"Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity." ~ Jean de La Bruyère, (1645-1646), French philosopher and moralist, who was noted for his satire.

Good morning and welcome. Today is Wednesday, October 8, 2025 and I'm not off to see the wizard but I am continuing to sling words onto the electronic page like there's no tomorrow. (From the mid 1800's, The phrase "like there's no tomorrow" evolved from the earlier 'as if there were no tomorrow', with early documented usage. The idiom, which means to do something with great intensity, speed, and no regard for future consequences, isn't tied to a single event but grew as a way to express urgency or a reckless disregard for the future.) I heard it used often in my upbringing, therefore, I picked it up and continue to use it today. The explanatory information comes from Google Search which features the Artificial Intelligence AI tool. Here I go again, the 1962 song rang out this slogan, 'Another Day Another Dollar'. It's still around but a lot has changed since the song came on the scene. If you had $700 in 1962 and you happened to have the equivalent in 2025, it would equal somewhere around $7,000. However, before you get too excited about that, think about prices which increased nearly 11 times over that same period. Oh well, you know what they say. You don't? I can't think of much but I thought maybe you could. I looked up that fill in the blank and here are some of the responses: "You know what they say about family - blood is thicker than water. But maple syrup is thicker than blood, so technically pancakes are more important than family." ~ "You know what they say...The key to a good mailman joke is the delivery." ~ "You know what they say about the French royal family? It was a good idea on paper but they lost their heads in the execution." ~ That last one might require a wee bit of thought but those should hold us for today. One last thing to mention about the dollar comparison from 1962 to now, the median price for a home in 1962 was between $18,000 and $20,000 while today's median price is around $410,000. Yes, I am thankful wages went up too and I would remind us all to make the most of the time we have even as we prayerfully consider this preserved admonition from the Apostle Paul, "So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." (The Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verses 15-16 from the New Living Translation, NLT).

 

I know what some of you are thinking. He didn't have anything to say but he said it anyway. While that may be a fair assessment I can assure you that whenever God's Word shows up anywhere at anytime, it Speaks. Period. He speaks. He does. As His Word is shared and through the convicting and illuminating ministry of God the Holy Spirit, there are so many times I hear very clearly what He is saying to me. When I do hear what He is saying to me, I must choose to respond. I always do. Many times my response is a negative one where I fail to do what He says. There are consequences for this response. Other times I choose to do what He has said for me to do. Yes, there are also consequences for this response. Thankfully, He is a loving Father, ( Psalm 103:13 "As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him." He also always wants what is best for His own. As His children we love this verse because it is so necessary for each and everyone who follow Christ, (1st John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."). Well, thanks for showing up. I know some who came needed to hear what is written in today's edition, namely, these three: Me, Myself, and I. Have a great rest of the day and may God add His blessings. Amen.