"We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by." ~ Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

We were hunkered down and hovering over the lap top trying to see. It was as if we were tracking some potential incursion from an air raid or something. Nervous. A little excited. What was going on? There was a report of some rain in the area and we were watching the online radar system to see if there might be a drop or two that would land in our area. It came close. We could see it. It was nearly to our street. Then it turned south, without any warning, fanfare, or a how do you do, it turned south. With a deep sigh we then clicked off the radar and returned to watching another episode of Border Wars. Are we really that desperate? That and then some! But, God knows all about it, and we have our trust in Him, on this Thursday, September 29, 2011. I want to give a shout out to a wonderful couple in our local fellowship who gave me a sampler box of Hawaiian coffee for my birthday last month. It actually is more like a case of coffee and I have greatly enjoyed alternating between some of these wonderful flavors and my standard flag bearer, Louisiana Community. It has been a real treat. Speaking of Hawaii, the other evening I watched a short documentary on the USS Ronald Reagan, a mammoth aircraft carrier in our naval fleet. They were out for several months on maneuvers and when they returned they slowly passed by the Hawaiian Islands. As they approached Pearl Harbor all sailors came to the deck in their dress uniforms. Nearly 2500 men and women standing at attention for more than two hours as they slowly passed this sacred place. When they approached the memorial where the USS Arizona went down they all saluted and held that salute for 15 minutes. What an emotional tribute. It showed in a small way what our men and women who wear the uniform of our nation are all about, and at the same time it reminds us of those who paid the ultimate price on that fateful day of December 7, 1941.

That's right. Border Wars. Cops. Frontier Force. The First 48. The Alaska State Troopers. PBS Mystery Theater. Antiques Roadshow. NASCAR. Gaither Gospel Music. Old TV show reruns. These are the shows we watch in the evening when we are home. We are not into network television. In fact, we don't watch any of the 'must see' TV shows that I hear folks talking about. I had to throw in the NASCAR deal because to not include it would be a misrepresentation of the facts. You can pull for my driver, Jeff Gordon, as he pursues a fifth championship this year, if you want to. Or, you can watch dancing with the dummies or any of the other shows that are on. It does baffle the mind when you think how many channels are available and how little there is to watch, comparatively speaking. It's nothing these days to have 150 or more channels but that doesn't mean you can find anything worth your time. I've never been desperate enough to watch a show about desperate housewives. But, to each his own. We've come a long way from the mostly one or two channels we used to get when I was a kid. I used to be a little jealous of some kids that lived on a hill and they could pick up a third or fourth channel and they got to watch programs we didn't know anything about. Occasionally, we would have a cosmic alignment of some sort and suddenly a new channel could be seen. It was a little snowy but the shows were different and it was so exciting. We didn't know that people from Beaumont or Lufkin talked so funny. Okay. So we didn't lead the most exciting of lives but we are so very thankful because that not so exciting life helped mold us into who we are today. Amen.

One of the things that has changed about TV is how that it is now such an integrated part of people's lives. Before DVR came along folks would actually have to make certain they were in their place to watch the next episode of one of those must see shows. That's something we never had to compete with growing up. I'm not saying we didn't watch it if it was on but there wasn't any compelling reason to alter your schedule around TV programming. I do recall how that preachers used to accuse folks of staying home on Sunday evening to watch Bonanza instead of being in their place at the local meeting. Sunday evening? Sure enough. There used to be regular services on Sunday evening and Wednesday evening and even on Saturday evening in the little Church where my future wife attended. Saturday evening. I should know because it was at a Saturday evening service in January, 1964, at New Hope Baptist Church when I came to realize that I was not saved, although I had walked an aisle and had been baptized, therefore, I came forward that night and gave my life to Christ. The preacher was my future father in law and I've been hanging out with his daughter for now over 50 years, 47 of them as a married couple. What if I had stayed home to watch Flipper which was on at 7:30 on NBC on that fateful evening? Just joking. I am thankful that God used all that He used to finally get my attention and while I've been all over the page since then, He has never wavered in His love and care for me. To that I say, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord! Amen.             ......More later.