“In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.” ― Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember

Good morning and welcome. It's Monday, March 30, 2015. I suppose it's good to start out by sharing some good news. Dad was in the hospital for four days last week. I was very torn. The wife needed me and at the same time I felt like duty required me to try and help mom and dad. But God worked it all out. Here's the deal: Mom stayed with dad around the clock. They actually made it pretty good. The staff at the hospital really did all they could to take care of the both of them. And, I am so thankful for family nearby who could check on them and help keep us all posted. Dad has been fighting some bladder infection issues for some time, therefore, he needed some drug therapy that could only be administered via an IV. They are home now. We praise God for that. Dad has some decisions to make regarding additional treatment options. We are praying about that. Dad is a very private person. I've tried my best to honor his privacy while doing word of mouth to our family members and to those who are a part of our local fellowship of believers family. Those developments, I suppose, did add some to the stress last week. But, here we go again. I did read some contrarian views about stress. These scientists believe that stress is good because it stimulates and activates a response. In their way of seeing it, boredom and being completely tuned out is more dangerous. I should be doing good then. Right? That is only a joke. I'm doing great. I can feel it in my heavy bones.

No crime is acceptable. Yet, reading a headline that says a 350 pound man held up a pizza joint in Long Island, NY, well, it at least makes some sense. Then we had the one last week where these three would be robbers had their plan underway but one of them sat on their cell phone and accidentally called 911 and the police dispatcher heard all the details of what they were up to. After a short chase they were captured and arrested and their names were added to the dumbest criminals list. I suppose some days it just doesn't pay to get up. You know, as in, crime doesn't pay. Then you have the really great get well card. A Pennsylvania man received the card after surgery and it had a lottery ticket included. You guessed it. It became worth $7 million. I would imagine the patient is doing much better now. In the not so well planned category, the Australian authorities conducted a national disability conference but it was learned that it was not wheelchair accessible. Oops.

I read an obit the other day that said the fellow had started out his working life as a mule skinner. I knew that meant he worked with mules but I had never really known much about the 'skinner' part. When in doubt, check it out. It seems that people who did drive mules or mule teams were expert with the use of the whip. At times they would break the skin ever so slightly either to get the attention of the mule or maybe to dispatch a pestering horsefly. The term used by the more educated folks for the same job was muleteer. Really? I don't know why but mule skinner sounds better to me. My point, if I have one, is how interesting it is to read about the life experience of folks who did jobs that no longer are a part of our conversation. At any rate, it was of interest to me, therefore, I decided to make it a part of our visit today. You can delete it from your recollection if you so desire. You do have my permission to do so even though you don't need it. Of course at my age the forgetful function tends to be operating without encumbrance and it tends only to let me know about it when I try to find something in one of those filing cabinets up there in that gray cell library world. Some of you know exactly what I am talking about. Until next time, may God bless us all is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.