"A fool and his money is soon parted. The rest of us wait until income tax time." ~ copied

Just in case you are wondering, today is Thursday, February 28, 2019. All of those things we had in mind to get done in February, well, as my Grandfather used to tell me, "Son, you had better shift into high gear." I have completed my first pass input for our federal tax return. The wife was over taking care of a shut-in friend of ours. I texted her the early result. She sent back a comment or two. You know how it is. Old people lamenting how the big bad government is taking advantage of us. Not really. Here's a quick analysis. If you intentionally underpay the taxes owed on the income you receive throughout the year, you should not be surprised when you jump back at the results of what you owe. I have been asked, why in the world do you do it that way? That's a good question. I think I convinced myself that it was better for me to have my money and owe at the end than for the government to have it before it was actually due to be paid. That sounds all noble but next year we should be somewhat better off tax wise since I will no longer be reporting the income from my public job. As for how the government treats older people, well, there are many areas where we do get penalized, when, in my most humble and modest opinion, we should be incentivized. I'll leave it there for now and let you think about it. (And, to be sure, I have not completely finished scrubbing the numbers, but, it will not change the outcome significantly.)

And, lest I forget, I am thankful we are able to pay the amount we owe. It's not because we are the best managers of our financial resources, but, rather, it is only by the grace of God and His provisions into our lives. Since that is true, we can take no credit for what little we have because He alone deserves all thanks for it. Take it from me. That's the truth whether folks see it or not. I have been told over the years, by those who are believers, but, wait a minute, I work hard for what I have made and accumulated. You have? Good. Who gave you the wherewithal to gain the skills you have? Who gave you the stamina to put in the hours? Who has provided the economic circumstances that have allowed you to prosper? People of faith in God should almost innately get this. I think there's an interesting passage that speaks to this truth from the Book of Job. This is where we hear from a younger man named Elihu who has been listening to the forth and back between Job and his three so-called friends, as recorded in Chapter 34:

10 "So listen to me, you men of understanding.
    Far be it from God to do evil,
    from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 He repays everyone for what they have done;
    he brings on them what their conduct deserves.
12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,
    that the Almighty would pervert justice.
13 Who appointed him over the earth?
    Who put him in charge of the whole world?
14 If it were his intention
    and he withdrew his spirit and breath,
15 all humanity would perish together
    and mankind would return to the dust."

(From the New International Version, NIV)

In other words, we live, breathe, and are able to function as provided by The Creator. I am reminded of that obscure verse that speaks to me regarding the precariousness of life. The Prophet Amos was inspired to provide this insight: "It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him." (Amos 5:19 from the Holmon Christian Standard Bible) Our pastor also recently mentioned another insight from The Scriptures that does remind us all of Who is in charge of all things. He reminded us of the conversation Jesus had with Pilate: "Then Pilate said to Him, 'Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?' Jesus answered, 'You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.'" One last one for today. I have been teaching from the Book of James in our apartment ministry on Monday mornings. Here is a portion from this week's lesson: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.' But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.'" (James Chapter 4, Verses 13-16) This means we should acknowledge The Source of the life we have and thank Him for His provisions. Amen. ....More later.

Happy 48th to our Rodney Darrell!

Today is Wednesday, February 27, 2019. This date is important to us because our youngest, our baby boy, was born on this day, 48 years ago. Happy Birthday to our Rodney. We pause to thank God for him, his family, and to ask our heavenly Father to lead, guide, and direct his way. He has always been the live wire entertainment in our family and folks tend to gravitate to his personality. Have a great one son and know that we love you dearly. Mom and Dad.

Occasionally, our eldest and I talk some about retirement. Not mine. His. Think about that for a moment. If that doesn't put my age into perspective I'm not sure what would. We are in a class of older folks at our local fellowship. The wife and I along with maybe one or two other couples are on the entry level age (early 70's). The rest of these folks are quite a bit older. I was visiting with a couple of our men last Sunday morning. One of them leaned over and asked, "Well, just how old are you?" I told him I was 72 and counting. They both laughed heartily. They concluded that I was just a baby. One of them is 89 and the other is 87. It is somewhat funny to be considered the youngster, at age 72. I will tell you this. Many of those who carry these advanced ages do not act like it. They continue to serve. They make visits. They sing in the choir. They support the ministry of the Church. They attend all the services. And, they encourage young folks like us. It's good to know that I am still 'Sonny boy' to some of the old-timers. You may not see the humor in this, but, if the Lord allows you to continue your journey, you just might find yourself blessed to be living it. Amen.

I've been around for a while and I've lived through some fairly rough times in terms of our country's political environment. However, I'm not sure I've ever seen the level of hate-filled acrimony that defines today's political climate. It's so bad it actually is turning people off from even being able to watch what is going on. I know I need to keep up with it all and to stay informed but it is a daily challenge just to check what is the latest low, and, typically, I leave knowing there is more coming. The other day a commentator admitted how her side was not against the actual programs being put forth by this administration, however, hating Trump trumps everything. That was in response to a question about them being for the program before but now they are violently opposed. See what I mean? There's no longer a race to the bottom because we passed that some time ago. This situation should cause us all to do one thing. That's right. One thing. As believers, we need to pray for our nation and our leaders, and, we need to seek God's intervention in the affairs of our country. He is ultimately in control. He knows best. We need to trust Him. Amen. ....More later.

In response to the question, "Is Mormonism a cult?" Answer: Yes. Why? Mormonism teaches doctrines that are in direct contradiction to the essentials of the Christian faith. It denies the true nature of God, the true nature of Christ, and the true nature of salvation. Source:Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.

Well, hello there, my, it's been along time, in fact, it seems like only yesterday, and it was. My apologies to Willie Nelson for butchering his great song so early on a Tuesday morning, this one being February 26, 2019. The other day, the wife saw our first Iris bloom of the season. It was a beautiful white blossom. Those Iris plants came out of her mom's yard. We've had them for many years. They have been planted, transplanted, and nurtured, and when that first one popped up, the wife told me it was, "Like hearing my mom say good morning!" It's interesting how certain things trigger our memories. It actually can be almost anything. For me, it might be a song, a sermon, a joke, a person, or just seeing something that reminds me of someone we have loved and known in the past. Sometimes I can hear my father-in-law declaring the word of the Lord when I listen to a sermon on the internet. Same for my brother-in-law. My grandfather shows up all the time. My mom and dad too. My Granny Mac also because she too had some funny ways and said things in a funny way. The other day I stood at my front door and spoke for 30 minutes with two young Mormon missionaries. They were so polite and respectful. I told them I had dealt with their colleagues before and had made a deal with them. I will listen to them if they listen to me. This time, they decided to forego their spiel but they did listen to me. I did my best to share with them the real Jesus as opposed to the Jesus their Church teaches. I could tell they wanted to leave but out of respect they stayed until I finished. I pray that God will use the verses I shared to work in the hearts of these two fine young men. My point? I shared a personal story with them that triggered some memories of some within our family and it reminded me once again of a dear brother-in-law, Kenneth, who died relatively young in a hunting accident and was one of the most Godly men I ever rubbed elbows with. When it's all said and done, the best memories of those gone on before us is when we can dwell on their testimony for the Lord. Amen.

When I was telling my wife about my visit with the two Mormons she asked what they had to say. Not much I told her. Nothing really about their Mormonism. I learned they were both headed to college when they finished their two years as a missionary. One was headed to BYU and the other to Utah State. They both come from fairly large families. We talked some about sports and other similar topics. They wanted to know how it went with the last missionaries that knocked on my door. I told them it was a hot sultry evening and the mosquitoes were really bad. The previous fellows gave me their spiel and when they finished they allowed me to share the Gospel as I know it. I told them one of the fellows being eaten up by the mosquitoes must have been allergic because he had big whelps that were beginning to swell up. I listened and they listened. I suppose having shared that flashback with them is why they decided not to share any of their religion with me. However, they did allow me to tell them what I believe the truth to be. I appreciated that. I know they have been trained to deflect the responses from those who might attempt to evangelize them, however, there is a power that cannot be deflected, that being the Holy Spirit. True conviction can only come as God speaks through the truths shared from His Word. That is done through the power of the Holy Spirit, not through the messenger. That's why I have confidence in the message shared. That's why I pray for Elder Applegate and Elder Winters, that they might come to know the Real Jesus. Amen and Amen.

I can remember a time when I was mostly interested in getting people like that on their way. I never slammed the door on folks, but, the result was not too different. Something changed as I thought about it being an opportunity. These boys were out doing the work they had been prepared to do throughout their lifetime. They really hadn't been exposed to anything other than the teachings they were taking door to door. My heart went out to them because if they persist in believing something different about the way of salvation and the provider of that salvation as given in the word of God, well, they will end up separated from God forever and ever. As I said before, I can not change these fellows. I can only give them the truth from God's Word. While I can't, God can. There is hope. They did hear the simple plan of salvation and that's all any of us have to offer. That, and, a caring heart. It was then, and it still is now, in God's hands. He knows a whole lot better how to work these things out than we do. And, when it comes down to it, we are nothing more than a beggar telling other beggars where we found food. Amen. ....More later.

I didn't have anything to say today, but, that didn't keep me from writing.

Good morning to one and all. I welcome you to another day. This one will be lived out here on this Monday, February 25, 2019. Today, I am more or less flying by the seat of my pants since I haven't really spent any time thinking about thinking about what I might have for today's edition. That idiom, flying by the seat of one's pants, comes from back in the 1930s in the early days of air flight. There were not that many instruments and guidance devices back then, therefore, the pilot would have to fly and use his best judgment. On the fly, so to speak. At any rate, that's the story of my blogging experience, for the most part, however, some days are more so than others. Today would be one of those days. I do know that we seem to stay occupied each day even though I might be hard-pressed to provide a list of things accomplished. People ask me how I am using up all of my free time since I finally retired-retired. That's an excellent question. In fact, it's one that I would like to know the answer to. We, like most folks, do have regular things on our schedule each week. We also deal with things that come up. Today, I got up at 4:30 a.m., took Mr. Bentley for a short walk, came back into the house and up the stairs where at just past 5 a.m., I am working on my blog. We do have the apartment ministry this morning. I was told we might be able to work together on a trial run of our income taxes this afternoon. We will see. At any rate, I continue to sleep well. That's an outcome I am thankful for even if the rest of my time seems to be less productive than I might like.

I do hear a lot being said about a life-changing book on how to de-clutter one's life. It's a book, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kondō. I've not read the book or tried what she recommends, but, I have heard others talking about it being a life-changing experience. One fellow, in particular, is a financial help guy on the radio. He said he considers himself to be well organized in the extreme, however, this book had a huge impact on additional improvements he could make in his business as well as in his home. As I sit here looking at my office, I would think I might be a candidate for some decluttering. Might be. Yep. I still have the boxes sitting around that I brought home from my workplace. And, my office is filled up with stuff that most likely hasn't been used or even touched in a very long time. A good part of all this stuff has some sentimental value and the rest of it is likely the product of procrastination in motion. Slow motion. I will get to it one day soon. I actually don't need Marie Kondō to tell me I need help but when it comes out in paperback or I can find a used edition I might think about thinking about seeing what she recommends.

I read about a fellow who had survived both a shark attack and a bear attack in the same year. He is a 20-year-old Colorado man who encountered a shark while swimming off the coast of Hawaii. Later that same year, while camping, a bear came into the tent where he was sleeping and dragged him out with the back of his head and neck in the bear's mouth. He lived to tell about it, but, one would wonder how anyone could handle those types of incidents. The proverbial, "Is someone trying to tell me something?" comes to mind. He said some people consider him to be the unluckiest person while others think him to be the luckiest for having survived. I found this story on an NBC News webpage. It does point out the precarious nature of life. It can change in a hurry. Some would say there's no way one could prepare for any unexpected types of calamities. One thing we all can do is to be right with God. That way, no matter what happens, no matter what the circumstances, we will be ready to face it, all the way up to and including death. Right with God? Yes! Jesus made it clear how this can be done. While it is simple, it's also profound: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Have a great rest of the day, Monday, and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ― Charles Dickens

Another day and another .... day, and yes, I am thankful for it, this one being Friday, February 22, 2019. We have this most wonderful fellow in our local fellowship. His name is Bro. Edgar. He and his wife are some of the most devoted servants of the Lord we've ever known. Last Monday, he celebrated his 90th birthday. I had asked him what he had planned to celebrate this milestone achievement. He said if he understood the wife's thinking, they would be looking at new flooring choices on his birthday. I immediately said anyone able to do that at 90 is pretty remarkable. He shot back how that being able to do anything at all at 90 was pretty remarkable. This man looks in his 70's, plays golf at least once a week, and always has his heart open to those in need of prayer or help. Church allows you to rub elbows with some wonderful folks and I feel blessed as a result. I tell him often that he is one of my heroes and how I wish to pattern my testimony to be more like a man like him. He is a real encourager to me in my teaching ministry and that means a lot. You know. A younger guy like me being supported by an older fellow like him. Amen.

For Flashback Friday, here's how I closed out my blog on February 22, 2008: ~Yes, each day will bring its own set of issues, challenges, and often, gut-wrenching experiences, but nothing about any of these things can change the reality for those who are the children of God. No, we don't act as if problems are of no concern to us because they often can be very wearisome and hard to bear. But, what we can do and what I hope we all will do, is to see that we are not alone in facing struggles that come our way. We have the living Lord of the universe Who actually resides in us in the Person of Holy Spirit God, and He will help us in making our way through what often seems like a maze. We also have OTHERS, our loved ones in our family, or dear friends, Church brothers and sisters, meaning we are surely not ALONE! I remember the Psalmist and King, David, once cried out as recorded in Psalm 42:11 with these words:  "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God." (New American Standard Bible (NASB) That's what David needed to do. That's what I need to do. That's what you need to do. May God bless each one as we deal with all that makes up this journey called life. Have a great weekend (Saturday), and a great beginning, (Sunday)! And, Lord willing I will see you next Monday at the same station in or around the same time! ....More later. ~ Some encouragement then and now!

These flashback sequences show how the more things change it is the more they stay the same. And, it was the man given wisdom from God, Solomon, who said, "What has happened before will happen again. What has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new in the whole world." (Ecclesiastes 1:9 as rendered by the Good News Translation Bible) Much in the Bible is repetitious. Have you ever wondered why? The Word of God originates from our Creator. He would know best what we need to hear, over and over, to help us in the life He has given to us. I think that pretty much answers that question. As an aside, if you want proof of Solomon's quote, just look at the movies. Obviously, they mostly are doing remakes of the same stories over and over again. Oh well, we end another week of what likely has been less than stimulating conversational material, but, it did provide the email server some work to do, the blogging utility the opportunity to function, and, oh yeah, for Mr. Bentley and I to continue our forth and back challenge when I sit and type out my blogs while trying to convince him that chewing through the electrical cords is likely not in mine or his best interest. I do hope you have a wonderful Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. Lord willing, creeks rising or not, or whether the Creek Indians rise or not, I will do my best to be back in my place come next Monday morning. Enjoy. And, may God add His blessings. Amen. ....More later.

Happy Birthday to our Granddaughter, Brittany!

Our newest great grands: Bella, (Annabella), and Gabi, (Gabriella)

Yep. Contrary to unreported guesses, I'm still around and if I kicked, well, to tell the truth, I ought to be. (kicked) Good to catch back up with everyone here on this Thursday, February 21, 2019. I enjoyed spending time with two of our granddaughters, Stefani, and Brittany, and their daughters, Bella, and Gabi, our great-granddaughters. This was the first time Mr. Bentley was able to meet these girls and he was excited enough for the whole group. It was my fulltime job to keep him off of these sweet girls. He wanted to show them how much they were welcome. The wife had prepared a meal and we enjoyed about three hours of fun and fellowship. Family. One of the blessings God has provided to us. We appreciate them coming to see us. I thought about how special it was to mom and dad when some of the little ones were brought to see them. I'm sure I act more like them these days. Oh well, when you are a high mileage vehicle, what more could you expect? One of the things one forgets when they are three score, ten, plus two is just exactly what that means. One example. Mr. Bentley discovered his first squirrel close enough for him to get a really good look at it. Bam! He jerked the leash right out of my hand. And, we were off to the races. I chased that little dude for over 5 minutes as he dragged the leash behind him. He is fast. Very fast. He would ease up just long enough for me to get close and then he would take off again. Around and around the outside of the house we went. I finally got him. He thought it was all good fun. At 72, I could hear my body who had formed a spontaneous flash mob acapella choir singing about the saddest song you ever heard. That was two days ago but if I listen closely they are still humming in the background.

Our granddaughter Danielle is a 911 dispatcher for the Baytown Police Department. She loves the work she does in helping to serve and protect those in need. We opened up Facebook the other morning and found this photo along with this caption: "City of Baytown - Government is at Baytown City Hall. She saved a life when someone called 911: Dispatcher Celeste Danielle Butler coached a caller through CPR, stayed on the phone until that patient’s pulse returned and ultimately SAVED A LIFE! Butler received the Lifesaving award." This young woman is amazing. She has multiple associate's degrees, a bachelor's degree, and is now beginning the process of pursuing her masters. She loves the Lord and we are so thankful for how God is working in her life. Congratulations on a job well done. Our love, MiMi and Poppy.

Brittany, Gabi, and Ryan.

Also, today is a very special day as we celebrate our granddaughter Brittany's 28th birthday. She and Gabi happen to be in our area for a few days since husband and dad Ryan, US Army, has been deployed overseas. They are permanently stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and so we look forward to meeting up with her this evening to personally give her our love and appreciation. We pray for our Brittany and her family and ask God to provide for them. Amen. Family. We are blessed. And, yes, we do have things going on most of the time, here, there, and nearly everywhere. That's how it goes with family. Blessed. I do hope you have a great rest of the day, Thursday, as we all continue our journey here on the planet. I woke up to some steady cold rain this morning. Mr. Bentley wasn't too keen on venturing out in it, but, with some coaxing, we walked for a little while. He was very happy when I said it was time to return to the house. Maybe it was because I was wearing a jacket with a hoodie and he was pretty much exposed to the elements. He certainly seemed to appreciate the warmer house. I get it. I guess I will work on making him tougher another day. Take care and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.

"You must look at your life ..... Look at your life through Heaven's eyes."

Here we go again. This time it happens to be on Wednesday, February 20, 2019. It's interesting how our attention can be diverted when we are dealing with more pressing issues. In January of 1954 my dad passed away from a sudden illness and that, literally, turned my, (our), world upside down. I was 8 months shy of my 8th birthday. Perhaps a 7-year-old back then would not have noticed very much about what was going on in the world, however, it's hard for me to even guess how long we were in a dense fog after this life-shattering event. I can look back and see that General Eisenhower was the President and Richard Nixon was Vice President. The now-famous ruling, Brown versus the Topeka School Board, was settled by the Supreme Court, effectively ending segregated schools. In 1954, the US population stood at just less than 165 million. My dad had been a fanatical baseball fan but I'm pretty sure I didn't notice the NY Giants had won the World Series. That was the first World Series to be broadcast in color. This was also the first year children across the nation received the polio vaccine. I do remember my mom taking us to a clinic where we stood in line to receive this inoculation. Looking at the news headlines, it appears I may have begun to begin noticing stuff in 1957 when the Cold War was heating up. I, by then, was a baseball player and that occupied a lot of my time. It wasn't as if the small rural town in Louisiana where we moved after dad's passing was a hotbed of news and current events, but, my point is how I eventually came out of the tailspin and with God's provision, I moved on. Could I ever make sense of why the things happened like they did? Never. However, I have learned to trust God and that has been the source of my confidence. He knows all about it. And, that's enough. Amen.

People might say it would be best to never think about these past events. As if not thinking about them makes them any less impactful. While I may not catch all the details in terms of my recollection, I am fully aware that this life-changing event along with others have been critical in the making of who I am today. As our pastor often says, "Life is best understood looking backward." Of course, we must be careful connecting the dots based on our faulty understanding. I do know without any doubt whatsoever that God used my grandparents, especially my grandfather, to influence my life as I grew up under their tutelage. I do know that I grew up in somewhat of a "Mayberry" world. It's true. Warts and all, it was different in those days. I do know I met the country girl who would become my wife. I was talking about this one time and I was using the predicate, had dad not have passed away, I would not have (fill in the blank). My eldest son pointed out to me that everyone can backfill the connecting of dots in this way. Had we not moved. Had the job not transferred. Had there not been a major illness. And, on and on, we can go. I get that, but, I also know from what God has chosen to reveal to us that He is at work at all times and in all circumstances to fulfill His plan and purpose. This causes us to look back at all that has happened and to both conclude and embrace this certain truth, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

God used Joseph's circumstances to develop him into the man of God He used to preserve and then build the great nation He had promised to Abraham. (Genesis Chapter 15) When Joseph was brought before Pharoah, arguably the most powerful ruler in the world, when asked about his ability to interpret dreams Joseph denied his ability and said the interpretation could only come from God. He further told Pharoah that God would give the interpretation and it would be one of peace. This was before he even heard the dreams. I will add some conjecture here. The series of events that had happened to Joseph had caused him to see his life through the providential working of God. Therefore, I believe he began to see his being in the presence of Pharoah as a God-ordained meeting and he responded accordingly. The wife and I went to the movie theater and saw the original Dreamworks 1998 cartoon 'Prince of Egypt' when it came out. This was a retelling of the life and times of Moses, the servant of God. I literally fell in love with the musical score. My favorite was this one, "Through Heavens Eyes". Here's an excerpt of some of the lyrics:

A single thread in a tapestry
Though its color brightly shine
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand design
And the stone that sits on the very top
Of the mountain's mighty face
Does it think it's more important
Than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your life
Look at your life through Heaven's eyes

A lake of gold in the desert sand
Is less than a cool fresh spring
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy
Is greater than the richest king
If a man lose ev'rything he owns
Has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning
Of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man?
In wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come
The answer will come to him who tries
To look at his life through Heaven's eyes

And that's why we share all we have with you
Though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing
There's a lot to go around
No life can escape being blown about
By the winds of change and chance
And though you never know all the steps
You must learn to join the dance
You must learn to join the dance

So how do you judge what a man is worth?
By what he builds or buys?
You can never see with your eyes on Earth
Look through Heaven's eyes
Look at your life, look at your life
Look at your life through Heaven's eyes

My point? Joseph began to see his life through heaven's eyes and ended up being used mightily by the Lord. Perhaps this is how we too can begin to fulfill our God-ordained purpose. Amen. ....More later. 

I told my doctor that I think everyone dislikes me. He said he knew that couldn't be true because I haven't met everyone yet.

So glad to see it making a comeback. Routine. Now that the lady of the house has returned. My routine came with her, as part of the package. And, while many point out the dangers of routine, (rut), it helps give me a sense of balance as I go about my daily activities. It's Tuesday, February 19, 2019, and I bid you a hearty hello from my typing platform here in The Home Office. The most simple definition of routine says it is a sequence of regularly followed actions. Bingo! I typically get up at a certain time. Mr. Bentley gets up with me. We go outside. I drink a cup of coffee while he is getting fully awake and prepared to embrace whatever mischief he can find. We then climb the stairs where I can get caught up on all the important things going on. (As if that mattered.) I call up and finish my current blog which is usually a work in progress. If I am unable to do these things in regular fashion it makes for a labored start to my day. It doesn't ruin my day, but, it just goes to show you that we all have our own idiosyncrasies. Or, I think that to be true. You can think about your own while I contemplate the peculiarity of my own peculiar ways. Or, something in that category.

The wife was gone for nearly four days. Mr. Bentley couldn't figure out exactly what had happened to her, but, as I mentioned before, he acted as if I was somehow responsible, even though I had absolutely nothing to do with her leaving. I should have shot a video of how he acted when she got home. I know he was excited and I'm not completely sure a dog can be overjoyed but he was all over her, up one side, and down the other, like he was on fire or something. He couldn't get over the fact that she was back. I tell the wife frequently that I am his buddy of last resort. If she is here, he wants to be with her. If Jimmy is downstairs, he wants to be with him. If Alesha is downstairs, he wants to be with her. Typically, none of these first choices are available at 4:30 a.m., therefore, he gets the consolation prize behind door number 3. The lady of the house gets up around 8 a.m., so, he and I hang out together until that time. If I am downstairs he at times goes over to our bedroom door and lays down, waiting for someone to get up. Just when I was finally recovering from the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome I have it all to do over, thanks to Mr. Bentley.

You do know I am mostly joking. Again. Mostly. The good news comes as a result of the many years of experience I have. Hold on to your sympathy cards, I may need them even more later. The wife came in from Louisiana and actually met me at the Church property last Sunday evening. We had a Church-wide outreach scheduled to visit new folks who have come into the area. She and I made contact with three different individuals. One was a lady who had the flu. I talked to her through her security device at her front door. She seemed appreciative that we came by. I left her a gift bag at her door. The next fellow was roasting some garlic in his kitchen and when he opened the front door the smell nearly took my breath away. He wasn't interested in visiting our Church since he was a regular attendee at another one, but, he too was very nice and we gave him a welcome to our neighborhood gift bag as well. The last visit was to an early 30's lady who had just bought her first house. She knew about our Church, her mom was a long-term but inactive member, and we had a nice visit with her. She indicated she might come and give our new pastor a 'whirl'. I hope she does. The photo represents two worlds. In the first photo, we see the shot sent to me by my wife on her trip. They were at the steak house and she sent this message: 'Wish you were here.' The second photo is a shot of my supper on that same night. Enough said. And, we all know I am not one to complain. Have a great rest of the day and may God provide is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.

“I wish I could type as fast as I think!” ― Phillip R. Hall (My thought: I wish I could think as fast as I can type.)

Good Monday morning to each one. It's February 18, 2019, and things are better now that our equilibrium has been restored with the wife's return home. From what we know, it appears the highly awaited Mueller report on potential Russian collusion with the Trump campaign is getting close. That is if there is a report at all. From those who appear to know, it looks like this long drawn out investigation produced no evidence of any such collusion. One of the most left-leaning of the cable networks, MSNBC, has been sending signals to those who watch their programming. "You will likely be disappointed with the Mueller findings." If that were to be true and it reflects the facts as they found them, how in the world could it end up being disappointing? Here's another interesting tidbit. As it stands, over 2,000 minutes of network time has been spent building up the Russian probe. Zero minutes have been devoted on the same networks to the potential that no collusion was found. It is typical for an investigation like this to signal something about their findings. However, even a casual observer, which I am not, could look at those coverage numbers and would have to conclude that fairness and accuracy are no longer the driving force at these particular news outlets. You do not have to be a conspiracy theorist to see this. As the late funny guy, Jim Varney used to say when portraying Ernest P. Worrell, "Know what I mean Vern?"

Last Thursday we had some sporadic but strong wind gusts. For some reason, when this occurs in and around the street we live on, a transformer blows and we lose power. This happened twice within hours. The first one was for three hours before power was restored and the second one for a couple more hours. The old saying, "You don't miss your water until the well runs dry" comes to mind. If you are into quiet, it was that. Fortunately, the cellphone still worked and it is like a lifeline of sorts since you can check out all the meaningless babble on social media. But, if your battery is low, you can't recharge it, so, you have to use your phone sparingly in case the wife calls from Louisiana. Five hours in the dark. Our little Bentley also provided as much entertainment as he could. He is a fetching fanatic, and, like the little one he is, he doesn't want to stop even if you do. My wife had left me, the power went off, and my arm was tired from throwing whatever Bentley brought back to me. Tough go. Right? Not really. But, it did make me thankful when the power came back on. And, it did come back before the NASCAR preliminary races were run at Daytona. My automated grammar program and I go forth and back. He really isn't as smart as he thinks he is. When I wrote that little line about the well running dry, he flagged it. He offered me the alternative 'good' instead of 'well'. I think I will send him back to grammar school. Ha Ha!

Of course, I might understand had Grammarly told me, "You don't miss your good until the good runs dry." I will say this as a compliment. I do give him a workout. Every time I sit down and play a few tunes on the keyboard it seems to stir him up. It's kind of like watching a football game where they throw flags on nearly every play. I am exaggerating, but, there is a ring of truth in there. Somewhere. I do appreciate the times when he catches a whopper of a mistake. Thank you very much. Yes. I know. He would do well to catch more of them, but, once he finds out I called him out on the well and good wordplay, he might just pout for a while. You think what? It must be a really slow day for something for me to write about. I might agree but I am actually writing what I happen to be dealing with at the moment. I didn't say it would be memorable, but, that's how it's done in the blogging world. At least it can be considered an aside in an otherwise messed up world. My eldest son asked how I liked the races last Thursday evening. I told him the racing was fine but the outcomes were not what I was wanting. Oh well, you can't win every single time. That is unless you are on your way to heaven. That makes anyone a winner, forever and ever, Amen. Amen. .....More later.

I can't really do the 'Home Alone' schtick because I have our middle son Jimmy here with me and one of his daughters, Alesha Camille, as well. They pretty much stay upstairs but technically I have not been left behind all alone. I am not certain when the lady of the house will return, but, probably by Sunday afternoon. It is Friday, February 15, 2019, and I did not mean to leave out our most recent family addition, Mr. Bentley. We continue his training process, but, he has learned to use it for his own benefit. When he gets sick and tired of being sick and tired cooped up here in The Home Office, he barks like he needs to go outside. I dutifully honor his request only to find out he really just wanted to get out of my office. Bentley does miss the lady of the house. Occasionally, he goes over to her regular sitting spot, puts his paws up on the couch and then looks at me, as if to say, "What did you do with her?" I have enough trouble to face without having to answer to Bentley as to the whereabouts of the lady of the house. However, I felt compelled to tell him not to worry because she will be back soon. The things I have to deal with. It's a full-time job folks, you know, being me.

Today's blog is number 3007 since I started this venture back in the summer of 2007. In February of 2008, I was happy to celebrate the writing of my 200th blog. Here's an excerpt from what I had to say about it back then: "Yes, today I complete the 200th episode of my mostly mediocre meanderings from the life and times of only one of the 6,651,349,655 people who breathe air on our planet. (estimated population count by the U. S. Census Bureau as of 5:42 a.m., 02-18-2008) That’s quite a remarkable number whenever you contemplate that less than forty years ago it was less than 4 billion. What’s even more mind-boggling is to consider God’s knowledge of each and every person and His love for each one and His provision of salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is able to save any and all who come to Him. And, while I am only one out of the nearly 7 billion who occupy space here on earth, God has a specific plan for me and He is not too busy with other folks to hear me, care for me, and respond as I seek Him. Now that’s what I call amazing! No wonder we call it Amazing Grace! For those who have read many of my musings, I do hope you have been informed here and there, perhaps learned an anecdote or two, found a quip or story that brought a smile, or have been encouraged to see and seek God each day of your life. I will admit I have at times suffered from ‘blogger’s block’ but that didn’t keep me from writing anyway, and I am more than certain you recognized that in the materials I’ve published. However, it has been a real joy for me to pass on some of what ping-pongs around in my head and that which springs forth from a heart desiring to honor God and be of help to others."

I do hope you have had a good week. It seems we have so many dealing with challenges including health, family, and other things that define life as we know it. It is our privilege to be able to pray for them and their needs, and, they do the same for us. This is how it works within a community of faith. "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) I do hope you have a wonderful Saturday and that Lord's Day Sunday will find us all in the meeting place where we can show our love for God and each other. It's been a pretty eventful week. I think. It's hard to always know when each day seems to more or less run together. Last night, little Bentley took a nap where the lady of the house typically sits. I guess I'm not the only one who misses her when she is gone. I suppose that will give him something to look forward to. Me too. May God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.

"Take my hand, take my whole life too, but I can't help falling in love with you." ~ Elvis Presley

Happy Valentines Day, here on this Thursday, February 14, 2019. Let me see if I can get this right. We dated for over two years, we've been married for fifty-four plus years, we have been blessed with a wonderful family, a wonderful Church family, wonderful friends, and a loving relationship. Owen Mac, a young Irish singer, does a wonderful job on this tune:

God's Plan

We all set out to find true love,
To meet someone special, that they sent from above.
To have and to hold, together growing old,
To love for the rest of our lives.

It's all part of God's plan my love,
You are my woman and I am your man,
It's all part of God's plan my love,
Joining our hearts, 'till death do us part.
Living forever, God's plan.

I knew when I met you,
You would be my wife,
I felt like I'd known you,
Every day of my life.
Your Blue eyes saw right
to my wandering soul.
And guided me all the way home.

It's all part of God's plan my love,
You are my woman and I am your man,
It's all part of God's plan my love,
Joining our hearts 'till death do us part.
Living forever, God's plan.
We weathered the storm in each other's arms,
Living forever, God's plan.

Much of what we have together can be attributed to my wonderful wife, Marilyn. Happy Valentines Day and always know, "Baby, you're still the greatest!"

The wife will be leaving at noon today to make a trip to see her brother over in Northeast Louisiana. She will join up with her sister, Dorothy, and then they will travel to be with their brother. First, they have a widow's Valentine's gathering this evening in her sister's home. Dorothy has been doing these since her husband passed away and even though she is recently remarried, she still wanted to entertain the widows of her Church. That is a good thing. Plus, we've already celebrated our Valentines Day with a shopping excursion and a meal together at a local restaurant. I will survive. There are two preliminary NASCAR races on tonight leading up to Sunday's Daytona 500. I will be able to manage. And, everyone knows these sisters are as close as close can get. That's not a new development. Now that Dorothy is remarried, they may not talk as often as they did before, however, they still do talk and sometimes it can go on and on and on. I asked one evening after they had finished a marathon session, hadn't they had just talked recently and what was left to discuss? That got me a wave off. You know. Mind your own business. That too is not a new development. I understand. I used to talk for 20-30 minutes to my mom twice a day. Our discussions didn't amount to much except for maybe when we were talking about the Bible, but, they met a need in her life and it very much allowed me to show her the honor and respect she deserved. She and dad always knew about the time I would be calling and dad would try to get to the phone first. He would talk to me until he could tell she could not stand it any longer. He got a kick out of it. It was like a game. They were precious and I miss them so much.

I have finally gotten all the information I need to get ready to get ready to do my taxes. It requires some preparation. More mental than anything else. We know we owe. We always do. By design. And, the motivation to find out how much is somewhat taxing, pun intended. I will get my game face on and get it done. Soon. One day. Soon. We don't have an elaborate filing, but, we do utilize a number of parameters within the tax code. Thankfully, we have a tax software program we've used for the past ten years that helps. It still requires that we key in our income, deductions, and expenses. That takes time. And, we already know we owe. I will get to it. I promise. Does anyone know the last day to file for this year? Joking only. My wife probably thought I had a sudden onset attack of an ailment that does plague me from time to time, Procrastination. I will probably get them done while she is away on her trip. One final thing on taxes. I've said it before and I'll say it again. We are blessed to live in this nation, the United States of America, and we are blessed to participate in its continuation. After all, God's word tells us to pay our taxes: "For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing." (Romans 13:6) Okay. Have yourself a great rest of the day and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.

Dr. John Dolittle: "You know how to do CPR?" Rat #2: "CPR? I can't even spell it!" from the movie starring Eddie Murphy, "Dr. Doolittle"

We meet again. This time it's via the wonderful world of invisible connectivity here in a land called the Blogosphere. Today's meeting convenes on Wednesday, February 13, 2019. I am glad to bring you greetings from The Home Office where I have assumed my normal position at the old keyboard, just me and Bentley, where I click and clack and he naps. I would put him down on the floor but at this stage in his life he will locate and chew things you didn't even remember you had. I have a small A/C unit that has been mounted on the back wall of my office. That wall faces a double wooded lot. We do just fine until a squirrel decides to make a stop on top of the unit. From out of nowhere. Startled. That gets our attention. Both Bentley and I look up at the unit as if we could get a glimpse of the intruder. They typically don't hang around long because they are most likely on their way to work. And, their job is usually up in the trees. The birds can make a racket as well and often they come in pairs, but, they too are not there long. Bentley looks at me like maybe I should be doing something about these unplanned intrusions. Who does he think I am? Dr. Doolittle?

When we say it is a small world we typically refer to finding out by chance that someone knows someone you know or that you have known in the past. We were at a luncheon last week where many of our Sunday Bible Study class members had gathered. A lady mentioned her dad had pastored the First Baptist Church in Florien, Louisiana when she was a youngster. Florien is only 9 miles north of Hornbeck where I spent most of my growing up years. We got to talking. She didn't live there that long but she was in the 3rd grade with a fellow that I knew very well. Back then. In fact, that boy's family came to Hornbeck for services as they were members of the same church as I. I had visited in their home. I had ridden their horses. The boy's sisters were my sisters' close friends. Their dad didn't attend Church but he did attend to me when I was about twelve and I had split my head open diving into a swimming hole. Their house was the closest so they carried me there. Mr. Davis didn't waste any time. He went and fetched a bottle of Iodine and put my head between his legs. I soon found out why he did that. The cut was about 2 inches but it went all the way to my skull. When the Iodine filled up the hole in my head, well, let the kicking and screaming begin. My mom had to leave work out at Fort Polk and she carried me to the hospital where the same Dr. who delivered me, Dr. Fraiser, sewed up my head. He told my mom not to worry about infection because the wound had been thoroughly fried in Iodine. The lady said she thought my buddy was really cute in the third grade. That little conversation gave me another opportunity to say, it really is a small world, after all. Maybe someone should write a song about that.

My wife loves to watch shows on the Gameshow network. There is a fairly new one, 'America Says', that she really likes. The premise is for the competing panels to correctly identify the top answers given on a fill in the blank opinion poll regarding a specific question or subject. I watch the show with her when I am taking a break from my new position in life, 'Doing mostly nothing at all'. I know what some of you are thinking, that's a good job if you can get it. Not so fast, Buckaroo! At any rate, the competing teams are made up of four individuals who have something in common. Four ladies that play golf together. Four guys that coach little league together. Things like that. The other afternoon we saw an episode and one of the teams was made up of real bearded Santa Clauses. (It had originally aired on December 24, 2018) They were professional Santas who were members of a group, the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas. I had never heard of that group. They were dressed in Santa-related civilian attire but all of them were featuring their real white beards. They were not that good at guessing the answers and didn't advance to the big money round, however, they spoke about the charities they supported and other good deeds their group pursues. Isn't it interesting how seeing them on the panel got my attention? I was pulling for them, although, they answered Rudolph a time or two just because the answer started with an R. That didn't look so good, but, I did enjoy that particular episode. They did justice to the wearing of the red. Take care and enjoy the rest of your day. May God add His blessings. Amen. ....More later.

“The problem is politics is made a sport, almost as much a sport as football or baseball. When it comes to politics, adults and politicians do more finger-pointing and play more games than children ever do. Too often are we rooting for the pride of a team rather than the good of the nation.” ― Criss Jami

Welcome one and all. It is Tuesday, February 12, 2019. I have at least one more comment from the State of the Union Speech last week. Those Congress ladies all dressed in white were interesting. They were dressed like that to call attention to the Sufferettes, the women who fought for and gained the right for women to vote. It was also supposed to reflect the strong, independent, self-sufficient, voice of these elected women officials. I get what they said they were doing. If that is true, why then was it they were very confused about when it was okay or not okay to applaud or even stand? They had to get a signal from some of their leadership. So much for the independent speak-for-myself-women, right out the window at the get-go. One of them was interviewed after the President's speech. She, of course, said everything he said was lies. The reporter asked about the time he spoke of how women have faired during his two years with gaining numbers in multiple categories. The women in white all stood, cheered, and carried on. The President expressed appreciation for their response and thanked them. The reporter asked if the lady congress person thought the President was having some fun and playing with them. She was incensed and adamant. The President was not in control at that time, the ladies in white were playing him, not the other way round. Now that was a good one. I saw the same thing she did. Wow! It sure looked like the President was having some fun with the ladies in white. That is, to me.

We all know that times have changed and we are now supposedly living in a more enlightened age. Really? I was raised entirely based on the right side of this comparison chart. My mom was relentless. She was going to see to it that we acted right, or else! I'm fairly sure her parenting skills would be thought of as abusive by today's smart people. I actually thought it was very abusive when I was on the other end of a plum tree switch, (it felt more like a limb). Of course, we didn't know the word abusive back then because most parents that loved their kids wanted them to become productive, law-abiding citizens, therefore, the right side of the chart was pretty much the norm. Here's something I think that is missed when people talk about these differences in today's world versus back then: I never once in my life, as a kid, as a teenager, or as an adult, questioned or even considered whether my mom loved me or not. I knew she did. Her life was one that spelled out the word S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E on behalf of her family. She loved me. Before and after the tongue lashings. Before and after the whippings. I can remember a few rare exceptions with friends of mine growing up who did get a version of the left side of the chart. They were spoiled brats. Their lives were a mess as kids and later as adults. We joke how we survived the right side but many of those who got the left side did not. Just saying and just sharing.

I know. That was the old days. And, we are often inclined to call them the good old days, however, we are where we are now and we must deal with today's world regardless of how we got here and how things have changed. What can be done to turn things around? My own personal thoughts are that because of where we are at this time, it will take God's intervention to have the positive impact that is needed. That almost sounds like a cliche or throw down answer. However, it is the moving away from Godly principles that have most precipitated the crisis we face today. It is a crisis of conscience and caring. Today's so-called lost generation(s) can be found and they can be restored. And, as for where they are today, I do not deny the responsibility of their parents and grandparents which includes yours truly. Rather than curse the darkness, we can best help by being who God would have us to be each and every day. And, in seeking Him and His power to help right this situation. We can't turn it around but we do know the One who can. That's what I have for you today and Bentley must agree because I can hear him snoring in my lap. May God bless our children is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.

President Ronald Reagan said, "If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism."

Welcome back to The Home Office where I settle all of the issues of the day based on the consultations and conclusions from my own panel, made up of me, myself and I. Today is Monday, February 11, 2019. I thought the proposals last week from the Democrats on how to deal with climate change were pretty amazing. This proposal was underwritten by the most liberal of the new crew who recently came into office. Essentially, it has as its target to get rid of air travel within 10 years, to eliminate all fossil fuels, to rebuild every office building in America, to get rid of all cows, and for the government to provide every need of every person from cradle to grave. Somehow that last one got stuck in there as a way of dealing with climate change. The bottom line is government-run everything. While the proposal has been met mostly with nervous laughter even from those who typically support ways to deal with climate change, the truth is these people are serious. They had to delete some of their explanations in the Frequently Asked Questions section after they were totally destroyed by scientists and financial experts. (One example: Their proposal to replace a portion of the use of fossil fuels with wind turbines would require a wind farm the size of the state of California with not even a guestimate on how much that would cost.) Scary stuff. It reminds me of the first vote against Israel by the United States at the UN. It came during the Clinton years. There has to be a first before a second. This is how it works. There has to be a ludicrous proposal before the foothold is made to begin this whacko nonsensical path. Even those in the Democrat Party leadership are ducking this one. At least for now. (Here's a late newsflash: They are now saying, after nearly a week, that it was the Republicans who tampered with their Green Plan and made it look foolish. Now that is a good one!)

The leader of this so-called new socialistic movement says the experiment of our nearly 242 years existing as a free enterprise country has failed, and it is now time for them to take over. In other words, the old regime had their chance and didn't get the job done, now we will replace that system with something called 'democratic socialism'. (One tenant of this program is to do away with individualism in favor of the collective well being of the whole. The government would make those determinations. If that doesn't scare us, I don't know what will.) Sadly, younger folks are being persuaded that rich people can pay for all of this. Once the wealthy are soaked to the point of destruction, we have no clue where they will get revenue after that. And, even if they took all the wealth of all the so-called super rich, it would still not pay for their programs. This is a fact. I don't know of anyone who doesn't believe in everyone paying their fair share. However, the tax system is fraught with all kinds of built-in shenanigans, loopholes, and other ways to hide income. Throughout our history, people have come up with ways to make the system fairer and more flat, however, the special interest groups wield great power and that includes the welfare interest groups who have thwarted efforts to reform the system. I would rather have a flawed system that allows some to skate under the radar than to have the government dictating our lives 24x7. There was bloodshed to get the freedoms we hold dear and even more blood to keep them throughout our history. We can always hope for America to wake up and for her people to come to their senses. Before it's too late. Amen.

Sorry if this sounds like a downer. It's intended to be my version of a play-by-play announcer as they see what's transpiring in front of them. I'm sure the lens I use to observe has been honed by my own beliefs, upbringing, and convictions. Other folks see the same thing and come to a completely different appreciation for what is going on. The governor of New York responded to the President's comments about the celebration they had in his state after passing what is perhaps the most aggressive abortion bill in our nation. He said he still considers himself to be a good Catholic even though he is aware of the Catholic Church's stand against any and all abortions. He said it came down to separating religion from politics. If your religious beliefs do not inform your practice in everyday life, then are they really your religious beliefs? Most likely not. I believe the videos of the celebrations held after the passing of that unprecedented death penalty for babies will be prominently featured in the next round of elections. It is pretty hard to respect those who fight to protect any and all illegal alien children, regardless of their age, while they support the killing of American babies. If that is not a disconnect and travesty, well, I don't know what one would be. In an episode of the erstwhile detective, 'Father Brown', the other evening, he told someone of rank and prestige that all the accolades he has do not impress God. His point was that God sees through the external and reads the heart. Good point. That could be something our fellow citizens in New York State need to think seriously about. Amen. ....More later.

“Someday is not a day of the week.” ― Janet Dailey

Here we are. I am so glad they have brought the camel back to remind us when the middle of the week gets here. NOT! At any rate, today is that camel day plus two, Friday, February 8, 2019. I do hope you have had a productive week. As I sit here in The Home Office I am trying to remember exactly how our week unfolded. That can be somewhat challenging for the retirement class. We did start the week with Church. (Sunday, the first day of the week.) I taught a lesson. We had great services. On Monday the wife went to the ministry we have in the special needs apartments, I attended a funeral service for a 91-year-old lady in our Church. She was a retired teacher and an entertainer of sorts. She identified with me because she saw me as a Christmas entertainer. We always enjoyed a great laugh together. Her service was a tribute to someone who worked tirelessly on behalf of the kingdom. She and her late husband loved to give to ministries and to folks who were down and out. They did so year after year without fanfare or recognition. Good testimony! We typically spend some time each week getting our prescriptions refilled and dealing with other medical related issues. (old people stuff) I am still working on some legal projects pertaining to mom and dad's property in Louisiana. I am also missing some information I need to file our taxes. I worked on trying to get those located. We walked the mall some. We had another great service Wednesday evening. We took care of our new puppy. (That's a big time-consuming job!) We ran errands. We may have argued a time or two, but, if we did, I don't remember the subject or the situation. One thing I know we did. We laughed. Old people can be so funny. I can tell you this: Whatever I did each day made me ready for bed between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. each evening. Of that I am certain.

Here's an excerpt from 11 years ago: ~ If You Don't Laugh At Yourself, Someone Else Will! We sometimes tend to think that jokes about people in their occupations are mostly about lawyers. Like the one that says if you want to avoid a shark attack you should swim with a briefcase. The shark will think you are a lawyer and not attack you out of professional courtesy. But the jokes abound, no matter who is being talked about. I read one recently about the man who went to the doctor and said he just couldn't seem to get up and do anything, especially around the house. After the exam, the doctor told the man he had only one word to describe his ailment, "You are lazy!" The man quickly responded, "Okay, now give me the official medical term so I can tell my wife." No matter what profession, situation, or circumstance there's usually some humor in there, somewhere. Most of the blonde jokes can be rather rude. There's the story of 10 blondes and one brunette all hanging on a single rope off a cliff. They all cannot stay on the rope, so one must jump so the others can be saved. The brunette gives a very stirring speech about how she is willing to die so the others can live. At the end of her speech, the blondes were so moved they all applauded. You see jokes like that can be pretty demeaning but they are part of the landscape that we live in each and every day. As far as my blog today, it reminds us that laughter, especially, wholesome fun can help us make it through what would otherwise be a pretty dreary existence. Some of the stories Jesus told to illustrate His points were funny. Like the one where He explained the difficulty one has in removing a tiny speck of a splinter in the other fellow's eye while neglecting the boulder sticking out of his own eye. Yeah, that no doubt brought some smiles to those who heard it but it also brought home a truth about human frailty and our need to examine ourselves first. I'll leave you with one more for the road: "A turtle was walking down an alley in New York when he was attacked and mugged by a gang of snails. When asked by the detective to explain what happened the turtle replied, 'To tell the truth I don't really know, it all happened so fast'." Think about it and maybe sometime this afternoon it will bring a smile. ~

Thanks for riding along with me each day. And, I do appreciate the feedback I get from time to time. Sometimes, when someone sends me a comment I have to go back to see what I had written about on that day. They do tend to run together some when you are cranking one out each day. I want to appreciate my eldest, Chris, for coming over and helping me tear the disk drive out of the computer that died. It took a little while to figure out how to get into the 'all in one' case, but, he, as is his habit, called up a YouTube video that gave some insight in how to do it. He was able to copy off the data to an external drive and I will be loading it when we can arrange another meeting. Unfortunately, I lost some software that is proprietary and I will check to see if they will allow me to download a new copy or I might have to re-purchase some items. Oh yeah, stuff like that does take time too! I left out one major portion of my time these days. I am going to call it spending time thinking. I believe the wife likes the word procrastination. I prefer my version. Enjoy your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday and I will do my best, Lord willing, to show up come next Monday morning. Amen. ....More later.

"Every child is born blessed with a vivid imagination. But just as a muscle grows flabby with disuse, so the bright imagination of a child pales in later years if he ceases to exercise it." ~ Walt Disney

Good to see you. It is Thursday, February 7, 2019, and I'm glad you got on board for our ride through the woods and over the hills. I'm pretty much immersed at the moment in the life and times of the Bible character Joseph. God preserved Joseph's account for a reason. The Patriarch and faith model, Abraham, (Abram), is mentioned 231 times in the Old Testament. He is a key figure. Joseph's name comes up 215 times. This means his life is worth studying. When I am studying these passages day after day I typically also think about them at night. I dream about being alive at the same time with Joseph, as an observer of his day by day living. One of the things that commentators talk about in connection with Joseph is the parallels between his life and the life of our Savior, Jesus the Christ. While these types are meaningful, to focus on them almost exclusively tends to overshadow the text itself. Or, that's the way I see it. I do agree that all of The Scriptures are about God's redemption and in that sense Bible history is His-Story, but, there's much to be gained by examining the life and times of Joseph, son of Jacob, (Israel), as he dealt with God's working in his life. Many years ago I wrote maybe a dozen children's stories about Bible characters or events. I wrote it from the perspective of a young boy by the name of Wilbur. Each story began with his parents coming into his room at night to pray with him at bedtime. They would read to him a Bible story and then pray. Wilbur would drift off to sleep and soon he would be in the scenes he had just heard about. He would typically join up with some other kids who were there to see David and Goliath, Samson, Joseph, in the stable the night Jesus was born, with the little guy who shared his loves and fishes to feed the multitude, and other Bible accounts. My point? Becoming immersed in a biblical text is not new to me. And, yes, I did try to get someone to pick up my stories. That didn't work out, but, who knows? I might get back to them again. That is if I had any idea where they might be.

Maybe that's why I've always loved time travel stories, books, and movies. They intrigue me. I really liked the TV series, The Time Tunnel. Every week the fellows floating out in time would land in a different place, typically on the threshold of a major historical event. On the Titanic just before she sank. With Washington during a crucial battle during the Revolutionary War, at Gettysburg, the Lincoln assassination, and many others. That time travel orientation started with me as a kid. I was introduced to books fairly early on and many of them were historical adventure novels and I would devour them and then replay them in my dreams. I know. At this time is when some of my readers think maybe I should schedule one of those sessions where I lay on the couch and tell someone my sad stories. You know. How that I was so dissatisfied with the here and now I was always seeking to escape. I actually think it was born of a vivid imagination but others are entitled to their opinion. It might also be my way of doing the proverbial 'fly on the wall' in terms of seeing for myself the things I was studying. Or, it could be something far more sinister and deep-seated. I just threw that one in to cover anything I may have missed. You will recall that I have made it clear over the years that being me is not such an easy proposition. Keep that in mind. I think the folks who advised Ronald Reagan called it, "Plausible deniability." That's my story and for now, I'm sticking to it.

I would say, enough about that aside, however, history might reveal it isn't an aside at all. Moving on along, I thought the President's State of the Union speech was very good. I voted for him even though I would have preferred a different candidate, however, I can't remember anyone in my lifetime who is willing to speak the truth as he sees it without political correctness as a filter. His strong words about the blood spilled to make us a free country versus a government run socialist nation was very powerful indeed. His direct addressing of the recently enacted New York abortion law was as clear as it could be. I believe the nation is beginning to appreciate the horror of what was celebrated in New York, the killing of a child at the very point of birth. I did listen also to the rebuttal. I also listened to the assessment from those who hate the President and everything he stands for. They did not see the speech the way I did. Early polls say the American public viewed it overwhelmingly positive. Even Democrat Party members gave him some credit. But, not the ruling class of their party. They eviscerated every point he made. They even criticized him for scoring points by bringing bonified heroes to the show, a complaint I never heard when President Obama did the same thing. Oh well, that's why we have differences of opinion. I'm not for either party. I am for the United States of America, one nation under God. Amen. ....More later.

2 Corinthians 5:8 ~ "Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, February 6, 2019. This past Monday afternoon I was working on my computer in The Home Office and I took note of the fact that I had my small window A/C running. It was 76 degrees and extremely humid. I called up the national weather map and saw where some of our fellow Americans were still in the deep freeze at a minus 10 degrees. That was in northwestern Montana. It just goes to show you. I'm not exactly sure what it shows, but, it does show something. Just last week I needed a jacket early in the morning to walk Bentley. This week a short sleeve shirt. Go figure. I convinced myself to run the A/C because I wanted to make sure the brand new computer was taken care of. Or, I felt warm and wanted to feel cooler. It was one of those two or perhaps a combination, although I think the second one was the leading reason I switched it on. I saw several others on social media talking about trying to restrain themselves from turning the A/C on. You just never know exactly what to expect when it comes to weather in these parts.

I read a posting saying a preacher I know had passed away. Back in the 1980s, I was asked to speak on ministry planning principles at a seminary in East Texas. They told me I was the first lay person asked to speak at that particular event. At that time, I had started a Church planning ministry where I would go into a local fellowship and spend a day helping them flesh out an assessment of their current status and eventually they would set some goals and objectives to help move them forward. I was nervous about speaking at the seminary to an audience made up of preachers, men of God. It came my time and I went through my prepared remarks. I could tell that not everyone was buying into using planning techniques to enhance their ministry efforts, even though I gave solid biblical evidence for doing so. Most of the group was supportive. When I finished, the next speaker got up. He was a rather large fellow. I knew him and had actually heard him preach a time or two. He was a very effective speaker. He got to the podium and he wadded up his Bible in one hand and bellowed this out, "Everything I need to know about planning or anything else can be found in this book!" He wasn't looking directly at me but the remark was intended for me. And, I had no problem with what he said. None whatsoever. But, I always remembered him being so intense and how he squeezed his Bible and made his comment. Well, that's the fellow who passed away after serving the Lord for many years as a singer and pastor. May God comfort the hearts of all those impacted by his sudden passing. Amen.

As I was writing about that experience and my time as a planning consultant I thought about the artisans that assisted Moses in building the Tabernacle. God had given Moses specific plans in exacting detail in the building of this place where His presence would rest. It required many skills to do the work laid out. This work was organized, planned, and supervised by individuals who had most likely honed their skills as slaves in Egypt. God stirred their hearts and gave them a passion for the work. However, they used the skills He had allowed them to learn to contribute to this ordained work of God. You can read all about this in the Book of Exodus, Chapters 25-31 and Chapters 35-40. My desire in using the techniques I shared with Churches was to see them maximize their potential by using the talents, skills, abilities, and God-provided spiritual gifts within their local fellowship. You probably are tired of hearing the definition of insanity, but, since preachers love using it, here it is: It's continuing to do the same things over and over expecting a different result. That was my point. People can get in a rut of mediocrity and local Churches can too. Oh well, all of this came back to me when I read about him moving on up to Gloryland. You can only go there if you know Jesus as Savior. Not knowing about Him, but, knowing Him because you have put your faith and trust in Him, confessed your sins, repented, and given your life to Him. I have confidence I will see that dear brother again because we shared a like faith in Christ. Amen. .....More later.