"Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space." Evan Esar

Brother Milton & Dorothy

It is Friday, February 15, 2013. We are so looking forward to having some company in for the weekend. Marilyn's sister, Dorothy, along with her brother, Milton and his wife Glenda are coming over for some fellowship and feasting. Many of you will recall how that Brother Milton, while staying in our home, went down with a catastrophic heart attack back in December of 2008. He was in the hospital and rehab in our area for months in a recovery that has been deemed miraculous by the medical professionals. He had actually been with us helping his son, Byron, to reconstruct our home after Hurricane Ike. He was in woeful shape when he left our area to return to his home in Florida in the Spring of 2009. He doesn't recollect much of anything that happened but has looked forward for a long time to coming back to see our finished place. He is a remarkable man that God has continued to strengthen. Recently, he was able to return to the pulpit and just thinking about that brings tears to my eyes. I told people when he left our home in such a pitiful state that I believed he would one day preach again. I know that was the desire of his heart. God heard and answered. It did not come quickly nor did it come easily, but, praise the Lord, our dear Brother is back exercising the call God placed on his life so many years ago.

I watched the State of the Union Address given by President Obama. While he added a few new wrinkles like an increase in the minimum wage and a whole lot of stuff about gun control, the rest of it, pretty much has been like a broken record since he was first elected. I could almost give what sounds more like a stump speech than a report on the status of our nation. My problem with his broken record repetitive themes is how that they not only sound hollow, but, sources within the government itself are beginning to debunk the outcomes that have been promised. The President claimed the new healthcare law is already bending the cost curve which means that it is saving money. The Congressional Budget Office, the non-partisan budget analysis people, said just last week that people losing their current coverage is more than double, (7 million), than that which was originally projected, and the costs are not going down, they are expanding, daily. I haven't seen any savings. All we have experienced is increases and they continue. They called President Reagan the Teflon President because they said nothing bad would stick on him, but, my oh my, President Obama, in my opinion, makes Reagan look like a novice when it comes to dodging the truth or any responsibility for what exactly is going on. That's a sample of my take. That doesn't mean I will quit praying for him and his family. It does mean that we need God's help and I think most folks can say Amen to that!

It's been another interesting week here at the ole blogger ranch. I thought I would leave you with five suggestions to help us country folks to have a better standard of living. 1) Always identify the people in your yard before you shoot them. 2) Even if you are sure you are included in the will, it is still tacky to drive a U-Haul to the funeral home. 3) A centerpiece for your table should never be something prepared by a taxidermist. 4) While cleaning of ears is recommended on a regular basis, they should be cleaned in private, using your own truck keys. 5) When at the movies, you should refrain from talking to the people on the screen, believe me, it has been proven, they cannot hear you.~ I am aware that many within my reading circle are way too refined for these suggestions but if I can help just one person, then, my work will have been worth it. Now, here's the ticket for the weekend: Enjoy your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. Next thing you know you will see my little ditty for Monday coming to an electronic mailbox near you. Until then, may God bless each one. Amen.      ....More later.