"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God." – 1 Peter 3:18

Just back from our men's Tuesday Bible study up at Mims Church in Conroe. Blinding rainstorm getting there, and, while it was a wee bit lighter coming back, it was bumper to bumper with a lot of slipping and sliding, but praise God I'm here and able to say hello again. Not to worry, it's just me, and, I have come calling on this, Tuesday July 14, 2026, to send you a hearty welcome and a prayer for your well being. I always re-read my blogs and I noticed I left something really important out of yesterday's visit. At the end of our service on Sunday we celebrated communion, or, as we call it, The Lord's Supper. In our practice, we observe this ordinance in remembrance of Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. We consider ourselves and how unworthy we are but He made us worthy through His broken body and the giving of His blood. That's why we take the symbolic bread and fruit of the vine, juice, representing His body and blood. Some say we have a bloody religion. Some denominations have attempted to tone down any mention of His blood and some actually have deleted references to the blood of Jesus. We haven't and Lord willing we never will! Amen? "What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make we whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus." I may not have punctuated that song as the original writer but I was quoting it off the top of my head. How about this one? "There is power, power, Wonder working power In the blood of the Lamb; There is power, power, Wonder working power In the precious Blood of the Lamb." That observance capped off a wonderful day and it illustrates how we can experience the working of Holy Spirit God in our lives as we gather together as the body of Christ. I know. A lot of that sounds like inside baseball since we do know the lingo, however, we are welcoming to any and all who show up and we feel privileged to share the truth from God's Word in all our gatherings. We do. We really do. 

 

I am studying for my physical therapy test scheduled for tomorrow morning. That's a joke. I already feel like I've been pulled through a rat hole backwards. What more do they want? My grandfather, Paw Paw Mac, used to say that one and I have been called on to explain it, but, if you can't get it, well, just move on down the road. It's like the kids today when they are sending notes to each other they use this symbolic representation 'IYKYK'. Okay. I will decipher that one for you: If you know, you know. While I may not be able to explain the details of what it means to be pulled through a rat hole backwards, I promise you, I know exactly how it feels. I do. I really do. I thought I would try that out on you before I use it with my physical therapist tomorrow, Lord willing. Our smart friends over at the Artificial Intelligence function on Google gave me this insight: "You are likely referring to the 1800's idiom "dragged, (or pulled), through a knothole backwards." Good for them. I like Paw Paw Mac's better. What say you? That A.I. article did go on to say that some people substitute 'rat hole' instead of 'knothole'. And, that's the way we roll folks, all the way from our grandfather, a legendary, simple but God loving man who could be very direct when trying to help us, but, we all, all his progeny, mourned him as we so respected his character and his testimony for his Lord. He was a larger than life figure in my life and I am reminded of him often as I continue my journey here. While we like to say he left us way too soon, at age 71, think about it, God gave him an early call home because he had finished his course. I came up with that a number of years ago and that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Y'all, and yes, that means you too, get out there and have yourself a blessed day. Okay? Good. Amen.

"I have heard of some good old woman in a cottage, who had nothing but a piece of bread and a little water, and lifting up her hands, she said, as a blessing, What! all this, and Christ too?" ~ Charles Spurgeon

Welcome one and all. I am so happy to be able to greet you this morning, on this, Monday, July 13, 2026. My oh my, what a last few days! Last Friday we traveled down into the heart of mid-town Houston and the traffic was still busy as we were attending my granddaughter's wedding rehearsal. Thank God and GPS for getting us there on time. We turned around and did the same thing on Saturday evening. The GPS carried us into the location a completely different way and it exited us a different way as well. I was trying to think back when I came into Houston for a job interview back in October of 1969, I am almost certain I found the building I was looking for using a fold-up paper map. That was my first visit to a city as large as Houston and because of that, a number of embarrassing things happened to me that day and I will not dredge them up so that I can be embarrassed again. Needless to say, the fish out of water, the square peg looking for the round hole, the odd man out, and, other kinds of idioms, I fulfilled them all. That first visit was life changing because it ended up with a job offer that brought me and my family to the Houston area and we have made our lives here ever since. Given my map reading ability and the fact I didn't get past the tender foot badge in boy scouts, I could have easily ended up in Houston, Mississippi or Houston, Missouri, perhaps, Houston, Minnesota, and maybe I would have caught the notion I was on the wrong road if I found out I was headed for Houston, Alaska. And as they say, a lot of water has run under a lot of bridges in these past 57 years. Plenty of highlights and sadly, plenty of low ones as well, however, getting to officiate our granddaughter's wedding, our Kyleigh, or as we used to call her, Ky-Ky, it certainly is a memorable highlight I will always treasure. 

 

Yesterday, we also enjoyed a great time of fellowship, sharing, hearing God's Word taught and preached at our local gathering place at Mims Baptist, Conroe, just north of The Woodlands area where we live. I say just north but on some weekday travels there the traffic is bumper to bumper and there have been times when it took us one hour to get to prayer meeting or choir practice. Yep, eleven miles, folks, and, having worked in downtown Houston for nearly 25 years, well, on those long commute days it does bring back some memories. The old saying has proved itself time and time again: The more things change it is the more they stay the same. We enjoyed a great Bible study from the writing of Joshua where our teacher did a drill down on one of the great characters found in God's Word, Caleb. The passage we studied was how Caleb at age 85 proclaimed his fitness to get the mountain he was promised by Moses. He stated he had not lost any of his vigor since beginning his long journey to the promised land. Now, as I approach the 80th year of my sojourn with all of my aches and pains, my many doctors, my wonderful physical therapist, and a dozen prescriptions, to say I am impressed with Caleb is an understatement. He not only said he could do it, he did it folks! He did. He really did. (Joshua chapter 14) We then sang in choir and heard a great sermon from the first letter the Apostle Paul was inspired to write to the called out local assembly, church, meeting in Thessalonica, Greece. It was about our future as believers. It was about how our Lord is coming back and He is coming for us, dead or alive. Our pastor, the Dr. Bro. Jerry Chaddick, well, he knows how to shuck the corn, and, he laid it out for all to see. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) We returned home, ate a homemade tuna sandwich, played with Lil Miss Biscuit, and, then, I fell asleep. A good nap of nearly 3 hours. Wow! I end today's visit by reminding us all that our God is good. He is folks. He really is. Amen.

Genesis 2:24 ~ Legacy Standard Bible ~ "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."

Our granddaughter Kyleigh and her fiance Taylor.

Good morning and welcome. Today is Friday, July 10, 2026, and, I am getting ready to do something I've never done before. Life is about new experiences. Right? Well, this evening the wife and I will be going to the rehearsal run through for a wedding tomorrow evening. A couple of years ago I obtained my registration giving me the right to perform weddings. I did that because my brother-in-law's goddaughter was getting married and they asked me to officiate her wedding. But, tonight's run through is different because it is for our granddaughter Kyleigh. I feel honored to have been asked to officiate this wedding, but, it is also an emotional time as we have loved on this girl for so many years, hopefully, I can keep it all together. When my brother-in-law asked me to officiate his daughter's wedding he said he knew I had spoken at a number of funeral services, filled in several times in different pulpits, as well as other events, why not weddings? Why not indeed. I did know about a number of professional Santa's who have added Christmas weddings to their portfolio of services. I've not done that one yet, however, I am a wee bit surprised our Kyleigh didn't go with a Christmas motif because this girl dearly loves everything about Christmas including the fact that her Poppy is the Real Santa Claus. Ha!

 

That's our Kyleigh standing next to Mrs. Claus and her sister Lexie by me. (Our Granddaughters!)

I do appreciate all the reader comments I get. I do. I really do. Most of it has been very positive, however, over the years, I've even gotten some pretty serious criticisms from different folks who landed on one of my blogs. Many of these came from outside the United States, and, while, I actually felt bad because they were upset with my expressed thoughts, I fully supported their right to their opinion. Just for the record, I chose not to engage in arguments because that's not what my blog is about. I have, on occasion, gone forth and back regarding specific questions about my understanding of The Gospel, because at the end of the day, that, my friend, is what makes a difference for time and eternity. It does. It really does. I will with God's help do my best to conduct this wedding for Kyleigh and Taylor in a way that supports them and honors God. However, one thing I have learned in my sojourn thus far, you just never know how things might develop, you don't, you  really don't. Get ready, be ready, and let God. Amen.

"Fast walkers in their 80s cut their risk of cognitive decline by half, a study finds...." ~ Sourced from a story on the NPR website

Well hello there, my, it's seems like it's been a long time, or something like that. That particular thought relates to the hit song written by Willie Nelson, 'Hello Walls', and it came out in 1961 when Faron Young sang it to a number one position on the charts. Today, however, is the only one we can deal with at the moment, this one happens to identify itself as Thursday, July 9, 2026. I'm still engaged in the exercises overseen by my physical therapist. She introduced a new one yesterday, and, she asked how I felt when I finished my one hour of therapy. I did not ask her to ask but she did. (I'm not sure she knows my philosophy about 'I report, you decide'.)  I told her she had achieved a new threshold. That being how my good left hip is hurting as bad as the bad right hip. She laughed and said it didn't surprise her and the soreness should be gone in 24 hours. I told her I already knew she was going to say that. I did. I really did. I asked why she thought I was getting so many leg cramps mostly during the nighttime hours. She said to drink more water, and then she added  this jewel: "You have to remember sir, you are waking up muscle groups that have been sleeping for a long time." That caused me to upgrade her nickname form Madam Diabolical to this new one, Madam Maniacal. Please don't write me. I am only having a little fun. This very young woman is actually helping me. I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am hoping against hope that it's not a train. I have been looking at exercise bikes, but, I haven't ordered anything yet because I do know how in many instances they soon become dust catchers. We already have plenty of dust catchers. Right Vern? Right. I may give her a hard time, but, I am thankful for her being committed for the long game, pretty much equal to the total number of sessions my insurance will cover. Don't shake your head, we all know while it is there to help people, it is, first, last, and always, a business. Now you know why they put up with  people like me. Ha!

 

We did get a little bit of a downpour yesterday and it was both needed and appreciated. I saw early this morning how the highest temp on this date was 105 back in 1980 and the lowest recorded was 64 back in 1905. The local news people were also talking about how the Sahara dust intrusion has some positive influence in helping tropical systems not to develop. Who knew? Well, I know Who does know. Right? Yeah, our God knows all about it, He does, He really does. That passage about the sparrow comes to my mind quite often. Jesus speaking:  Matthew 10:29-31 ~ New Living Translation ~ "What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." Sparrows were sold in the marketplace in the first century as a food source for those who could not afford something better. Generally speaking, the sparrows were viewed as being extremely insignificant in the eyes of most people, however, Jesus demonstrated God's knowing and caring heart in this illustration. Can I explain how it is possible for God to know these precise details about everything, all the time, all at the same time? Let me use a very theological response here: NOPE! By faith, I believe He does know. He does. He really does. That includes you. That includes me. As a believer, that gives me encouragement and confidence that I am known by God and He cares. Think on that one some and have a blessed rest of the day. Amen.

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at 20 or at 80. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young, but becomes constantly more valuable, regardless of physical capacity." ~ Henry Ford, 1929

Happy Wednesday folks, this one comes to us identified as July 8, 2026. Many of you are aware that I am creeping up on an auspicious occasion, Lord providing, and, that would be my 80th birthday scheduled for this coming August. This upcoming event does give me some pause as I consider the more than 4,170 weeks along with the nearly 3 billion heartbeats in my breathing air on the planet. When the Apostle Paul came to the end of his time, he had this to say about the life he had lived: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing." (As rendered in the Webster Translation of 2 Timothy 4:7-8) I don't really see myself fitting my time into the testimony of Paul, but, I do know this: What God thinks about our time here pretty much defines what we've been able to accomplish, period. Jesus said the greatest standard to measure our lives is in this way: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40 from the NIV) I do know because of my salvation I will not stand at the White Throne Judgment, (Revelation 20:11-15), where those who have rejected God and His Son will be cast into hell, however, I will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ at what is called the Judgment Seat of Christ and it is there my works as a believer will be examined. (Romans 14:10–12, 1 Corinthians 3:10–15, and 2 Corinthians 5:9–10) Those are some sobering truths. The good news along with the best news is how God so loved He chose to provide a way of salvation for us. I am thankful for that and very ashamed of how many times I have failed Him. The point is this: Make the most important things in life as given to us by God the most important things in life. Mine and yours. More on this later as that day approaches. You with me? Good!

 

Do not get the idea I am practicing to become more and more morbid as I age. Actually, as God provides, I feel like I might have another 20 years to hang around, but, longevity in and of itself is not a great goal. Our lives should count for time and eternity. The only way to do that whether you are young or old is to get yourself aligned with God's will and purpose. Grandma Moses, the recognized brilliant painter, didn't pick up a brush until she was 76. She, by the way, was a devoted Christ follower. She lived to be 101 and she was able to experience her paintings being viewed in museums all over the world. That is a remarkable story. Don't you think so? Maybe I will, here in my office, throw some paint against the wall and call it art. You know. Like the monkeys you see on YouTube. I should think some about that one because others nearby may not think that to be a good outlet for me. I know you know what I mean. I often have prayed to have more resources so I can be of more help to others, but, in response, I've felt a good dose of conviction from Above asking me what I am doing with what I already have. Yikes. Then, I feel like I may have forgotten to say may I and it's time to start over. I was on the steps going into the choir loft at our Church many years ago and the fellow next to me said, "I know we have a great financial burden regarding our Church, so, I've been praying the Lord would allow me to win the lottery so I can take care of it." We were up against each other and this little knee jerk response came out of my pea brain, "God doesn't really care about what you would do if you won the lottery, He wants you to be faithful with what He has given to you." I actually said that. I did. I really did. I remember it well. Looks like it may be time for me to embrace the 'physician heal thyself' concept. See what I mean? Being me. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Pray for me. In fact, let's pray one for another. Just do it! Amen.

"National pride and the belief in the American Dream remain remarkably resilient. Recent data from the Archbridge Institute indicates that roughly 73% of Americans are proud to be citizens. Around 80% agree you can be patriotic regardless of your political or religious beliefs, and roughly the same share feels they have the same or more opportunities than their parents." ~ copied from an article found on whyomingnewsnow.tv

I am glad to report that I am in pretty good shape, for the shape I am in. Thanks so much for asking. Today is a great day to thank God for His blessings. It is. It really is. The children sing out this sentiment: Rise and shine and give God the glory, and, if, you haven't done that, well, today, this Tuesday, July 7, 2026, is a good place to start. It is. It really is. Here's my observation from watching excerpts from 4th of July celebrations all across our nation: Patriotism is not dead in the United States of America, and, I, for one, hope it hangs around for as long as God allows us to be one nation, under His guidance. To me, this was a spectacular showing of the heart of our people. From sea to shining sea, folks turned out to celebrate this nation, and it being founded on the principle of our God given freedom. This is not to say we don't have huge issues, many troubles, and great difficulties that challenge our ability to function, however, with all of these, we, the American people still love our country, love our flag, and, we are willing to pay homage to the God who gave us the liberty and those who have sacrificed to keep us going. We have so many haters who only want to see the bad and they pontificate about it day and night. They, no doubt hated these celebrations of what it means to embrace the American spirit. Why? They are rooting for our nation to fail because their existence depends on the bad, while, most Americans acknowledge our problems, we still love the home of the brave and the land of the free. These celebrations were a slap in the face of those who only sell negativism as the outcome of their hatred. I felt that surge of love for my country, I had that lump in my throat as I considered all those who have paid the price for our freedoms, yeah, old fashioned patriotism. It's still an inherent part of who we are. And, I say, thank God that it is. What say you? 

 

Last Saturday, the wife and I, it being the 4th of July, we ventured out to a movie theater to see the new film, 'Young Washington'. This movie attempts to show some of the situations that helped shape the larger than life character of what many call the Father of our Nation, George Washington. I did some fact checking on the movie itself and my take is this: Close Enough. In portraying a biographical movie its next to impossible for the legendary image not to show up in the depiction. However, it got hold of me. It was emotional. My wife asked why I reacted that way. Back in the day, I was better at remembering a lot of what I had stored in my memory banks, like American history. I loved it. I lived it, and Washington was a huge part of the information I had retained, therefore, seeing some of the scenes in that movie, it reminded me of God's providence working through individuals to found our nation. George Washington was a huge believer in God providentially working to preserve him in battle after battle, for a purpose. He was that kind of believer. Go check it out. He was. The battles he faced in his young life, well, they involved God's intervention since he did have bullet holes in his hat and coat, on more than one occasion. The mainstream critics thought the stories in the movie were sanitized because the movie is being marketed to a Christian audience. I'll take that any day over the trash they like where our heroes are degraded as a way of story telling. Washington was not perfect. He had his challenges just like every other person who has ever breathed air on the planet, however, he was aware that God chartered his destiny and he went with that belief. We are blessed as a result. We are. We really are. Amen.

"If you have a stomach ache, in France you get a suppository, in Germany a health spa, in the United States they cut your stomach open, and in Britain they put you on a waiting list." — Michael Mosley

Yeah, I know. Many are still off on the July 4th Holiday, but, for us retirees, well, everyday is a kind of holiday, and, hopefully, we are thankful to God for His provision every day, this one being, Monday, July 6, 2026. Life is a series of experiences. Right? Duh! The other day we traveled into the metropolis for the specialist's specialist appointment for the wife. Back in the mid 1960's I worked for the VA Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana. When the wife needed the car I would catch a ride to work with Ward and Vivian Hooter. They greatly lived up to their name because, in essence, they were a hoot. I rode in the backseat of their little car and they mumbled, grumbled, and threw accusatory thoughts and ideas forth and back for the entire journey. It was as good as Burns and Allen or perhaps Fibber McGee and Molly. (If you don't recognize those characters, do what I do, look them up.) At any rate, riding with them was a blast. Well, the other day the wife and I, perhaps without even realizing it, we reprised their routines and became our version of The Bickersons. (Look them up too.) The wife said my driving actually scared her to death, however, she was still breathing when we finally made it to our destination. If I'm not mistaken, a time or two she drew up into the fetal position trying to brace herself, you know, like the crash dummy. It was an interesting ride and even though I laughed about it, often, she didn't seem to connect to the punch lines. Oh well. We did make it. By the grace of God and Google Maps. The staff there at the thoracic surgical center for Baylor School of Medicine, they were exceptionally nice. The specialist's specialist was running late. He sent in a place holder, one of his physician assistants, and, we went through all the diagrams of the esophagus, stomach, and other vital issues at hand. Finally, one hour late, the man of the hour appeared and drew a lot of stuff on a piece of paper and gave a very confident assurance that he, the specialist's specialist, could do a surgical procedure and help her with her digestive and reflux related issues. He was very convincing, therefore, we have a mid August date set up for her surgery. 

 

It's been a while since I was in that part of Houston, however, I do think I recognized some of the sink holes, pot holes, and other road hazards from my last time there. Obviously, this area was not part of the make nice and pretty for the world cup soccer games. Just observing, folks, not being critical. I report and you decide. My guess is that mostly sick people come to that particular center. You know. People who have medical needs. That's a great reason to charge them $6 per hour to park. Right? And, remember when they told you when you were younger to just walk it off. Well, that's exactly what you do there. Just walk it off, further, further, and oh yeah, a wee bit further yet. I'm planning on getting my seven year trained physical therapist to stamp my card for two weeks based on the walking I did to get to the place we were supposed to be. But, the bottom line is how blessed we are to have access to such wonderful care related medical services. When I was at one of the large medical clinics in our area here in The Woodlands the other day I noticed how full the parking lot was and people were lined up waiting to see their doctor. We drove for 1-1/2 hours into the medical center in Houston, same story. Yes. I am aware there are a lot of people in the metroplex, but, it begs the question: What came first? The service or the need? You dwell on that for a while and when you get a headache, take an aspirin and a nap. And, say a prayer. That always helps. It does. It really does. Amen.