Back to the basics.

Another day has dawned and we get up and express our thankfulness to God for it, on this Tuesday, March 31, 2020. I suppose we run out of ways to describe how we are making sense of what is happening to us in this country. We are unsettled, anxious, uneasy, and on some days we feel disturbed by the news reports detailing current conditions. Can people of faith have peace in their hearts while having these feelings? I think so. My faith is secure. My destination is assured, but, we are apprehensive as we deal with wave after wave of distressing news. Reading through the Psalms we notice how often David expressed his emotional condition as he dealt with a variety of issues and difficult circumstances. David often laid out his troubled heart and it came to be resolved when he recognized God's presence and provision. Be encouraged. God knows. God cares.

Psalm 69 New King James Version (NKJV)

An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Psalm of David.

69 Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my ^[b]neck.
² I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.
³ I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

⁴ Those who hate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.

⁵ O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.
⁶ Let not those who ^[c]wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be ^[d]confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
⁷ Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.
⁸ I have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother’s children;
⁹ Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
¹⁰ When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.
¹¹ I also made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.
¹² Those who ^[f]sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.

¹³ But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
¹⁴ Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.
¹⁵ Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

¹⁶ Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
¹⁷ And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.
¹⁸ Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.

¹⁹ You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.
²⁰ Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of ^[g]heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
²¹ They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

²² Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.
²³ Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.
²⁴ Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
²⁵ Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.
²⁶ For they persecute the ones You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
²⁷ Add iniquity to their iniquity,
And let them not come into Your righteousness.
²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
And not be written with the righteous.

²⁹ But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
³⁰ I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
³¹ This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
³² The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
³³ For the Lord hears the poor,
And does not despise His prisoners.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
³⁵ For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
³⁶ Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

Have a great rest of the day and may God bless each one. Amen. ...more later.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." ~ taken from the 20th division of the Psalms as rendered by the New Living Translation NLT

It's Monday folks, March 30, 2020, and another brand new work week is up and running, however, there are way too many of our fellow citizens who no longer have a workplace to go to. This is the direct fallout of the shutdown of our economy due to the Coronavirus. Different models produce varying responses in terms of predicting the timeline for this disease to peak and then begin to subside. The latest ones I have seen set forth the second week in April as when our country will experience the peak. The wife and I continue our self imposed quarantine as we attempt to do our part in not only protecting ourselves but, also in helping to stem the spread. We are doing our best to minimize any trips. The national and local government responses have sparked much debate regarding the level of control being exercised. Some think the lockdowns to be an invasion of our freedom. Others think the governing authorities should do more. I think, for the most part, they are doing what the so-called experts advise them to do. Many times this has been unchartered territory and that leads to either too much or too little. We have been called to pray for those who are making these decisions. Democrat, Republican, Independent, and any other designation, we pray that God would work in and through the governing process. Here is the inspired word of the Lord as given through the Apostle Paul writing to his faithful ministry partner, Timothy, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." (1st Timothy 2:1-7 as rendered in the New King James Version, NKJV)

Louisiana inspired survival kit.

Mr. Bentley decided he needed to go outside the other morning just after 2 a.m. That doesn't happen very often but he was adamant. I carried him out and we walked here and there as I waited for him to make up his mind when and where he would take care of his business. On the edge of the yard, we surprised two medium-sized armadillos. Mr. Bentley bowed up like he might do something to them. They have notoriously bad eyesight and so they started running. The problem was they were running towards us. That startled me a little since I was pretty much sleepwalking. Mr. Bentley continued to make noises and I jerked him out of the way and they headed for the woods next to our house. Later on, somewhere around daybreak, I was walking Mr. Bentley again and a huge robin sitting on the fence of our neighbor's yard began a song so loud it actually surprised me and I thought I might need some ear protection like they wear at the NASCAR race. He may have been warming up for the bird version of The Voice and he was only about 6 feet from me. I thought they were supposed to mostly go bob bob bobbin as opposed to trying to break the sound barrier. He must have sensed my lack of enthusiasm for his act and he, mercifully, flew off to find a better audience. I've seen that running of the bulls they do over in Spain but I didn't know we had the running of the armadillos right here in our area. The things that happen around this place. Something else, if you ask me.

Must be lots of ladies named Corona.

I heard someone saying that couples who are stuck at home during the pandemic should use their time to get to know one another better. We started dating in the summer of 1962. We were married in December of 1964. I appreciate the sentiment behind the suggestion, but, one of her favorite things to say over the years goes like this, "You are not fooling me, I know you like a book." (Be extremely familiar with or knowledgeable about; understand perfectly. ... The first of these hyperbolic idioms, dating from the early 1800s, has a close cousin in read you like a book, which means to discern someone's intent.) And, with us being connected just shy of 60 years on, I really can't argue with her assessment although if I recall I typically do argue. I will say this about that. We are now into our 3rd week of staying mostly at home and I can't really say exactly why but we have done very well together. There's probably a country song in there somewhere. If not, we may write one or two before this thing is over and done with. Something along the lines of, "We were close and happy but then Corona showed up and everything changed." I'll let you come up with a tune. You do know I am just having a little fun. Don't make too much fun of my songwriting since Corona is of Spanish origin and it is a name used for girls, meaning crown. See there? You actually do learn something new every day. Take care and may God bless us all. Amen. .....More later.

I am so thankful I was able to tell my sweet mother-in-law how much she meant to me before she made her way to heaven.

Good morning again, and welcome to Friday, March 27, 2020. I mentioned my mom yesterday and it reminded me of another remarkable mom in our family. In fact, yesterday would have been her 103rd birthday had she lived. She did have a very productive life of 81 years and made her way to her heavenly home back in 1998. She wanted God's best for her family and that could have been the reason why she wasn't sure about me back when we began dating in 1962. She had heard things. I can't deny them, however, I did put them behind me when I started dating her daughter much to the dismay of my old running buddies. It was nothing outlandishly bad, but, the threshold standard for good behavior was very strict back in those days. At any rate, she and I had a good long run together and she became one of the most influential women in my life. She was a prayer warrior. She prayed for me. She supported us during the good times and those that were very challenging. She was a woman of God. Never should anyone have ever underrated her intelligence or her ability. She could write up a storm. She wrote hundreds of poems and had some of them published. She could sew up a storm. She made hundreds of quilts and literally untold numbers of nick-knacks made out of fabric. She loved music. She could play and sing but she loved, even more, hearing her own children and their families singing together. She was a pastor's wife and that carried with it a lot of duties and responsibilities. Like I say, I have been blessed, my grandmother, my mom, my wife, her mom, and her grandmothers and they all played a role in helping me to become who I am today. Thanks be to God for Mom Rawles and her life. Amen.

We all need to find something to break the cycle of gloom that seems to be playing 24x7 around us. Here's something a wrote a few years ago about the power of laughter. ~ Title:

From a Peanuts Cartoon: Snoopy speaking to Woodstock, "You should get a job working in a tree." Woodstock appears to be ambivalent. Snoopy delivers the punch line, "You could be a branch manager, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!!!!"

The world marches on and most of us find ourselves doing somewhat the same as we embrace another day here on the planet. The way things are going these days, a whole lot of us find ourselves doing our best to cope. (Example: To face and deal with responsibilities, problems, or difficulties, especially successfully or in a calm or adequate manner.) It does help to maintain a sense of humor along the way. It really does. Laughter can be medicinal. That my friend is in the Bible. I want to share a few random quotes about laughter to help emphasize its value. Many of them are anonymous. “A laugh is a smile that bursts.” “Laugh as much as you breathe and love as much as you live.” “Nothing shows more of a man’s character than that which he laughs at.” “Earth laughs in flowers.” “The person who learns to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.” “Laughter is the shock absorber that helps ease the blows of life.” “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” “Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.” “Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of your heart.” And finally, the one quote that should make us all take note as found Proverbs 17, verse 22: “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” Let’s try not to have too many dried bones! Amen. ~

Example of a simple thank you.

I've written many times about us needing to let folks know how much we appreciate them and the contributions they have made to our lives. I once got very serious about doing this and I made a list and tried to contact each one to express my sincere appreciation. One fellow, in particular, was a supporter of mine when I was in high school. He went out of his way to keep me focused and motivated. He was one of those I sent a letter to many years after the fact. His wife told me after his passing how that letter was a prized possession to him and he showed it to many folks who visited them. See what I mean? What I said to him was the truth as I knew it, but, me saying thank you was huge to him. I was glad my folks knew how much I loved and appreciated them. I was glad my in-laws did too. The question is this: Are there folks in your life and maybe even some in mine who we need to thank God for and then to thank them directly? Sure. It must be genuine or it's not worth much. But, how easy it is for us to look back and find we didn't do it in time. They had gone on to their reward. That actually happened to a couple of those on my list. Just a thought. As far as I know, they are still picking up the mail so a card or letter might be a good way of making this happen. What a week it has been! We are praying that things will begin to get better soon. For everyone. I can hardly wait for the day when they tell us we can once again show up at the meeting place where we will all be together to worship our Great God! Together! Amen. .....More later.

Bob Dylan's song: Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you Is worth savln' Then you better start Swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin'.

Good morning and welcome. It is Thursday, March 26, 2020. I know that to be the case because I checked. This has become necessary as our days run together and we find ourselves more and more asking each other what day it is. We are aware that people are dying as a result of this virus outbreak. They are also dying for many other reasons as well. Because of all the containment protocols in place most families have opted for private burials and delayed scheduling of memorial services. Some are doing a service and streaming it online for family and friends. Funeral homes are scrambling to come up with ways to provide during these unique circumstances. I saw the report where Tillman Fertitta's vast empire of hotels, restaurants, and casinos have furloughed 40,000 of their employees. This reminds us we do live in a service economy. As corporations strip out costs and go into survival mode, the cancellations of projects and purchases produce a cascading array of negative impacts. What makes this situation different has to do with the range and reach since the global economy has essentially been parked and may stay that way for several months. We are now seeing the arguing and fingerpointing involving the tension between protecting people and keeping at least the pilot light on for the economy. Like I say, there is a uniqueness to the unique situation we find ourselves in. I know I sound like a broken record but I don't see any way through this without God's intervention and help. You may think you have a better answer. I don't.

Noah's flood stands alone in its impact on the globe. Given that, I looked up the most significant natural disasters in recorded history. The number one was the 1931 floods in China which killed 4,000,000 people. Others on the list were connected to volcano eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, blizzards, and one I remember from 2003, a heatwave in Europe that took the lives of 70,000. When you look at the 10 worst pandemics in history, this coronavirus is fairly tame by comparison. Here's the factoid on the worst: ~ Death Toll: 75 – 200 million. The Black Death. Cause: Bubonic Plague. From 1346 to 1353 an outbreak of the Plague ravaged Europe, Africa, and Asia, with an estimated death toll between 75 and 200 million people. Thought to have originated in Asia, the Plague most likely jumped continents via the fleas living on the rats that so frequently lived aboard merchant ships. Ports being major urban centers at the time, were the perfect breeding ground for the rats and fleas, and thus the insidious bacterium flourished, devastating three continents in its wake. ~ The world population at the time of this plague was estimated to be just under 500 million. The most lasting impact from today's pandemic may well have to do with the hardships that come as a result of the collapse of the worldwide integrated economy. I did not look at the deaths associated with wars that produce mind-boggling numbers as well. Sharing this information is nothing more than my feeble attempt to add some perspective. Nothing more than that.

Me showing mom how to do stuff on her computer.

I will tell you how impressed I am with how good some of the really older folks have become in using social media. They are keeping up with and distributing news from all over. They are sharing Bible verses, videos, cartoons, and other memes as well. I'm talking 80's and some even into their early 90's. I know I am officially designated as older given my threescore, ten, plus three years and counting, but, many of these folks have me beat by many years. I think it is great they are keeping themselves active and plugged in. Yes. I am aware they are pretty much the exception. It reminds me of how my mom up into her early 90's was always and forever my biggest fan and supporter of my daily blogs. Who would have ever thought she could have even learned how to open them up on the computer? But she did. She would often comment on them when I talked to her on the phone. I do not necessarily consider myself to be computer literate in the literal meaning of the term, however, I am thankful to be able to do what I am able to do using technology as a part of my everyday life. I'm not sure all old people should be taught how to copy and paste given the amount of stuff they send out, but, all in all, they do make us all proud. Amen. ....More later.

I think what we have here is my version of life imitating life.

Hello and welcome. I bring you greetings from our version of the frontlines here in our area, on this Wednesday, March 25, 2020. I showed up yesterday morning at the big box store at 5:50 a.m. They have designated a special time for those over 60 on Tuesdays before the regular store opening at 7 a.m. I thought, why not? I arrived to find a long line already formed outside the store waiting on it to open the doors at 6 a.m. I found my place and there were maybe 75 ahead of me. When the doors opened the front line got to the toilet paper and wiped it completely clean, no pun intended. I spent nearly an hour finding everything the wife had on her list. We've done without power due to flooding and hurricanes, we had to rebuild our home after Hurricane Ike, we know what it means to see some stuff cleared off the shelves but today was the first time in my lifetime I have waited outside of a grocery store so I could purchase food. The shelves were pretty much empty except I noticed the Easter goods were full to overflowing. When it came time to checkout, the only way to do it was via the scanning systems. Only one register was staffed and it was for 12 items or less. This set up one of the most beautiful comedic scenarios I have ever seen. All the elderly folks were hovering over the scanning devices trying to complete their purchases. Husbands and wives were working together. More or less. In some cases, a whole lot less as they argued forth and back about how to use the scanner. There was a line waiting to have their go at it. I had a basket full of stuff. The entertainment value was great and those behind me would continue to watch the show when I got to my workstation. It was an eerie experience but one that might end up being prophetic for us all.

We know this young mom who lives here in the Houston metroplex but she is from the same area of Louisiana where we grew up. We know her folks. The husband is able to work from home using a computer but with all the coronavirus stuff going on, mom and the three boys went back to Louisiana to wait out the situation. She posted on Facebook how overjoyed she was to be going home. She put up photos of the road sign designating them getting closer to home. She put up photos of the beautiful country road and home where they would be staying. She was now at peace. How wonderful. Fast forward to three days later and I see this posting, "Does anyone know of any highspeed internet availability in this area because we are dying here?" How quickly things change. From peace and tranquility to challenge and calamity. Having teenaged boys who are gamers no doubt played a role in this development. My point? You can go home but no matter where you are there will always be something. I know. That's not a very astute observation, but, it's the way I see it.

When we get angry we call it righteous indignation. If someone else gets angry we say they are out of control. If we are apprehensive about the times we are living in we call it Godly concern. If someone else seems to be nervous we call attention to their lack of faith. As I was at the store I thought about how money was not the solution for this situation. Maybe someone could have paid $100 dollars for the two packages of toilet paper in someone's basket, but, generally speaking, having money was not going to cause products to suddenly show up on the shelf. It reminded me of a very wealthy family, led by an unbelievably successful dad. The dad developed liver cancer. I heard the son talking about their plight. He said they had their private jet, they had millions to spend, and, they could go anywhere in the world to find help but alas, all of that together could not save their dad. I don't know what worldly things we are depending on today. Some of the supposed most certain have pretty much evaporated over the past few days. We who profess faith are rightfully reminding others that God will work it all out according to His perfect will. However, we are early into the impacts and things continue to deteriorate before our very eyes. I pray that when tested, we will maintain our testimony of faith in our God. I pray that for myself and for us all. Amen. .....More later.

Welcome to the place where I live, the fine state of Confusion!

It's Tuesday, March 24, 2020, and, I showed up again to repackage and re-sort what is mostly, at least at this late date, a continuous series of reruns. This sentiment is actually one that was stated in Holy writ, Ecclesiastes 1:9 "That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun." Those are the inspired words from Solomon who was recognized as being given the gift of great wisdom from God. I know many of you think I could use this time we have on our hands, being stuck at home, to improve my blogging skills. While I am the first to admit the vast amount of improvement that could be made, I'm afraid that from where I sit today, that ship too sailed some time ago. That doesn't mean I am not trying every day to produce a readable and hopefully interesting grouping of topics to send out. I just think what you see each day is pretty much what you have seen, are seeing, and will see, going forward. I used to spend time checking my own archives to see if I am repeating something I used before. That train has also left the station. I know it is polite to ask if you have already heard this one, but, in the blogging domain, I just have to fall back on Solomon's insights where even the new stuff I share isn't really new at all. If this opening paragraph is a little confusing, don't worry, it most likely is to me as well.

Mr. Bentley, "What can I say, they told me to smile big!"

Okay. Bentley here. Let me see if I can shake things up a little. I do love having my caretakers here with me. I really do. But, 24x7, every single day! Are you kidding me? I have to act up every once in a while to get them to put me in my kennel for a time out. Let's face it, we all need our space. Right? When I go outside to take care of my 'business' as they call it, well, where did everyone go? My neighborhood looks like a ghost town. I haven't bristled up and acted all ready to attack for some time now because no one has their dogs out. The other morning around 4:30 a.m., Mr. Bossman got all bent out of shape because I became fascinated by the hoot owl. What a voice that dude has! I thought I would stop and enjoy it for a minute, but, oh no, we need to get back in the house so he can get back to his laptop. I really don't understand his hurry, it's obvious he has nowhere to go. They seem to have begun watching more TV these days. Sometimes they try to get me to see something on the screen. I hear it all the time, "Look Bentley, look at the doggie." Really? I do occasionally hear a dog barking on TV and lookup. When I do you would think I had just won the Westminister or something. My thought is they really do have way too much time on their hands. I will concede he still takes me on my morning rides around the neighborhood but it's not really the same when everyone appears to be locked inside their homes. Maybe this will all be over soon. For the sanity of us all. I know they are praying about it. A lot. Until next time, keep those cards and letters coming. Not really, but, I heard him say that was a good closing. See you soon. Sincerely yours, Sir Bentley Barksalot, Esq., aka Mr. Bentley.

There continues to be a segment of our population who think it's okay to party during this ongoing pandemic. The experts are wrestling with why this continues despite all the curfews and curtailments. Simply put, they have come up with some reasons why, 1) Plain ignorance; 2) Selfishness; 3) A sense that sacrifice is needed but they are not in need of sacrificing; and the last one is a little more complicated, 4) We've never had to attach moral restraint to such common activities. Okay. I actually think there are more than these. I believe there are many who just continue to believe that most of the threat is hype, fake news, and, it does not reflect reality to them. This thinking does drive behavior. The more than 35,000 infected in our country and the deaths closing in on 500 are not taken seriously due to all of the above along with the age thing I talked about in a recent blog. Meanwhile, we older folks continue to shelter in place and hunker down, hoping those who are out and about do not bring it to our doorstep. Just within our Facebook friends circle, I've seen lots of Springbreak vacation photos, group gatherings, and things like that. I don't have an answer. Just thinking out loud. Do what? Turn the volume down and try not to worry about it. Good advice. Take care and know that God does. He cares. Amen. ....More later.

Talk about living each day in uncharted territory, but, we know the One who knows the way forward!

Hello and welcome back. The countdown continues. It is Monday, March 23, 2020, and, I do hope since we last visited you were able to get some spiritual nourishment from reading the Word of God, watching services online, or spending time with God in prayer. I was perusing some of the different obituary sites I monitor the other day and I noticed something. It was a photo of a fellow who had passed away. He had lived a long and productive life. The photo caught my attention. He looked like he was sitting in his favorite recliner and I couldn't help but notice he was wearing his Life-Alert necklace. The thought came to me how there is a time coming for each of us when we will no longer reach anyone at Life-Alert or 9-1-1. I'm not being morose here. It's a fact and his photo reminded me of that. For those of us who have been blessed with a good long run, well, we most likely have fewer days ahead of us than we have lived out in our past. The only thing that might preempt this event is the Rapture when Jesus returns and calls out His own, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (Inspired word of the Lord as found in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18) I do hear a lot of folks saying they want this to come now. I get that. However, we still have folks in our family that need to be included when this event happens so they will not have to go into and through the Great Tribulation. They can only do that by putting their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. That's my prayer. If and when they do, when He comes 'we all' will be ready. Amen.

The wife and I have become watchers of Netflix during this time of us being self-imposed homebodies. We have been working through the six seasons of episodes of the BBC/PBS series "Father Brown". It is a 'whodunit' mystery show featuring an amateur sleuth, Catholic Priest Father Brown. The series is actually in its 10th year now but Netflix has the first six. We've seen maybe 30 episodes over the past two weeks and we are just in the early time of the 4th season now. Good acting, excellent production values, and typically good stories are why we enjoy these shows. The ruse is one that is a well-known vehicle in the storytelling world. The amateur detective is at odds with the professional policing authorities, but, typically they are first to solve the mystery at hand. We also enjoyed the 'Miss Marple' series that had the same basic configuration and a whole bunch of others with similar themes. I haven't really tried to figure out why that particular set-up makes for good entertainment, at least to us. I'm sure some shrink somewhere might have some ideas about that. My guess is when they come to figure me out they would want to show up real early and plan on staying all day. Meanwhile, we will continue to enjoy them together.

Yesterday, the first day of the week, we got up and went through the preparations to attend services with our brothers and sisters in Christ at our local meeting place. The difference came when we climbed the stairs to watch the service on my personal computer screen in my home office. Someone had suggested this approach on Facebook as opposed to watching in our pajamas. We thought it was a novel idea and a welcome change from our routine of not having a routine, therefore, we did it. Our associate pastor taught a Bible study class at 9 a.m. from Romans Chapters 3 and 4, and at 10:30 a.m., a small worship team sang before our pastor brought a powerful, timely message from John Chapter 11. During the interlude between the two portions of our service, the wife called those she could reach who are in her Care Group. It was not the same as being together. No handshakes and hugs. No sweet fellowship and the things that God does when His people are physically together. We are believers in 'Church' in every sense of the word. We know we are the Chruch wherever we go, but, we also know God has ordained for His people to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior as we meet together. We miss that hands-on, but, we are thankful for the technology available that permitted us to attend virtually. We so look forward to when we can once again all assemble together in person. We know we are always blessed when we do. Amen. ....More later.

Hunker Down Friday, more of the same, keep at it until further notice.

Good morning to all my quarantined readers. It is Friday, March 20, 2020, and, I bring you greetings from where we are doing our best to stay put here at our home location. I know the word unprecedented has been used over and over to describe what we are going through with regards to the coronavirus threat, but, for most of us, it is different than anything we have ever experienced. I saw a special news conference yesterday where the youngest of those in positions of government were pleading with teens, and those in their twenties and thirties to heed the warnings about curtailing their movements and social engagement. The fact those ages have not been deemed high risk has caused some of them to operate mostly on a business as usual basis. One of the things said over and over was how no younger person wants to be the one who brings the virus to an older loved one. This staying home is not easy for any of us but for the younger ones, I can see why they are easily bored and feel like they have to get out and go. Add to that the feeling of invincibility we all had at those younger ages and you get the need to have these types of warnings. I will admit I wrestled with my designation of being in the at or high-risk category. However, when they announced the age groups I didn't have to check my driver's license to see where I landed.

In a somewhat similar situation regarding staying at home, here's what we were up to, twelve years ago: ~ On Saturday she announced that we should do something, together. We should? She said she knew that I was perfectly happy if we never went anywhere but she wanted us to do something, together. I had plenty of things already stacked up on my mental plate but I was agreeable to try and find something for us to do, together. I looked on the computer and found some of the usual suspects like museums, parks, and things like that. None of them appealed to her so we decided to look for a movie. I read about the movies showing in our area and concluded most of them were not suitable for viewing except for the new animated film, ‘Horton Hears A Who!’. I told her about my findings and we decided to go and see this movie. We were the only ones there with no little ones but I very much enjoyed this film. Can you spell s-e-n-i-l-i-t-y? ~

Based on what I am seeing on social media there's a whole lot of praying going on. For this area, the price of oil has everyone spooked. It hit below $20 a barrel day before yesterday. I checked it a few minutes ago and it was $25 plus some change. That, my friend, will devastate the oil industry and when it does it will have a vortex effect on all other businesses. How do I know that? I've lived through it in my working life at least four different times, but, not with prices this low. While some are hooping and hollering about the price at the pump, (even though they have nowhere to go), that low price euphoria will be shortlived and what follows will not be any reason to celebrate. I mention that as one example since an estimated 6.7 million oilfield workers could be laid off at any time. And, there are others. Restaurants. Fastfood joints. And, the entirety of the service economy is very much at risk. Maybe that's why so many are praying. Good reasons. I should join in. You should join in. We all should be calling out to God. Yep. It's that serious folks. But, He can. We can't. Amen. .....More later.

Sometimes nations make really dumb decisions.

Now it's Thursday, March 19, 2020, and we continue the journey. It's not the journey we were on just 10 days ago. In fact, the wife and I had a much needed, longed for, and greatly anticipated getaway planned for this upcoming weekend. It all had to be canceled due to the changed environmental issues being faced. Therefore, we are parked here at the house where we get our mail each day. The Corona Virus has brought to light many issues where we as a nation were discovered to be vulnerable. One in particular that I have read a lot about is our 80% dependence on China for the raw ingredients needed to manufacture our medications. China, at times, may be friendly with us for whatever reason they deem to be in their self-interest, but, they are not our friend. Never forget that! During the course of this pandemic, they have flexed their muscles and even threatened to use our dependence on them for raw ingredients as a weapon. Sure, they have done that before with all the debt of ours they own. They have done that during trade disputes. But, when we don't have alternatives to the means to treat and recover from disease because of this dependence, well, that makes it a national security issue. I don't know all the stories of how we got to where this is the current situation, but, I do know it has something to do with lower costs and the profits of those making the drugs and selling them. And, yes, it is a government responsibility since it is a matter of our ability to survive. Let me just say this about that. This is a really bad situation to be in. No way to make it better than what it is. It's bad. It will take time to change if it can be changed. I'm not spreading fear. Check it out. There are plenty of reputable stories out there reporting on this issue.

Now is the time for us to all use every means available to keep up with each other, to check on those who are most vulnerable, and to generally find innovative ways to minister to those in need. This past Tuesday evening I was a part of a video conference where Sunday school leaders met to map out ways to continue serving during these times of curtailed movement. It was led by our associate pastor and the neat thing was how we could all see each other as we discussed these important matters. Technology has come a long way and the particular utility used for this conference was very simple to access and use. I mention that because technology is one of the primary ways that can be used to stay in touch with our members. My class is an aging class. Some do not have the means to connect to a townhall type of video conference. Some do. Some are already using Facetime and other apps to talk with their children, grandchildren, or, their great-grands. Our main services will be reduced to live streaming since the current guidelines have greatly reduced the number of folks who can physically be together in one place. It comes down to using everything we can to continue our mission, to reach, to teach, and to minister to people. We have a fellow in the hospital. The hospital has more or less stopped all visitors except in very rare circumstances. I have been able to visit with him by phone, pray with him, and to encourage him. We all have those we can check on. You may have thought of someone when you read this. Call them.

One thing I have noticed is how the birds and other wildlife have not noticed we are in a lockdown. At the break of dawn, the birds begin their melodic welcome to the new day. The squirrels, and, we have a huge crop of new ones this year, they begin chattering forth and back and scampering all over the place. They got their memo from their creator and are going about their business as usual. I didn't go through the Great Depression but I was raised up by those who did. My grandparents were forever changed as a result and every day they sought to make do with what they had at hand. My mom was a young girl but she too came out of that time of distress with a different perspective which produced a lifelong commitment to her being frugal. We picked up a smidgen of their austerity and when the wife and I started out we got by on a lot less than we expect today. There's some truth to the old adage about not missing something you never had. Of course, things have changed over the years and God has blessed us with many of the amenities that define life today. Could we revert back and get by on a lot less? We would like to think we could but we will also be glad if it doesn't come to that. One thing we do know is how it is all in God's hands and whatever He chooses to do, it will be in keeping with His perfect counsel and will. He knows best even if His best involves some pain and difficulty along the way. Amen. ....More later.

God: "Can you hear Me now?"

It's Wednesday, March 18, 2020, and this would typically be our mid-week Bible study and choir practice evening. However, all of this containment effort has kept us pretty much cooped up. You don't realize how much you are normally on the go until you make a concentrated effort to curtail your activities. I suppose we have been about as hunkered down as we have ever been. This time we do have our Mr. Bentley as a new attraction to help us through these long days. I saw an image on Facebook where someone had taken the basketball bracket from March Madness, renamed it March Sadness and filled in the names of things you can do instead of watching the canceled tournament. It had things like dusting, watching TV, vacuuming, washing the car, cooking, cleaning the bathroom, and on and on. My grammar correction program really doesn't like the 'March Sadness' moniker. It wants me to change it to madness. It is not alone in terms of the millions who so look forward to seeing their favorite teams compete. And, those who do all the betting. Talk about a monumental change! But, that's just one event out of thousands that have been either canceled or rescheduled. I thought about all of this from God's perspective and it reminded me of that cell phone service commercial. Maybe God is saying to us all, "Can you hear Me now?"

I can remember when we would be threatened by a hurricane as a kid growing up. Hurricanes didn't typically reach into the part of Louisiana where we lived, however, we could at times get inundated with rain and some minor flooding. We kids were inside waiting. Waiting for the go-ahead signal that would allow us to get outside and play in the rain and to swim around in the flooded yard and street. Once mom said we could we flew out of the house and flung ourselves into the waters. We were kids. We didn't have any concerns about what might be in the waters. You know. Snakes of all kinds who had been displaced from their regular habitat. Diseases and debris like broken glass. We were focused on having us a good time. And, we did. Until we were so tired we went in and collapsed on the floor. We may have seen a snake or two passing by but we didn't bother them and they didn't bother us. Fast forward to adulthood where we wouldn't think about thinking about allowing our grandkids to risk doing something like that. Didn't you hear what they said on the news? We had better all just stay in and do our best to stay safe. While that makes sense, when it becomes the overarching rule of our life, well, we lose something. We do. We really do.

As we wrestle with the worldwide pandemic, here are some relevant words from the recognized Christian scholar and apologist, C. S. Lewis, (November 29, 1898 - November 22, 1963). This short essay was about how believers should live in the atomic age, however, there appears to be great insight and application to our current situation: ~ "In one way, we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. 'How are we to live in an atomic age?' I am tempted to reply: 'Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.' In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty. This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds." ~ Lots of guidance in his words. Amen. ....More later.

It's time. Me, you, each and everyone of us to turn our hearts and minds towards our God. Amen.

It is Tuesday, March 17, 2020, St. Patricks Day, but, it is somewhat eerie around these parts. Even though the kids are all out of school, there's not a lot of activity around. When Mr. Bentley and I made our pickup truck ride through the neighborhood yesterday morning, I noticed many more cars still in the driveways. Many folks are staying home. My, my, my, what a difference a few days can make! One thing is clear. We, as created human beings, cannot solve every problem. We are not in control. I saw one pundit who says the coronavirus coupled to the financial collapse will likely cost President Trump his reelection. Just a few days ago his reelection seemed to be a sure thing. We just don't know how all of it will play out, but, thank God, He does. He is already in the future, our future, and He will act according to the pleasure of His own goodwill. At any rate, when I drove around the mostly empty yards I couldn't help but hear the words of the Gaither song reverberating in my mind: "The marketplace is empty No more traffic in the streets All the builders' tools are silent No more time to harvest wheat Busy housewives cease their labors In the courtroom no debate Work on earth is all suspended As the King comes thro' the gate."

Southern-style Example.

Yes. I have seen with my own eyes the cleaned out shelves at the supermarket(s). I did notice there were still quite a lot of supplies of the things needed to prepare baked goods. Let me insert here how blessed I am to have a wife who knows how to cook. From Scratch. She told me at the outset we have flour and cornmeal, therefore, we can count on homemade biscuits and cornbread. On Sunday we had a Louisiana country meal fit for a king. She prepared field peas, fried okra, fried chicken nuggets, mustard greens, sliced tomatoes, and homemade cornbread. I sprinkled some vinegar pepper sauce on my stuff and wowie! zowie! talk about good! For dessert, she made me a big bowl of lime Jello. Yum Yum! At the store, I did find some fresh fruit and other staples. When I got home the wife asked if I looked at the toilet paper shelf. I told her I didn't because I believed we still had an adequate supply. She agreed we do. For now. We are doing our best to stay put as much as we can. The folks who were supposed to do the mask fit appointment called and asked to either cancel it or push it out for 14 days. They said the people who will bring my CPAP machine will do their own fitting, therefore, I canceled yesterday's session. For now. Or, who knows for how long?

I am glad to report I finally got over the 7 pounds lost hump. I was stuck on that one for a couple of weeks. I am now up to 10 and will be again in a holding pattern if prior history is any indication. You are correct. Those home-cooked meals do create some dynamic tension between them and the Paw Paw Mac Push Back from the Table diet plan. I've always been one who could make a few steps forward, maybe one back, and then pick back up and go again. I'm not on a time schedule. And, if ever I have been a work in progress it is now. I will not, let me repeat, I will not be shooting for that ideal weight target. If I were to hit that number you will be able to use my face cheeks as a coaster for your coffee cup. I remember a doctor I had for many years. He used to say that he thought it was healthier for folks to carry a wee bit extra weight when they get older. I used the wee bit in order to be very specific in the amount he was talking about. And, just so you know, it's the wee bit I'm working towards even at the present moment. Have a great rest of the day. Continue to pray. We can always do that. In fact, when people ask what they can do, tell them to pray. God loves to hear from His created human family. Amen. ....More later.

Happy Birthday to our Christmas loving Granddaughter, Kyleigh!

Good morning. I bring you greetings today, on this Monday, March 16, 2020, where we are celebrating the birthday of our Christmas loving granddaughter Kyleigh. That's right. Kyleigh, since all the way back, has wanted Christmas to be a year-round celebration. She is now all grown up and she is teaching high school students. But, she still loves Christmas, and just so you know, we do too! (The photo gave it away?) Happy Birthday to our beautiful Kyleigh and may God add His blessings to your special day. Amen. Our love, MiMi and Poppy.

Here is an excerpt from the disaster declaration that went into effect last Friday at midnight:

1. Any event sponsored or permitted by Montgomery County shall cease.
2. Events greater than 250 persons shall cease at all public facilities across Montgomery County.
3. Any event greater than 250 persons held at private facilities is urged to cancel but should make those determinations within their organizations and with staff of those facilities.
4. Events of 250 persons or more that would include any population at severe risk of severe illness should cease. The population at the greatest risk is anyone over the age at 65 and/or those with severe medical conditions as defined by CDC guidelines.
5. Nursing homes and senior living centers should limit visitation of the public within their facilities.

This order does NOT extend to law enforcement activities, emergency responses, court operations to include jury operations, and to all school districts or private school facilities within the jurisdiction of Montgomery County.

The balance for a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ comes in trying to honor God's Word: "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." (Romans 13:1-7)

Just for the record, the wife and I are way past the 65-year threshold. Some see any cooperation with local government in and of itself as a compromise. That obviously does not square with The Scriptures. We are attempting to make decisions based on our faith first, but, also in honoring the directives given to us as believers. It's worth the angst. And, seeking God is a good way to start but be aware He typically doesn't speak again where He has already made clear what we should do. And, we did attend our worship service on Saturday evening where we limited the crowd to no more than 250. Our fellowship had two more Sunday services where we observed the same limitation. This is how our pastor led us to continue to serve the Lord while also cooperating with our local governing authorities. One thing I can tell you. I have no answers but I know the One who does. I can't but He can. We are secure without regard to what happens because we belong to Him. Amen. ....More later.

We don't get to choose our ancestors, but, we can choose the life God has for us.

Family heritage. It comes up in the conversation from time to time. Our youngest, Rodney, and I spent quite a bit of time doing research on our families 10 or more years ago. We dug up a lot of stuff. We had many blanks to fill in but the people who could help us with doing so were not interested in waking up the sleeping dogs, as in, "let the sleeping dogs lie." I paid for some of the ancestry type subscription services and we milked them for as much as we could. Today is Friday, March 13, 2020, and I can announce the truth about what we don't know. There are still a lot of blank spaces, especially in view of there being so many undiscovered explanations. Here is an example. My dad's dad, Will Cuffie, served in WWI. He was a farmer. He and my dad's mom busted up and it appears he never saw his children again. Some I talked to conjectured how he must have abandoned his family. I talked forth and back via email to a granddaughter of Will Cuffie's sister. Her mom knew Uncle Will and they reported how that he lived every day bereaving the loss of his children. They also reported he was one of the finest people around. Here's the interesting part. Where his children lived and grew up was not that far from where he resided, less than 3 hours by car. There were dozens of mysteries like that one. Some say it wasn't meant for us to know about these things. So far they are right. Duh! Based on what little I know about the extremely difficult lives of my dad and his siblings growing up, it does cause one to wonder. Until I know more, it will continue not being meant for me to know.

Flashback Friday from March 13, 2007: I passed my Louisiana driver’s license test in 1961 at age 15, barely. The fellow who administered the test had to be close to 100 years old or at least that’s the way I remember him. He was very abrupt and had this scowl on his face like he was just looking for any reason at all to keep me from getting my license. (I believe he had one of those pocket protectors before we knew they were for nerds.) We got off to a pretty rough start. The car I was using to take the test was parked out in front of his office. After passing the written test, we came out, he checked out the car, and then he gave me the okay to begin the test. I was very nervous and once under the steering wheel, he proceeded to lecture me about all the ills of teenaged drivers. After what seemed like hours, he indicated we should drive. I pulled out but he immediately yelled for me to stop and pull over. As it turned out, he said I was parked close to a stop sign and that I should have pulled up a few inches and stopped again. After another lecture, we continued and somehow by the grace of God he acquiesced and signed off on my test.

I am running a wee bit later than my usual startup time this morning. There are reasons but when it comes down to it, one excuse is about as good as another. I was going to say I had a banana in the refrigerator but that would not have been accurate since I think we are out of bananas. At any rate, we all are trying to make sense of the information being shared with us concerning this growing virus situation. Folks are wondering about things they have planned, we included. We are in the circle of wait and see at the moment and while we do not want to be a part of the panic kneejerk way of responding, I do think we all have to make decisions based on the facts on the ground as best we know them. My concern for our nation has to do with the cascading impact on our ability to function without regard to the seriousness of the actual threat. I may use it too much but seeing I remember those people in that news film from years ago jumping off a building after the fire had been put out and it reminds us all of the power of out of control thinking. At the same time, we who are people of faith must look to God for our help. And, as our pastor recently said, "When it comes down to it, let's be real, heaven is not that bad of an option." We have been brought to where we are today. We are called to make a difference. We can join the handwringing crowd or we can demonstrate in whom we have believed. May God help us to show forth our faith in such a time as this. Amen. ....More later.