“Time doesn’t really ‘march on’. It tends to tip-toe. There’s no parade. No stomping of boots to alert you to its passing. One day, you turn around and it is gone.” ― Heather Babcock

I do not know this lady but this is how time works.

Hello everyone and welcome to Wednesday, on this, the final day of the first month of this new year, January 31, 2018. According to the nursery rhyme which has likely been banned by now, Wednesday's child is full of woe. Sorry. I was born on a Friday and just so you know, according to that same source, I was born to be loving and giving. Don't laugh. That little rhyme appeared in a collection of stories told to young folks, published in 1838. However, the rhyme itself may date back to the late 1500's. I believe in these little insightful poems about as much as I believe in horoscopes. That would pretty much be whatever adds up to zero. Sorry to all those who love reading their horoscope each day, but, surely I'm entitled to my opinion. We are a funny lot. Don't you agree? I occasionally see some person on Facebook that I knew growing up. There they are. I remember them well. I remember how they looked. Things are different now. It makes me wonder what happened to them. Must have had a difficult time of it or maybe some serious health issues. Then it dawns on me. I can almost guarantee if they see my today's after photo, they will wonder the exact same thing about me. Time really did a number on them, but, it's also had its way with me as well. I'm glad I can get to that but those initial reactions, well, that's why I say again, we are a funny lot, aren't we?

I did read that Japanese scientists have developed an MRI brain measurement system that will record your dreams so you can play them back. Since the average person will spend 6 years of their lives in a dreaming state, this is a very profound development. I watched a video summary of how they went about developing this system. It is fascinating to see how they were able to monitor people's brain waves while they were dreaming and then development computer models of what was being seen in the dream. They readily admit up front that science is still attempting to figure out why we sleep. I could have given them the answer to that one but they didn't contact me. God is our Creator. He made us the way we are. (Beginning in Genesis, Chapter 2, verse 21, we read the word 'sleep' for the first time. It appears another 115 times in our Bible.) In that summary video, they showed what the subject said they had been dreaming on one side and on the other side they showed what they had read and translated. Scary. Not close to 100% the same in clarity but maybe 80% or more of a match to the description, (in images), given by the subject. Maybe someday we will be able to replay some of our dreams instead of watching reruns of the black and white Perry Mason series because there's nothing else fit to watch on TV. It didn't mention anything about nightmares, but, they would likely be a part of what gets recorded. While scientists are also still mostly in the dark about the purpose of dreams, their best guess is that it "allows the brain to incorporate memories, solves problems and deals with emotions. In this way, dreams are essential for our emotional health." For me, I'm more like the joke told by Steven Wright, "I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering."

And there you were. Thinking that you rarely learn anything when you read my blog. A fellow at our local fellowship gave a report last Sunday on the very important work of the committee he chairs. He said based on his previous update given to the congregation, some had suggested he go into politics. He said they advised that since they had never heard so many words used without saying anything. I thought that was pretty funny. It reminded me of some funny things politicians have said. Here's one from Vice President Dan Quayle, in a speech to a group of American Samoans, "You all look like happy campers to me. Happy campers you are, happy campers you have been, and, as far as I am concerned, happy campers you will always be." ~ From a speech by then-President George W. Bush, "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." ~ Here's a real jewel from Vice President Joe Biden, "When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed." (FDR became president in 1933, four years after the stock market crash, and nobody owned a TV set back then.) One final one, just for fun, from that notable President, Martin Van Buren, ""Railroad carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed." ~ You may not be able to use any of these for anything productive, but, nevertheless, you have been informed. Have a great rest of the day and may God bless each one. Amen. ...More later.