"We must trust God with what we cannot control." David Jeremiah, Pastor, Author, Influential Relgious Leader

Made it. Another Friday is here. This will be the last one for August and it lands on the 28th here in the year of 2015. Most of you know that when the white hairs gather the conversation will eventually turn to all things related to the obtaining of health care. Someone in our group the other day was talking about them running in circles trying to get something straightened out. You will remember my work on getting a dermatologist to okay some laser treatment for some spots on my face. The soonest appointment I could get was December 1 at 11 am. The other day I received an email alert regarding an important message awaiting me on the medical online system. I logged in. Important change to your upcoming appointment was the subject. I dutifully clicked on it to find this information. Your appointment has been rescheduled from December 1 at 11 am. to December 1 at 11 am. I thought to myself, well okay then. I just hope they don't call me again about any trips out of the country because of this change from the same date and time to the same date and time. The way I see it says there's still three months before this alleged appointment is scheduled to take place. Who knows what might happen? I've decided to keep it on my calendar including the latest change.

You detect some dripping sarcasm? Sorry. I was actually only shooting for sarcasm, not the dripping part. I like to save the dripping part for those really loud folks that walk around at the front of the store who come over and interfere with the check out process. I will have to more closely monitor my tone going forward. This week the stock market has been in a huge correction. That's what they call it. I haven't read yet anything about people jumping out of buildings but I did see a piece in a London newspaper advising people as a result of the financial turmoil to find a place to hide cash and to stock up on bottled water and canned goods. They thought this to be prudent in case civil unrest were to breakout and folks could be confined to their homes for perhaps as long as a month. Scary. Okay. My short take on this situation. When the free world puts their hopes on the Chinese Communists we should not be so surprised when something like this crash occurs. I know. I'm just a common ordinary lay person but having the Chi-coms own our debt and having their growth be the factor on whether we are financially able to survive, well, to me, that is absurd, period. Some are still singing happy days are here again because of the precipitous oil price decline. We all might be whistling a different tune if we go into a global recession. Thankfully we have the Lord God on our side. That's always good to keep in mind no matter what is happening.

I witnessed a couple of situations the other day that reminded me of this song. It was written by a blue grass gospel writer Sheri Easter. She had in mind her husband Jeff and his dad, the 81 year old James Easter. The father and son sing it on one of their albums. A portion of the song goes like this:

Like Father Like son. Two roads become one

The old and the young. The father and the son.

You Taught me to laugh at the stories you told.

wanted you to be warm in a world that is cold

You taught me to listen to God up above.

I told you to pray from a heart filled with love.

Like Father Like son. Two roads become one.

The old and the young. The father and the son.

The other day at the family get together I was sitting at the table with my 18 year old grandson. One of our nephews was lamenting over some computer tablet problems he was experiencing. My grandson went into a detailed step by step description of all the options and potential fixes that might be available. He sounded a lot like his dad, our middle son. Out on the porch our 9 year old grandson Brady had a group surrounding him as he talked about this and that. Some were teenagers, others were adults. They seemed very tuned in to what he was saying. That took me back to his dad, our youngest, at that same age, as he used to do the exact same thing. Like father like son. That influence is there. It's how it works. It's actually how it is supposed to work. Hopefully the good stuff. Some observations from an old granddad as I make my way forward. Have a wonderful Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. And, remember to remember that God really is in control. I do look forward to the next time we meet. See you then. May God bless. Amen. ...More later.