“Do not wait until you are dying to go on vacation. I think if I had to give you one piece of advice that would be it. We put things off. We do not mean to, but we do. We carry around the assumption that there is plenty of time to do whatever needs to be done.” – Marty Cauley

It's Wednesday, August 7, 2019, and I bid you a good morning and welcome to today's edition. We are not vacation people per se, but, occasionally we do make a trip here and there. I emphasize the 'we' here because the wife is known to go at the drop of a hat. At any rate, I am planning a little getaway the week of August 18. The immediate question is always, "Where are y'all going?" I'll explain. Back in the mid-1990s, we made a trip to Scotland. It was called a sample tour and we stayed in a different hotel every night for some 8 or 9 days. While we were a wee bit younger back in those days, I thought I would do it again, just for grins. Not to Scotland. This time we will be driving up to Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico and we will be gone 6 days and will be staying in 6 different hotels along our journey. Why this territory? It was mostly the projections for overnight lows which supposedly will hit in the high 40's while we are there. That means I can make myself a cup of Community and go for a walk in the cool brisk air in the wee hours of the morning. As important, there are a number of day adventures we will tackle. The wife likes to 'do' things. We will be taking a full day scenic train ride up into the mountains and back. And, other stuff like that. She told me she was excited about us making this trip. For me, I am adopting a wait and see perspective. I did the planning, the reservations, the details, therefore, that makes me 100% responsible. Yikes!

Our middle son Jimmy and his children, Christmas 2018.

We had planned on leaving the week before in honor of my 73rd year, but, I need to shoot some promotional ads for The Santa Enterprise before going on vacation. I do have to treat the Santa program as a business because I can assure you, the folks at the IRS do exactly that and then some! We have all inherited the tendency to have some pretty harsh feelings about paying our taxes. I do my best to pay mine as honestly as I know how. At the same time, I can't for the life of me figure out why they treat older folks the way they do. I have said many times they should award not punish older people who continue to supplement their retirement income with entrepreneurial pursuits. Congress has talked a lot about doing something since folks like myself are mostly penalized for any outside income. Why haven't they done anything about it? It really is quite simple. The MONEY, plus, there might be a good number of us retirees who have additional income, but, it's not exactly a large enough number to create enough pressure for them to act. Sure, they lament the fact that some of us continue to pay Social Security taxes, self-employment taxes, and regular income taxes, but, they need all the money they can get to pay the interest on the trillions of dollars of debt we have incurred to pay for things I don't even want to talk about. Okay. Rant over. Back to reality where I get to say again, I am thankful to be able to do what I do and yes, that includes paying what I do according to our absurd tax laws. Sorry. I could not resist. I guess my head went out on me.

Someone posted on Facebook their testimonial of having come through a lot of challenges and adversity, and they did so by quoting the words of the classic Frank Sinatra hit, "My Way". That song, written by Paul Anka champions self-sufficiency and was also a big hit for Elvis Presley. I may have enjoyed that song at one time but I have come to understand that I've only been able to do what I've done and to be who I am based on the grace and provision of Almighty God. I remember hearing a Christian crooner, Dave Boyer, who sang a parody of this song written by Riçhard Henrí. He entitled his version, "His Way" and the lyrics are worth our time:

His Way

And now, the end is here
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain.
My life has not been pure.
My heart desired to have things my way.
But life was at its best, when I did it His way.

My sins were quite a few,
But now they’re gone, no more to mention.
He did what He had to do
And saw it through for my redemption.
He planned my charted course,
Each careful step along my pathway.
That path was easiest, when I walked it His way.

Yes, there were times, I surely knew
When I turned my back on Him; it’s true.
But through it all, when I had doubt
He’d lift me up, so now I shout.
He faced it all so I could try to live life His way.

I've loved; I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill of my own choosing.
And now, it’s much more clear,
No longer so confusing.
To think He did all that
I boast of Him, not in a shy way.
And thank Him for the times when I did it His way.

For I’m only a man, what have I got?
If not for Grace, then I have naught.
I know the Truth and that it’s real
And before Him I gladly kneel.
My sin is gone and Christ lives on;
I must go His way! (pause)
(Sung slowly) Our sin is gone (pause)
And Christ lives on; (pause)
(Sung very slowly) Let’s do it His way.

That's my testimony and with God as my Helper, I'm sticking to it. What say you? Amen. ...More later.