"Years ago on my radio show, I used to say, 'I'm a conservative, but I'm not in a bad mood about it.' I've always believed that civility in heavy doses is essential in self-government." ~ Mike Pence

Good morning and welcome to Monday, August 31, 2020, where those blessed to still be working at their public job get to start a brand new work week. I say it that way because there are still some 32 million Americans receiving some form of unemployment compensation. We are still somewhere around 1.9 children per family here in our country, so, it doesn't take a lot of math to know folks are still hurting from all that has happened related to this year's pandemic. There does seem to be some consensus by researchers who are beginning to agree the complete shutdown of our economy was an overreach. In retrospect. Then, we have the political echo chamber where rhyme or reason has little to do with any part of trying to lead and support the people of our country. I read a transcript of an interview of a political pundit which was on CNN. The host, a noted Trump derangement syndrome advocate, asked how people with any modicum of decency could even consider a vote for Donald Trump. The pundit responded by saying he believed that many of these folks had concluded that Joe Biden would be worse than the President even with all of his flaws. That was more than the host could take. He proceeded to slander any and all Trump votes with a litany of charges of hatred, racism, stupidity, and on, and on, and on, he went. He said in his opinion the pundit gave these people way too much credit because he believes them to be as evil as the President. I will have to count myself in those he called all those names because unless something monumental occurs, I will be voting for the President. I do think his meltdown rhetoric could become dangerous along with Speaker Pelosi calling republicans domestic enemies. People who say those kinds of things are stoking the fires, not of debate, but of violence. (Ask Senator Rand Paul and his wife.)

I did write a lot of blogs coming out of our experience recovering from Hurricane Ike. I also wrote about the various times we were without power for days at a time. There are a number of Facebook pages where folks are sharing their experiences related to Hurricane Laura. Reading through these and having direct communication with our family over in Louisiana remind us how fragile life can become, in a heartbeat. I am crushed by the stories of the families who died as a result of not properly ventilating their portable generators. The very thing used to help them cope became an instrument of death. I talked directly with my stepbrother who lives in DeRidder, Louisiana and he told me they are saying 4-6 weeks on their power restoration. Fortunately, they do have two generators and they can get by. There are also many heartwarming responses coming out of this devastating weather event. People helping people stories. I am happy to report our old place back in Hornbeck, Louisiana escaped any structural damage but did, like most, have plenty of trees and debris to clean up. My niece who purchased the house told me the natural gas-fired generator that dad installed many years ago was a Godsend. Literally. She and her two sisters rode out the storm there and the generator kicked on last Thursday morning at 2 a.m. and has been chugging along since. One of the things I saw that made me tear up was her notice to folks in the community inviting them to bring any of their medications that require refrigeration. It made me look up and thank God and to also say, "Good job, Dad, good job!"

I took Mr. Bentley out this morning just after 5 a.m. Whew! It felt like the furnace was on. There is little air to breathe. We don't need a heat warning to know how difficult it will be for those working outside today. I say that to provide this as a cautionary word: For those engaged in storm-related clean-up activities outside, stay hydrated and take plenty of rest breaks. Not too long before I retired-retired I was out at a business in the Company one-ton truck. It was so hot that day you had to take turns breathing. When I finished my errand and came out to the truck I noticed it had a flat on one of the rear dual tires. I called for help but no one was available. The folks there couldn't help me because of liability concerns. I set out to change it myself. To make a long story longer, I eventually got it done. The details were pretty ugly and yes, I did think I might pass out a time or two. At any rate, you folks outside, please, believe me, the heat is real and you need to take note of it. Okay. Have a great rest of the day and may God add His blessings. Amen. .....More later.

Excerpt from a song written by the late Squire Parsons, 'Master of the Sea' ~ When He reaches out his hand, Billows cease at His command; Wind and waves obey His will, When He says to them, "Be Still." "What man is this?", They all did say; "That the wind and sea obey?" He's the one who sails with me, O, He's still the Master of the sea. ~

Our nephew Derek and their home, before/after Westlake, La.; family safe! Amen!

It's Friday, August 28, 2020, and, while the damage from Hurricane Laura has been significant, I think most are thanking God that it wasn't of even greater impact.  Thus far, there have been at least 6 deaths and we are still getting reports as people report in. Here is a posting from one fellow over in the area of Louisiana where we are from, posted on Facebook: "Yall keep the Louisiana people in your prayers a 14yr girl was didn't make it. A tree went through the roof crushed her while she was asleep." Same area from another lady on Facebook: "Pray for my Mama.... a big tree limb just came through the roof on her." Yesterday morning I was walking Mr. Bentley and I met a fellow who was jogging. We exchanged hello's and he then said "I guess we dodged a bullet this time." I said, "We were blessed." He then said, "I am concerned for my folks across the way in Louisiana." I told him, "Me too, that's our home state as well." As he picked up his pace, he hollered back at me, "I am from Zwolle." I answered, "I am from Hornbeck, Louisiana." You never know who you might meet as you go along life's way or even when you are out being pulled around by Mr. Bentley. One of the comments the man made was how he hoped those in Texas would be willing to help out those in Louisiana like they did during Harvey. 

As I think about the impact of storms like Laura and for us, Ike, I am reminded of how difficult the spiritual and emotional impact is to deal with. Here is a blog I wrote a few days after the devastation we experienced during Hurricane Ike.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

It's a good day to praise God for His blessings!

Welcome to Monday and it is now September 22, 2008. I mentioned last Thursday that our little Alexander Benjamin celebrated his 3rd birthday. Because of the hurricane aftermath with all the outages and other issues at hand, his parents had wanted to delay any official celebrations until later. Poppy’s response: "Not if he can do anything at all about it!" I had my wife find him a gift and then we went about finding a place where we all could meet, eat, and sing the birthday song to him. We did find a Pizza buffet and we did have a great time. His mom was very resourceful in making him a cake out of twinkies with icing and his name inscribed. He is currently into Diego the little guy that works with Dora the Explorer to find endangered animals. All of his main gifts were Diego stuff. He was so excited. Several of the toys had a voice and he knew all the comments by heart. As he listened to one of the alerts coming out of the backpack, he leaned over to me and said breathlessly, “Poppy, an animal is in distress, I must go and find him!” To see a three-year-old captivated in that way, well, it doesn’t get much better than that!

We finally are ‘treeless’ now in terms of that big bad boy that was an intruder in our home. Early Saturday morning a crew of professionals arrived and with the help of a 90-foot crane they carefully extracted that huge pine tree. Our eldest went to work to tarp over the opening and he also did a very professional job. Now we are left with the process issues involved with the forth and back dialogue with our insurance company. This we must do along with millions of others who are also in there trying to get their world put back together. The power is supposed to be turned back on today in our son’s home where we stay at night and that will be a huge blessing. The cooler weather has faded and we could sure use the A/C but we had generator powered fans last night and made it just fine. It was good to know I didn’t have to worry about my grandfather getting up and turning off the attic fan before we could get to sleep. Whenever I’m feeling a little low about all of this, all I have to do is look once again at those photos from Galveston and the surrounding coastal communities. Tree or no tree, we are blessed!

Our congregation came together yesterday for a brief service outside our facility because the power is still off. What a time we had filled with testimony, prayer, praise, worship, and reaching out to each other. Our pastor reminded us that while our building may not be functioning, our congregation is the living part of Church and we continue to be the Lord’s very own people regardless of the storms that come our way. After Church, my wife and I came to my workplace to use the computer and spend time on the phones with our insurance contacts. All in all, it’s not like it was just a handful of days ago, but it’s very workable because of our family and so many others who are standing with us. We continue to pray for those dealing with what for them is a life-altering event, especially those who have lost family members. It typically takes me 30 minutes to get to work; now it takes an hour and 15 minutes but here I am doing my blog since 4:45 a.m. God is good all the time. All the time God is good. Have a blessed week! Amen. …..More later.

Trees are a beautiful part of God's creation. They can also be very dangerous.

Hurricane Ike visited our home, September 2008.

It's Thursday morning, August 27, 2020, and we all are continuing to nervously watch the progression of Hurricane Laura. Our across the front door street neighbor is relatively new to our area having moved here from California. They were here for Harvey and were a part of the nearly over one week without power. He mentioned to me about the trees in and around his home. I told him we well knew what he was talking about. We were nearly done in by Hurricane Ike, coming up on 12 years ago in September. We were out of our home for over 4 months. While the tree did its damage, it was the 18 inches of rain that came through the ripped open eve and ceiling eventually inundating the downstairs. The wife and I were hunkered down under the stairs as the 100+ miles per hour winds persisted for hours. And, truth is, we are still surrounded by a huge number of large trees. For this current threat, we are mostly concerned with winds that might impact our power situation. When limbs start flying here and there, typically, electrical power transformer outages are not far behind. But, our attention and prayers for those more directly in the line of danger. This includes many we know who live in Louisiana. We do know God is aware of all that is happening and He is Sovereign. That doesn't mean we can make sense out of everything that happens, but, we can count on His faithfulness and His love. Therefore, we make our prayers to Him on behalf of all who are impacted by this weather system. We call out for His mercy, grace, and His provision at this time. Amen. .....More later.

Galveston, Texas, after Ike.

People ask were we scared. I can't be sure because we were mostly in a state of stupefied shock. There's always fear and apprehension when uncertainty is acute. When, or if, will it ever let up? With the help of God, family, and friends we made it through and recovered. Many thought we were in imminent danger because of the tree, but, we were blessed to not have suffered any injuries. Probably the most exasperating, challenging, and life collapsing issue was in dealing with our insurance company. Nearly thirty years with the same company and yet we ran into obstacle after obstacle. I'm not talking about one of these fly by night firms. We were with a major carrier. Desperation was the watchword at times. We were blessed about halfway through the process to have our coordination kicked up to a senior administrator fellow. This was a Godsend as we were able to get on with all the rebuilding and finish our home. I would be remiss in not reminding everyone of the house loaned to us through a dear Sister-in-Christ, Sister Pat. She was able to arrange for us to stay in a practically new home in our area owned by her sister-in-law who lived out of state. See what I mean? God does His work through people. We continue to thank Him for helping us get through that time.

Here are some thoughts on storms from a Biblical perspective lifted from the Bible Study Tools website, https://www.biblestudytools.com/. ~ In the Bible, there are many times that God provided protection for His people from natural storms. While we still seek shelter from physical storms today, we can look to scripture for encouraging words during the symbolic storms of our life. Times of grief and despair can be represented by storms as moments to endure until the sunny days of happiness and safety arrive. The Bible provides wisdom and guidance to get through the storms of our lives and follow the path of God through difficult times.

Isaiah 4:6

6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

Matthew 8:26

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Nahum 1:7

7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

Psalm 107:29

29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

Psalm 89:8-9

8 Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. 9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.

Isaiah 25:4-5

4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall 5 and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

Luke 8:23-25

23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Psalm 107:28-31

28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. 29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. 31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Psalm 91:1-5

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,...

Praying for everyone's safety, and may God add His blessings. Amen. .....More later. 

"One's right to life, liberty, and property depends on the outcome of no election." ~ Robert H. Jackson

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, August 26, 2020. As we all know, we never know what a day might bring. That's not a new revelation and I should know. Here is a 'day in the life' of yours truly from thirteen years ago.

It Kept My Card!

Yesterday morning on my way to Church around 7:15 a.m., I ran by the ATM machine to get some cash. I rarely ever use an ATM machine but my wife thought she might forget it so I agreed to do it. For some reason, either I or the machine malfunctioned and I did not get the money and it kept my card. The screen said I did not retrieve my card fast enough but I don't believe it ever ejected my card. To say the least, I was needing to be in Church after that experience.

I called my wife and told her that fortunately, I didn't have a shotgun or baseball bat with me because I would have soon been spending time with the Feds had I been able to fully vent my frustrations at that moment. Of course, she tended to think maybe the machine was okay but since I haven't used it in a long time maybe it ejected the card but I didn't see it. She later went by and said that when it gives the card back it barely comes out of the slot. I can't get her on my side even when it's a machine involved!

At any rate: What a way to start the day! Interestingly enough we did our Worship Choir Christmas musical yesterday and the title is: "There Is Peace In The World Tonight". The whole idea of the 45-minute presentation is how that peace comes only through the Prince of Peace and it is not the absence of conflict, difficulties, or run-ins with ATM machines. Okay, I did try to get myself straightened up before teaching my class and I did eventually come to realize that perhaps the entire incident was their way of trying to offer precaution and safety were I in some type of danger or something like that.

Hey, I love technology but it like so many other things in life works good or doesn't work. The bottom line is being upset, angry, furious, and ready to exercise the most violent road rage known to mankind, (I just had to get this out of my system), is somewhat ridiculous when you consider it within the larger context of life. Just last week I saw a news report from our metro area about a young man who killed another young man because of being aggravated in traffic. How sad. Now the man who was killed will not be home with his young family for Christmas, and the one who killed him is also taken away from his young family.

Senseless and tragic, but that's what happens whenever we fail to find true peace. My wife is supposed to go to our bank this morning and try to figure out what to do about my little problem. Jokingly, I told her to tell them that they did not want me to come and deal with it myself. It reminds me of whenever the boys had friends sleeping over and how I yelled up the stairs that they did not want me to come up there. They obviously were not that concerned because they kept on making noise, and I'm sure the banking people wouldn't be either.

If we didn't have these little bumps in the road, what would life be like? And, here I would be at 5:30 a.m., on a Monday morning, wondering what to blog about today! But, if I were to meet that ATM machine, one on one, with no one looking, it would be "Bang, zoom, to the moon, ATM!", but of course I am only joking because you can tell I have put this entire incident behind me, behind me, behind me. Hey, have a wonderful and blessed week! ........ more later.

According to the latest betting odds, Biden is still significantly favored to win, although the President is gaining some. We will see!

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday, August 25, 2020. First, the democrats and their convention, and, now we have the republicans and their show. The ratings for the democrats on live TV were down significantly, but, many folks watched online and there were notable exceptions. President Obama and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris had a better audience, Michelle Obama did well, and the most-watched was the Joe Biden acceptance speech. Biden had been bumbling around making gaffe after gaffe, forgetting where he was, and misspeaking left and right, therefore, the expectations for his performance had been ratcheted down as in lowering the bar. He made a good speech for those who were looking for him to falter because he proved he could read from the teleprompter. His ability to do that 'live' gave rise to some who postulated how the bumbling Biden may have been a ruse. At any rate, people were falling all over themselves about his great speech when it pretty much used just about every political cliche known to humanity such as light is stronger than darkness, love is stronger than hate, and on, and on, and on. There will be no lowered bar for our sitting President. He will be judged based on the meter that gauges how much hate and negative responses can be thrown at him from the mainstream media. This doesn't make him a good president. It makes him the opponent of the candidate who is doing his best to talk from the middle but actually represents front and center the radical leftists that dominate democrat party policies today. (Some outlet showed some of the daily meetings of the democrat party convention, not the prime time speeches, more or less what goes on behind closed doors, and, the leftist agenda was prominently in view in every committee meeting.) This is a 'just so you know' type of my view from here. I commend everyone to check things out for themselves. For me, I am praying for a huge silent majority becoming a vocal majority on the election day, but, if that's not what happens, we will trust God to work it all out according to His perfect plan and will. Amen.

Sorry to run a little long on the opening but it is part of stuff vying for priority consideration these days. Along with our Mr. Bentley. We have always laughed about him not understanding his identity as a canine, but, the further we go it is the more spoiled he becomes. He actually has come to believe he deserves attention when and where he wants it to be provided. If he gets bored he wants someone to do something about it. He is about a lovable as a pup can be but he has recently become so vocal in voicing his demands. Okay. I hate to say it but he is mostly acting like a strong-willed child. Some would say perhaps obedience school. At 18 months, that train may have already left the station. It seems I get most of the credit for him being so spoiled. Yes. I do feed him bits and bites off of my plate. Yes. I do typically cave in to his demands to go outside even when all he wants to do is to go sit on our front walkway. He just wanted a change of scenery. He does seem to enjoy getting his way. He does. He really does.

About five weeks into the Constitutional Convention of 1787 when they were attempting to draft the U. S. Constitution, their efforts were a signal failure. As things were beginning to break up and delegates return home to their states, Franklin challenged them and called them to prayer. He told them: ~ In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. . . . And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. . . . I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business. ~ (Source: WallBuilders website.)  Amen. ....More later.

“How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!” ― Thomas Jefferson

Good morning and welcome back. It is Monday, August 24, 2020. I do hope everything is well with you and yours. We felt privileged to be a part of a baby shower for our first granddaughter, Tiffany, over in the Humble, Texas area provided by some of her and husband Brandon's good friends. They had driven over from San Antonio along with our first great-granddaughter, Madelyn Joy, who is 10 now. It was our first time seeing them since Christmas and it was a sweet reunion. We join them in seeking God's provision as we all await the soon arrival of Ava Ramona.

Here are a few odds and ends. The latest crazy forth and back about voting by mail and specifically mail delivery by the US Postal Service has brought up a lot of stuff to think about. Some suddenly have developed a huge surge of confidence in the service itself. Really? One person offered this advice to those who feel that way: If you feel that confident, take five $100 bills, put them in a stamped envelope, and mail them to yourself. Another thing. The Houston Chronicle after much reflection has decided their initial fact-checking of former first lady Michelle Obama's speech to the democratic party convention may have been too harsh. After a thorough examination of the exact words, they have decided her exaggerated grievances against the current administration were true. Now we have a new thing. We have a fact-checking review of the fact-checking previously done. That process produced a new perspective. An inquiring mind might wonder what brought on this review of a review. I will give us all three guesses and the first two don't count. I cannot say I am a 'Trump' man, but, I can continue to state, unequivocally, to vote for the other side would be a wipeout conflict regarding the fundamental beliefs I hold true regarding government. Just me. My poll result: 100% in my own opinion. You can come up with your own viewpoint.

I close with this interesting historical note. ~ This prayer is read aloud each day at Mount Vernon's public wreath-laying ceremony.

"I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have the United States in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Devine Author of our blessed Religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation.  Amen"

Note: Prayer adapted from Washington’s Circular Letter to the States, which he wrote on June 8, 1783, as the commander in chief, at his headquarters in Newburgh, New York. This circular was directed to the governors and states of the new nation. His reference to them has been replaced by the words “the United States.” Otherwise, the words and the spellings are those of General George Washington of the Continental Army. ~ Amen and Amen. .....More later.

Soon to be more fruit on our family tree.

Our granddaughter Tiffany and husband Brandon.

Hello and welcome to Friday, August 21, 2020. We are excitedly waiting for the arrival of our next great and grand daughter. She is due within a few weeks or perhaps even days. This is being expected by our very first grandchild Tiffany along with her husband Brandon. They are busy already keeping up with Madi girl and Isla, who will both be in their teens soon. This new girl will make things interesting for them. They moved from our area to San Antonio with his job a couple of years ago and that's not just a few miles away, however, given freeways and speed limits, it's close enough if one needs to get there. We pray all will go well as we all await the arrival of the newest addition to our clan, Ava Ramona!

Speaking of individuals who have impacted my life, here's a fellow I wrote about 13 years ago: 

Coming to the Big City!

Back in 1969 when I was offered a job at the big company I was asked to come to the big city to seal the deal. The dress code in the public affairs office at Fort Polk was what they would call today, business casual. I knew I needed to make a good impression over at the big company so I tried to determine what kind of attire to wear. We had married in 1964 and my 38-short suit bought new for the wedding which had to be taken in before I could wear it, now needed to be taken out. Couldn’t wear that, so I turned to my brother-in-law Kenneth and asked if he had anything I could borrow.

Kenneth was perhaps one of the most remarkable people ever to inhabit this planet. He became part of our family in the early 1960’s when he married my sister. He was nearly seven years older than her. Kenneth’s personality was that of a “friend” to almost anyone he ever met. This was before he came to know Christ and sad to say he put most so-called believers to shame with his kind heart and willing hand. When he got saved, he got the whole enchilada. A wonderful old preacher friend of mine from years gone by used to say that some people seem to get saved better than others. No, he wasn’t talking about a different kind of salvation, he was commenting on how it impacts a person’s life.

Kenneth was radically saved and he thought that everyone who was saved should be really happy about it. The folks in our little country Church didn’t know how to take someone so excited, happy, and enthusiastic for the Lord. Most of our members were the grin and bear it, don’t rock the boat, kind of folks that mostly saw life as something to endure. Whatever God gave to Kenneth, this is not what he thought being a born again believer was all about. What an example and what a man! If my longtime neighbor Ellis’ picture is in the dictionary by the word neighbor, then look up “sold out to Jesus” and you will find Kenneth’s picture.

He and I hunted together, fished together, shared fellowship together, and enjoyed granny Mac’s and my mom’s cooking nearly every Sunday. But, alas, we are not promised tomorrow in this life and in October of 1975 Kenneth was tragically killed in a hunting accident. Our family has more than it’s share of “whys?” as part of our heritage, but I can’t think of any greater than our loss of this good and faithful man.

Kenneth did have a fairly new shark skin material suit and I borrowed it and a shirt and a tie. I did have my own underwear and socks and maybe my own shoes but I may have borrowed a better pair from him. I made the 200 mile drive to the big city and after some confusion about leaving my keys so the parking attendant could move my car as needed, I finally made my way to the address of the building where the big company resided. I was quite a sight walking down the street of the big city. My gold brown shark skin suit was shimmering in the sunlight and I was feeling good about my prospects.

When I arrived at the building I was greeted by this very tall gentleman with a huge handle bar moustache. He signed me in and told me that I needed to go to the 8th floor. I was very early, as is my normal approach, so I entered the elevator and stood there for a moment to compose myself and collect my thoughts. My silence was interrupted by the huge man as he leaned into the elevator and said this to me, “Sonny, you will have to push the button if you want to go up to the 8th floor”.

I knew that. Surely I didn’t look that much of a hick, or did I? More later……………..

Happy Birthday, brother-in-law Cleon. They don't make em' like that anymore.

Good morning and welcome to Thursday, August 20, 2020. Yesterday was the 85th birthday of the senior member of the wife's family. Her older brother, Cleon, is a man of proven character, integrity, and he has earned by acclimation the title of Good Neighbor. I first met Cleon when I accompanied the wife, my girlfriend at the time, and her family over to Winnsboro, Louisiana to visit Cleon for a Christmas family gathering in December of 1963. My first impression of him was how everyone in the family looked up to him. He was very friendly and made everyone feel at home including me, a shy young fellow who typically wore an embarrassed red face most of the time. He could put almost anyone at ease. Over the years, and as you can tell, it has been a lot of years, he has been true blue. I know. You don't hear that one very much but it does apply to Cleon. The 'true blue' originated back in England in the late 1600s and it was associated with a blue dye that became renowned for how it stayed fast and true. It had a lasting quality that could be counted on. The 'true blue' tag began to be used to describe individuals who demonstrated loyalty and faithfulness. I'm okay that many in today's world would not recognize what it means because in our circle we all do and if the tag fits then Cleon should wear it. Happy 85th Birthday to my 'true blue' brother-in-law.

I was reading some of the fact-checking being done on some of the speeches coming out of the Democratic National Convention, better known as a love fest for liberals. Interestingly enough, the fact-checkers would give very mild criticism to the item they found to be in error and then add ten paragraphs regarding President Trump and how much worse he is than the error they found. Think about it. No doubt many were surprised that news media sources would be fact-checking the democrats. Let me assure you, they were very selective and what people found when they read about it was another opportunity to beat up on the incumbent. The New York Times fact-checking piece ran on, paragraph after paragraph, after saying the former first lady Michelle Obama had made a slight error regarding how families are treated at the border and then went on with their seemingly endless slamming of The President. The democrats feigned their shock and dismay at being fact-checked at all, but, in my opinion, it was pretty much a set-up from the get-go. My point? We do need to keep our eye on the ball. If that metaphor seems odd, look it up. Be vigilant and informed. And, may God help us all.

I've been blessed by folks like Cleon and a handful of others that left a lasting impact on my life. I had a pretty rough go of it as a kid, with the early death of my dad, and, in moving to a rural Louisiana town, however, my grandfather was there to do his best to help us kids. He didn't know anything much about what to do other than to be himself. He had plenty of flaws, but, his core was grounded in his faith in God and his no-nonsense way of taking each day in stride. With his sacrifice in contributing to our upbringing, he passed down a few things that rubbed off on me. It should have been more, but, I know I picked up my work ethic and my commitment to the job at hand. There were many others as well. My father-in-law, Bro.Rawles, who was a country preacher, but, somehow and in so many ways he saw more in me than I ever saw. My brother-in-law, the late Preacher Boy Milton Rawles was always an example of a person sold out to God with such a gentle and sweet spirit. There were many others. Did I deserve them? Probably not, but, I do count all of them as blessings and thank God for His provisions. Amen. .....More later. 

Thinking About Way Back When on a Wednesday.

Good morning. It's Wednesday, August 19, 2020. This the very first blog I wrote and published. I still read it occasionally as a reminder of how all of this got started. 

TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

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.

Throwback Tuesday: My blog with the all time most views.

 

The View From Here

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2011

Sound the alarm! The Boomers are coming! The Boomers are coming!

I just finished checking the calendar and it is true, we have made it already to the first Wednesday of the new year on this January 5, 2010. Hello and welcome. You may not have known that I am a part of an elite group who will beginning this year, start to wreak havoc on all the systems and services of the United States government. That's right. It's not the British this time who are coming, it is the boomers, as the leading edge of those of us born after WW2 begin to turn 65. That would be 1946 through 1964 to be precise and they tell us that myself and my brothers and sisters will be clogging up the systems at the tune of 10,000 per day until all 70 million-plus of us are officially in the elderly care group. My coming of age party doesn't land until August but I am a member of the first wave, therefore, be aware that I put you on notice because the blooming boomers are coming to a clinic near you. Just joking but only in a nervous sort of way. I watched a segment on the PBS News Hour this past Monday evening about this avalanche about to be experienced and it does have the think tanks working in overload mode trying to figure out how all this can be accommodated without sinking the already weak economy. How did this happen? The war ended. The warriors returned home and reconnected with their families and that led to a population explosion that will dramatically alter the demographic landscape especially when it comes to the age segments within our nation. If all us boomers become a voting block, look out, we may have everyone in the congress sporting gray or no hair! How funny is that?

This is not something that has not been known for many years. It is a subject that has been studied and reported on with all kinds of predictions. However, we in this country have a habit of waiting until the wave hits before we determine how to prepare ourselves to receive it. The reason nothing much has been done is that there are always winners and losers when decisions have to be made, and most politicians lack the intestinal fortitude to act, especially when doing so makes some folks angry. Making over 70 million people angry is not a good way to keep your job. But, now that the actual wave is hitting beginning this past January 1st, suddenly everyone is running around like the proverbial chicken with their head cut off trying to come up with a way of adjusting for this. This is why you hear serious talk about raising the retirement age. Older Americans are already working longer than their predecessors and that trend will likely continue. When the older workers stay in the workforce that also has an impact on those entering the job market. It's that old adage about how you push down in one place but it comes up somewhere else. Bottom line: It's a messy situation. How do you like that for simplicity and clarity? But, me talking about it will not turn back my own personal clock, therefore, come May or June, I am supposed to begin to begin knocking on the door marked Medicare. My wife's attitude is somewhat negative. She more or less thinks that when you open that door there won't be anything behind it, and the same for Social Security, etc., etc. Could be but we must keep on keeping on and trust God to guide us with light from above. Amen.

Some of you no doubt hope that my old people jokes will get better with age. It could be one like this: "Our mother started walking every day when she was 60 years old. She's now 97 and we have no clue where she is." Or maybe you would agree with the fellow who said that he dearly loved long walks, especially by people who annoy him. Here I am on the cusp of being 65 years young and I just may be nearing that age when you no longer resist talking about it, you actually begin bragging. Let's hope not. You may not have seen this list of recommended hymns for older folks, therefore, I wanted to share a few of them with you. 1) Precious Lord, Take My Hand, And Help Me Up; 2) Just a Slower Walk with Thee; 3) Go Tell it on the Mountain, but You will have to speak up; 4) Nobody Knows the Trouble I Have Seeing; 5) Count Your Many Birthdays, Name Them One by One; and finally 6) Blessed Insurance. They are jokes so don't be offended, okay? Meanwhile, consider yourself to be forewarned because us boomers are headed your way and we will likely come to stay for a good long while, Lord willing, of course! May God bless us all as we deal with the life, young, old, or in-between, that He has given to us! Amen.            ......More later.

“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Okay. At 74, I'm not sure I feel that different than I did at 73, 72, 71, or even 70. It is my birth anniversary plus one today and we move on. That's how it works. (That is, until it doesn't but that's a different story for a different day.) This visit comes on Monday, August 17, 2020. I want to mention the range and reach of those who responded to my birthday. I was overwhelmed and humbled by the many well wishes to recognize my special day. These greetings were from folks from all over. Literally. From several who I went to school with beginning in the 3rd grade, to family, friends, folks I have served with in different churches and ministries and even several international greetings, like I say, pretty overwhelming to me. The wife, as always, went way over the top to provide a special day for me. We had some family to come. We had wrestled forth and back about what to do given all the COVID concerns, however, we decided the need to see family overrode these issues. It was Thursday when we let folks know. Our youngest son and family were already committed to moving our granddaughter Lexie back to Austin to continue her studies at the University of Texas. We had several of our grandchildren who were already scheduled to work. In the end, we still had ourselves a wonderful celebration, yes, of my birthday, but more importantly, of our family. When it comes down to it, our legacy is in the lives of our children, grandchildren, and our great grands, as well as those who will follow. Blessed. I say it again. Blessed. Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Last Friday I picked up my best score yet in my use of the CPAP sleep system. I had changed out the nose piece and I slept a little longer than normal. Those two factors combined to give me the good score. I've been working to try and understand exactly how all the replacement parts and pieces work on the system. The home health people who were contracted by my advantage plan insurance to provide the system are the ones who provide for the replacement parts. I set out to discover how this all works. When I call them which is no easy feat because you have to wait until you get someone on the phone and if you do get someone they then have to consult with the insurance to determine the frequency of covered replacement parts, filters, nose pieces, hoses, masks, etc. Meanwhile, the system maker keeps sending me emails about the potential need to change out parts and pieces. I finally got through to my primary insurance carrier and they agreed to send me an electronic copy of my coverages. Hello? They did. It's the entire coverage document with over 200 pages. Finally, I got someone on the phone again at the home health people and she went through their information and it was determined that I am eligible for replacing most of the parts by the middle of September including a new mask and hose. With the move to everything being done now via telemedicine, good luck with getting a real person on the phone to help. Welcome to what I believe is a new world order that will likely never go back to what it was before. 

I woke up this morning to some old fashioned rumbling thunder in the skies. Then came the rain. Praise the Lord. Then came the rain. We were beginning to begin to be parched to the cracking stage and it came at a most wonderful time. We had seen the forecast but the wife gave her typical response: "We will see about that." In the large geographic forecast area we live in, it is easy to get it in one location and to miss others entirely, but, this time we got some much-needed relief. We think about how hot it is, but, as one weather person put it, "We should all know by now how it is in the heat of summer in August." He quickly added we had not broken heat records this year. All I know is when Mr. Bentley and I go outside in the afternoon we have to hunt for air to breathe. And, when you find some, it might just burn your throat. Slight exaggeration. I know we are not done with the heat, but, again, it is always such sweet relief when we get a break. Have a great rest of the day and may God add His blessings. Amen. .....More later.

Only by the grace and provision of God. Amen.

Good morning and welcome to another repackaging in progress. I say that because Solomon writing inspired text in the Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 1, verse 9, said these words, "There is nothing new under the sun..." I may have leaned on the expositional context of that verse, but, I thought of it and it seemed to have some smidgen of an application here, therefore, we are off and running, again, this time we find it to be taking place on today, Friday, August 14, 2020. If I make it to Sunday it will be because of God's provision and on that day, the 16th, I will observe the three score, ten, plus four years of my sojourn here on the planet. (Not including the 9 months mom carried me awaiting my arrival.) Here's an interesting tidbit and I will let you go and discover why it works this way only in South Korea: A baby born of December 31st would automatically become a two year old the very next day on January 1st. Back to my situation, when I consider the life God has granted to me I am reminded of the Patriarch Jacob when he was pronouncing a blessing on his son Joseph. He spoke of his life and said this, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day..." (Genesis 48:15) I believe that is the first time in holy writ where God is identified as a shepherd. I clearly see myself and my life expressed in this sentiment because without Him as my Shepherd I couldn't even imagine where I would be. Therefore, I can only give thanks to the Lord God of heaven for His provision throughout the years He has granted to me. Amen. 

Here's how I wrote about my birthday the very first time in my blog from 2007:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007

The King is Dead, The King is Dead!

In this my 70th blog, on this very day, I mark the 61st year of my sojourn here on this planet. The date is August 16th and for those of you in the know you will recognize this as the day that Elvis Presley, in 1977, left this life for the next. This year the media will be doing special presentations on Elvis to mark the 30th anniversary of his passing. History records that King Herod the Great actually left orders for several hundred highly respected men to be killed immediately upon his death to make certain there would be mourning throughout the territory when he died. In some ways I guess Elvis dying on my birthday brought more attention to it since there is typically much in the way of remembrances of the King. Prior to this, to mark the 16th, I had to settle for some obscure battle won by the Americans against the British in 1777.

I certainly well remember that very day that Elvis left the building for the last time. That afternoon, as we took our places on our commuter van it was obvious that people were acting very strangely. Some of the ladies riding with us were either crying or they had been crying. Those waiting for buses on street corners were boohooing as well. It was a surreal scene and the fellow driving and I commented on how absolutely bizarre it was that Elvis would still have this kind of impact on people. It was maybe not as widespread as when JFK went down but it certainly was in the same ballpark.

This was a uniquely strange situation but I had other fish to fry. One of the things my wife had drilled into me was that I should come home ready to be surprised for my birthday. She and our three boys had something planned and I had been warned not to come home all grumpy and washed out like normal. With all the stuff flying around about Elvis this was going to be even harder but I set my mind to psyching myself up for the big welcome. I’m one of those people who enjoy doing big birthdays for my wife and my boys but I do not care for a big birthday being done for me. This is another one of those quirks that I am sure someone from my past is responsible for and as soon as I find out who, they have a lot to answer for. It’s a joke, you can smile now!

In fact, I well remember a big birthday done for me at the big company by all of my employees. I had made it clear that I did not want anything done but they went behind my back and put together a huge deal and invited everyone in the department. I got wind of what was going on and made it clear I was none too happy about it. One of the ladies who had worked for me a long time came into my office, closed the door, and her message went like this: “Now you listen and you listen well. These people all love you. Why I’ll never know, but they do and they have gone to a lot of trouble to do this birthday deal for you. So, you need to get yourself down the hall and into that conference room and whether you like it or not, you need to show them how much you appreciate what they have done for you”. And, that’s exactly what I did!

The closer we got to my drop off place I continued to pump myself up to get ready for the big celebration awaiting me at home. I tried to guess what they might have done. Okay, now I was nearing the house. A big smile and get ready for the big welcome. I came to the door and knocked. Nothing. I unlocked the door and walked into the hall ready to have the whole crew jump out and say surprise, surprise! Nothing. What’s the deal? I walked to the end of the hall and could see all of them, my wife included, in the family room glued to the TV set watching the news reports about Elvis. I finally grunted and up jumped our youngest who was six at that time. He ran over to me and shouted out, “Daddy, daddy, the King is dead, the King is dead!” So there you have it, thanks to Elvis for croaking on my day, and happy birthday to me!”

One final thought, God has been good to me in that while Elvis has left the building for the last time, through His mercy and grace He has allowed me to continue in this life and it is my prayer that I will use wisely the remaining time He provides to me. More later……………..