"Dear God, We pray for our graduates today and lift them before you. We thank you so much for these we love and for the work you are continuing to do in their lives. They are a gift to us and to many others. And during this season of new beginnings, we ask that you would make their way clear. We ask that you would keep their footsteps firm and remind them that you are with them, always. May they sense the freshness of your Spirit over their lives in amazing ways, may they be strengthened, instilled with hope, for the new roads you have in store." ~ copied

Our Lexie on the left and her cousin Morgan, graduating together this evening.

Okay. Let's see if I can close out the week with something that will be of interest to someone, somewhere. Due to the Memorial Day observance last Monday, it is a short work week (for most) Friday, and this one is on the last day of May, the 31st, 2019. Lord willing, this evening, we will be making the trek across the way to see our granddaughter Lexie Dee as she graduates from High School. She will finish her high school days on a high note, graduating Summa Cum Laud and on the Distinguished Honor Roll. Lexie will be entering the University of Texas, Austin, this fall. Our prayers go with her and all those who will be pursuing the next phase of their life adventure. May God bless. Amen.

On this day, twelve years ago, here's a paragraph from that day's blog. ~ If you have read my Mothers Day tribute blog dated May 11, 2007, you read about how we lost my dad in 1954 which was a cataclysmic event for us. Looking back, having relocated into a small sleepy rural town, there’s no way we could have been anything other than pitiful. My mom was 30, widowed with six children and having to live with her parents. The odd thing is that we never knew we were pitiful. It was as if the entire community conspired to not let us know the reality of our situation. I know many helped in different ways. Yet, I never knew of anyone who made an open show or big deal about what they did. Lunchroom workers piled up the food on my plate as they bathed me with their loving support. In a low key and natural way folks went out of their way to let me know they were on my side. Okay, maybe I was just a naïve kid. Maybe I am reliving my past and seeing it all through rose-colored glasses. I don’t think so. Could it be there was a time when a spirit of Mayberry was alive and well somewhere other than in a fictional TV series? I think so, and I thank God for the people who made it a reality for me! ~

My wife thought I was a little too overwrought by the internet outage. I suppose it was a knee-jerk flashback response on my part. Too much wailing and gnashing from my past I suppose. There was some funny stuff along the way too. When we were attempting to troubleshoot the problem and had the support folks on the cell phone, well, it had been so long since we had called, we didn't know any of the authentications required for them to respond. I don't ever remember setting up the name of my favorite singer as the security question. I certainly didn't know the four digit pin code either. All of that information is stored online which we couldn't get to. We guessed as much as we could and complained as much as we could until the technician did finally check to see if there were outages in our area. That's when our observed suspicion was confirmed. They estimated 24 hours to repair. Yes. I do know that authentication information should be printed out and put in a place where it can be found. That would be way too easy, especially when you are trying to convince a technician in India that you really do pay for this service and need to know what is going on. I'm not even sure I ever had a favorite singer. What's up with that? You what? You are still glad you are not me. I don't blame you for one second on that one. Sadly, I can't say the same since I am me. Enjoy your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday and I will see if anything bubbles up for our time together scheduled for next Monday. Lord willing and the cable splice stays in place. Amen. ....More later.

"Life after death is the elephant in the living room, the one that we are not supposed to notice. Our culture, which prides itself on its open-mindedness and candor, shows an intense antipathy to facing the greatest of all human questions." ~ Dinesh D'Souza, Life After Death

Coming in from Church last evening, at the entrance to our subdivision, I spotted what it typically the kiss of death for communication services. A string of backhoes and ditching machines all stopped with a swarm of AT&T trucks working. I ran the computing and telecom business for a Fortune 500 company for a number of years. I know about these things. Yep. And, in today's world, cutting a fiber optic cable is big time serious. I was not as impacted as many who work from home, but, I was inconvenienced and I once again was stymied by having to try and get support from a foreign entity, most likely from a customer support technician in India. This morning I had to know it was serious. The number of service trucks was doubled. All's well that gets us back online and just before 2 p.m. it came back up.

Well, hello there, and welcome. Today is Thursday, May 30, 2019, and I am happy to be singing the Gene Autry classic this morning, "Back in the saddle again." People do have interesting ways to express their thankfulness for still breathing air on the planet. I get this one from older people, "It's good to be on this side of the earth." The other evening I told one fellow about the man I was standing by. I said this is a very good man. The man standing next to me has been around for 94 years. He is the one that calls me 'sonny boy'. When I said he was a good man he then responded, "I do wonder why the Lord still has me hanging around." I didn't hesitate, "He has you here because you are an example of a man of God to the rest of us." I know he appreciated what I said but he is a very humble person and would never call attention to himself. Visiting folks in the hospital and nursing homes I have often gotten this sentiment, "I'm still here." I remember my mom reaching that point when she was ready to go home. It came several months after she was incapacitated from a broken hip. Mom always wanted to have a long life. God granted that to her. She made her journey shortly after reaching her 93rd year. Last Sunday I taught a lesson on the truth about how Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected on the third day. (Gospel of Mark, Chapters 15 and 16) This means that He ever lives to make intercession for those who are His own. (Hebrews 7:25) Because of this truth, we have hope. A hope that gives us the heart to cope with the ups and downs in this life, and, more importantly, a hope that gives us grace at that time when we near our departure from this life. I've seen it. Up close and personal. It's an encouragement to us all. Amen.

Speaking of encouragement, here's a little story I found that I thought was worth sharing. ~ As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them. However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they proceeded to try and jump out of the pit. Despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top of the pit were still saying that they should just give up. That they would never make it out. Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and he gave up, falling down to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time. Moral of the story: People’s words can have a big effect on other’s lives. Think about what you say before it comes out of your mouth. It might just be the difference between life and death. ~ (unattributed but found on this website: https://wealthygorilla.com/10-most-inspirational-short-stories/)

Just last week we were on the edge regarding the potential of getting too much rain. We were thankful we did get some rain but no flooding. Now, after a run of several days of strong winds, guess what? We really need some rain. Everything is dried out. The mid 90's temps combined with the wind, well, believe it or not, there are areas of our yard beginning to look slightly parched. Yes. I do remember the words of our dear neighbor for so many years, the late Mr. Ellis. We were fretting one year about trying to save our yard/grass and he gave me this insight, "Son, don't forget that no livestock are going unfed because your yard is dried out." It does seem that feast or famine appears to be a part of our daily journey. The wife talks about us needing to start a watering program. Me? I think about not only what our neighbor said, but, also the monthly water consumption as reflected in the monthly water bill. Our little water district has come up with some clever ways to deal with maximizing the revenue stream for the water provided. Lowering the minimums. Increasing the cost for the gallons above the minimum. And, here's a fee, there's a fee, everywhere you look there's a fee fee. Or, at least that's my observation. I've been paying these water bills in this district since 1976, therefore, I think I qualify to at least having an opinion. But, I'm sure they could give a different story along with 52 pages of technical detail to support what they are doing. Water tables, aquifers, etc., etc. Or something like that. Have a great rest of the day and I will do my best to catch back up with you come tomorrow morning, on this same channel. May God bless. Amen. ....More later.

A little of this, that, and a fair amount of the other.

It's Wednesday, May 29, 2019, and I bid you a hearty and warm welcome. Last Sunday morning our local fellowship recognized those who have graduated high school or college. There were some 18 folks who will now be embarking on their college or work-related careers. They are being launched into a world at a time when the challenges are great and thankfully there are still opportunities available. These are some very accomplished individuals who have worked hard to prepare themselves for the next phase of their lives. Our pastor made it clear to them how that Satan will be working as hard as he knows how to steal, kill, and deceive them as they make their way forward. (John 10:10) That is his work and he will use any and all temptations to lure them away from being faithful to God. Satan can't take away one's personal salvation, but, he loves ruining any believer's testimony and work on behalf of the God who saved them. Our pastor challenged them not to fall for those who would lead them to 'sow their wild oats', but, to stay focused on and faithful to God's plan and purpose for them. Don't get me wrong. These kids have already been exposed to the anti-Christian bias in their time in school. It will be even more so as they pursue higher education. That's no longer even a question of debate. It's almost as if our colleges today seek first and foremost to undo all parental and Christian training in every student. There are schools that are exceptions. However, the overall majority of our kids today will end up in secular schools. Let's all pray for these young men and women as they seek to gain skills and abilities to support the jobs they will hold and the work and ministry they can have for the Lord. Amen.

I know some of you are probably wondering how Mr. Bentley is getting along. He is a very smart little puppy but often that leads him to mischevious actions. The Wife is a jigsaw puzzle person. Seriously so. She keeps one in progress on the dining room table most of the time. Mr. Bentley has developed a taste for jigsaw puzzle pieces. She has caught him several times up on top of the table itself wreaking havoc on her work in progress. She spanks him real good, but, it's hard to know if he is paying that much attention to the spanking process. She recently announced that seven pieces are missing from her recent effort. We do not need to mount an investigation into what happened to those missing pieces. She had to throw that puzzle away. I caught him chewing on one piece one day. The image was pretty much destroyed. He got another spanking. He just loves to climb. When he climbs he does so like one of those young mountain goats. He is nearly 7 months old. On the positive side, he has been such a wonderful little doggie in so many ways. I just hope he gets the message soon on things like climbing on the tables and eating puzzle pieces. Others tell us he will. For his sake, and I might add, for mine as well, I hope they are right.

"This is the essence of Kingdom Authority. Fathers can have no authority in the home until they have surrendered to the headship of Jesus. Mothers cannot pray with authority for their children when they have no submissive spirit to their own husbands. Pastors cannot lead, teach, or preach with anointing and supernatural power without being fully broken and surrendered to the lordship of Christ, the authority of the Word, and the commands of the Spirit." ~ Adrian Rogers ~ I can't even imagine what some younger folks might think if they were to read my blogs. The language alone would no doubt be problematic. I am well aware the mores of our times are completely different than nearly at any other time in our history. I hear some of this even among our younger family members. Right and wrong appear to be very much in the eye of the beholder. If someone is doing something that goes against thus says the Word of the Lord, but, they are not hurting anyone else, they reason why it should be of concern to anyone else? I will admit that our freedoms allow us all to make the wrong choices. I should know. By experience. However, it is one thing to have the freedom to do this as opposed to saying it's okay to do things that God clearly says are wrong and to also reason that it doesn't matter. Because it does. Having this 'anything goes' approach leads to living as if God is on the wrong side of history. He is outdated and old fashioned. Yet, He has made it clear to any who will hear, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Our nature continues to war against God's clear standards for life. Yours truly included. The fact that we are all fellow strugglers does not nullify in any way our understanding that God is always right. Always. Period. We all need His help for us to be conformed to His truth, His will, and His way. Amen. ....More later.

It can't be said enough: Preserving our freedoms has cost much blood and sacrifice.

Good morning and welcome back to this place where many keystrokes are used to typically say so little. It is Tuesday, May 28, 2019. I trust you had a good Memorial Holiday weekend. I also hope that we all took some time to appreciate those who have paid the ultimate price in the fight for freedom while serving in our armed forces. I know we did. We did in our service at our local fellowship on Sunday morning. The wife and I watched a number of the many programs on TV devoted to recognizing the more than 1.5 million military individuals who have died for our nation. And, I had my own private recollections of a couple of high school friends who died in the Vietnam War. We have a lot to be thankful for and a most important one has been the men and women who have worn the uniform and paid the price. May God bless their memory and may God bring comfort to their families. Amen.

I overhead someone talking about a meme he had seen where two pictures were put side by side. The first was one of a crowded beach with folks enjoying their holiday. The other was a war photo of the beach at Normandy where 4,000 Americans died in the initial invasion. That invasion helped bring to an end WWII and it helped guarantee that folks could be at the beach as depicted in the first photo. This year marks the 75th anniversary of this military achievement, (June 6, 1944). That is a vivid reminder of how tyranny was defeated in WWII. Of course, that war was just one of the many conflicts where Americans were killed and wounded. Sadly, it has been a continuing part of our history since our founding. It continues today as our service men and women are stationed in harm's way in dangerous parts of our world. I was also intrigued by the movie, "The Young Lions" from 1958. It starred Dean Martin, Montgomery Clift, and Marlon Brando, along with an impressive cast. I may have been aware of this movie, but, I don't recall ever seeing the entire movie but I found it to be very moving as it depicted the impact that serving in the military during wartime had on different individuals. It was on the classic movie network. Black and white. I recommend it.

Our nation is currently in a state of chaos in terms of its identity and its political stability. While this may not be new in terms of how our Republic functions, it certainly is more of 'the norm' than I can ever remember. In addition to the outrageous personalities involved today, the fundamental differences between those vying for power challenge the very foundations upon which we were founded. The Constitution, the Rule of Law, the function of government in a free society are the things that our heroes have shed their blood to protect. While some write all of this off as politics, I firmly believe the assaults against our democratic principles could lead to a total reshaping of who we are as a nation. As we consider the cost of freedom it behooves us all to seek God and His help for the preservation of this great freedom experiment He has blessed so bountifully in the past. We need His intervention. That's my reading. That's my prayer. Yes. Amen. ....More later.

We are free to enjoy our day because others were willing to pay with their lives.

“If you think people in your life are normal, then you undoubtedly have not spent any time getting to know the abnormal side of them.” ― Shannon L. Alder

It's Friday, May 24, 2019, so, why not? Let me put it out there. We all have our quirks. Some may be quirkier than others, but, we all have them. I still love my feather pillows. Three of them. I sleep with them every night. They are slowly but surely wasting away, like yours truly. Some have evaporated over the years and fortunately, we've had replacements stored and ready. We no longer have any in reserve. These are not store bought pillows. They have chicken feathers. Real chicken feathers. These pillows are at least 20 years or older. I don't know if the wife will put them with me when I go to my eternal rest, I'll leave that up to her, however, they still provide me with something many people long for: A good night's rest. I did write quite a bit about my pillows, 12 years ago. I am still using the same ones I wrote about back then. It follows this opening paragraph. Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. See you next time and may God bless. Amen. ...More later.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2007

We all have our quirks!

Have you ever noticed the odd things other people do that you think are very strange or downright silly? Maybe you even live in the same house where some of those ‘other’ people there do weird things. What about me? Perhaps people think I am the one with strange habits. No doubt we are all products of a variety of influences including our upbringing and background. I grew up in a very small rural town and that defined being ‘country’ for me. Yet, I once spent the night with a cousin who lived way back in a place called the river bottom. These folks only came into town once or twice a month and their entire lifestyle was odd even by rural standards. My point? I do know something about the subject at hand.

I guess the biggest single hang-up for me is my old fashioned, feather pillows. My typical sleep cycle is 5 to 6 hours each night; therefore, I am determined to make the most of it! The three pillows I sleep on and with have been made, remade, combined, and recovered more times than I can remember. They are covered with the old fashioned blue striped ticking, now very faded. Some of the feathers have to be 25 years or older, maybe much older. I thank God for my grandmother and my mom who passed down some of these pillows and especially my sweet mother in law, who, before her death, gathered up some reserve stock for me. My wife is a committed foam person and over the years she has purchased many alternatives guaranteed to solve ‘my’ problem. Once she thought she had finally found something to take the place of my three pillows. I’m not sure exactly what it was, some kind of goose something, but my verdict after really trying hard was simply: Not even close! (The pillowcases are a completely different subject that will have to wait for another day!)

Laugh if you will but I once packed an extra suitcase for a couple of my pillows for a week spent in New York City. And, I also once shed a tear or two after I left a couple of them in a hotel outside of Dallas but they never were able to identify them and have them returned even though I agreed to pay for all shipping and handling. Obsessed? I wouldn’t call it that but you might. As the years roll by my pillows lose feathers. It’s sort of like the socks in the dryer deal. Where they go no one knows. But with the pillows, they do tend to shrink and that’s why the ongoing repair is needed.

I somehow handed down this trait to one of our three sons. Fortunately, he was willing to part with one from his stash after I lost the others. My wife was able to combine all that we had into the three I currently use. The real challenge now is to make them last as long as I can because I think we have exhausted our supply. (If it happens to go the other way and I go before they do, that solves the issue once and for all!)

The point here is we all have our own quirks. We can tolerate these because in the grand scheme of things they really don’t matter. God would have us to put up with each other’s differences that fall into this category. You like your steak turned into leather, I like mine medium rare. Who cares? While there may be a countless variety of these types of peculiarities and preferences, this doesn’t mean there are no ironclad, absolute truths that cannot be changed or altered for anyone or for any reason whatsoever. Those fundamental truths are the ones we live by and the ones that assure us that God is who He says He is and He can be counted on to always be for us and with us, forever, and ever, Amen. More later…………

I was able to get up. That makes it a good day.

I am way behind my regular schedule today. I came down with one of those sudden on-set summer colds that has pretty much zapped me. I did make it to Church last evening but when got back home I crashed, the combination of tiredness and the Benadryl put me into a lights out mode. Our neighbor hollered over to us the other day to be careful because they have found the West Nile Virus carrying mosquito in our area. You do know they particularly like the younger kids and us older folks. I should be a prime candidate. It is Thursday, May 23, 2019, and I do hope you are well. I went to my dentist yesterday to get the long-awaited crown. It must take them a while to grow porcelain. The crown fit perfectly but the dentist said it did not fully protect the root canal, thus, a new one will have to be made. Oh my! No crown for me today! It reminded me of those Soup Nazi episodes of 'Seinfeld' where the chef who made this highly sought after soup would only serve it to those he deemed deserving. "No soup for you!" The dentist appeared to be slightly miffed by the situation since his assistants do all the impressions and prep work. The outcome? Go back to square one. Give me the shot to deaden it. Again. Take the tool and polish off some corners. And, then the torture chamber part. It takes about 15 minutes to get a new impression. Don't they know I have a form of claustrophobia that makes me very anxious having to be totally still and incapacitated? I don't think they realize that. (I'm not sure they want to know that.) The assistant said she would do her best to improve the turnaround from the normal three weeks to two weeks. I left feeling the impact, "No crown for you!"

This is how I felt clearing the yard debris.

Other than aching all over more than anywhere else, I feel reasonably okay today. And, like the Christian comedian Mark Lowry said, "My favorite verses in the Bible begin with 'and it came to pass' because that means it didn't come to stay." Yep. That's how I feel about this allergy laden bombardment I suppose blew in with all the wind we've been having lately. We have enough trees around to make our yard look like a debris field after a day of 30 mph plus winds. My wife is a stickler that these discarded limbs and leaves be picked up. My approach? Do my best to pulverize them all with the mower. Yeah. I know. It does cause some stress on the mower and those sounds are pretty bad, but, it is a time saver. Good question? What else to I typically have to do? We did get the yard mowed yesterday and yes, everything was picked up first. This past Tuesday, the wife had her Bible study here in our home. I volunteered to clear the debris because she likes for everything to be nice and clean when her ladies arrive. I volunteered. Does anyone know if those back rubbing products actually help? Just kidding. Because what else do I have to do? Right?

I do hope everyone out there has a really terrific day. The wife said something about us walking at the Big Mall later this morning. I am mulling that one over. I will need to make a decision soon. It's always interesting to see the stores that are closing at the Big Mall and that fact is juxtaposed against all the new storefronts being constructed at the Big Mall. It most likely has to do with timing and location, but, to a layperson, it looks like grabbing a vacated space would be less expensive. The Big Mall in our area continues to have a lot of people there. In the Mall. My observation says there are more people milling around in the Mall than they are people in the stores. The parking lots may be nearly full but you don't see people actually shopping the stores. Maybe they are walking. Or, visiting the food court. But, these stores are closing for a reason. You knew that already. Have a great rest of the day and I will see if I can nurse myself back to a level of health commensurate with it being back in the tolerable range. I am thankful for God's provisions. I hope you are too. Amen. ....More later.

"The hindsight bias of "the good old days" is a psychological fallacy we have internally and socially constructed to avoid the reality of the daunting present and future. It parallels the idyllic lives of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the fall of man. It's highly unlikely that we've experienced life like that, and even more importantly, "the good old days" aren't going to help us with our problems, now." ~ Ryan Fan, Emory University

Hello and welcome to Wednesday, May 22, 2019. It's another day here in the neighborhood. I 100% get it because I am a sucker for the vintage photos that depict life 'back in the day'. The scene is typically one of tranquility and peace. The view of the old front porch or the little creek so beautiful it looks like a painting. I am one that enjoys a visit to the 'good old days'. However, truth and reality have a way of helping to put our wishfulness into a context and perspective. I remember some of those times spent on the porch. It was so hot you had to take turns finding the next breath of air. You knew you needed to use the flyswat to kill some of those pesky critters but you didn't want to expend the energy and you figured they would die anyway from the heat. As for that creek bank, the mosquitoes there were large enough for you to tell your dog to go back home lest he be carried away. And, what about one of those aggressive water moccasins? See one or two of those and your hankering for swimming dried up in a heartbeat. Those realities don't keep me from visiting my past, but, they do remind me there are no perfect places or perfect situations in this fallen world we live in. I have wonderful memories of growing up in a 'Mayberry' world, yet, they are tempered by the bad stuff everyone deals with in life. I was reminded of this the other day when someone was encouraging people not to be too quick in deciding because they think the grass is greener over there. This person reminded us all of the Irma Bombeck book/quote: "The grass is always greener over the septic tank."

That brings up a memory. We had a dug septic tank in the home I grew up in. It had a field line to deal with the sewage. It was an ongoing project to keep all of that working as it should. It's never a good day when a neighbor tells you that based on the smell they think your septic system needs some attention. I often was an enlisted helper when my grandfather would go out to see what could be done. That stuff rarely shows up in those back home photos. I could go on and on, but, the truth is we can only make a difference in the world we are currently living in. Think about it. It nearly hit 100 degrees here this week and the feels like was 100. That sure makes having air conditioning a real blessing. Back in those 'Mayberry' days, I used to lay in bed at night and pray for a long freight train to come rolling by to distract me from smothering from the heat and humidity. And, no, that doesn't change my thoughts about the positives that existed back then. I spent the night one time with a fellow who had one of those early model loud clanking window A/C units. You mean people sleep in the summer in a room so cold you have to cover up? Yep. They did. I suppose had I not experienced that I wouldn't have known I was missing out on something. I believe old timers tell us to realize how those minor difficulties helped to build character. I'm not so sure. They did make us wish for a freight train because it was so hot. Just saying.

Why did I decide to write about his subject today? Remembering President George W., perhaps I see myself as it relates to my blog as the 'decider in chief'. Actually, I don't really know exactly how I decide these things. I did see that posting about the greener grass the other day and I suppose that's what triggered today's thoughts. Let me be clear. The Bible teaches that we should not take lightly the past, especially when it relates to a time of walking with the Lord and serving Him. Here is the inspired advice from the Lord through the Prophet Jeremiah: "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." (Jeremiah 6:16) There is always a reason to go back to the Lord and His ways. Always. Often we see our personal preferences as being equal to the old paths. We need to really examine that one because if we truly evaluate it, that's not even close to being true. The old paths referred to by the Prophet was when Israel was right with God and walking in His ways. That would be something we all should ponder, including yours truly. Have a great rest of the day and may God bless each one. Amen. ...More later.

Excerpt from a review of the finale of Game of Thrones in the Washington Post by their TV Critic, Alyssa Rosenberg, "As a fan of the TV show, I felt battered into submission. This season has been the same story over and over again: a lot of tin-eared writing trying to justify some of the most drastic story developments imaginable, as quickly as possible."

Okay. I do have an excuse. We had a house full of kiddos and one of them was on a blow-up in my office, so, I waited for him to go to school which made my desktop available. It is Tuesday, May 21, 2019, and I suppose I should be feeling sorry for the fans of a show called Game of Thrones. It plays on HBO and I have never seen one episode. I have, of course, seen the photos and various coverages over the years, but, I could not even begin to explain what it is all about. I know they typically look like characters from the Vikings period and there are dragons involved. My point? The finale was last Sunday evening. Some 19.3 million folks watched it. I don't know exactly why but the fanbase went bonkers on Monday morning because they were so disappointed in the last show of the series. Social media was zonked with all of their lamentations and threats. Many said they would cancel their subscription to HBO. Here I am, knowing nothing about the show, but, the meltdown of the fans, well, that was a pretty interesting thing to behold. One video that was posted was of a young lady who was trying to explain her sadness but you couldn't really understand her because she was sobbing so loudly. I also saw where a counseling group had set up a fee-based service just for those who were not able to cope. Their help was to be doled out by the minute and it included for an extra fee a Skype or FaceTime session with a practitioner to help soothe the troubled heart and mind. I remember the day Elvis died and all the tears flowing in downtown Houston. I'll never forget one of the metro buses came by and a lady had her face against the window and it was fogged up and wet from her sobbing. I think maybe this Game of Thrones situation was something akin to that. Like I say, I was not a watcher of the show, but, I am definitely a watcher of the culture.

I don't want to send a wrong signal here. We do try to watch our favorite programs too. We are fans of NCIS and we do watch it in its regular run and even see many of the reruns. We are also fans of many of the Masterpiece series on PBS. We tried to catch all of the Queen Victoria series and many others as well. Our most recent favorite is the cop show, Live PD. I mention this so that I'm not picking on the Game of Thrones fans. I would hope that I could move on if any of the series I watch ended. Speaking of attachments, we recently had lunch with some old friends we had not seen in a number of years and the conversation turned to our new puppy, Mr. Bentley. The lady told us how she was devastated when they had to put her dog down a few years ago. She had a serious issue with depression and anxiety as a result. I am very fond of our new pup, but, I do not want to get attached to the level that I could become disabled if something happened to him. I can remember growing up, we always had dogs around. They lived outside. We lived inside. We fed and watered them. They were never mistreated. However, when one of them passed away for whatever reason we moved on down the road. I'm not sure how my story will play out with Mr. Bentley, but, I do hope I can maintain some sense of balance. Just me. You do it the way you think best.

I say that because I am the one who has made it clear for the past 40 plus years that I did not want an animal of any kind. And, especially, one who would be kept in the house. Trying to be honest here, I did, on occasion, say I would enjoy having a dog that loved to ride with me in the old pickup. Obviously, we have become examples of those who were thought of as being strong in our determination not to ever have a dog, but, nonetheless, we have Mr. Bentley now. A lady recently told her daughter-in-law who was visiting from Michigan, "These are the people I told you about. No one would have ever believed they would have a dog. Now they are crazy about their little Mr. Bentley." I cannot deny the truth of that statement. Mr. Bentley is that dog who loves to ride in the old pickup. If I leave his leash off and rattle my truck keys he flips out. He knows he is going to ride in the truck. I unlock the passenger side and he jumps up into the cab. He then has his front paws on the dashboard waiting for me to come around to my side. When I get in he is all over me waiting for me to get the window down and get buckled in. We drive around the subdivision and he lays his front paws on the window frame and sticks his head out to catch the wind. He loves it. The wife says this is why he is spoiled rotten. It does make a body wonder. It really does. Have a great rest of the day and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.

“What do dogs do on their day off? Can’t lie around – that’s their job.” – George Carlin

The Wife's pup, Mr. Bentley, with his primary caregiver.

Happy Monday everyone on this May 20, 2019. A missionary friend in Kenya we know put up a question since they will be returning to the states soon. He wanted to know the worst traffic spots in and around Houston. I didn't respond, but, if ever there were a time when I thought 'all of the above' was appropriate, that was it. But, I'm sure some folks think some areas are worse than others. He will find out soon enough when he gets back. That traffic is probably what did in my brakes on my pickup truck. Fortunately, I have a lifetime warranty on the brakes. Not so fast bucko! The warranty covers the brake shoes only. The truck has 190,000 miles on it and I've spent very little out of pocket on it, therefore, I am not complaining in general, just in specifics. The national chain brake place I went to checked the entire system. Then I receive phone call number one, "Good news sir, your brake shoes are covered 100%. However, there is labor and other parts. Right now the estimate is $281.00." My response, "Okay, call me when it is ready." Now came phone call number two. "Sir, the right front rotor appears not to be able to be resurfaced anymore, therefore, it has to be replaced, and we do need to do caliper maintenance as well. The updated cost is $513.00." My response, "Okay, call me when it is ready." I knew I needed to have my brakes repaired. Had I taken it when it first started being noisy I likely could have saved some on the repairs. Procrastination can be costly. Of course, there are other motivational influences at work as well. Me, "Let's just go in the truck." The Wife, "I don't want to go anywhere in that truck. It squeals so loud it is embarrassing."

I have my crown installation scheduled for this upcoming Wednesday. The temporary they put on began to come apart last week. I thought I could hang on until a few more days but the edges became so sharp, my tongue thought I had inserted a razor blade into my jaw. I sent a text to the dental office on Thursday evening and was able to get in early Friday morning. It may have been the ice I was crunching on, or the key lime hard candy, or the popcorn, or who knows what? At any rate, the temporary had to be replaced with another temporary. Such is life. And it all falls into the category of, "It's always something." Many, many years ago, when Saturday Night Live was watchable, they had a character on the show named Roseanne Roseannadanna played by the now deceased Gilda Radner. Typically, during the forth and back on the news segment, Roseanne Roseannadanna would eventually say, "Well, it just goes to show you, it's always something — if it ain't one thing, it's another." We haven't watched that show in at least 10 or 15 years. Why? It has become, like so many others, a shill for the far left in pushing that agenda. Back in the day, they made fun of politicians but without the hate. The clips I see pretty much feature hate as what they are pushing these days. But, Roseanne Roseannadanna was on to something and I've found her insight to be very astute because it is, my friend, when it is all said and done, always something.

John 3:16 in the Russian Bible.

Thanks for showing up for today's 3,071st episode. Gunsmoke only had 635 episodes and I think it still holds the record. One of our favorites, NCIS, has been on eleven years and it has only racked up 377 episodes. I'm just messing around. They, of course, have millions watching their shows and millions more watching their reruns. I have some 230,000 pageviews for my 12-year run. That is minuscule comparatively speaking. That is just on the blog site itself and doesn't count the daily distribution I send out to folks on my email version. I started out with a decision not to add sponsors or do other types of promotion that can pump up the pageview statistics. I also know that much of the traffic I've had is tourist trade where they actually landed on my blog by accident. I do use a lot of images and many searching for images might just end up on The View From Here. That's okay because God can use even an accidental landing to speak to someone. Remember the story? The Russian engineer was working many years ago on a tunneling project in Iraq when he saw this inscription written on the side of the tunnel: John 3:16. He couldn't get it off his mind and when he returned to Russia he researched and found it to be a Bible verse. He located a Bible, read it for himself, and was gloriously saved. We know and serve a remarkable God! What say you? Amen. ....More later.

New Heart English Bible "For, 'Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Romans 10:13)

Today. That's the one we have before us and it's the only one we can do much with, as in, one day at a time. It is Friday, May 17, 2019, and I bid you welcome to today's episode. Here's a story I wrote about twelve years ago. I am thankful for God's provision through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ:

(May 16, 2009, The Power of the Gospel): I received a phone call Monday night from an African American pastor friend of mine informing me that a young man in our inner city Bible club had been tragically killed. While I was talking to him the local news came on and I saw a picture of the eleven-year-old on the screen. I immediately recognized those bright eyes and his broad smile. The pastor was telling me that at our last Bible club meeting this young man attended he had prayed with one of the coaches and confessed Christ as his Savior and Lord. According to the news account, this young man had been with a group of boys hanging out around a neighborhood and a homeowner thought he would scare them by pointing a shotgun at them. He said he didn’t know it was loaded but it discharged, shooting the eleven-year-old in the back and killing him instantly. I thought about how tragic and how sad. At the same time, I thanked God for the Bible club ministry we have been involved in for many years. Going every Tuesday evening during the school year and working with children who often are not the most well behaved can be challenging. Being honest, I will admit at times I’ve wondered if we really are making a difference. The children we minister to in this program are well aware of how fragile life is. Most of them live in an atmosphere that’s hard to describe. My way of picturing it is by saying they often live in what appears to be an unending episode of Cops. We come each week and provide game time competition, songs, a Bible lesson, memory work, and a time of one on one counseling. What a blessing it is to pray with these little ones as they share their struggles, hurts, and concerns! Each week we present the good news of the Gospel as simply as we know how. We tell them that God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son to die on a cross to pay for the sins of every person and that whoever responds by believing in His Son becomes His very own child and will live eternally with God forever and ever, Amen. I can tell you from firsthand experience there’s power in this message even as it goes forth to an eleven-year-old boy. ~

My dear friend, Bro. Kim Williams, the African American pastor, later was able to speak to many hundreds at that boy's memorial service. He shared that same Gospel with them. It is the Good News because it tells a lost and dying world how they can be made right with God and live eternally with Him, forever and ever, Amen. That account of what happened twelve years ago shows the power and provision of God, therefore, I am not going to muddy up the waters with anything else for our time together today. What a story! What a God! Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. As God provides, I plan to be with you come next Monday morning. Until then, may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.

"The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters" (Psalm 24:1-2)

As the song says, "And the beat goes on." So it does. It does so today on this Thursday, May 16, 2019. If I happen to be out driving in the morning I always listen to Dan Celia on the radio. He hosts a program called Financial Issues on the American Family Radio channel. Everyone knows we are at odds with China right now regarding trade issues. China has enjoyed an unfair advantage in our markets for many years. This has not been dealt with in the past because of wanting to keep prices as low as possible. President Trump wants to even the playing field and has recently started taking actions to see this happen. This has the stock market and all the financial markets spooked. Dan, talking about this, made these points. Our economy is still the envy of the world. We have the strongest job market in over 50 years. The mainstream media is selling panic and fear. This is due to their bias against President Trump. The Democratic Party wants farmers to be hurt. Trump won them in the last election and the Democrats don't want that to happen again. The reporting has been done breathlessly as if a Depression is at hand. However, the stock market rebounded on Tuesday morning as investors had time to digest the news. This trade situation is serious. China is playing hardball right now because they do not want to give up the advantages they have. We will see what will happen, but, Dan's message is to stay focused on the positives and do not let the mainstream media cause you to act in a way that will end up hurting your investment strategy over the longer term. My take: Dan is a man of God. He has a proven track record in offering Godly advice to people regarding the management of the financial resources God has blessed them with. I believe him, as opposed to the doomsday headlines bombarding the airwaves today.

Even though the mainstream media no longer denies their bias against President Trump, it is still amazing how many people buy whatever they are pushing, hook, line, and sinker. (Hook, line, and sinker is an analogy to fishing tackle where a fish can be deceived and in so doing it would swallow it all, hook, line, and sinker.) They are able to use their platforms to shape public opinion. They are rarely held accountable for the information slant that misinforms and misleads. I know it sounds like I am a voice for our current president. I am not! HOWEVER, I am AGAINST any and all who would further degrade the values that made our country, by God's grace and provision, the greatest to have ever existed. That's right. Sure. It would be better to be FOR something rather than having to choose to be AGAINST all the time. I get that, but, reality isn't a fairy tale, it is what we have to deal with in the real world. The direction promised by any of those who will run against President Trump in the next election cycle makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. That is the world I live in. Others see it differently. Thankfully, we are all still able to make up our own minds. The bottom line, while there is not so much good to be proud of, there is a great evil at work that compels us to take a stand. My thoughts only.

I appreciate the advice, but, I actually am not needing to take a time out, count to ten, or breathe deeply until I calm down. Hopefully, I am not angry as much as I am concerned. One reason I can express myself as I do is that the foundation of my view is grounded in God who created all things. Regardless of the way people interpret current events, regardless of how they decide to vote, regardless of how our country is shaped going forward, God still has the final say on it all. Given that truth, why would we be so concerned? Good question. We have children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who will have to make it in what we as a nation become. I am burdened for them and for all future generations. Yes. I am aware of the Scriptures that tell us there will be a falling away and rejection of God and His Word before the end. This will usher in God's judgment. At the same time, He has provided for us to come before Him with those things that burden our hearts. This is what we do. This is who we are. Now you know. I think you already knew but I threw it out there anyway. May God help us to be those who do take a stand. Amen. ....More later.

I can't claim to be prolific, but wordy, yeah, and then some!

Today would have been my baby sister, Kayla's 66th birthday. God had a different plan for her life. She succumbed to Leukemia and went home to glory in June of 1979. That was young in years and I've been around quite a few folks in my time and I will say this about our Kayla. The way she dealt with and handled her illness along with her testimony for her Savior and her faith in God ranks up there with the faith champions mentioned in the Bible. She did leave behind her girls, Stacy, Kelly, and Marybeth to carry on her legacy. We honor her memory on this, her birthday. Amen.

Good morning. Another survey and another finding for us to consider on this Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Coffee. Again? Yep. They just can't leave it alone. This latest one tells us the optimum number of cups per day should be five. The news readers I saw reporting this latest information seemed to question if that could be correct. I know why they would feel that way. Coffee is really bad for you. Coffee is really good for you. Coffee is okay but only if you are very careful about how much you drink. Coffee may be linked to heart disease. Coffee helps prevent heart disease. When I saw that report on the news the other evening it really didn't do much for me. There will no doubt be a new one coming to a newscast soon that will alter those findings. By the way, I looked up the survey that said 5 cups and was impressed with the number of people included in the survey. The number they gave was 347,077. Not 347,000 or over 347,000, but, exactly, 347,077. I'm not sure what that means in terms of the validity but they did call it massive. It said it listed the benefits to be experienced as a result of taking in 5 cups per day. I didn't read it because, like I say, stay tuned. Oh yeah, I did see another headline that indicated the 6th cup brought about a 22% increase in the risk of a heart-related issue. Five standard cups at 8 ounces each would equal 40 ounces per day. Since my intake size is maybe 4 ounces or less because of how strong I make mine, well, do the math. I should be taking in 80 ounces to get the full 5 cup benefit. That's just a lay person's interpretation so you might want to use something a wee bit more scientific to guide your individual consumption.

Last Thursday, May 9th, marked my 12th year of this seemingly perpetual blogging adventure. On that anniversary day, last week, I published my 3,065th episode. Here, once again, is how it all got started:

May 9, 2007

Well, it took me over sixty years to get here and as Yogi Berra reportedly said, "You sure can observe a lot just by watching". That observation stuff, however, can be both good and bad especially if you are determined not to revise any of it, that is, if that's possible since reflections and memories over time tend to take on a life of their own as they all become fused together. Some days it's "Wow, I can't believe the life I have enjoyed!", while another day might be, "Hey, I'm not sure I can make one more day!". This is how it works in the so-called real world and we have trouble because the roller coaster ride can start without notice at anytime even right smack in the middle of one of those really great days and suddenly you find your heart pounding and breath interrupted by the crashing ride. Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic but with age, maturity, family, more family, relationships, issues, challenges, and chaos all around, it can be quite daunting.

However, I call this blog The View From Here because when it's all said and done, it's the way I see it. You most likely see it differently but that's what blogging is all about. We can speak from our viewpoint, our way of interpreting all the things we have to deal with, and in general, the viewfinder through which we see the world, and especially our world.

One final thought in this opening monologue: I know that without God as the foundation of my life through my identity with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, there would be little hope in all the ups and downs encountered in this journey called life.

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, this activity has consumed a fair amount of my time. When I started I was closing in on my 61st year and now I'll soon land on the square marked Number 73. I am so thankful for those who have read along with me on this journey from the get-go, and for those who have joined along the way. I do continue to receive feedback from time to time and I appreciate the comments. Short of what I said in my first blog, I really have never had a 'plan' for what I do in the space each day. It comes down to: Sharing. That's it. Just sharing. Thanks again and may God continue to bless as we pursue the life He has given to us. Amen. ...More later.

"A mother understands what a child does not say." ~ copied

Good morning and welcome. It is Tuesday, May 14, 2019, and I am here to tell you no matter what you do you cannot please everyone. I saw a rant before Mothers Day on Facebook where the lady was going off on the comparison of Muffins with Mom versus Donuts with Dad. She went on and on about how moms do all the work and they end up with pitiful muffins and dad does very little but he gets donuts. Really? You must be hurting if you think that to be a legitimate complaint. We had a Muffins with Mom celebration at our local Church and the spread they put on was nothing short of amazing. They had every type of pastry imaginable, fruit, yogurt, you name it. There were many hundreds there and the foods just kept being replenished. We were so thankful our youngest, Rodney, was able to come and enjoy this time of fellowship in honor of his mom. Mothers Day evening we were able to meet up with our eldest, Chris, and his family along with our middle son, Jimmy, for a time of celebrating moms at a local eatery. We were there for nearly two hours. A good day. I didn't hear the wife say anything about being slighted by the Muffins with Mom recognition.

Many of you recognize how the greatest of gifts are not material in nature. I can assure you, the wife was overjoyed to be with her boys. That reminded me of some gifts I have given over the years that ended up transcending the value of the object given. I remember the time I bought Paw Paw Mac a new 12 gauge shotgun. He had been having trouble in his squirrel hunting. He dearly loved Granny Mac's fried squirrel smothered in gravy. It was the Christmas of 1966 and I had put a 36" goose gun on layaway for him. When I gave it to him, his eyes glistened and he said, "Son, with this gun all I will need is their address because I can just reach up to where they live and knock them out." Early on in our marriage, we lived pretty close, financially speaking. We ate a lot of rice and beans along with homemade biscuits. I was working two and three jobs and I had slipped around and bought the wife a Helbros watch. It wasn't expensive. I wanted it to be a surprise so I waited for us to have the big family Christmas gathering on her side. I put the gift in the pile. When they handed it to her they told her it didn't have a name as to who was giving it to her. She opened it and immediately bust out balling. She had nearly everyone there crying before it was over. An inexpensive watch but what a response! No wonder Jesus as quoted by the Apostle Paul, said, in Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (I have many more that came to mind. Maybe I will share some of them later.)

Our youngest sent his mom a note on Facebook that is going around right now. It said this, "Sorry mom for all the dumb things I did growing up. The good news is that you don't know the half of all I did." Essentially, there is a ring of truth for us all in that little ditty. We are not proud of everything we have done in our past and we are thankful they are not of public record. I was never a full-fledged delinquent but I certainly ran with some fellows who qualified for that distinction. We had a lot of fun times and we had times that I was glad my mom never knew anything about. I know some folks are proud to share a lot of those kinds of things, but, for me, I am thankful that God has forgiven all my sins, past, present, and future. If He had not, I would never be able to stand in His presence. He did that on the basis of the price paid by my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I mentioned this because when I attempt to sift out stuff to share, I am often reminded of my sinfulness. Some might say it was a long time ago. Some of it. True. But, it is an ever-present potential that we all need to recognize and seek God's help. Even on our best day. Okay. I suppose I couldn't help but end with a brief sermonette. Thanks for tuning in and may God continue to work on each one of us to make us into an object of excellence that brings honor and glory to Him. ("His workmanship".... Ephesians 2:10)  Amen. ....More later.

“The past beats inside me like a second heart.” ― John Banville

We've really had some rain over the past several days. My guess is that we, just here in our corridor, have received at least 10" or more of rain. It is Monday, May 13, 2019, and we are thanking God there was not more damage than was experienced. And, yes, we've been there and done that with Hurricane Ike, so, we are well aware the hundreds of homes that were flooded is no laughing matter. I did see one fellow's concern posted on Facebook that brought a smile. It went like this. "The power has been off most of the night. We will not be able to make coffee. The wife will wake up. I am very afraid." I can identify with his sentiment. Not regarding my wife since she doesn't drink coffee, but, it hits pretty close at home when I think about me, myself, and I. Last time we lost power for several days immediately following Hurricane Harvey, I was able to use our neighbor's electricity to make coffee. Our son, Jimmy, carried my Keurig over to her house. He would brew me a cup and then microwave it so that it would still be piping hot when he got it back to our house. I was very appreciative of being able to keep my coffee routine going. Speaking of that, I recently made an order for another 180 of the individual serving pods, (comparable to k-cups). I noticed they had delivered the shipment, but, we couldn't find it. I called Community Coffee. You typically get a Cajun or someone with a thick Louisiana accent. They apologized and said they would track it with FedEx. She said when this happens it most likely was dropped off at the wrong address. Really? Mr. Bentley and I mounted a search team and we located a large box sitting at the front door of one of our neighbor's houses. He has been in rehab for many weeks, therefore, I checked the address on the box. It was my coffee. I had this big box of coffee under one arm and the leash in the other hand. Mr. Bentley found a lot of stuff in the neighbor's yard to distract him. I did finally get it to the house and was huffing and puffing. About that time, FedEx called to verify the situation. I told them I was just back from fetching the errant delivery. They were very sorry. I called Community Coffee and told them as well. My point? If the Community Coffee delivery is missing, a house to house search is in order.

I noticed that new little lake the rain gave to us near our house has quite a lot of activity going on. In addition to the ducks who must have thought they had landed in bug paradise, the frogs have also moved in. The other evening they had gathered together for a time of singing. They were very loud. It was quite the serenade. Talk about a cacophony of sound! I do my best to steer Mr. Bentley away from that bog because you just have to know the snakes cannot be far behind. Hopefully, the local fire department who owns that property will have some dirt brought in to fill up the low places. It reminds me of some of those river lakes we used to fish back home. The river would rise and when it receded it would leave a lake behind. This was a regular thing that happened and these left behind lakes even had names. As a kid, I would accompany my uncle who would take his canoe and fish those lakes. They typically had some fat perch in them and it was at one of those river lakes where I saw my first gator out on a log. It wasn't that big but I guess I had not realized they were in our territory at all. That first one was just taking in the sun out on a log and my uncle's philosophy was not to bother them if they weren't bothering you. I will admit that I kept a little closer eye out after seeing that first one. We also saw some huge turtles. My uncle warned me not to mess with them because they can take your finger off. He didn't have to worry about me messing with them or the gators.

Speaking of triggering a memory, the other day I stopped by the store to pick up some fruit. I saw they had a sale on strawberries for 87 cents per carton. I picked up a couple of them. When I got home I popped open one of the cartons and washed off some of the berries and tried them. Something was different about them. They were not sweet-sweet but they had a certain earthy taste. Then it hit me. They tasted like the ones my grandfather raised in his garden each year. The ones I would sneak out to eat when he was not around. I never could completely cover my tracks because he always knew I had been there and he used to tell my mom if she didn't keep me out of the garden we were not going to have anything to eat. That was because I loved eating just about everything out there. I loved the peas when they were young. I would eat them, pod and all. The same with butterbeans and young corn. Now that was a good memory. I do enjoy flashbacks like that. I hope you have some too. They do a body good. Enjoy the rest of your day and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.

Happy Mothers Day

Helping mom with her computer.

Today. It's Friday, May 10, 2019, and I want to wish every mom who connects with my blog a Happy Mother's Day. I'm one of those who was brought up surrounded by God-fearing mothers. It didn't stop there. I married one. My mother-in-law was one, and, so many I've known throughout my sojourn have been Godly mothers. There's really no way to value the immensity of this gift. As for my own mom, well, she was a legendary mom. Her life was marked by sacrifice and serving, and, we, her children were the direct recipients of her labor and love. I don't know exactly when I 'got it'. But, maybe in my mid-twenties, I was made even more aware of my need to honor my mom. I'm pretty sure it was a God thing because He has made that a commandment for us all. At any rate, when I got it, I began in earnest to do my best in every way possible to let my mother know how blessed I was because God gave her to our family. That went on for a long time because God granted her 93 years in her time here on earth. I miss her, but, I am too thankful for how God blessed me through her to be sad. She wasn't a perfect mom. There are none, no not one. She always was plagued with doubts about what she might have done better. However, I always told her, "Mom, you always did the best you could with all of your heart and I am so glad you are my mom."

We like a young Irish singer, Owen Mac. Here's a song he does in tribute to his mom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVu-Cw8amz8

Have a blessed Saturday and Sunday and may God continue to be with us all. Amen. ....More later.

"I Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now" ~ Song by the late Rusty Goodman

Hello to everyone who either tuned in on purpose or landed here looking for something in obviously the wrong place. Perhaps it isn't the 'wrong' place. Stick around. Who knows what might be in today's issue? I'm waiting around to see for myself. It is Thursday, May 9, 2019, and we continue the journey God has graciously provided to us. The other day I wrote some about dealing with the challenges associated with age-related forgetfulness. I understand based on what I have heard that I am not alone in dealing with this development. I know, for me, it can be very frustrating. At the same time, I am reminded of my late and dear brother-in-law, Bro. Milton, who lost his short-term memory after suffering a series of strokes. He was fully aware of his situation. But, he took it in stride and made it into a source of laughter. He never could remember what he had eaten at his last meal, therefore, he often requested the same thing for his next meal. His wife would gently remind him, "No, hun, we just had fried catfish for lunch." He would burst out laughing and then he would say, "Well, I do think I could eat it again." His memory had been messed up but not his sweet spirit. We all should hope to be able to deal with limitations in that way. Amen.

My wife Marilyn, their mom, and the sister Dorothy.

Speaking of the journey God has given to us, the other day I was talking with The Wife's sister's new husband. Both widows, they married last September. He was commenting on how wonderfully blessed he was to have married such a fine lady. I told him that one of the things I am glad I did was to be able on more than one occasion to thank The Wife's parents for raising up the girls they did. These sisters are so much alike, I think everyone knows that's why I call them twins born 18 months apart. They are both attractive. However, their true beauty really does come from the inside out. They were brought up in Church. They were brought up to serve. They were brought up in God's Word. Today, each of them has great influence in their circle of friends and loved ones. Interestingly enough, many of their individual friends have, over the years, become friends to both of them. I would say that is quite rare. The other day we had a memorial service for a dear lady we've known for nearly 25 years. The wife's sister came over for the service. She helped with the music. She told me she would have come just to be there because she loved that lady too. I told my new brother-in-law that out of all the blessings I've had in my life, certainly, my wife for these 54 plus years comes right behind my relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I understand his feelings. I get it. Thank You, Lord, for these wonderful ladies. Amen.

In the Psalm attributed to Moses, the servant of God, the 90th Psalm, he, via inspiration gives us this insight into the aging process, "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away." (Verse 10, as rendered in the New American Standard Bible, NASB) I know everyone zeroes in on the 70 or 80 mentioned here. Reading the great commentators from the past, the more important factor is to recognize the brevity of life as the writer makes clear in verse 12, "So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom." Many folks yearn for a long life. They are focused on doing everything they can to extend their time here on the planet. The truth tells us it is more about how we use the time given to us than how much time we have. It's also a reality check about the facts of life and the trouble and difficulties associated with living a long time. I close with a song that makes this point very clear:

In The Time That You Gave Me

In the time that you gave me, did I give all I could give
Did I love all I could love, did I live all I could live
Was my faith in your grace strong enough to save me
Did I do all I could do in the time that you gave me

In the time that you gave me did I face the devil down
Did I make him turn away every time I stood my ground
If today is the day you should decide to take me
Did I do all I could do in the time that you gave me

Oh and I'll never know 'til it's over
But I wanna fly on your shoulders
Might have strayed from the path
I might have gone a little crazy
I like to think I did you proud in the time that you gave me

Oh and I'll never know 'til it's over
But I wanna fly on your shoulders
Might have strayed from the path
I might have gone a little crazy
I like to think I did you proud in the time that you gave me

And as the hourglass empties, no it won't even phase me
If I did all I could do in the time that you gave me
If I did all I could do in the time that you gave me

Songwriters: Shawn Camp and Dennis Morgan

Look it up on YouTube. There are several renditions by different singers. One of my favorites is by Owen Mac, the young Irish singer. Until next time, may God help us all to focus on finishing strong. Amen. ....More later.

Theodore Roosevelt ~ "No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it." ~

Good morning folks. It's Wednesday, May 8, 2019, and we continue to try and figure out what we can do to improve Mr. Bentley's behavior. He has entered a wild and crazy phase where he can't resist any kind of mischief imaginable. Some have recommended obedience school, but, I'm not so inclined. I think he will learn. In time. Hopefully, before The Wife loses her mind. Just kidding. He can be frustrating. I used his photo because I've found that people are immediately drawn to pictures of animals and young children. And, to be honest, I'm not sure which one gets the most attention on social media. Since Mr. Bentley came home with us, I must admit that things have changed. He does require time and attention. Perhaps more than we expected. For some reason, I get blamed for him being spoiled. They accuse me of making excuses for him. I will tell you this. He does make me laugh. A lot. I'm no dog whisperer but I will say that dogs do tend to treat me differently these days. On Monday, I was outside the meeting place at the senior apartment home where we do our service each week. An elderly lady approached me with a small type of terrier on a leash. That little dog ran right up to me. I kneeled down and the dog licked my hands. (Yes, I am aware it could smell Mr. Bentley on me.) The lady said she was sorry but the dog's eyesight wasn't very good. All I can tell you is this. Prior to early January of this year, not too many dogs would be warming up to me, and especially not a blind dog. I guess Mr. Bentley had something to do with that. (He now wants to ride around the subdivision with his head out the window of my truck. At least twice a day. He drags me outside to let me know it is time for us to ride.)

The political front is both crazy right now and there's some stuff that we all need to pay attention to. The New York Times has been running a series of stories that, thus far, agree with President Trump in how an investigation was started into him and his campaign under false pretenses. You mean the NYT's would run a story like that? This is what I am talking about. We need to do what my granddad always told me to do. Use your noggin for something other than a hat rack. That is a good question. Why would they? Simply, these are likely leaked to them to try and get ahead of the coming inspector general's report of how all of this got started, and, the pending investigations that are also waiting in the wings. You see, the more than can get ahead of any of these headlines, it tends to dilute them when they come out, as being already seen and known. You know, there's nothing to see here. We already see people pontificating about how wrong it would be to destroy institutions the American people trust just to prove a point. Wait just a cotton picking minute. If the people high up in our government plotted to overthrow Donald Trump and his candidacy or worse yet, to cause him to be ousted as President, WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT! If that means the institutions are shaken, so be it! They are the ones that want the little folks to know that no one is above the law. Yep. It's time for them to practice what they preach. (My thoughts only. Just wanted to whet your appetite for what is coming down the road.)

I know about some of your concerns. And, just so you know, I do continue to take my blood pressure medicine. While I am now officially retired-retired, I have not completely lost contact with the craziness of the times we are living in. I hear those who hate the President say that we who claim to be Christians are destroying our testimony by supporting him. I understand their point since everyone knows he has not had the moral character one would want. However, when we consider the alternative(s), here is a word from Dr. John MacArthur, "One cannot be in fellowship with God and support any candidate who is for the murder of unborn children." To him, that is a show stopper, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. That would be just one example of the far left ideological drift that has become commonplace in those who would seek to unseat President Trump. They do have the mainstream media on their side. Please don't even try to argue otherwise. If that is not settled truth by now I can't imagine what would be. As many have pointed out, we do not vote for a pastor for America, we vote for a president. Unless a better candidate who shares many of the views that define my beliefs rises up, I will continue to vote against any and all who would see our nation move towards socialism and an even greater rejection of God's clear teachings. That's me. You, on the other hand, can make up your own mind. Believe it or not, I have folks who are close to me who see it quite differently. They actually buy into the false promise that somehow everything will be wonderful when we take from the rich and give to the poor. The rest of it doesn't matter to them. See what I mean? In the final analysis, each one must decide for themselves, with God's help would be my recommendation. May He bless each one and may He bless the United States of America. Amen. .....More later.