Charles Haddon Spurgeon commenting on Luke 15: "In each parable something that was lost has been restored. We see the longsuffering father, effusive with joy and love upon the return and restoration of his long lost son."

Hello, Friday it's been what? Seven days since we visited. Good to see you on this day, July 24, 2026. Thank you, Lord, for allowing Friday to show up.  And I do welcome each one to our daily time to do what I used to see those guys doing who sat outside the barber shop back home, under the shade trees; they were shooting the breeze, bumping their gums, and telling their tales. I admit it. I do a whole lot of that here on my electronic page. I do. I really do. I grew up around storytellers. Did you? Hearing about the exploits of my granddad, my uncles, the town tellers, my schoolmates, my pastors, my teachers, and so many others- those stories helped me to understand and enjoy the life granted to me. Jesus was the greatest at telling stories that illustrated the truths He shared while He walked here on earth. He told stories about planting seeds, about weeds, even one about a tiny mustard seed. He enthralled His audiences with illustrations concerning God's Kingdom. Different scholars might count them up and come up with different numbers, but there's no denying how His stories perfectly illustrated truths that penetrated the hearts of men, women, boys, and girls. You can look them up and read them. That's right. The stories, or parables as they are called, are found in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Reading them is well worth our time. It is. It really is.

 

I am trying to determine which stories to share as told by our Savior. That's somewhat difficult because there are so many to choose from. I think I'm going to go with the parables Jesus used to illustrate how He came to seek and save those who are lost, those who have strayed, and those who need His provision. These reflect on what the verse, 'God so loved' is all about. It is a rather long chapter, but it speaks to me. I chose to share it in a modern language translation.

 

 Luke 15 ~ New Testament for Everyone ~ The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin

All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming close to listen to Jesus.  The Pharisees and the legal experts were grumbling. “This fellow welcomes sinners!” they said. “He even eats with them!”  So Jesus told them this parable.  “Supposing one of you has a hundred sheep,” he said, “and you lose one of them. What will you do? Why, you’ll leave the ninety-nine out in the countryside, and you’ll go off looking for the lost one until you find it! And when you find it, you’ll be so happy—you’ll put it on your shoulders and come home, and you’ll call your friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ you’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad they will be in heaven over one sinner who repents—more than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
 

“Or supposing a woman has ten drachmas and loses one of them. What will she do? Why, she’ll light a lamp, and sweep the house, and hunt carefully until she finds it! And when she finds it she’ll call her friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ she’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost coin!’ “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad God’s angels feel when a single sinner repents.”
 

The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the younger son

 

Jesus went on: “Once there was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to the father, ‘Father, give me my share in the property.’ So he divided up his livelihood between them. Not many days later the younger son turned his share into cash, and set off for a country far away, where he spent his share in having a riotous good time. “When he had spent it all, a severe famine came on that country, and he found himself destitute. So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into the fields to feed his pigs.  He longed to satisfy his hunger with the pods that the pigs were eating, and nobody gave him anything. “He came to his senses. ‘Just think!’ he said to himself. ‘There are all my father’s hired hands with plenty to eat—and here am I, starving to death! I shall get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;  I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer. Make me like one of your hired hands.” ’And he got up and went to his father.“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and his heart was stirred with love and pity. He ran to him, hugged him tight, and kissed him. ‘Father,’ the son began, ‘I have sinned against heaven and before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him! Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet! And bring the calf that we’ve fattened up, kill it, and let’s eat and have a party! This son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ And they began to celebrate.”
 

The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the older son

 

“The older son was out in the fields. When he came home, and got near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. “ ‘Your brother’s come home!’ he said. ‘And your father has thrown a great party—he’s killed the fattened calf!—because he’s got him back safe and well!’ “He flew into a rage, and wouldn’t go in. “Then his father came out and pleaded with him. ‘Look here!’ he said to his father, ‘I’ve been slaving for you all these years! I’ve never disobeyed a single commandment of yours. And you never even gave me a young goat so I could have a party with my friends. But when this son of yours comes home, :once he’s finished gobbling up your livelihood with his whores, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ he replied, ‘you’re always with me. Everything I have belongs to you. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy! This brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ ”

 

All I can say in response to these precious illustrations: "Thank you, Lord, for seeing my need and searching me out so that I could be rescued by You."  I'm not going to try to improve upon the words spoken by our Savior. Let Him speak to you is my prayer. Amen.

What is a fun fact about physical therapy? "Physical Therapy Dates Back Thousands of Years! Some treatment methods date all the way back to 460 B.C., when the Greek Physician, Hippocrates, advocated for the use of massage, hydrotherapy, and manual therapy techniques for pain relief." ~ copied

Good morning and welcome to this day, Thursday, July 23, 2026. I didn't get a cap and gown, but I did complete my physical therapy course. It was rigorous from my perspective. You know, the program was designed for older people whose muscle groups have atrophied from long-term inactivity. If confession is good for the soul, I would guess it's good for the body since I qualified as the possessor of those sleepy muscles. I did 8 sessions, an hour each. According to my wonderful advisor, a doctor of physical therapy, she was running out of superlatives to describe my progress. I actually looked around the room to see if she was actually talking to me. She addressed me as Mr. Cecil, and her analysis went along these lines: When you came to us, your rating was at this level. Now, after these 8 sessions, your rating is at this level. Really? Okay. If you say so. She was throwing in some strong 'greats' and 'wows' to indicate how much progress I had made. Let me be clear. I have made considerable progress, and this young doctor of physical therapy has been of great help. I have better balance now. I can climb stairs better. In general, I am stronger than when I started. Here is my caveat. My age. I am better and can function more effectively than before, for my age. I know I tend to lean a wee bit cynical; thus, I kind of felt like she was reporting how well she did, but since I am practicing at being better at overlooking, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and say how much I appreciate her technical skills and her approach to helping someone like me. Let me add this: I thank God for His provision of access to these types of remedies and people like her. I do. I really do. 

 

Do not look for me at the next Ironman competition. In fact, my time spent in physical therapy reminded me more of the old WipeOut TV competition show where people mostly embarrassed themselves trying to navigate through a series of odd physical challenges. Most of the time, most of them wiped out. I identify with the wiped-out brigade. I recently reconnected with the most popular grammar and writing program to analyze my blogs. He or she does not care for my homespun colloquialisms. That program wears me out, and at times I can see how he or she ends up doing a lot of head scratching. I always want to produce blogs in the most readable form possible. Please don't throw rocks at me. That is my desire. I well remember my grandfather, Paw Paw Mac, upon discovering my mishap or failure, and my excuse was that that was not my intention. He heard me and would then ask the pertinent question, "Okay son, then what exactly was your intention?" I continue to be a work in progress. I appreciate your tolerance and your support. I do. I really do. Let's just say all of it together adds up to make life a wee bit more interesting. And, you have your forth and back experiences as well. We all do. Regardless of what yours are about and regardless of the stuff I live to tell about, God is still on His throne and Jesus is still our Savior, and, Holy Spirit God still lives within those who are His own. Now, that my friend is what Good News is all about. It is. It really is. Amen.

"You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Tuesday morning table group leader for the women's Bible study. 

Well, look over yonder and see what's coming down the track. Yeah. It's Wednesday, July 22, 2026, and it is another day we have to pause long enough to thank God and give Him praise. That lady in the photo is none other than the wife of my youth, and I haven't really said much about her of late, but after being married to her for 61-plus years, I can't even begin to describe the blessing she is in my life, in our family, and to so many others. She carries with her the God-given spiritual gift described as helps or service, and she personifies the description: "A practical desire to assist, support, and serve the needs of others in the church." I'll not get into a discussion of whether one can possess more than one supernaturally provided gift, but she just might make that case in the way she functions in life. Extrovert in the extreme, but she lives with an introvert by nature, and that makes for an interesting combination. I have no idea whether the axiom that opposites attract holds true, but I do know there are differing talents and abilities within a marriage that help make it work. At times it can be a wee bit of a tension builder, like when she chooses to visit with the cashier for an extended conversation and I happen to be ready to leave and go home. One of my most important callings is that of loving her in the same way Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. (Reference as given in Ephesians 5:25) Because we both continue to have that old man nature to deal with, this can be very challenging; however, with the help of Holy Spirit God, it can be done. The toughest part of that calling is the example of our Savior because He sacrificed His very life for His bride, the Church. The bottom line: I have work to do. What say you?

 

Does she have annoying habits that still drive me up the wall? She does, but when I stop and think about it, she doesn't have nearly as many as I provide for her to consider. Ha! I guess I will say this about our long time together: Overlook it. If it's not crucial, overlook it and keep on keeping on. You may have to bite your lip now and then, but in the grand scheme of things, it just doesn't usually amount to, as they used to say back where I grew up, "It doesn't amount to a hill of beans." I'm not meaning to imply there aren't important issues that need to be addressed, but most of what we deal with doesn't amount to much, and we should keep that in mind. I am doing my best to become an effective 'overlooker' which may not be a word, but I think it gets across my point. Caring enough. Meanwhile, she has her own responsibility to seek to live out God's instructions to her as a wife. If we are both seeking to be who God would have us to be, well, it makes for a better life. It does. It really does. Y'all enjoy the rest of your day and always know that our Sovereign God cared enough and He loved enough to send His Son to die for the most unworthy of us all. He did. He really did. Amen.

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." – Charles Dickens

Good morning, and welcome to this brand-new day, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. I mentioned before the great honor and privilege I had on July 11th of officiating the wedding of our granddaughter Kyleigh to her new husband, Taylor. The photo shows Kyleigh helping direct my signing of their marriage certificate. It was a memorable event and one that my wife and I will treasure as a blessing from the Lord. I was able to conduct that service because God enabled me to do so. He deserves to be recognized for the way He provides for each of us. In the book of Job, Chapter 34, we have the words preserved of a young man, Elihu, who essentially stood up for God as he confronted Job and his three friends. Essentially, he was concerned that in all the dialogue forth and back, God's honor and glory were not being preserved. Elihu challenged any intrusion into words that challenged God's character. He said this about the power of God: "God could decide to remove life from the world. He could take back his spirit and his breath. If he did that, everyone that is alive would die. As humans, we would become dirt again." (Job 34:14-15) This, I believe, is where we get the sense of the fear of the Lord. We worship an Awesome God. I cringe sometimes at how the word 'awesome' is thrown around and attached to every kind of thing or action. I say it again, we serve and worship an Awesome God. That ice cream may have been good, but there is no way it should be described as 'awesome'. I know. Some would call me legalistic or petty. That's okay. Take it as my opinion. As they say, if everything is awesome, then it follows that nothing can be distinguished as being truly awesome. This leads me to remind us all to do what the song says, 'Count Your Blessings'. 

 

Count Your Blessings

 

The classic sacred hymn "Count Your Blessings" was written in 1897 by American Methodist minister and insurance salesman Johnson Oatman, Jr. The uplifting musical tune was composed later that year by Edwin O. Excell.

 

1 When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

2 Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. [Refrain]

3 When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. [Refrain]

4 So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end. [Refrain]

Baptist Hymnal, 1991

 

I may be over the hill by many estimations, but I'm still learning, and one of the things I am working on is the sentiment found in that song: stop, consider, and thank God for His provisions and His blessings. I will be working on trying to realize what all these instructions from the Apostle Paul mean until I draw my last breath: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the Amplified Bible (AMP) reads: "Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." That's my assignment for today, tomorrow, and the rest of my life. What about you? Take care now, you hear? Amen.

"I'm a conundrum. Or an enigma. I forget which." ~ James A. Owen, An American comic book illustrator, publisher and writer

We made it to Monday, so give yourself a pat on the back, but in doing so, I advise you to be careful, especially if you are in my age group. Patting myself on the back might just send me back to the starting line for my physical therapy sessions. Hello and welcome. Today is Monday, July 20, 2026, and I am still basking in the wonderful day we had in our gathering together at our local fellowship of believers yesterday, Sunday, that day which is the first day of the week. Most people have always been somewhat bent out of shape about Monday. Why? Typically, it's back to work or back to school. However, when it comes to days of the week, we've had the first day of the week already; it was yesterday, Sunday. Okay. I am old now, so I can hand down something I learned over the years. If you recognize Sunday for what it is, that being the Lord's Day because it is Resurrection Day, and, it is the day local assemblies (Churches) met as recorded in the New Testament, therefore, if you give that day to the Lord and if you spend time with other believers seeking God, worshiping Him, and learning more about Him, well, your Mondays will not be a dreary dreaded drag. In other words, your attitude feeds your altitude, and when your attitude is fueled and refreshed by Holy Spirit God, you will have a different perspective, yes, even about getting up and going on a Monday morning. Amen.

 

I didn't show up to send out a sermon, but I will be honest here: when I sit down to write, I typically write what comes into my pea-sized brain. I do not claim inspiration because most of what I write about comes from perspiration. Just joking. You know. I was looking for something other than inspiration since my stuff is pretty much homegrown by that notorious committee I have to deal with each day, Me, Myself, and I. Sometimes I climb the stairs up to my office here at the ole blogger ranch with something burning in my mind so much so I can hardly wait to hear those keys clacking. There are times when I feel that way at some time during the week, but by the time I get to it, I no longer remember that great idea. And there are others, like today, when what I see on the page is the first time I've seen it too! Wow! I, at times, am the first to ask the question: I wonder where that came from? Even as I sit in the chair right now, I had several clarifications to share about stuff I wrote earlier because I obsess over never wanting to misinform or mislead in what shows up on the electronic page. I do. I really do. But, alas, those clarifications often find themselves in the file marked "Never to be heard from again," and I have to just move on down the road. I heard that comment. "Why don't you do what you used to tell your mom to do? When you want to remember something, jot it down." Ouch. That is, by the way, a great idea, and it's time for me to begin to follow my own advice. Thanks for sharing. Y'all have a good day as provided by the Lord, and be sure to give Him thanks for it, and I will do my best to do the same. Amen.

Socrates: "Beware the barrenness of a busy life."

Another week of flailing and thrashing in getting my blogs sent here, there, and, to the regions beyond. I am glad you have joined today's edition here at the ole blogger ranch. This one comes to you live and in person, (or at least I was alive when I wrote it, ha!), on this day, Friday, July 17, 2026. It has been a very busy week here, how about where you are? Being busy can be a trap. There are studies out there that try to analyze the impact of busyness. There's the Principle of Busyness, The Cult of Busyness, and, The Anatomy of Busyness, and these attempt to look into how being busy doesn't always end up with effective results. Having been in the public workplace for nearly 60 years and many of those spent in supervisory positions, I can attest to how being busy often leads to more busyness instead of producing results that make a difference in the success of the project or endeavor being pursued. I remember well, working as a hired consultant, having the opportunity to do a comprehensive evaluation of a major aplication project underway in the company's information technology department. Work had been going on for years and there was much activity. Much. A lot. Some of it was frenetic and moving fast enough to be almost like a blur. Sadly, all these efforts were just that: Efforts that produced a lot of busyness but with almost zero results towards the stated target. It became my job to document what I found and report back to upper management how some 10 to 12 million dollars had been spent keeping a whole lot of folks busy but the work products produced were not able to accomplish the project goal. See what I mean? It can happen to any of us. Me. You. Anyone. We can confuse being busy with effectiveness and results. It's the bridge to nowhere syndrome, and, I kind of feel that way this week, however, I am thinking about thinking about how I might do better next week. Ha!

 

I well remember times when I knew exactly where I was going. I had the picture of it in my mind. I did not need to verify or check out the destination in any way whatsoever. I knew where I was going. I made it to where I knew where I was going. It was not the right place. I was busy. I worked hard, but, that did not get me to the right place. Okay. That actually happened. It did. It really did. More than once. I didn't say I was proud of it but it does add illustration to what I was trying to convey about busyness. By the way, this is a consideration in our spiritual life as well. For a number of years I conducted ministry effectiveness planning meetings in a variety of churches. It was very straight forward. What are we attempting to accomplish? And, how well are we doing towards that goal? You would not believe some of what happened in those sessions. You wouldn't. I never had to break up a fist fight but the atmosphere became somewhat heated at times. Why? The work and ministry of a local church is a priority for those who are members. Their efforts should be guided by truth but they should also be focused towards seeing men, women, boys, and, girls come to know Christ and then to grow into mature workers for the Lord. We were able in many instances to get past the pettiness and establish realistic and noteworthy goals in ministry activities. Okay. I am tired now from sharing all of this, but, being intentional counts and being effective in our serving of the Lord also counts. For time and eternity. And, that, my friend, is a long, long time. Amen. 

"Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog. It merely expands the heart." — Unknown

Happy Thursday, July 16, 2026, and, I am just back from taking Lil Miss Biscuit for her annual visit to the veterinarian. She, just like her predecessor, Sir Bentley Barksalot Esq., they both would prefer not to go. They also, even though it's only once a year, begin to get all shaking like they are having a chill as we get closer to the vet location. The people at our clinic love animals and they really have nothing to fear but that doesn't keep them from getting all nervous and hyper. Maybe I should go the long way around and see if she recognizes where we are headed. I know. She's a pup so what's the big deal? Since I am a recently converted dog lover I likely don''t have standing to answer that question but here's the deal: It bothers me when she is bothered. Okay. I said it. I hope that makes someone happy. All of this dog loving stuff is fairly new to me, within the last ten years. After we lost our Bentley I made it clear I never wanted to have another pet, period. Then one day our son Jimmy showed me a litter of pups on Facebook from a lady he knew back in high school, the pups were for sale. But, I didn't want a pet. Which one do you like, he said. They are only three weeks old and since the mother to the pups can't nurse, you could feed her as well as they can. Really? Next thing I knew we were in the ole truck headed into the outskirts of Houston to look at these new born pups. I think there were five or six but I can't even remember why I was drawn to Biscuit but the short story goes like this: She came home with us. And, that's how my proclamation to never have another dog got altered. Now I find myself having to plead guilty to my contributions in allowing Lil Miss Biscuit to never realize she is a dog. To her, like Bentley, this is her domain and we are privileged to enjoy her company and serve her interests. I know. The truth hurts, but, that's the way we roll these days. 

 

In preparing for teaching the final lesson from the writing of Joshua, one thing really sticks out. Joshua wanted all of those in his nation, Israel, to know without any doubt whatsoever, that it was God who had won the battles they had fought. God prepared their way. God was there to deal directly with their enemies. This means, God rightly should receive the glory for what Israel accomplished in conquering the foes they encountered in the Promised Land. The reason that hit me is because it is something we all need to consider. We live in so much of a mutual admiration society where people are often praised way beyond their earned recognition. It can happen in Church too. We often applaud the performance when the presentation was, I hope, intended to point us to our Great God and He deserves the applause and the praise. Think about it. Children are now raised with recognitions of every sort imaginable. No matter what the field of endeavor there typically are commendations and trophies galore. It begins with toddlers and goes on and on and on. I've witnessed it time and time again. In my own family. I just think it gives us all something to think about. God. He provided all that we have including the next breath and heartbeat. I remember one time I became sick and tired of so many people telling me how lucky I was or how I seem to always be in the right place at the right time. What about me? What about how hard I worked? I thought to myself I need some recognition around here, it's not luck. And, it wasn't. It was the hand of God that helped me and I almost collapsed in my chair at work when I entertained the thought of how big I was. We must never rob God of His glory, period, end of story, from the get-go to the end. Food for thought. And, it may be tough but it's worth the chew. Amen.