I am back home, sitting in my chair with Ozzie on the arm of my chair demanding attention.  We got home last night.  No surgery.

I was on the table hooked up to myriads of monitors, wires everywhere and then drifting off to sleep.

I woke up in the recovery room and looked at the clock.  It kinda looked like 7:45, turned out it was 3:35.  There had been a problem in inserting a tube and I ended up bleeding – not a good thing.

So, they dismantled my set-up, took me to recovery and released me a few hours later.  Not sure what manner of course will be taken down the line – we will see.

I am at peace with it all, we know God guides our lives.  My blood pressure remained stable and my heart rate remained in the mid-50’s, I think it surprised them a bit that I wasn’t anxious.  I did get a chance to share with a couple of them – who were both Christians as it turned out.

Deed took us there and Ken, who had been in a conference in Portland, stopped by.  I wouldn’t have been able to see him except for the stopped surgery – and as it was didn’t get to spend enough time with him, but I did get to talk to him.

So, the adventure continues..........

I had written this up earlier in the week, so will continue my story of my first visit to the Rajneesh Ranch: 

Another problem the city was facing was the challenge of their existence as a legitimate city by the State of Oregon Attorney General’s office.  They were no longer allowed to send their police officers to the State run Police Academy and their new officers could not be certified. 

It was no secret that I was a strong supporter of Attorney General Frohnmeyer and the Board on Police Standards and Training.  That may have been one more point they were unhappy with me about.

I felt I was in my element; I was the Sheriff meeting with another police officer and of course the Mayor and it would seem with a reserve. 

I WAS the Sheriff; the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the County and I had earned my expectation of respect from the citizens. 

I knew it would take time, but I was confident that eventually they would come to understand that I was a fair person.  While I was not naïve, I also wasn’t dealing with reality, but those tales will come later.

While the Chief had gone to and graduated from the Oregon Police Academy, she really didn’t have much contact with officers from other departments.  It became quite evident that she had very little experience.  The reserve had no contact with officers outside their commune and no real interest in law enforcement. 

I tried to find some common ground.  I was told there was no common ground.  There was no crime on the ranch or in the city.  It was a crime free city.  They were Peace Officers, not Police Officers. 

They were there to protect the citizens from people on the outside that might come into the area and commit crimes; crimes that would NEVER be committed by their members.   (This was a mantra I was to hear multitude of times over the next few months.) 

I asked questions of the Chief, - I was genuinely there to learn about the department and the Chief - how large was her department, what type of ongoing training do they have; just normal questions between police officers. 

However, the reserve would answer my questions.  The Chief would either just agree or add a minor note or two. 

Finally, I turned my back on the reserve and pointedly asked the Chief some questions about her background, the reserve couldn’t help herself, and she had to answer. 

This confirmed what I had first suspicion when I had tried to set up the meetings and when I entered the room.  Chief Barka was a figurehead in charge of the department in name only.  She had very little or no authority over the police department.

That also would prove true as we later started our investigation of a number of the Rajneesh leaders on accusations of attempted murder, arson, conspiracy to commit murder, arrange illegal marriages, germ warfare, voter fraud, wire tapping and a myriad of misdemeanor crimes. 

I liked Barka, she seemed to be a nice person, but she was not a law enforcement officer. 

It should be noted that the vast majority of the members of the commune had nothing to do with the crimes and conspiracies.  These crimes were perpetrated by fewer than one hundred members; most were the leaders of the commune, although they used many of the other members as pawns in minor roles.  

The majority of these members only wanted to live and be near the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.  They worked and played hard as commune members on the property; they worshipped the Bhagwan but had nothing to do with the decisions that were made concerning the commune or the notorious activities.  They had no idea they were even carried out until later. 

After I had talked for a while with the ‘officers,’ the Mayor came into the room from a back room with a flourish, sitting down at the table.  As I had surmised he had been somewhere in the building watching and listening to what was being said. 

I figured he was just waiting, trying to get a handle on my methods, etc. before he came into the room.  He came on the attack immediately; he said I was a politician elected by people who wanted his people driven out of the county. 

Yes, there were a few that felt that way, I replied, and many citizens of the county had grown to distrust the commune and their methods.  However, most didn’t care if they were here or not, they just wanted to insure they obeyed the law. 

I told him I had been elected because I had a solid reputation as an officer for fairness and firm enforcement and I had excellent management and administrative skills.    I told him that I was a Police Officer first and foremost and I knew and enforced the law. 

I went on to tell him that if it was necessary I would stand between the commune and the other citizens of the county to insure the commune’s rights were protected.  I would enforce the law no matter who chose to break it. 

We sparred back and forth over that and some more issues.  As I said, he did not like nor trust me.  It was obvious to me he considered that I was just a politician that was going to throw some sand on the skids of their operation; I was to be treated with contempt and distrust. 

While I treated him with respect, I didn’t care for the man.  He was an egotistical jerk as far as I was concerned.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

I cannot imagine what it would be like to go through life without God.

I accepted Christ at the age of 18.  Since that time I have had ups and down in my life, but at all times He was there for me.

His Holy Spirit embraced me in my trouble and rejoiced with me in my accomplishments.

In God, through Christ we have hope.  We have a God who cares for us, and even though the world may hate us and strive in all its power to lure us away, He holds onto us.

We may look at someone and think they have it all.  Wealth, power, ‘things,’ a seemingly dream family, a dream job, nothing stands in the way of their happiness.

But without God in the picture it becomes a hollow life.  Some do embrace it and go on blissfully unaware of the danger they are in.

Others have problems that money will not cure.  They turn to the world for advice and salvation, only to be lost in the morass of conflicting guidance through satan’s minions.

We see them go from one feel good organization to another and still they cannot find the peace they so desperately need.

Some finally find their salvation through Christ – while others give up and destroy their life.

No matter who we are or where we live we can impact others for the Glory of God.  More than one person has testified to leaning on someone who they had watched from afar; had seen the peace they had within and wanted that same peace.

Each of us impact others whether we are aware of it or not.  Even the rich and famous can be influenced by the faithful service of an employee.

As Christians we have something the world can never have, peace within.  Nothing can buy it, nothing can be exchanged for it.  We have it because we have accepted Christ and His salvation.

We know that having peace doesn’t mean we are free from the challenges of life.  Having Christ can mean we will be tormented by satan far more than others, yet we can look to God and know that He is there with us.

Christ did bring peace on earth, but only to those who believe on His name.  But we can help others find that same peace by living, daily, for Him and never wavering from our faith in Him.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The world looks for peace in compromise, in ‘things’ whether that be riches or ‘good works.’  But it is not there.

We don’t look for peace; we have it when we accept Christ.  The entire world may be in turmoil around us, but we have Him by our side, caring for us.

We need to share that fact and reality with others.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again