logan’s “graduation” gift—I mean buy-off. Loan sharking extraordinaire. Translation: “Now you really owe me. Contact me right away and tell me how generous and wonderful I am. It’s adore-the-sociopath time.” Read part 9 for more on loan sharking—another one of the 8 warning signs for violence.
Logan isn’t cashing the check. He said it was sent for a stated purpose that isn’t true. Well done, Son. Besides, we all discussed how playing her little game guarantees more trouble. That reminds me of when Brandon told Delia’s new husband Walter: “We’re not for sale.” Indeed.
Registered title
One of the strangest things about Delia’s mailing was an envelope of photos she enclosed: Three photos of Logan as a baby/preschooler and three baby photos of Brandon. She did a similar thing six years ago during my in-laws’ drive-by loan sharking—I mean How-to-Lure-Your-Grandson-to-Open-the-Door Escapade; not to mention, the stakeout down the street, the yelling and more. See the Thanksgiving Mayhem section of this post for the colorful play-by-play.
Ownership
I didn’t understand the photos when Her Majesty did the drive-by drop-off last time. This time, the Holy Spirit showed me what the photos mean. By sending baby photos, she’s establishing ownership. One of the photos she mailed was of baby Brandon sitting on her beautiful, unfeeling, majestic lap. She gave birth to Brandon; so in her warped sociopathic mind, she owns him. Period. Therefore, he must comply with her demands. He is her permanent possession. Since Logan is Brandon’s son, Logan is also her possession. Her Majesty sent baby photos in Logan’s “graduation” card to legally establish that he belongs to her and must therefore do what she requires. Well executed, Your Majesty. But we don’t live in Sociopathville.
Legal signature
To further emphasize ownership, she used formal names. She wrote Logan’s first, middle and last name on the envelope, and she signed the card, “Your Granny,” followed by her full name, Delia Smythe Fields. Your Granny means “I own you! Don’t you know who I am? I am Her Majesty—Queen of the Universe. You must do what I say.” Our last name, Smythe, was visible repeatedly: On the envelope’s return address label, printed and signed on the check, and in her signature on the card. I guess Delia’s been too busy spinning her mayhem for the last year-plus to change her name on her bank account, etc.
Did I mention that she wrote Brandon’s and Logan’s names on the photos, just in case they didn’t know who those people were? What a helpful sociopath. I’m shaking my head and rolling my eyes—a two-for-one yet again.
Another warning
How do the photos and the formal, legal names match the 8-point list of the warning signs for violence? Warning sign #1 is called forced teaming. In other words, “We have a problem that must be fixed.” Dangerous people twist reality to try to convince their targets that a problem exists that involves them both. In Logan’s case, Her Majesty was asserting that his lack of proper adoration, availability and compliance demonstrated his misunderstanding about who she is—Her Majesty; and who he is—her slave or possession. Therefore, the wolf and her sheep—or the spider and her snack, as the case may be—must maintain contact to solve “the problem.” Right away.
Forced teaming is a snare. A trap. A lie. Forced teaming is #1 on the list of warning signs for good reasons. Alleging that “we” have a predicament often gets a dangerous attacker’s foot in the door. It’s a very effective and frequently-employed tactic.
Problem?
I should clarify something important. Technically-speaking, we don’t have a problem. We have wisdom. Delia, on the other hand, has a catastrophic, hell-bound, lifelong problem that she would be wise to address.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not minimizing the stress or the challenges inherent in receiving bizarre contacts from a sociopath, a narcissist or another flavor of attacker. It’s bad. The recovery from each attack takes time. Eventually, we regroup and move on. We talk about it, deal with the emotions, pray about it, and try to keep our focus on our good relationships. Thankfully, Sociopathville isn’t a daily reality.
The timing
Most of the time, people like Delia leave us alone, unless we’re being summoned to a holiday gathering or special event. Remember the recent sneak attack before Easter? Like I said, most of the time we don’t exist, unless the sociopath gets bored and decides to launch a random zinger.
Why have things flared up so much this year? On July 4, Uncle Henry and The Powers That Be are having the first family reunion in eight years—the first one since we left. (Before our departure, the reunions took place every year.) Over the course of several months, Logan’s attendance at the reunion has been requested by long-lost relatives like Uncle Henry, who’s never contacted Logan before. Needless to say, Delia wants him there—without Brandon and me—so she can get her claws in him. So she can claim victory over the insubordinate losers, Brandon and What’s Her Name.
Delia’s mistaken-graduation card and “gift” came at the opportune time, didn’t they, Peaceful Readers? Call her mailing “a friendly reminder” or “a roundabout suggestion.” Don’t you miss me? Don’t you want to thank me in person? Better yet, call her mailing what it really was. Manipulation. Pressure. Sick sociopathic stuff.
The warning and the web
Her Majesty’s mailing was one big, fat example of another warning sign for violence: Discounting the word “No.” Eight years ago, Brandon and I said a hard and permanent “no” to the abuse. And so has Logan, although “Granny” pretends she doesn’t see it.
Years ago, Delia kept asking Brandon for Logan’s phone number and he wouldn’t give it to her. Guess what one of Logan’s second cousins asked him this past Sunday. “Are you coming to the reunion?” (No.) And later the same day, “Do you still have the same phone number?” Ahhh, yes. Delia is such a diligent little spider. Always spinning. Always and forever spinning her web. It reaches far and wide.
The signs
How many of the 8 warning signs for violence did Delia’s mailing demonstrate? Five. That’s impressive.
1. Speaking in “we” terms—pretending she’s a Christian
2. Charm and niceness—the printed content in the card
3. Loan sharking—the “graduation” gift
4. Forced teaming—the photos and legal names to verify her ownership
5. Discounting the word “no”—the whole ridiculous, disturbing thing
The other 3 warning signs are:
Too many details
The unsolicited promise
Typecasting (insulting or name-calling)
Additional reading
For a deep dive into the 8 warning signs for violence, read part 2 thru 6 of The Sneak Attack—about Uncle Henry’s attack letter, fondly called The Manifesto. For a recent dive into some of these warning signs, especially loan sharking, read part 9 about Linda, my older sibling—the newly-identified narcissist.
When we hear the word violence, we automatically think of physical or sexual violence. But most violence is emotional. For a list of emotionally-violent behaviors, see the beginning of this post.
Her costume
I titled this section Her Majesty’s Masquerade Ball. How was Her Majesty masquerading in this week’s mailing? She was masquerading as a Christian. She was masquerading as someone who cares about Logan. She was masquerading as a normal human being. Sadly, she did a terrible job at her costume. We weren’t tricked for a second. Her tactics were straight-up Sociopaths 101. Evil, evil and more evil.
In the addendum to a recent post, I recommended an important article. If you haven’t read “Honoring Your Father When He’s Evil,” please do. The truths apply to evil mothers and grandmothers too. People like Delia.
The victories
Let’s review the October victories so far in Victory Month. (1) The Miami Dolphins were scripted a trouncing victory in the game we watched on October 1. Even though it was scripted, it was super-fun to watch. (2) The events about Elisha in 2 Kings demonstrate the victory of God and his angelic forces over the forces of darkness—the Syrian army, which opposed God’s people. The first line in the powerful song at the end of today’s post rings out: “Who else commands all the hosts of heaven?”
Behind the scenes
Were there any victories involved in Her Majesty’s Masquerade Ball? Yes, but in a more subtle way.
Early in this post, I mentioned that we live in a physical realm and also in a spiritual realm that we can’t see. These verses encourage me about the situation with Delia—the darkness, the lies, the scheming.
For this momentary light affliction is working for us a far more exceeding and everlasting weight of glory; while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are [eternal].
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, New Heart English Bible
Eternity
Reflecting on the unseen truths about Delia and other abusive relatives reminds me of kingdom realities—spiritual realities. And God is always victorious. Things that are unseen are eternal things—for us and for them. That gives me peace.
October 31—the omega day
On the last day of October, Charlene told me about a special deal in town because we are both fans of the simple pleasures of life.
Tuesday, October 31
Journal entry
Charlene and I had a good morning talk. I love my Soul Sister. Brandon and I went to Sonic and bought 10 of their 50-cent corn dogs—a Halloween special. Yay! I froze most of them for future lunches. [Brandon and I] thoroughly enjoyed Game 4 of the World Series. The Rangers won. It was great. I also enjoyed giving out candy for Halloween. One of the moms asked about the game. That was fun. Happy, happy, happy.
The team and the program
The only MLB team that didn’t celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month was our Texas Rangers. They were the only ones who stood up against the darkness. (See this post for more on that subject.) Guess what happened? They won the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I call that a major, epic victory for God Almighty. Were we excited about it? We were absolutely thrilled. Two days later, I wrote: “When Logan called this afternoon…, I told him I want Ranger jerseys, etc. for Christmas. We were both pumped.” It was a Texas Rangers Christmas at the Smythe house, with our new Texas Rangers ornament hanging on our Christmas tree. That makes me smile.
Back to October. What else happened on The Omega Day of October? Logan’s interview for the master’s program at his university went really well that day. He had to wait until The Alpha Day of December for the results. Did he get into the program? Yes, he did. That was a big victory for him. We’re so proud of him.
Recap
I have thoroughly enjoyed diving into Victory Month—the Miami Dolphins, the angelic forces vs. the Syrian army, God’s victory over evil, the Texas Rangers winning the World Series, and Logan’s master’s program—a personal victory. What a month.
Your turn
Peaceful Reader, what victories did you witness or experience last year? Read your January journal entries and then your December entries. If you didn’t journal last year, take a look at your calendar during those months. What transpired between the first month and the last month? Do you remember things you’d forgotten? What were last year’s milestones in your life? Who or what was added to your life? Who or what was removed? How did you grow? What did you learn? Were there some seasons or moments that you didn’t view as victories at the time that you can view that way now—in hindsight?
The song below, one of my favorites by CityAlight, humbles me and gives me a deep sense of peace. After you listen to it, maybe more than once, pray and thank God for his many blessings.
Coming next: Come back next time to read about the Alpha and Omega Days of December, including Acts 22, Kathleen’s joy and fireworks. Thanks for reading and for Choosing Peace.
Truth from The Word: Psalm 1
Song: I think you’ll be really blessed by “Only a Holy God” by CityAlight. I sure am.
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