"People try to live within their income so they can afford to pay taxes to a government that can't live within its income." ~ Robert Half

It's Tuesday, April 8, 2014, and we are moving towards T-Day. No. I'm not talking T as in Texas or T as in Tennessee. In fact, as I write about this I can hear that theme from Jaws as we get closer and closer to T as in Tax Day. I read the outburst of a friend on Facebook the other day as he lamented the taxes that he and his wife were required to pay. In his way of looking at it, they were being penalized for working hard, pushing themselves, and in doing their best to excel. While I feel his pain, at the same time I am reminded that making enough that requires more in taxes is a blessing in and of itself. I could have avoided paying in as much as we have to this year by holding out more during the year. Therefore, I am mostly the blame. I always try to make it close and I don't mind paying in some because it means I have full access to my money as opposed to sending it to Washington. But, to make it close I have to do a better job of planning. That reminds me. I'm most likely already behind for our current year. Whew! Nearly four months behind. No rest for the weary, as they say. I'm doing my best to laugh about it. I know. I hear you. Good luck with finding something to smile about.

I've mentioned this before but it is amusing to me. The book publishing world continues to be in meltdown. Rush Limbaugh, the top-of-the-food-chain conservative talk show host, has published two historical novels for children and they have been run away best sellers, as in NY Times best sellers. One of the leading liberal web based news outlets led recently with this headline: "We Live in a World Where Rush Limbaugh Might Win a Children's Book Award." There has been a huge backlash since he was named as one of four authors vying for the "Author of the Year" to be awarded by the Children's Book Foundation. The foundation has been inundated with calls for them to remove his name OR else. In the face of this liberal onslaught, the association has added footnote after footnote detailing how the selections are based only on sales and how they do not endorse the individual nominees. That hasn't slowed down the critics. I'm not a big Rush fan. I see him as a fellow who has turned his brand of agitation into not only a legion of followers but he has also become famously wealthy in the process. However, his approach to his children's books has been to tell stories that depict what he believes to be the true representation of the founding of our nation. You know. Probably how it was taught back when I, and perhaps many of you, were in grade school before political correctness began to run amok ending up distorting our history. I don't know if he will or if he could win but it is fun watching these folks who supposedly champion free speech trying their best to shut him up.

Good to be back home again!

So many of you have been so kind to offer up prayers on behalf of my mom. She had a scare last week after being hospitalized for blood clots in her legs. We are so thankful that her hospital stay was for only a couple of days and she is now back home, taking some additional powerful meds, and in good spirits, praising the Lord for her recovery. She continues to march on towards that 90 mile marker in her sojourn here. As a Bible teacher I am questioned from time to time about prayer. Why pray if God is going to accomplish His will no matter what? We pray because He has established this as a means of communication between us and Him. We pray because we are weak and He is strong. We pray because He has promised to hear our petitions and respond. Prayer is a part of how God has chosen to accomplish His purposes here. I often remind people of King Hezekiah in the Old Testament who was told by the Prophet that he was going to die. The King then turned his head and began to cry out to the Lord. As the Prophet was leaving the Lord spoke to him and told him to return and to tell the King that He, the Lord, had seen his tears and had chosen to extend his life. (2nd Kings Chapter 20, Isaiah Chapter 38) That's good enough for me folks. Thanks again for your prayers and may God bless each one. Amen.   .....More later.