It's Monday and time to get up and get with it!

Hello, it is Monday and back to the grind, as they say, on this September 12, 2011. No grind for me, just a great place to come to each day and help out where I can. That's not to say that I don't know what a grind is like because I have many years of some up close and personal experience with those 70 hour or more work weeks. I am pleased to report that mom and dad are well. They celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary last Friday. Talk about a blessing. Our mom and dad have been there for all of us kids from the get go and in mom's case she's been at it now for over 75 years. We kids do take a lot of care and feeding, if you know what I mean. I was able to visit with them again this past Saturday. While I was there I tried to configure their new laptop so that I can log into it and be there with them remotely as they continue to improve their use of it. It didn't quite work out but we have not given up yet, meanwhile, I made some additional changes to help make their usage a little easier. It was a joy to be with them and to enjoy the big breakfast dad always fixes when we visit. I know. Some of you thought 'prepares' would have been a better word but remember we come from a place where nearly everyone talks about how they are fixing to do something. If that usage passes itself off as communication, the other will have to do as well. 

I did watch the President's address the other evening. I was tuned in to hear something really meaningful because why else would he call for both houses of the Congress to meet. I listened to what he had to say. It didn't take me long to come to a conclusion. This was nothing more than a campaign speech and in particular a way to try and bolster his chances in 2012. The tone. The substance, or lack thereof. The threats. The teleprompter. It all seems so same old same old to me. I don't think too many of the nearly 20 million folks either un or under employed came away impressed or inspired. After he finished the pundits took off with those on his side spinning like there is no tomorrow and that might be exactly true, when you think about it. With his approval numbers so low, it's hard to know how to take his threat to take his proposal out to the public. The folks he has are going to be with him, no matter what, so getting them to agree with him seems pointless. The other 60% who have soured on his ability to get anything done, well, I didn't hear anything in his speech that is going to get them running back for more. No wonder the markets tanked. No wonder we all are left wondering. What a mess, what a mess!

Dad touching the name of his son.

I'm channeling William Bendix from the old Life of Riley series, "What a revolting development this is." But, these past couple of days did tend to reignite our sense of what it means to be an American as we all paused to reflect upon the attacks made on our nation 10 years ago. That patriotic spirit on display at the NASCAR race, the special commemorations in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and in that field located in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and in all the NFL openers, it was refreshing, it was humbling, and it was needful. Our sermon on Sunday emphasized the word picture of those first responders running into the World Trade Center while others were running away. The point was that, as believers, our faith should cause us to take action to make a difference as we see towers crumbling all around us, in families, in individuals, and in the principles that define us as a people. Gripping stuff. Convicting stuff. Enough so that I am driven to seek God's help that I might be one who would act upon the faith I have in Him, that I might be used to help someone along the way, and make a difference for time and eternity during my sojourn here. It also makes me aware that we need to pray for our government leaders, specifically, that God would direct and guide them each day. May God bless our nation again is my prayer. Amen.            .....More later.