"Nothing grows old-fashioned so fast as modernity." ~ Robertson Davies, (1913-1995) Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor.

Hello to everyone on this Friday, March 13, 2026. One thought came to me concerning the lost episode that I intentionally but accidentally deleted, that being the amount of repetition found in my blogs most likely means the materials that I have not remembered to remember have shown up before, however, since I don't remember what I lost it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. (Let sleeping dogs lie" is an English proverb known at least since the 14th century. This saying suggests that when an old problem is no longer causing anyone trouble, it might be better left undiscussed, and dormant controversies should not be restarted even if they were never resolved. This intent is similar to the meanings of sayings like "Don't rock the boat", "Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you".)  If I understand that Wikipedia extract, this means I'm still using figures of speech from the 1300's. Now that's what I call cool! Another dated reference,~ Jazz Origins: In the 1940s, "cool" described a relaxed, restrained style of jazz that contrasted with "hot" jazz. ~ I suppose Solomon writing in Ecclesiastes called it, Chapter 1, Verse 9, from the New Living Translation, "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new." While I am not a Bob Dylan fan, his song, 'The Times Are A Changin' pretty much hits the proverbial nail on the head, at least in the title. Full disclosure: I didn't read the lyrics because I wasn't interested in them, just the title. See what I mean? You don't. Well, that's okay, because often I read my own stuff and am left scratching my head. But, in all fairness, that could be because it was itchy. Solomon's conclusion in that same writing, the Book of Ecclesiastes is one we all should take seriously, Chapter 12, Verses 13-14:

 

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil."

 

Except for those Scriptures, the rest of paragraph one can be summed up in the modern slang, a nothing-burger. That word, by the way, is now in the dictionary and it's meaning goes like this: Something that is or turns out to be insignificant or lacking in substance. Who knew? It's been an interesting week here at the ole blogger ranch. Most weeks are. Or, at least I make them out to be interesting. Now we have days coming up called the week end. It actually ends on Saturday, tomorrow, if you like. Sunday begins a brand new week. Check it out for yourself, that's how it's formatted. This means Sunday, the first day of the week, Resurrection Day, and following the New Testament pattern, Lord's Day Sunday, and, it's typically the day Christ followers gather together as a local called out assembly (Church) to honor God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. What a great way to start out a brand new week. Amen? Yes! Amen!

"When any man-made tradition or expression of worship—old or new—is held on equal par with the Scriptures, we have gone too far." ~ copied

I know some of you are likely more tech savvy than me, and perhaps you have an idea how to retrieve that lost episode, maybe from the cloud, or, in my case, from the clouds themselves and maybe it will somehow be rained down. Ha! Before I turn to any technology solutions I need to do some work on the frontal lobe, sides and back lobes here on what my grandfather used to say it like this, "Son, are you going to use your noggin for something other than a hat rack?" No. I refuse to do an interpretation of that observation because I think you can figure it out. It is Thursday, March 12, 2025, and, I do bid everyone a hearty hello and that each one will experience the presence of God as provided through Jesus Christ via the abiding Holy Spirit. You will notice that I am much better at packing sentences together than I am at unpacking them. I've told you before how I watch quite a few different Church services, small, medium, and large out on YouTube originating from across the fruited plain. One thing I notice. Church services today are quite different than they were when I was growing up. I did not say they were not better, but, they are different. Here's something that intrigues me. Maybe not you, but, as I have said over and over from the beginning, feel free to skip any and all at any time. Back to my thought here. It's almost like the changed environment has become a template as in everybody's doing it. I'm talking about how so called worship is conducted. I say so called because genuine worship comes from the heart to God and it may or may not be responded to in a 'worship service'. The current template goes like this: There's the praise team, the choir, the orchestra, and, then the hand off to the pastor/teacher. That would be the template for mostly larger congregations but some facsimile of it does edge into the medium sized as well. Now the smaller gatherings tend to reflect what's available in the congregation, maybe a piano and an organ for instruments with no orchestra. Then, yes, then, you have those who intentionally do it only the 'old fashioned way', or at least the version of old fashioned they envision, and they do it that way because God loves it better than the other ways, along with the 1611 King James Version only of the Bible. I happen to think that particular approach is basically nonsense but I do see it being embraced by some. My point? The more things change it is the more they pretty much stay the same. I heard one preacher saying this about his local fellowship, "Y'all love the music and the specials and you can't get enough of it, but, when I stand up to deliver God's Word you tune me out." There are many who believe Churches have become centers for entertainment, and, there are probably a good number who have. Here's the critical issue for us all: God honoring worship comes from the individual's innermost being and God inhabits the praise of His people whenever that praise is genuine. I believe that can happen in a large congregation, a medium sized fellowship, or, even, yes even where just a handful show up to seek God's face. If you can't say Amen, here it is, I will say it for you, AMEN!

 

Sorry about the length of that first paragraph, but, you should hear me talk about it, then, you will be glad you only got the abbreviated version. I saw one comment of a teacher about the student's essay, "It's much too wordy but not nearly long enough." Yikes. I feel some serious conviction coming on. I would say I was recovering from long running verbosity, but, the recovering part would be incorrect, as proven in paragraph one. I do appreciate those who take the time. Time. That is accurate my friend because it does take time to read one of my blogs. Thank you. Having said all of that I will make it even longer by saying this, may God add His blessings and may we all find ourselves worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) ~ Amen. 

"The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease." Famous quote by Sir William Osler (1849–1919)

I prepared Dr. McAden a thank you card and with the help of ChatGPT, the front included him in our photo. He said he would always treasure it. 

Good morning and welcome. It's a good day in the neighborhood, or, at least I think it is on this Wednesday, March 11, 2025. I was up early this morning since I had the first appointment for my annual wellness checkup, but, sadly, for the wife and I, it's the last time we will get to see our primary care physician, Dr. Brett McAden, since he is retiring at the end of March. I hear people talking much about how difficult they have had it finding a good doctor. We feel blessed to have had Dr. McAden to see after our medical needs over the past ten years or more. We signed up with him when our previous primary care, Dr. Tony Nguyen, left to become a medical missionary in the Philippine Islands. Here's my simple test for knowing you have a good doctor: They take care of the issue at hand. Dr. Nguyen did that. Dr. McAden has done that, and, we are now signed up with a new doctor beginning in April. That is always an interesting transition because how many doctors have to treat the patient along with their alter egos, Santa and Mrs. Claus? The staff at Kelsey are always excited to see me because I have one of my Santa photos as my profile on my medical record. The new doctor is from Laos, a country in Southeast Asia. We had four suggested to us and, after watching their introduction videos, I chose him because he speaks perfect English with very little accent. Before you call me a racial profiler, hear me out. As one gets older, communication becomes more and more important, especially when it pertains to responding to medical challenges. Back in the mid 1960's I worked in the VA Hospital system and I can attest first hand to the communication breakdowns that occurred between foreign born medical staff as they diagnosed and treated many elderly veterans. Here's what I will say about our experience with medical care over these past many years: We have been blessed and we thank God for the level of care we have received. And, I think I am unanimous in my opinion.

 

This is not the blog I wrote for today's edition. I had a really good one finished yesterday but through a series of intentional actions on my part I unintentionally did not save it, therefore, this is the mostly an all new replacement since, being honest, I can't remember everything I had on my mind this morning, much less yesterday. You know what I mean, right Vern? I felt really good about the lost one and whatever comes out of this one, well, it will have to do. I do know this. You can never go wrong by mentioning the source of all truth and our ability to access it. There are an estimated 6 billion copies of the Bible in circulation with 100 million new copies printed every year. This means a God breathed compilation of His truths is readily available to most of us. Let me take it a step further. There are myriads of audio versions of the various translations of God's Word available on many different applications, like YouTube and many others. In light of this, it means the truth found in Romans 1:20 is even more profound, "For from the creation of the world His invisible qualities, both His eternal power and divinity, are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, for them to be without excuse." Add to that truth the easy availability of the written Word of God and I think we all can agree about humanity being without excuse. I'll leave you with this well known quote attributed to Mark Twain, "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand". I hear that loud Amen. Mine too. If I happen to meet up with whatever was in that lost blog I'll be sure to share it with you, but, until next time, may God bless us all. Amen.

"Growing old is not a disease, it is a triumph." - Unknown

We are to live in the present or for some, perhaps not, but, I remind us of this truth: that to wake up and live another day is a present from the Lord, therefore, I advise us all to rise and shine and give God the glory on this Tuesday, March 10, 2026. A saying that I have heard most of my adult life is how that getting old is not for the faint of heart. There was a time when I laughed out loud at even the prospect of that statement. Fast forward to today where faint of heart might just be an understatement and to mention fainting at all could very well describe the experience of those of us who are in that 'old' category. That concept of how old age is very challenging and the idea about it not being for the run of the mill type person, well, the experts see the origin to be connected to a statement made by Bette Davis, the actress, who was quoted as having said this, "Old age is not for sissies." This is a guess because the sentiment has been illustrated in many ways over time, therefore, there isn't a identifiable origin. The Bible has much to say about the aging process and it mostly reflects the legacy of a long life of one who recognizes and serves God. “Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever” (Deuteronomy 34:7 NLT) ~ “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:16 NIV) ~ “Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father… Treat older women as you would your mother” (1 Timothy 5:1-2 NLT) ~ “Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old” (Job 12:12 NLT) ~ Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 NIV) ~ "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness." Proverbs 16:31 ~ “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:32 ~ The most important thing about our life, short or long, is how we live and whether we know and serve God, or not. 

 

I know, by experience, that older age can come with agonizing finishes. I have been there and seen that several times, up close and personal. If you hang around long enough you will likely see this played out in the lives of those you love and perhaps even in your own life. Why does it often happen this way? That my friend is in the purview of God Almighty. No. That's not a cop out. For believers, it is where we reflect on this promise, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 KJV ~ All here means just that, all, without exception. And, the way the Greek is structured it emphasizes that it is God who causes all things to be for the good of those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. The naysayers can call that a cop out and I can see where unbelievers would do that, however, for me, I've seen it time and time again as it becomes the extension of an individual's faith as they deal with tragedy or seemingly hopeless situations. When in doubt, trust the Creator of all things. The older I get it is the more I get it. Trust in Him. The sooner the better. Right? Yep. It is my advice for being able to deal with the many challenges faced in this life. Got it? I pray so. Remember. The sooner the better. Amen.

"There are two kinds of forecasters: those who don't know, and those who don't know they don't know." — John Kenneth Galbraith.

The proverbial weather person struggling for the camera while others walk by.

Well, well, it's another day here at the ole blogger ranch and I do bid each one a hearty hello and God bless you on this Monday, March 9, 2026. We didn't get the predicted huge storm with egg sized hail, praise God, but, we did get enough rain to help dissolve the fertilize put out by the wife this past Saturday morning. Nearly everyone lampoons the weather people because of the job they do. I think the interesting thing is how much technology they tout in today's modern world but with all of that they still miss it from time to time. They tell us they have the biggest, the best, the most powerful of radar systems known to mankind, but, that doesn't mean their predictions are always right. Jesus actually had something to say about forecasting the weather. You didn't know that? He did. He really did. Matthew Chapter 16 records this encounter between Jesus and the religious leaders of the time, the Pharisees and Sadducees, verses 1-4, ~"The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.  He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away."~ In other words, Jesus told them they knew something about forecasting tomorrow's weather but in the Presence of the Son of God they missed entirely His coming, His mission, and the fact that He had come to offer salvation. Today, the weather people can miss the forecast and they do from time to time, however, for someone to miss Jesus, well, that my friend is a tragedy beyond description. No Jesus, no heaven. Know Jesus and you will spend eternity in His Presence. Amen.

 

I will have to admit we were a wee bit anxious when the local weather people mentioned up to egg sized hail. We've had a car or two hit by hail and it was fairly small but it left many tiny dents. Imagination comes into play as one considers egg sized hail. As we talked about the incoming stormy weather it seemed the potential for egg sized hail was the thing most feared. Thankfully, and I do mean that in the thank God sense, we didn't have to deal with that. Yes. I did see the videos that showed the results from the savage storms over the weekend where several people lost their lives. So very sad. Speaking of storms, I don't have a problem with people being for or against the attacks from our military along with Israel on Iran. People can make up their own minds. However, I hate to see public opinion shaped by the news media with their own bombardment of slanted news stories that present any and all things regarding our current government leadership in the most negative light possible. That firestorm, my friend, is happening, 24x7. I do hope people will see it all for what it is and come to their conclusion based on the best set of facts they can get, and, may I tell any and everyone out there, those facts will not be coming from the mainstream media, period, end of story, over and out. Just my input on the storm subject. And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how our God is Sovereign and He will see to it all in His own good time. According to the Apostle Peter, God hasn't shut it all down yet because He is still reaching out to those who are lost with the opportunity for them to trust in Jesus and be saved. (The 2nd Epistle of the Apostle Peter, Chapter 3) I do pray each one will have a wonderful week and that we all will pause and give thanks to God. Yep. You too. Right now? Anytime is a good time. Amen.

When we were dating Marilyn was warned not to get involved with me because my family were all crazy. But, I'm thankful to God, that, here, over 61 years later, she didn't heed that warning.

Welcome one and all to Friday, March 6, 2026. I'm not trying to upset musical purists, and, you can sing the song anyway you want to, but, here's how it goes for me: "Ain't it good for her to be back home again!" Please don't report me to the music copyright police. But, it is good for the wife of my youth to be back with us where we do life together. I will translate that for you. She does a lot and I do some. And, when she's not around, well, the lot, in many ways, goes wanting. That's not to say I don't try but I will share this truth, she is younger than me. That's right. I married a younger girl, (I was 18, she was 17), therefore, the issues that plague older people is hitting me first. Ha! I actually thought that was a pretty good explanation. I will find out if it works when she reads this later. I know the times have changed but I think the information shared in the above photo could be a help to so many ladies who wonder about their roles in society today. There's actually better instruction regarding the husband/wife relationship and it turns out to be perfect because it comes directly from The Creator breathed out via the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul:

 

Ephesians 5
New Living Translation
 

Living in the Light

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”
 

Living by the Spirit’s Power

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands

21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.

31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”[c] 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
 

Footnotes

    a 5:2 Some manuscripts read loved you.
    b 5:26 Greek washed by water with the word.
    c 5:31 Gen 2:24.

So much easier to read, even though it does hit us where we live most know it's super difficult to make it the practice of our daily living. Do I have this mastered? Not even close, but, I consider it the model I should be following and I seek God's help because this flesh of mine will never get it done. Y'all, yep, that means you too, wherever you are, take care, seek God, and know He can and will respond. Amen. Until next time, may God be with us all. Amen.

"Your brain is a drama queen — and that's not always a bad thing. The brain's memory system doesn't treat all events the same. The emotionally intense moments take priority – and awkwardness, shame, or embarrassment tend to top the list." ~ Sep 13, 2025, Behavorial Health Network/Hartford HealthCare

Good morning and welcome to Thursday, March 5, 2026, where, I am at it again, thinking about this, that, and the other too. I do thank you for tuning in to today's program brought to you by the Grace of God because without His grace I couldn't be here sending out this stuff from the station here at the ole blogger ranch. That photo. Let me explain. There's these social media forums where people deal with certain topics. One that has become somewhat popular asks this question: What do older people wish they could tell their younger self? I know it's silly. Back to the photo. That's yours truly, the older me talking to the younger me. I'm not going to delve into advice because I didn't notice something about the photo that ChatGPT produced until later. The younger me. I'm wearing short britches. That's important. It reflects another early crisis in my life. Having just finished all that was involved in the loss of my dad, we moved from Port Arthur, Texas, a small city, (population 60,000 to 65,000), to Hornbeck, Louisiana, a rural village in early 1954, (Population 524). I landed in the 3rd grade surrounded by some rough and tumble country boys and girls. They must have thought I was real cute in the little short britches jumper I was wearing when I showed up. It wasn't a problem for the 3rd grade at Lee Elementary in Port Arthur, but, then again, to my recollection there weren't anyone there wearing overalls. Out on the playground I received a lot of attention from those who thought I must be really special. So much so, I went home and while crying I begged mom for her to get me some bluejeans and get them fast. Those who have read my blogs over the years are aware how aggravating it is to me in having many memories either distorted or absent due to the blocking effect that occurred with the death of my father. However, I did not forget the short pants fiasco that got itself sorted out way back then. How? Very simply, I changed my dress code. That's how. That's what the photo spoke to me. And, as you can see, I am still stewing over that incident. Joking only. Well, maybe a little. The experts tell us that embarrassments stay with us, even as children, especially if they involve classmates. As you can tell, it really didn't bother me, ....bother me, ....bother me, that much.

 

I did visit my foot doctor aka a podiatrist yesterday. Prior to showing up at the clinic about 30 minutes from my house, the medical facility folks bombarded me with all kinds of reminders giving me the opportunity to opt in or out of being there for that particular appointment. They always constantly indicate how my arrival time should always be 15 minutes before the scheduled visit with the doctor. Unless the traffic goes completely haywire I always do my very best to make the 15 minute prior schedule. You know: Being on time means being early. I do my part. At 7:40 a.m., I first have to wait for the check-in person to get their computer logged in. Okay. I can handle that. My appointment is at 8 a.m. and I am told to sit and wait until I am called. I am familiar with the process. No activity at 8 a.m., not any at 8:05 a.m., 8:10 a.m., nada, 8:15 a.m., finally the nurse comes and calls out for Mrs. Abbott. She looks at me and apologizes. We go back to examination room where I get on that scale to weigh and then answer her questions and wait for the doctor. She did tell me they were short of staff because I asked. A few minutes later the doctor shows up and does his thing. He is a great doctor and I feel fortunate to have such good care. However, being in the service delivery environment for much of my working life, well, the process leaves a wee bit to be desired. Think about it. I am retired. What else did I have to do? Take a nap? Walk the dog? Those make for a reasonable assessment, however, I was still thinking about all of this and I had it on my mind and now you know about it too. Be clear. Not complaining just sharing. You've heard that one too? Ha! The bottom line is to always take time to stay in touch with the God who loves you so much He sent is one and only Son to die, for me, for you, and according to The Scriptures, He died for the sins of the whole world. He did. He really did. (1st John 2:2) Until next time, you know, give God the glory. Amen.