“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” — Neil Postman (1931-2003), American author, educator, media theorist and cultural critic.

Good morning and welcome to Friday, April 4, 2025. Tomorrow is an important day in our family. We remember the birthday of our very first grandchild, Tiffany. Tiffany lives over in the San Antonio area and we thank God for her and the family He has given to her. When Tiffany came along she was the first female born into the wife's family since the wife herself was born. Eight grandsons, no granddaughters, so, when Tiff showed up it was a very big deal. Her first Christmas with the wife's clan covered her up with all manners of girlie stuff. Years and years of trucks and tractors but now baby dolls and tea sets came on the scene. Tiff also gave us our first great grand, Madelyn Joy. Madi turned fourteen this past January. Yep. Time is getting away from us. The people at my work, seeing me go absolutely bonkers over the birth of our first grand, well, after a few months one lady came to my office and asked was there any way she could become our granddaughter. May God bless our Tiffany, husband Brandon, and their daughters, our great grands, Madi and Ava. Amen.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to see the stats from last month regarding the un-retiring of my blogging venture. Over 9,500 views were recorded, so, that means someone somewhere is landing on my stuff. Many of them likely hit it by accident having put something into one of the search engines that was featured in one of my blogs. Accidentally. If they did land on my blog and if they read any of it and if they were able to be attracted in any way to learning more about God's salvation through Jesus the Christ, well, that, my friend, would be more than worth it. God can use whatever He chooses, including some words slung onto the electronic page, to touch a heart. As our pastor likes to remind us, God can save anyone at anytime when they recognize their need before Him, turn, and call on Jesus to save them. Anyone. Anytime. I know my Sovereign Grace friends may want to put some caveats on this process, but, I, for one, will let God be God and He "is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance." (2 Peter 2:9) and, "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) Dr. J. Vernon McGee was one of God's great expositors of The Word. He hosted a through the Bible radio program beginning in 1967. It was a verse by verse study of God's Word and covered the entire Bible in a five year rotation. It became worldwide in its reach. Literally. Dr. McGee went to his reward in 1988. His through the Bible program is still going. His programs were all recorded so they continue to run their course, one book, one chapter at a time. Those who introduce the program are modern day hosts that help to keep it going. Here's an amazing fact. They often read letters received from all corners of the globe. Are you ready? Folks all over the world are still coming to know Christ as a result of Dr. McGee's faithful rendering of God's Word, the truth, the whole truth, and, nothing but the truth. God is still working in that ministry although Dr. McGee has been gone for many years. See what I mean? 

 

I'll leave today's visit with these words,  the "gospel" refers to the "good news" of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection, offering salvation and eternal life to those who believe. It's great to know that He is still working to draw men, women, boys, and girls to Himself. Have a great rest of today, enjoy your Saturday, and remember that the Lord's Day Sunday begins a brand new week. It doesn't end the week. It begins the week! Got it? Good. See you next time and may God add His blessings. Amen. 

"A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterward to explain why it didn't happen." – Winston Churchill

Now that's a throwback if I ever saw one!

Good morning and welcome to Thursday, April 3, 2025. I don't know about you but I am not enthralled with all the political shenanigans going on 24x7. I need to take my own advice and not watch so much of it. I will make a note to me, myself, and I. We had one senator who has now completed the longest speech on the senate floor. He was exhausted. No doubt. The mainstream media are touting him as a candidate to be a national hero. For what? For mounting a filibuster and reading into the record all kinds of stuff? He did delay the work of the senate and because of that he somehow stood up to the new administration. Really? I do know that what we are seeing from many in the media in response to the shakeup of inefficient government departments is akin to Henny Penny's "the sky is falling". It reminds me of my younger days when I would accompany my grandfather to the meat processing facility to slaughter and process a hog. Slaughter. That's right. Cover your eyes because we used a 22 rifle between the eyes back then. After that, we put the hog into scalding hot water so we could scrape the skin. Talk about a smell! Yuck! Then we would cut it open, handle the entrails, and begin cutting up the parts. Not very pleasant. But, later that evening, my grandmother would fry up some fresh pork rinds and eating them made me forget all the unpleasant but necessary tasks involved. That's how I see what's happening. The new administration is doing what it can to provide a better, more responsive government. Better service at a lower cost. The institution itself (the hog) is not happy with the scraping and cutting process. And, while it is unpleasant to watch, it is necessary if we are to ever make a dent in this self perpetuating monster. This paragraph can be marked under the heading, 'Just Sayin'. The opinions expressed were opined by none other than The Opinionater, that would be little ole me.

 

 “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” ~ “You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” ~ “I wouldn’t count my chickens before they’ve hatched.” ~ “No point in beating a dead horse.“ ~ “I’m so mad I could spit.” ~ “Well, I declare.” ~ ”Now, if that doesn’t beat all.” ~ “That isn’t worth diddly-squat.” ~ “Oh my stars!” ~ “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” ~ “Don’t you worry now. It doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.” ~ “If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.” These are just a few of the dated sayings they tell us we must put aside if we ever hope to communicate with the younger generations. I happen to love them all, period, and it's not the end of the story. Mom used tell me if I didn't straighten up she was going to pinch my head off. I never even thought for half a second that she should be arrested for saying stuff like that, or like, "I'll slap you seven ways from Sunday". I guess our old fashioned lingo has run afoul of the language police. I will admit the dated sayings might cause some of the younger folk to scratch their heads, but, it wouldn't take a second or more, using their phones, to find out its meaning. I will tell you this. Sadly, many of us, myself included, are, at times, intimidated about all of this correctness to the extent we find ourselves avoiding the speech that has been a part of our lives since our birth. Suddenly we bend over backwards trying to accommodate and we become frustrated and uncomfortable in our own skin. (Not as uncomfortable as that hog was, but, uncomfortable, nonetheless.) 

Okay. Knowing when to stop is an important part in the communication process. Stand up. Speak up. Shut up. Sit down. My grandad recognized I had some learning to do in this area. "Son, are you ever going to come up for air?" I am not finished today, but I am walking away. At least for now. I do hope you will have yourself one God-blessed day and always remember to give Him thanks. Always. Amen.

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come." 1st Timothy 4:8 as rendered in the Amplified Bible

Already? Another day, another day. This one self identifies as Wednesday, April 2, 2025. The comic enlargement is from the Hemphill, Texas newspaper, (August 16, 1946), I talked about yesterday. I wanted to point out the one where dad is coming down the stairs with a pistol in hand. Why? He thought something terrible was happening downstairs. But his daughter met him and said this, "Nobody's hurt, Dad. It's just a new Betty Hutton record I got today." Betty Hutton, (1921-2007), was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. One of the records she released in 1946 was a crooning song, "The More I Go Out With Somebody Else." (You can hear her sing it on YouTube.) She did have some early pre-rock and roll songs and one of them may have been the cause of the commotion. Seeing that particular comic reminded me how the more things change it is the more they stay the same. None other than the acknowledged high IQ man of the hour, King Solomon, had this to say: Ecclesiastes 1:9: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (No wonder we have so many remakes coming out of Hollywood!) I remember when our boys had friends over to spend the night. They would be upstairs where they should have already been asleep but they were rocking the night away. Laughing and carrying on. I stood at the bottom of the stairs and hollered up to them: "Y'all better settle down because you DO NOT want me to come up there!" Those kids who spent the night with us are now well into their mid-50's but they do remember that particular incident and the associated threat from the little guy in his pajamas doing his best impersonation of James Earl Jones. Ha!

 

I'm thinking about hobbies today. A whole lot of ink has been spilled advising older folks, seniors that is, regarding the importance of having hobbies. Most all the recommended lists, some grouped by age, start off with those hobbies that involve physical activity. The physical stuff becomes less prominent in the recommendations for those 80 and older. Yay! I chose that group because I'm only 18 months away, therefore, I grandfathered myself into that age group, which, doesn't make any sense but you need to know that's what I did. The article I chose lists 51 hobbies and activities for older folks. I chose it for a specific reason. Writing. It was listed first. That spoke to me. And, may I say that since restarting my blog writing adventure I feel better. All over more than anywhere else, if you know what I mean. Volunteering. My wife is a champion in that area. Learn how to play an instrument. Okay, sounds good, maybe I could get back to the wax paper on the hair comb and give it a whirl. Walking. Since doing my blogs again in the upstairs office I'm putting myself down for extra credit in climbing and un-climbing the stairs several times per day. Join a Book Club. Here's what I have to say about that one: Nothing. Gardening. A good one no doubt and the wife is very actively engaged. I think she and the weeds in our yard are on a first name basis. Be a Citizen Scientist. This one supposedly involves one helping to do scientific research. Wait a minute. I already am doing my part as a Guinea Pig and currently they have me popping over a dozen prescriptions along with even more over the counter. See? I'm doing my part. Genealogy. This is still an interest of mine. Bird Watching. I actually like this one. We've been watching quite a few American Bald Eagle couples as they build nests, lay eggs, and raise up eaglets to continue their species. We watch it through a variety of online streaming services. Crafting. This is another one the wife dabbles in. I told you the other day the trouble I have with anything marked easy open, well, these hands are no longer adept enough to do any serious crafting. 

Those were the first 10 listed. I close with the activities that I know make a transformative difference in our lives, for time and eternity: regular prayer and Bible study, attending worship services, giving to those in need, and sharing your faith with others. I hasten to add one must have become a part of the family of God by responding to His provision through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ before any of this makes any sense at all. Most likely, me, you, any and all of us, as believers, will be much better served if we have these as prerequisites to any life that's truly worth living. For what it's worth, I have been looking at those rechargeable battery operated bicycles. There you were thinking I have some kind of aversion to physical activity. That's right. Battery operated. You can smile. It will do you good. And, me too. Y'all take care now. You hear? May God add His blessings. Amen. 

“Religious and social tradition has been replaced with current fad and the opinion that the past isn’t needed. We have become a people from nowhere in particular and disconnected from each other. In gathering the past, we remember ourselves and can forgive the members of our history for their shortfalls.” ― Eric Overby, Surgical Technologist, Newspaper Columnist, Book Author

Hello there. Today. Yep, that's the one we have to deal with. Today, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. This is the day that is commonly called April Fools' Day. (While April Fools' Day is devoted to jokes, pranks, and hoaxes, there are many theories how it came about, but the exact origin is pretty much unknown.) The above copy of newspaper comics came from the Texas paper, The Hemphill County Newspaper, published on the day of my birth, August 16, 1946. Finding things like this ring my bell. Not you? That's okay. I was born in Sabine Parish, in the town of Many, Louisiana, and local information about the goings on in and around the time of my birth are not that easy to find. Hemphill, Texas is only 30 miles from Many, Louisiana, therefore, as we are wont to say, "Close enough for government work." A number of years ago I became absorbed in family genealogical research. It started out because my youngest, Rodney, wanted to know more about his grandad, my dad, Cecil Sr., who passed away in 1954. At any rate, as with many others who begin this trek, the more we looked it was the more dead ends and mysteries we encountered. We talked to as many family members as we could, that is, to those who would talk to us. The older folks, all gone now, didn't want to dredge up old memories because they believed in letting sleeping dogs lie. (FYI: Where does “Let sleeping dogs lie” come from? This old saying has been around for centuries! It first appeared in English in Geoffrey Chaucer's poem “Troilus and Criseyde,” written in 1374. Chaucer wrote, “It is nought good a sleping hound to wake,” which basically means the same thing.) I would almost guarantee that none of those who used that slang a lot had any idea where it came from.

 

I must have put in at least a couple of years of research and I do have most of the stuff I found captured in digital files as well as printed documentation. Without rehearsing any juicy details, I want to quote something from the well known and respected Pastor/Teacher Dr. Ed Young, "All families are dysfunctional, however, some are more dysfunctional than others." I don't know about skeletons in our family closets but I will tell you our family has had it's fair share of what I will term, 'all of the above'. I'll let you conjure up just what that might include but I will say I don't think I found any instances of murder although as with all family research there were plenty of deaths, tragedies, and that which makes up the fabric of life. I'll never forget a conversation I had with a long lost first cousin. He was on the phone with me and two of his sisters were there too. They soon gathered that he was talking to me and I could hear them in the background, "Hey, tell him about, see what he thinks about that, and oh yeah, did you mention......?" Let me put it this way. Our family has a colorful history. Most families do. One thing is clear from my research: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23) Another thing I learned was how we as a family have a rich history of those who recognized their sinful condition and called on Jesus to save them. That, my friend, is a heritage worth remembering. Those who did respond to the Gospel actually laid the groundwork for their progeny, including someone just like me.

 

The results from one of my cousin's analysis.

Yep. Count me in. I am part of the family God saw fit to put me in with all of its stuff, but, more importantly He saw fit to call me to His family that I would deal with my sin by calling on Jesus to save me. "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) I did. He did. And, now I can add my name to those who, though flawed in so many ways, became a part of the heritage of faith. Thank You Jesus. Amen.