"The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again." ~ Charles Dickens

Good morning and welcome. Today is Thursday, June 18, 2026, and, as is often said, time is getting away from us, and, it is, it really is. Thanks for praying for our Jimmy. After observation they released him to come home for more observation. Their theory is he had some type of reaction to one of the handful of pills he has to take each day just to keep him going. This is not a completely new outcome for us, but, we are thankful it was not a more serious diagnosis. Today I am remembering my brother Donald who passed away 15 years ago. He was two years younger than me and he was an interesting kid growing up. I think the word unconventional might be the best way to describe him. Or, perhaps nonconformist. At any rate, he typically lived out his time in Donald-world. He loved his jet black dog, Lobo, from the get go. He loved fishing. With a passion. We had a little creek about maybe a half mile away from our home and he would go nearly every day, rain, sleet, or snow, as they say. He would go into the field behind our house and dig him up a few earthworms and take his pole, line, and hook and head off along with his little dog Lobo, to the creek bank, Brushy Creek to be exact. Granny Mac might holler out, "Son, look out for snakes!" He would just laugh. He grew up calling things like he saw them. Our little Church had more hypocrites than you could shake a stick at. It did. It really did. The kind that sat in the Deacon's Corner on Sunday and would take advantage of a widow or elderly person on Monday. Donald would call that out and poke fun at the obvious disconnect. When he graduated from high school, at age 17, he had mom sign for him to go into the Marine Corp. He spent the next twenty years serving our country and much of that time was spent preparing young recruits serving as a drill instructor. After retirement, he worked in a high school ROTC program and also as a manager for a trucking firm. He loved Gospel music and he would often assure our mom that he was ready to meet God. I was able to be with him quite often during his last days here on the planet. He was across the Houston metroplex from me, but, I was the closest family member to him. I am thankful that I was able to pray over him along with my sister and a few others as he departed this life for the next. I also felt very privileged to present the Word of God at his home going service. Unique. That's another word to describe him, almost, from the time he was born. May God comfort all of his children and grandchildren as they remember him today. Amen.

 

Lord willing, this afternoon our old people's singing group, officially call the Legacy Choir, will be presenting some patriotic tunes at one of the nursing homes in our area. The name nursing home often causes people to envision in a negative way a place of neglect and isolation. Because of this, the elderly care business has attempted to present names that tell a different story. A consultancy has these name considerations to help the image of this particular care business: Serene Embrace Senior Living; Graceful Guidance Care Center; Compassion Cove Assisted Living; Caring Whisper Residence; Patient Pulse Senior Sanctuary; Tender Harbor Retirement Haven; Loving Kindness Rest Home; Empathy Elder Cottages; Gentle Grove Senior Retreat; Endearing Echo Care Community; Harmony Haven Elderly Care; and, I kid you not, the list went on and on, and on. I just hope they don't treat me like they have in the past. You know. "Sir, aren't you supposed to be in your room right now. It will soon be time for your meds." Okay. That's a joke, but, for those in my age bracket I will tell you it is one that we all can identify with and even laugh about, albeit nervously. I look forward to ministering to these folks. I know they appreciate any and all opportunities to have contact with, let's just say it like this: The outside world. May God bless us as we seek to minister in His name in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

"There is nothing God doesn't know about your life. You may know the past and present, but God also knows the future. Choose today to walk securely - not in what you know, but in what you believe." ~ Dr. David Jeremiah

Folks, I've said it before and while it may be a 'duh' comment, it's still true: We never know what a day might bring. Today, it is Wednesday, June 17, 2026, and, we have been up pretty much the entire day already. Our Jimmy is back in the hospital after suffering some seizure-like symptoms. The wife carried him to the ER around 1 a.m. this morning and we do appreciate prayers on his behalf. To be honest, we had many other plans for our day but we are trusting God to help us to deal with whatever comes our way. We have so many of our dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as family members, who are needing a special touch from Above. They do. They really do. On any given day, literally, my social media feed is filled up with folks seeking God's intervention. That tells me we are a needy people and as the song says, Jesus is right for whatever wrong in your life. He is. He really is. The truth remains the truth regardless of what you or I might be experiencing in this life. God is in control. He is on His throne. And, we can trust Him to see us through. I well remember a young man, having recently lost his beloved father, as he came to the platform and he presented this song:

 

Bow the Knee ~ Songwriters: Mike Harland /Christopher Machen

 

There are moments on our journey following the Lord
Where God illumines every step we take
There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us
As we try to understand each move, He makes
When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him

 

Bow the knee
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see
Bow the knee
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity
And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan
In the presence of the King, bow the knee

 

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall
The cold and lonely winds won't cease to blow
And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel
We are tempted to believe God does not know
When the storms arise, don't forget, we live by faith and not by sight

 

Bow the knee
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see
Bow the knee
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity
And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan
In the presence of the King

 

Bow the knee
Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see
Bow the knee
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity
And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan
In the presence of the King

 

Bow the knee
Bow the knee
Bow the knee
Bow the knee

 

 

His voice shook some as he shared this testimony from his grief supplanted by his belief. Our family has been through many difficulties that were often called tragedies and I can tell any and all what I have learned: When it seems there is no way, God is still the only answer. He is. He really is. I've been told by onlookers who say we just find a way to inject God into every challenge. They were so right. We do, and, I hasten to add we should do it as a normal part of our living out each and every day. We should. We really should. Do I always do that? You talking to me? I do not, but, that doesn't change how I should, you should, we all should be seeking God's hand in every breath we take. Okay. I, more or less, threw this together and you may have heard the statement that a person who represents themselves in court as a fool for a lawyer, well, I quickly add that a person who proofreads is own material has a fool for a proofreader. Or, something like that. Y'all have a great rest of today and may God add His blessings. Amen.

"Distractions in church services are common and can stem from several sources, ranging from modern technology like cell phones and digital glowing screens to situational factors such as latecomers, wandering children, excessive noise, or even erratic crowd movements." ~ copied

I get it. Yesterday's twenty Bible verses made it longer than most days, HOWEVER, those verses give hope and they give life, therefore, those twenty verses are worth all the time necessary to read them, take them into our hearts, and to then meditate on them as we go about our living the life God has given to us. That's why I will not make any apologies or excuses whenever I include God's breathed out truths. Are we clear on it now? Just messing with you, even though it's the truth, on this Tuesday, June 16, 2026. I am aware how we have mutilated our attention spans in these media saturated days. We have. Me too! The man of God climbs into the pulpit and announces how he feels led to read a long passage. The response might include a few 'amens' but underneath there is a shifting of individual tectonic plates as the groans can be heard far and wide. I know. People don't have tectonic plates. It's an illustration. Okay? Why do we knee jerk respond like that to the presentation and reading of God's Word? First of all, even as believers our old man nature, (Ephesians 4:22), is still there to wreck anything spiritual. Secondly, the deceiver of this world, he doesn't want us to grow in the grace and knowledge or our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, (2nd Peter 3:18). Lastly, we have our minds on other things. If we are dealing with anything on the electronic screen, our average attention span drops to an average of 40 seconds or less. Me too! A few years ago a wonderful church-lady spoke to me about our services and she said this: "I don't like it when the worship pastor reads from the Bible. We hired him to do the music and reading the Bible is the senior pastor's job." I rest my case, your case, all our cases, and, I recommend we seek God's help today. Now would be a good time. It would. It really would. 

 

Yes. I am aware there are those who are not very good at reading period, much less, God's Holy Word. I recall something I read about the respected man of God, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, (1834-1892). He had a seminary for would be preachers in the Church he pastored. He had a strong viewpoint about his students learning to read well from The Scriptures. He believed God's Word was what people needed to hear from the pulpit, therefore, for those who were poor readers, they were to receive special attention in order for them to clearly present the truths from The Bible. That's not so much of a problem in today's world. While we may want to find excuses for not paying attention to the hearing of God's Word, the problem is mostly much closer than we would like to admit. Yes. I know. I use it perhaps way too much but as our pastor likes to say, "If the shoe fits buy a pair in every color." The saying I'm talking about is this one from the song that was first published in 1925 in the Book of American Negro Spirituals: "Not my brother, Not my sister, but, it's me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer." I can tell you this, by experience, my friend: With God's help that's one excuse we can do something about: me, myself, and I. Amen.

"I finally got eight hours of sleep. It took me three days but whatever." — Unknown

Hello everybody and welcome back to this episode of the long running series which at times has been summed up as, "Really?" Thanks for showing up on this Monday, June 15, 2026. I am a little late climbing the stairs today because I accompanied the wife of my youth for her CPAP breathing apparatus fitting. They have made quite a few improvements since I was fitted for mine around 10 years ago. She essentially got a brand new Cadillac Escalade and I believe the one they gave me had to have been a used 1960's VW. Ha! The technician said I was due a new unit if I needed one. That caused me to think some. If I get a new one and I use it as much as I do the old one, well, I might not want to create any waves. Just saying. However, here's where I am coming from. I need to use one. I do. I really do. However, I need it to be 100% without any requirement on my part. I'm not trying to be difficult. I am expressing my need here. So, please be kind. I need one that pretty much does everything it should do without me having to do anything. Period. Nothing. Zero. You say they don't work that way even with the newer models, and, I say, why not? Surely there's a market for people like myself. You what? You hope not. I asked for understanding and kindness. All those face fitting adjustments and having to sleep a certain way, come on, man! At any rate, the wife should see some good results because she is much better at following instructions than I am. I did learn a few things from the technician working with her. For instance, the unit and its components need to be cleaned weekly. I didn't know that. I was following my own instinct. You know when the distilled water container turned green I knew it should be rinsed out. Ha! The way he described the weekly cleaning protocol, well, it's enough to keep one awake at night. Know what I mean? Good!

 

And, I quickly add how I am not poking fun at those who are helped to get much needed rest while sleeping. I was just laughing out loud, mostly at myself. I do that. A lot. In fact, the older I get it is the more material I find right here in my own skin. I share some of it, but, if I were to reveal much more, well, you would think I most likely need professional help. And, you would be very much correct in that assessment. I do need help. I need help every second of every minute of my time here on the planet. In short, I need the Lord God of Heaven. What say you? Here are twenty random verses that pertain to God as our Helper:  Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." /Deuteronomy 33:26 "There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty." /Deuteronomy 33:29 "Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs." /2 Chronicles 14:11 "And Asa cried to the Lord his God, 'O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.'" /Psalm 37:40 "The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." /Psalm 40:17 "As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!" /Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." /Psalm 60:11 "Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!" /Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." /Psalm 118:7 "The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me." /Psalm 121:2 "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 124:8 "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." /Isaiah 41:13 "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you." /Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.'" /John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." /Romans 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" /1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." /Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." /Hebrews 13:5–6 "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" /1 Peter 5:10 "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (Quoted from the English Standard Version ESV) One thing I am sure of, the words I write may be fallible BUT those from the Word of God, the Bible, they are always infallible, always and forever. Amen.

"I prefer radio to TV because the pictures are better." - Alistair Cooke

New photo of my blog assistant.

We made it folks. We did. Give your self a round of applause because we made it to Friday, June 12, 2026. Those who have followed me for any length of time know how much I enjoy listening to old time radio or as they say, ear paintings from yesteryear. On our way back from Louisiana the wife was able to use her phone to tune in to some recorded series from back in the 1940's. She put them on the radio in the car and the ones she chose were back to back detective programs from popular series back in the day. I do get into listening and seeing what I conjure up as the program progresses. I even enjoy the commercials, typically, for products that no longer exists. I did become so focused on one episode of the show starring the master detective Nero Wolfe that I nearly ran through a red light. I did stop but I will admit I was slightly jutting out into the intersection. That prompted my riding partner to take immediate action to end my listening enjoyment. I will have to dream up my own ending to that particular program because she informed me that running red lights was not to be tolerated. She did. She really did. I was so nice about it. I don't think I even reminded her of her recent black out spell where she actually hit another driver. I was so kind not to even mention it. The radio programs cause an interesting thing to occur. One has to think and imagine the action taking place. Orson Welles called it the theater of the mind. And, that it is. There are literally hundreds of preserved recordings of old time radio programs on a variety of streaming platforms. Check them out. I leave the subject with this comment: "I have long thought, and still think, that radio is magic. Television is OK, but radio is magic. If television had been invented first and then radio had come along, people would think, 'What a wonderful thing this radio is! It's like television except you don't have to look at it!'" ~Charles Osgood, 1989

 

I visit by phone with our eldest nearly every day. We talk about all that's going on in his world including the work world where it is always challenging. One of the things I gather from our daily discussions is how the more things change it is the more they stay the same. Technology may change but people issues which are still the heart of any operation, well, they are just that, people issues. So much of what he deals with seem to be identical to things I've dealt with in the past, you know, been there and done that. One of the things I try to do is to input some learned wisdom since I no longer deal with the workplace. What kind of wisdom? For me, it has to do with me being more understanding, less judgemental, and, perhaps being more flexible. People have been people since God created Adam. And, I quickly add they have been fallen people, born sinners, since Adam chose to listen to Eve. That's just the truth, period. (Read the first three chapters in the Book of Genesis.) Because of that, I think perhaps in my many years of managing people I could have offered a more caring spirit when dealing with people issues. I also could have remembered me, myself, and I, when others failed to hit the mark, so to speak. You know. Live and learn. I can't go back and change some of the ways I handled things, but, I can pass down some of what I have learned. One example. I told him the other day what a fellow manager said to me one day, "Buddy, I like you and you have a great reputation, but, sometimes you need to think about this: Who died and left you in charge?" That helped me. Humility will go a long way folks. It will. It really will. And, it happens to occupy much within the pages of God's Holy Word. It does. It really does. Y'all enjoy your Friday, Saturday, and, make an effort on the First Day of the Week, Sunday, to show up at the meeting place where believers gather to worship the Lord and learn more from His Word. Amen.

John Knox, Scottish minister and noted Christian writer, (1514-1572), uttered these piercing words and then died, "Live in Christ, die in Christ, and the flesh need not fear death."

Well, surprise, surprise, I am back here at the ole blogger ranch where me, myself, and I, along with Lil Miss Biscuit are doing our best to embrace this new day, Thursday, June 11, 2026, and, being sure to thank God for it. We had traveled to the east side of Shreveport, Louisiana, to visit a dear friend of the wife who is nearing the end of her journey here on the planet. The story of how they became friends is somewhat convoluted, but, I will give it a short overview. This lady's husband and I began working together in the early 1970's. Somewhere along the way, the wife met his wife, and, that was it. It was. It really was. They became bosom buddies and while he and I worked on many projects together, our relationship was predominately business and professional. He and I worked together for over twenty years. He left the company due to a medical issue and life continued for both our families. She is now 89 and he is 85 and our time with them yesterday was something heart wrenching but also very special. I had not seen them in over 30 years, however, the wife had been stopping by occasionally on her way back from visiting and helping to take care of her brother. It was hard for the wife to say so long for now to her dear friend and we were able to pray with her husband as he is the caretaker and the situation is very challenging. There's so much more to our story because of the long association but it reminds us all how that this life is fleeting and we all should make certain we are ready to go at any moment, and, we do that by giving our heart and life to God's provision for salvation, His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

We came back home because looking at the amount of time it was only about an hour more to cross over into Texas and travel down through east Texas to get back home. In fact, we were able to make choir practice since we were passing by that way. How does all of that impact old people? I woke up this morning sitting straight up in the recliner with my glasses and my boots still on. The wife said I was sleeping so soundly she didn't have the heart to wake me up. That is where we came up with the saying, "I will not need to be rocked to sleep tonight."  At any rate, I woke up feeling a wee bit achy but refreshed and ready to get out there and go again. Well, not too far this time. Please. We do have the old people's choir practice this morning and then we will be meeting many of the other old folks from our local assembly to have lunch at that wonderful place for old people to gather, that's right, Luby's. And, don't tell anyone because it will be a huge surprise, there just might be a spontaneous song being heard at that gathering. I think they call it a flashmob, but, we will have to show up to see. Remember, I wrote about the importance of showing up a few days ago. I did. I really did. Take care now, you hear. And, may God add His blessings. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ~ GOD’S WORD Translation ~ "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this."

Good morning and welcome to the early edition of today's insights into this, that, and the other. Thanks for showing up on this Tuesday, June 9, 2026. I will not be publishing a blog tomorrow or on Thursday because the wife of my youth and I are traveling to Louisiana to visit a very ill lady who has been a special close friend to the wife for around 50 years. Please pray for this dear lady and her husband at this most difficult time. God knows all about it. We had our men's Bible study at 7 a.m. this morning. I have my first actual physical therapy exercise visit at 10 a.m. Hey, I remember it well when they said, "Hey, go ahead and retire, you've done your 60 plus years, enjoy all that free time." This afternoon we leave for our travel. It's around a six hour drive which used to be nothing, not even a drop in the bucket. These days we break it up if possible so we will stop at the wife's sister's place and spend the night and then get up early Wednesday and travel on. On the way back we will do the same thing.  

I will close up shop early today since my physical therapist has plans for me. I have been doing some of the exercises she gave me and it has actually helped my mobility some while at the same time it hurts like ole billy heck. Yeah. I have heard that one, no pain, no gain. Oh well. It is what it is, and, we will see how it all goes. I will keep you posted. While I am at it, thanks so much for all of you out there who stay in touch by reading my daily postings. I do appreciate the feedback and the support. I do. I really do. In our early Tuesday morning men's Bible study we are going through the letter written by the Apostle Paul to the local called out assembly meeting in Ephesus, Greece. Ephesians. We covered the first part of the first chapter today. Wow! It tells about how believers are guaranteed a certain future in Christ, and, we have the Holy Spirit living in us to make sure it all comes to pass. And, as Mark Lowry likes to say we all love the 'it came to pass' because it means it didn't come to stay. Amen? Yes and Amen. Have a great rest of the day and I will see y'all, Lord willing, come next Friday morning. Amen.