"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." ~ Ronald Reagan

Another day. Another week. Another set of circumstances to deal with. With God's help maybe we can do something that will honor Him and help someone this week. It's not a bad way to get our thoughts aligned on this Monday, August 11, 2014. My wife sent me a note about the stuff I wrote about death, dying, and the 'suddenly' aspect of it all. She wasn't too excited about the subject matter but she did like the change of the subject jokes at the end of my blog. I'm not fixated on death but I do have a number of sites that I check for obituaries to read. I happened upon one the other day of a lady that I had one date with back in 1961 or 1962. She was a very intelligent and nice young lady. We went to the movies with another couple. The movie 'African Queen' was playing. Who knows why. It came out in 1951 and it is a classic, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. I had never seen it before. It was great. The blind date was not. We didn't hit it off at all. No chemistry. No connection. Best I can remember it was a miserable evening, but, I sure enjoyed that old movie. That was the last time I saw or heard about her. Based on the write up I read, she went on to do well in her life and from all that was said she had been a great testimony for her Lord. I found her Facebook page and she and her husband in many ways resembled us. Not in how they looked, but in the photos that showed them doting on family and in the postings indicating they too were doing their best to leave a legacy of faith behind. (Maybe there's something to that old fashioned rural upbringing, you know the one that our President said is where folks cling to their religion and their guns.)

A. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. B. Blood is thicker than water. C. Crime does not pay. D. Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you. E. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. F. Failure teaches success. G. Give credit where credit is due. H. Honesty is the best policy. I. If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right. J. Joy comes from knowing God. K. Keep your mouth closed and your ears open. L. Laughter is the best medicine. M. Mind your own business. N. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. O. One good turn deserves another. P. Practice what you preach. Q. Quick to praise, slow to criticize. R. Rather right than popular. S. Spare the rod, spoil the child. T. There's no place like home. U. United we stand, divided we fall. V. Virtue is its own reward. W. Waste not, want not. X. Stay eXcited and enthusiastic. Y. You don't get something for nothing. Z. Be Zealous for good.

That list reflects some of those traits, instructions, and bits of wisdom that were handed down to me as I was growing up. The foundation of all of this was established based on the faith in God demonstrated in the lives of those who did their best to shape and mold me. And, while I will never attempt to claim that I was the best of students, I can tell you that I am forever thankful for how God allowed instruction and instructors to be used in my life. The run away best seller from 1988 had this title: "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." I see my rural small town upbringing through that type of lens. As they like to say, much of what we learned was caught rather than taught. Role models at work. Choices demonstrated. Sacrifices made. Love shown. Integrity proven. Humility as a way of life. And, so many more. Let me also be clear. I, your humble correspondent, am still a student, still learning, and, yes, still struggling. I used to think I would arrive one day but I now know that I will only arrive when I find myself in that place with my Lord and Savior. You know the arrival I'm talking about: "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." (Gospel of John, Chapter 14, Verses 2 and 3, from the New American Standard Bible, NASB) Okay. That should give us all something to think about. Right? Right! May God work in all our lives on this very day. Amen. ...More later.