Remember The Fallen. Amen.

Good afternoon. It is Friday, May 28, 2021, and I do remind us all of the meaning of the Memorial Day recognition. It is designated to honor the memory of the fallen. There are other days set aside to honor all veterans and to give special recognition for specific war service, etc. But, Memorial Day is to pause and consider those who have paid the ultimate price in losing their lives as military service men and women. I can actually remember the names and faces of some I grew up with who lost their lives in Vietnam. May God continue to comfort those families who mourn their loss, and may God help us all to be thankful for the sacrifice they made on behalf of us all. Amen.

In my blog a few years ago, I wrote about my high school buddies who died in Vietnam. 

On the left, Floyd Williams. On the right, Roland Prewitt.

Yesterday, Facebook was flooded with memorials for those who have died while wearing the uniform of our nation. Many were personal because it was their family member who had paid the ultimate sacrifice. While some think folks shouldn't celebrate with all the picnics and other amusements, I believe it's okay because the fallen gave their lives for our American way of life. I would hope the majority did pause to remember the price that was paid. For me, it's always a reminder of two of my high school buddies that left for Vietnam and did not return. Here is how they are depicted on the Vietnam Memorial Wall of Faces:

 
Floyd Willams
Date of Birth: July 29, 1944
Date of Casualty: July 12, 1967
Home of Record: Hornbeck, Louisiana

Roland Prewitt
Date of Birth: Sep 28, 1946
Date of Casualty: August 1, 1967
Home Town: Florien, Louisiana

I know this weekend is a reminder to me and to all who will think about it, our freedom was not free. It also reminds me that our free gift of salvation cost our Savior His life given up for men, women, boys, and girls who will put their faith and trust in His finished work on the Cross. May God bless each one. Amen. .....More later. 

Another day and another opportunity to use the word vicissitudes of life. Short definition: "A change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant."

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday, May 25, 2021. And, the pilgrimage continues. Yesterday morning, the wife and I attended a wonderful memorial service for a dear lady. It was one of those where her life literally preached her own sermon. Now that is a wonderful testimony. The service was over in Kingwood. We got there during a flooding rainstorm. After the service, one and one-half hours later, it was still pouring. Since it was close to lunchtime, we tried to think of somewhere to stop for a bite. We were hoping to drive out of the rain on our way back to The Woodlands. We didn't. We thought of a place that recently reopened in Old Town Spring, the Wunsche Brothers Cafe. It is known for its burgers, fries, fried onion rings, chicken fried steaks, and the like. We checked to see if they were open. They were. We got there and it was still raining. Steady but not pouring. We had to walk a couple of blocks to the restaurant. The sidewalks were pretty slick and when we got to some concrete steps, well, the wife, trying to miss a puddle, stepped down awkwardly and lost her balance, and down she went. Hard. We spent a couple of hours at the emergency room. We thank God she did not suffer any fractures but she did end up with a severely sprained ankle and some strained ligaments on her left foot, and, a busted big toe and torn nail on her right foot. Needless to say, we didn't get to split a chicken fried steak, the chicken fried steak had been mentioned in the funeral service, and, that planted a seed, but, again, we praise the Lord that she didn't hurt herself more badly. I suppose it means I should never get a hankering for food that I heard about at a funeral service. 

Our yard is currently mushy from all the rain. It takes quite a bit of rain to make that happen. I read today's forecast and it doesn't appear to be over yet. We do have a few spots where water is visible, but, we are thankful we are high and dry. I know many have already had to deal with flooded cars and homes. Some in places that seem to be getting these types of weather events in waves, no pun intended. I know our family over in Louisiana feels like they have been picked on over the past couple of years. Many of them are already fixated on the hurricane prediction maps because of all that has happened in the recent past. Last evening, the wife read me a funny post on Facebook. It seems two rednecks were standing out in the yard when one of those huge trucks with grass pallets passed by. One of them commented, "Man, when I get rich I'm going to do the same thing, send out my grass to be mowed." Okay. It was funny when I heard it. That's all. Speaking of mowing. We need to. But, we may have to wait and if it gets too high I will call the fellows who did a great job when our mower was being repaired. Either that or, I will contact the hay baling folks. 

I did feel horrible about not being able to help the wife keep from falling. I was holding the umbrella mostly over her to try and keep her dry and when she slipped, she was gone before I could get the next breath. When I say she fell hard that's exactly what I mean. It actually caused me to be a little nauseated. She kept saying over and over how I could not have done anything, but, one does feel helplessly inadequate at a time like this. But, I close out today's visit by once again thanking God and giving Him the praise that she is not hurt any more than she is. Had a passerby observed her fall they would have no doubt anticipated a far worse outcome. The bottom line, we live one step at a time, no pun intended, and we are all totally dependent upon God to be with us, every step of the way. Amen. May He had His blessings. Until next time, ......more later. 

"Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." ― Warren Buffett

Our trees. 

Good morning and welcome. Today is Tuesday, May 18, 2021, and I bring to you some random musings as we continue our journey here in this wonderful experiment called life. I just finished a couple of hours out in the yard cleaning up debris from yesterday's storm. It is arduous labor but I am reminded of the verse in the Bible that gives this truth: "Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean; But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox." (Proverbs 14:4) We were reminded of this recently when a friend came by and could not get over all the trees surrounding our property and throughout our area. He lives in a very nice house in a nice area but they pretty much have shrubbery and a few small trees. He was in awe of our trees. That reminded me of their value in providing beauty and shade. As I did the clean-up this morning, I also thought about those images coming from parts of East Texas and Louisiana, where people were literally wading chest-deep water. I whispered a prayer for those who are flooded again and I also thanked God for the trivial mess I had to deal with. Amen. 

I continue to be amused but not surprised by the way the mainstream media is running interference for the Biden administration. Bad jobs report, no problem. Russian soldiers massing on the Ukrainian border, nothing to worry about. North Korea has restarted testing missiles, no big deal. Spike in inflation at a historical level, there's nothing to see here. Hamas and Israel are essentially at war, that's just how it goes in the middle east, don't worry. The crisis on our Southern border continues, what crisis? In fact, the other day The Washington Post surmised how it was the Republicans trying to make these events into crises which in their way of looking at it, "If everything is a crisis, maybe there is no crisis." Really? And, I would be remiss if I didn't add, according to the mainstream steady drumbeat, how any and all of these can be laid at the feet of President Trump. One interesting event did take place. The Vice President, under pressure, since she was assigned to help solve the immigration problems, well, she did finally visit the border. THE CANADIAN BORDER! Talk about a misguided photo op. As for the COVID response, there appear to be some facts that indicate the lifting of the mask mandate was political in nature as opposed to their religious motto: We follow the Science and Medical Advice. I could say there will be more to come on this but I doubt it since most negative stuff about the new regime is being suppressed.  They must think we are idiots and how is it they still ponder with angst why many have turned away from their reporting. Those are just a few highlights swirling around my noggin this morning. There's always much more. Stay tuned.

Just one more thing. I notice more and more of the mainstream media cabal are putting out articles about how they are not doing what they obviously are doing. Deny, deny, deny. It reminds me of another Bible verse: "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them......." (Proverbs 28:1) Okay. That's enough for now. I do hope we all will be reminded again of how our faith is in Creator God and He does have, as the song says, "the whole world in His hands." Take care and Lord willing I'll catch back up with you soon. Amen. ......More later. 

"The problem is we have a Wall Street-to-Washington access of power that has controlled the political climate. The donor class feeds the political class who does the dance that the donor class wants. And the result is federal government keeps getting bigger." ~ Mike Huckabe

Good morning and welcome to the mid-week episode here on this Wednesday, May 12, 2021. I notice the mainstream is relentless in pursuing ancient cases that involved former President Trump. Some of these cases involved agreed to settlements which included them being sealed. The mainstream wants the courts to unseal them in the public interest. They do not want the Biden cabal investigated in any way whatsoever, whether it be the China connections or the Hunter Biden stuff, but, they want to go back in time and dig up as much dirt as they can on Trump. One would have to ask the question of why. My belief is they are terrified that Trump might run again and prevail, therefore, any and everything that can be done to stop him is in play. You may read it differently but it just seems to me they spend a lot of time and effort going after someone who isn't even in office. There has to be a reason. You have my thoughts and you can come up with your own. However, if you should decide to express an opinion and you put it out on social media, it may well be taken down, censured, and you may lose your privilege to share your opinions if they don't jive with whatever the mainstream has agreed it to be. That too is my reading of how things are working in the current iteration of 'free speech' in America. As seen above in the second image, manipulation of public opinion is clear. The encounters at the border were up by 3% but the coverage by the mainstream press including ABC, CBS, and NBC, was down 61%. Incidents up but coverage down? This is another version of their common refrain, "There's nothing to see here." I report, you decide.

I know the prevailing soundbites can become a downer to most of us. How does one find a smile as we deal with all of the calamitous stuff that defines our current environment? For me, I keep the above two photos as backgrounds on my phone. They remind me of beauty, love, and laughter. I look at other photos of my family including those who have influenced my life and are now in their eternal abode. I also read God's Book most days and it provides the direct opposite of fake news because it always gives us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I add prayer and the counting of my blessings to these elements and seek God's help for me personally, for my family, for those I know who are in need, and for our nation. This is how I do my best with God's help to not get down and out, knowing that He's in control and He has the final say, period. You may have a better solution, but, this is the one I follow. Take care and may God bless each one. Amen. .....More later.

"The impression that a praying mother leaves upon her children is life-long. Perhaps when you are dead and gone your prayer will be answered." ~ Dwight L. Moody

The wife treasured having all her boys with her on Sunday, Chris, Jimmy, and, Rodney.

Good morning and welcome. Today is Tuesday, May 11, 2021. We had a tremendous Mothers Day celebration this past Sunday. We did our best to honor the moms in our family with a special emphasis on The Wife, who is a mom, a MiMi, and a great-grand MiMi. We also had a daughter-in-law mom and two granddaughter moms with us for a total of about 12. On Saturday evening I prepared a barbecue with pork ribs, beef link sausage, and chicken thighs. These were slathered with Granny Mac's homemade barbecue sauce and served with potato salad, pinto beans, sweet baked beans, along with french bread. We had one of those Italian cream cakes for dessert and enjoyed several hours of feasting and fellowship. 

I caught Mr. Bentley perfecting the different versions
of his 'stare'. Turns out to be a very important feature
of the Shi Tzu breed.

Yesterday I spent a good portion of the day mowing our yard. The wife was busy taking care of little Jedidiah, therefore, I did front and back by myself. It was so muggy the air was hard to find and it was even more complicated by the mask I was wearing to help prevent another bout of onset allergies. I could go for about 20 minutes and then I needed to stop and take a breather. Yep. It is a self-propelled mower but we have a yard with many ups and downs along with places that require some manhandling and manipulation. Yes. You are right in remembering when I used to mow front and back without stopping. Those were the days, but, not anymore! I'm thankful we can afford to have our yard serviced but we both know we need the exercise and we want to do it ourselves as long as we can. When I think about handing it over to a service, I remember how dad took care of his much larger property almost up to the end of his 87-year sojourn. And, I quickly add how thankful I am we are still able to do what we can do. Amen.

I do hope you have a blessed rest of the day and my prayer is that God will provide for each one, and, we will recognize His provisions and give Him the honor and glory He deserves. Amen. .....More later. 

Happy Mothers Day!

It is May 7, 2021, and I offer up a greeting on this good Friday morning as we anticipate Mothers Day coming up this Sunday. It is appropriate for us all to consider God's provision of those who birthed us and poured themselves into our lives with many tears and much sacrifice. I can only thank God over and over again for the mothers who have influenced my life including my wife and mother of our three sons. Here are some photos from my Mothers Day Blogs over the past many years.

In

Have a great Saturday and may God bless all our moms on their super special day. Until next time, may God bless us, one and all. Amen. ......More later. 

Some insight into today's political landscape: What's the meaning of the phrase 'A plague, (pox), on both your houses'? A frustrated curse on both sides of an argument. From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1592: MERCUTIO: "I am hurt. A plague o' both your houses! I am sped. Is he gone, and hath nothing?"

Good morning blog readers and welcome. It is Wednesday, May 5, 2021, and, the craziness continues. Speaking of what passes for the national governmental scene these days. As some might recall, I spent a couple of years working in a civil service position at the Fort Polk US Army training center back in 1968 and 1969. I worked as an administrative assistant to the Sergeant Major who was the office manager for the Public Affairs office. We had many responsibilities including the publishing of a weekly newspaper, therefore, we had a full-time staff doing photos almost around the clock. These photos were used locally in our own newspaper, 'The Fort Polk Outpost', and, they were provided to news outlets as requested around the world. No photo was ever released until it had undergone scrutiny by several levels. The photo above was first released by the Carter Center and it depicts the visit of President Biden and his wife with former President Carter and his wife. In our office so many years ago, this photo would have never seen the light of day. Sure it has gone viral as people see the obviously perspective issues. The left-leaning folks have exhausted themselves explaining how the combination of a wide-angle lens and a bright flash produced the giant Bidens up against the little people Carters. Folks all over the world are fascinated by this photo. In addition, it demonstrates how the Bidens want everyone to continue to wear masks but they didn't see the need to even though they were around a 96-year-old former president and his 93-year-old wife. That also made for endless chatter forth and back on social media. The CDC jumped in to say they had all been vaccinated, therefore, there is nothing to see in this photo. That may make sense, however, it doesn't explain what President Biden wore a mask walking alone to meet the Carters and he put the mask back on when he left the meeting to return to his car. I suppose it is about messaging. If the idea was to have the Bidens tower over the Carters, mission accomplished. Having some firsthand experience when a photo ended up not being as flattering as the Commanding General wished it to have been, well, again, the photo above in our group, back in the day, would have been shredded. (Professional folks have shown how it could have easily been altered and fixed. This is either an intentional distraction or a colossal mess up. With Twitter melting down with all kinds of memes and critical comments, I found it interesting that ABC news in its handling of the photo only saw the wonderful smile on former President Carter's face. Go figure.)

This morning Mr. Bentley and I sat outside around 5 a.m. and we enjoyed the quiet breeze amidst a 61-degree reading. That, along with a hot cup of strong Community Coffee, well, it's hard to improve on this as a way to get your day started. My eldest reminded me that we should enjoy that temp while it is still available, and, we all know that even without climate change, hotter days are in our immediate future. We've been there and done that. Mostly every summer. That is, as I recall. I do hope you have a great day and don't take my comments too seriously about the presidential photo. After all, as Mark Lowry put it, "Professionals built the titanic and amateurs built the Ark." I'll leave you to ponder that one for today. Take care and may God add His blessings. Amen. .....More later.