“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” Winston Churchill

It's Tuesday, December 4, 2012, and yes, I am here, your ever vigilant eyewitness news reporter bringing you about as much unneeded information as the law allows. The Houston Chronicle had this blurb that caught my attention: "GQ magazine recently listed its 10 least influential public figures. They had this to say about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Was anyone inspired by Mitt Romney? Did anyone vote enthusiastically for Mitt Romney? Of course not. Voting for Romney is like hooking up with the last single person at the bar at 4 a.m. Ouch." I challenge you to go back and read my blogs over the past 12 months where I've made mention of the presidential campaign. While I would not have used their crude example, I can say unequivocally that this particular individual was not a candidate in the Reagan tradition. And, no, I am not attempting to achieve any sort of vindication for my interpretation, however, I think it important to remind us all that values we say we believe in must be stood up for, it's not enough to just stand against those that we repudiate. But, as we are wont to say, it is what it is. That little phrase is no longer welcome in most places. It's on the list of the most irritating and overused. It, along with using the words 'leverage', 'viral', 'reach out', 'game changer', 'disconnect', 'circle back', and 'cutting edge'. I like most of these words and phrases. At least they didn't hit 'at the end of the day' again.

Yes. I do read death notices or obituaries if that sounds a little less direct. I don't know this fellow. His showed up in the newspaper back home. He had a good long run for 82 years. Here's what his write up said about him: "Charles Moore quietly slipped into paradise on Wednesday November 27th after a brief illness. He will be sorely missed by his family and his many friends. Many words describe Charlie Moore: loving husband, model father, doting grandfather and loyal friend are just a small sampling of who this man was. He was a man who treated everyone he met fairly and with respect. He never turned down a request for help from his family and friends and even a stranger if the need presented itself. He and his wife Dumpy would have been married sixty-one years on this November 30th; a testament of his love and compassion for his bride. He was the best father a son could ever hope to have. He taught his boys compassion, humility and respect for their fellow man. In his eyes his grandchildren and his great grandchildren were the diamonds of his family jewels. There were no better loved grandchildren on this earth. As a friend, he was always there when called upon to help anyone of his hundreds of friends. No task too large, no request to small. If he was able to help you, you knew you could count on him. In addition to the above mentioned qualities he was also a police officer for the Louisiana Department of Transportation for 38 years; a job he dearly loved and excelled at. He was famous for his delicious fried catfish and Mexican cornbread. He entertained a whole host of friends and family for many, many years in his infamous outdoor kitchen; all those in attendance were treated like royalty when at Charlie’s house. To sum things up, Charlie Moore was a man you could not help but love once you met him! I bid you farewell my sweet loving Daddy, I wait for the day when we shall meet again."

The notice also mentioned his love for his Lord. Pretty inspiring stuff, if you ask me.That fellow had a pretty good answer to the question we used to sing about: "After I leave for world's beyond, what will I leave behind?" I suppose we can all see that this fellow intended to have influence during his sojourn here. C.S. Lewis said this: "The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." The Apostle Paul encouraged the local assembly meeting in Ephesus, Greece that they should take note of how they used up this most precious commodity, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 16) In other words, it takes action today if we are to have a positive influence on others that would serve them and honor our God. I had a fellow in my office the other day who said he had run into someone that knows me. I had no idea who he was talking about. He went on to say that the man spoke very highly of me and the way I have always conducted business with him over the years. I was glad to hear that. Not because it patted me on the back but because if we do try to operate based on honesty and integrity, it will always be right, whether we get a nice write up like Mr. Moore, or we live knowing we've tried to do, with God's help, our best. The challenge is in remembering that we are writing our testimony each and every moment of each and every day. And, I need God's help with every single step I take. Amen.    ......More later.