The View From Here

Friday, March 27, 2026

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Not to worry, this is not an enactment of the tune, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", but, rather it is entitled the "Kissing Clauses" because that's what it is! The Real Santa and his bride!

Friday is here. So quickly. That's part of the age thing I suspect, but, I welcome one and all to today's visit, on this March 27, 2026. The title quote struck me as something we all should think about. There are times, perhaps way too many times, when we underestimate the resources that are ours as a child of God. We think about our limitations as we compare ourselves to others, We don't have the talent they have. We don't have the financial resources they have. If. If only we had the knowledge, the capability, and, the opportunity. When we dwell so much on what we don't have we end up sitting out the opportunities given to us to accomplish things that bring honor and glory to God. I think we greatly misunderstand all the Apostle Paul covered when, via Holy Spirit inspiration, he wrote this: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) Now that verse is thrown here and there to represent all kinds of stuff and to me it often is misapplied and misused. It has nothing to do with name it and claim it and other foolish representations. It has everything to do with God's enabling for any and all things related to this life and our testimony for Him. How do we know that? Good question. Here's exactly what Paul wrote to the called out assembly, Church, in Philippi, Greece, (from the English Standard Bible, ESV), Philippians 4:10-13 ~"I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Here's my take: Wherever we are and whatever situation we are in, there is a sufficiency that comes from our Savior so that we can accomplish His will. Doing well, great, use it to honor God. In the ditch, He is still with you and you can honor Him in how you work through the challenges you face. That, to me, is the riches we have in Christ. We can't, but, He can and He wants to work through us in every situation. (Those who use that 'all things' verse to promote some kind of happy-go-lucky life have not read all that happened to the Apostle Paul, they need to read 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 11) I think I'm done. Okay. You Bible theologians are invited to dissect my simple assessment and be sure to use a lot of non-biblical words to explain why I am wrong. Ha!

Okay. Be thankful. I am not asking for any offerings today. Just send one dollar to cover the weight of the postal money order. As a teenager, I heard that piece of comedic material on an old record, (vinyl at 33-1/3 RPM), performed by a fellow named Dave Gardner. I know. You are thinking we must have been hurting for entertainment in those days, and, you would likely be right. The comedian actually enjoyed mocking radio preachers who were always selling stuff like an 8x10 glossy of themselves, or an anointed prayer cloth, and other such products. You might find that kind of humor offensive. Sorry. I thought it was funny back then and to tell the truth, not much has changed. I reheard one recently that was on TBN back in the Paul Crouch days. They were doing their big money raising program and a guest fellow was trying to whip up the giving. That guy said he wanted to correct everyone's understanding of the widow's mite. He said the verse indicates she gave out of her want. "You see, she gave because she wanted something. She was trying to get it by giving." Since the want in that verse actually means she gave out of her dire poverty, his handling of that passage, well, I give it to you in the Greek language, it's absolute garbage! Okay. I'm not altogether certain how I got on that one, but, if you didn't like it, do what any of us can do, skip it, skip it, like Barney, "Skip it in the bud!" And, sadly, the people there in that studio crowd all shouted and clapped for his explanation. I can tell by the clock on the wall it's time to say farewell for now, and, I do wish each and everyone to have a blessed time until we meet again. May God add His blessings. Amen.

Thursday, March 26, 2026

The Apostle Paul inspired to write these words, in the letter, 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 8, as rendered in the Amplified Bible, "we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."

Thanks to ChatGPT that helped me to stand with my beloved mother-in-law, Mary Emma Stephenson Rawles, (1917-1998)

Yesterday's story was a challenge because, believe it or not, I wrote and re-wrote it several times. It happens that way sometimes. It's not exactly like a box of chocolates, but, there are days when my stuff just seems not to pass muster, and, I am certain some of you have no idea what that means. Right? ("Pass muster" means to meet a required standard, pass inspection, or be deemed acceptable, often used in negative contexts (e.g., "doesn't pass muster"). Originating in the 16th century from military inspections, it means to undergo review without censure. It is commonly confused with "cut the mustard" or mistakenly written as "pass mustard".) Sorry to put a pain in your brain so early on this Thursday, March 26, 2026. This is the day that many in our family remember because it's the anniversary of the birthday of the wife of my youth's mom. Mom Rawles was a remarkable woman. She never signed up to become a pastor's wife but she became one and was, in her own way, one of the most Godly people I've had the privilege to know and love. She was a behind the scenes person. She loved the Lord. She loved her family. She loved listening to Bluegrass Gospel and Southern Gospel music, she was a published poet and her poems were about everyday life, the struggles, pain, the gains and losses, and, how God had been there all the time. She was a sewing genius and her hands with a needle and thread were faster than anyone's I ever observed. We have many of her quilts that are special memories in and of themselves. She loved variety and if you ever sat at her table she would layout all kinds of different items to choose from. That was something new to me because I grew up sitting down to a main dish surrounded by a few supporting dishes. Mom Rawles would have a dozen items to choose from, and, they were good. She was perhaps one of the most faithful prayer warriors I've ever known, spending many hours at night interceding on behalf of her family and others. I'll never forget the last conversation I had with her. She was in the hospital and they did not expect her to make it, but, she had rebounded a little, this is what she said to me, "Do you think it would be okay for me to hang around a little bit longer?" I told her it would be fantastic. She passed on into the Lord's Presence a few days later. She did. She really did. (2 Corinthians 5:8) She was not perfect, but, she was one amazing lady, and, I know my life was not only touched but enriched by knowing her. I do have one longstanding issue with her. I never, and, I mean never, could use any mother-in-low jokes because they just wouldn't work. They didn't fit this remarkable lady. May God bless the memory of her life and may her testimony continue to encourage and impact others. Amen.

Yes. I did try to let her know how much I appreciated her while she was here. I also know that my name was on her frequently called out prayer list. For that, I am grateful. God is Sovereign and at the same time He has designed prayer into our day by day living before Him. Well, why don't you explain how it works, brother? Sorry. That is not only above my pay grade it is in the category of 'known only to God'. There are some examples however that instruct us how prayer works within the Sovereign will of God. Take King Hezekiah for instance. He was one of the most faithful kings in Israel's history. Isaiah was sent to tell the ailing king that he should get his house in order because his days were numbered. All of this is recorded in Isaiah Chapter 38, and, in 2nd Kings Chapter 20, and 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 32. Here's the part I want to focus in on. Isaiah left the king's deathbed and Hezekiah, having received this prophetic utterance responded in this manner as recorded in Isaiah Chapter 38, Verses 2-5: "Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 'Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, 'Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.'" I've always been amazed by this account and that detail, "I have seen your tears", my bolding. This is the truth folks: God saw his tears, and, He sees yours, and, He sees mine. Now, truth is Hezekiah didn't utilize those added fifteen years in the best way possible, but, as they always say, that, my friend is a story for another time. Go. Read about it yourself. Check me out. Let me know if I've not got it right. Okay? Y'all be encouraged that our Sovereign God sees the very essence of our journey and He is right there with us, every step of the way. Amen.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

"The primary use of chinkapin is for wildlife food and cover. The nuts are an excellent food source during the fall and winter. Squirrels, deer, grouse, bobwhite quail, and wild turkey particularly enjoy the nuts. It can be used as a wildlife component for stabilizing disturbed areas." ~ USDA Plants Database

Here we go again. Today! It's already Wednesday, March 25, 2026, and, I am wondering this morning how many of my readers have ever eaten Chinquapin nuts. (Both chinkapin and chinquapin are correct spellings, just so you know.) Never heard of them? In my growing up days, they were not too plentiful, but, there was this one tree and it wasn't that easy to get to, but, the nuts would be ready to harvest from late summer into November each year. That actually made it worth going over the hills and through the woods to get to them. That is actually more true than you might think. This tree was located in the thick brush and woods near Brushy Creek and you had to want to get there to wade through the briars and the thickets. I'll put it to you this way: It's kind of like the saying about a wife kissing her husband with a beard. ~ "Kissing him with his beard is a lot like going to a picnic. You don't mind going through the bushes to get there!" ~ While I am not sure the wife of my youth would 100% agree with that saying, let me get back to the point of my story. The chinquapin nut has been best compared to a sweet tasting chestnut. The ones on that particular tree were small and not easy to open, but, they did taste good. I did like them and because I did I would wrestle my way to get there, eat as many as I could and stuff my pockets full to take with me. You didn't have to worry about overeating because you would tire yourself out shelling them. The forest animals liked them too, so, there was some competition to get there and get what you could. Many years later, many, I drove back up into where I thought there might be reasonable access to the Chinquapin Tree and sadly, through a little progress near that little township, they had moved in several mobile homes, therefore, the tree was either gone or I could no longer find it. That's my chinquapin story. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I did my best to keep it a secret. I did. I really did. Why? Let me set the record straight here. Having access to those treats was a real treasure to a country boy like myself, therefore, I treated it as such. Okay. What's your chinquapin story?

I'm pretty sure I've written about this earlier, buried somewhere in the nearly 3,900 blogs I've written. If this story is different from the previous story, clock it up to the way my memory works these days. That's not a cop out, it's the reality of the changing landscape within my noggin. You know the one. It's the one I'm doing my best to use for something other than a hat rack. I know Paw Paw Mac would be glad to know that. You may have noticed because it's hard not to, that I've added a new logo-like image to my blogs. It was a collaboration between myself and Mr. ChatGPT. I address that artificial intelligence utility that way because it always says, "Hello Santa, how may I help you?" when I use it. It does. It really does. I gave it a photo and told it to create a character, specified the keyboard and background and after several iterations, well, there you have it. Instead of saying Blogmaster, I went with the German, Meister. Why? I thought it sounded a wee bit better. What's that you say? Very wee? I put it out there so I should be willing to take any and all thoughts about it. Right? Right! Thanks again for your time and we do appreciate the many prayers offered up on behalf of the wife of my youth. We do. We really do. She is much better and busy scheduling the myriad of tests the doctor ordered up. (More tests than Carter has liver pills, if you ask me, and if you don't get that dated reference, look it up.) I was thinking some about her transient amnesia and it would be nice if it was more selective, like maybe forgetting the times she was angry with me. Ha! Just thinking out loud, and, just sharing. Be careful out there and stay close to the Lord by staying close to His Word. Amen.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." – Roger Caras

This is a picture of our Sir Bentley. Two years ago he developed a liver issue that was not fixable and we had to say farewell. He was a remarkable companion to us for five years and handful of months. What an amazing pup and how blessed we were to have him.

Good Tuesday morning on this March 24, 2026, where, if you are up and able to go, well, since according to the writing of Job, it is God who is the Sustainer of life, as in our next breath, well, that means we need to bend our knee and give Him all the praise and Glory. (Job 7:7 and 33:4) I know I write a lot about aging. It does reflect the stage in my life, but, at the same time I am in reasonably good shape for the shape I'm in. I recently was reminded from a short clip telling about a 1979 research project called the "Counterclockwise Study" authored and supervised by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer. This study gathered a group of older men, late 70's through 80's and observed them during a special retreat. Essentially, the participants were put into a setting from 1959 surrounded by period furniture, black and white TV, music, media, food and other items from that era. They were examined before and after only one week of being in that environment they showed significant improvements in vision, hearing, grip strength, memory, and cognitive function.Proverbs 23:7, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Let me see here, twenty years ago for me would be 2006. I would have been sixty years young. I did look at the songs in all categories, and, alas, I didn't recognize them. I know I was still in my working prime back then, working can to can't, as my grandfather used to say. Somewhere in that time frame was when I discovered a new thing about myself. The Doctor: Mr. Abbott you have full-blown Type-2 diabetes. Mr Abbott: No I do not! The Doctor: Yes you do, the blood test does not lie. Mr. Abbott: In this case, the blood test is wrong! Now tell me how to get rid of it. The Doctor: Change your life, lose weight, and, if you are part of a very small percentage, maybe you can do something about it. And, I did all of those things and still ended up with full-blown Type 2. A game changer but I've been able with God's help to do what they refer to as this: Manage it. (One never gets at ease seeing how nearly every test that is run comes back as abnormal, but, as we are all inclined to say, 'It is what is', right?) Now go back and read my opening comments about Who it is that sustains life. And, the fact that I am still here is because He is not finished with me yet. That is the truth. Period. Continuing the story and Amen.

When Bentley had to be put down, (our Jimmy went with him because I couldn't), I firmly committed to never having another pup, period, end of that story. Well, so many people bombarded me with how we really needed to replace him, well, that end of story became an end of chapter and we ushered in the three week old Lil Miss Biscuit. We got her early because her mom was not able to nurse and the folks were feeding the pups goat milk. We fetched some milk replacer from the store and took over her feeding and we more or less raised her by hand. She is not Sir Bentley Barksalot, Esq., but, guess what? She is 100% Lil Miss Biscuit, and, just like that, she is now two years old. Already she is beloved and some say, more than spoiled. I'll never forget Bentley because he was pretty much my first dog. I know. Old people, late in life, you never know what they might get into. But, Bentley loved to ride in the ole truck with his head out the window. He, at least, knew he needed to stay in the truck. Biscuit, well, she loves to ride with her head out the window but she does so with wild abandonment and I have to hold onto her and it's pretty much all I can do to keep her in the truck. That's the truth. It is. It really is. Bentley now Biscuit, they have enriched our lives. I wasn't raised up where pets were ever in the house. That was an ironclad rule. That was yesterday and now is now and Biscuit at this particular time has the final say. Ha! Y'all enjoy and know that God is our Sustainer. Amen.

Monday, March 23, 2026

“Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life.” Kitty O’Neill Collins, known as the fastest woman alive having driven across Oregon's Alvord Desert in a three-wheeled rocket car called the SMI Motivator, she clocked an average of 512.710 mph..

Welcome back. I'm glad you showed up today, Monday, March 23, 2026. In this part of the world, the weather has been competing in a yo yo contest with near freezing temperatures early last week while finishing up the week flirting with 90's. That jerking forth and back can be hard on older people's bones, or, at least I've heard that it can. Ha! I am working to perfect the sounds I make when I am getting up off the chair. I don't care too much for the groan or the moan, but, I think a low guttural grunt might be my favorite. Sometimes I forget and the groan might slip out. I mean just being me is insulting enough, but, do they have to make it so difficult to find your birth year using that wheel on the computer. My word, finding 1946 takes a while and the whole time the medical technician is sitting there smiling. I also notice how much time I spend reading about orthopedic shoes and other ads of that ilk, it just makes me want to cry. I also find it interesting to mention a particular song or artist who was a consistent number one on the charts, but, alas, all I get is a blank stare from the younger person I'm talking to. I've heard the one about turning down the radio in the car so the older person can see better, but, for me, that's not the reason I turn it off when I am surrounded by jerk-drivers because I need to concentrate on my survival. And this one, the ophthalmologist couldn't wait to get my cataracts out and kept referring to them as becoming ripe. Well, he took them out and now I need glasses to sharpen up far off objects, (like reading the monitor on the back wall when I am in the choir), and, I need reading glasses to share Scripture when I'm teaching. Go figure, and, thank you very much. One sure sign of my advancing years: Trends no longer even think about getting onto my radar screen. Clothes, vehicles, and any other new fangled item have no meaning to me except if we are trying to buy something for one of our grands or great grands. I'm not complaining, just sharing, because, the old quote is true, the one with the most birthdays lives the longest. You can now go to your room and think about that one.

If I didn't write about aging challenges I would be living in denial. Yes. I am aware about the jokes concerning the word denial. And, no it is not a river located in northeastern Africa. Please don't try to sidetrack me with silly jokes, especially those that don't even qualify to be called a 'dad' joke. I do know one of the things I do think quite a bit about is what I will leave behind. I'm not talking about wealth here. My thoughts are about my testimony and the great need for my children, my grandchildren, and currently my great grandchildren to know the Lord, to put their faith and trust in Jesus, and, to live out their lives in service to the God who loved them enough to send His one and only Son to die for them. Why does this matter weigh so heavy on my heart and mind? Let me be frank, it's like this, Jesus put it this way, "A person may get everything in the whole world for himself. But if he loses his life, it will not be any good for him. There is nothing that a person can give to get back his life." (Matthew 16:26 from the EasyEnglish Bible). And this, from our Savior, John 5:25-29 "Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (From the New King James Version, NKJV.) These are the things I ponder as I pray that each of them will hear the Truth of John 3:16, respond, and be saved. Amen.

Friday, March 20, 2026

“All our discontents about what we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.” ― Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, (1719)

A depiction of Robinson Crusoe with his rescued native friend, Friday.

It's Friday my friend, and it's the name Robinson Crusoe gave to the native he rescued from cannibals and he did so on a Friday, therefore, he named him Friday. I do know you find that to be very interesting but you might prefer that I get on with today's edition, on this March 20, 2026. (For those who don't know about Robinson Crusoe, well, I feel a wee bit sorry for you because it is a wonderful story found in the novel written in 1719 by Daniel Defoe.) There are also several movies made from that great novel. Okay. Well, how in the world are you doing on this, another day in the neighborhood? Let me hit this one head on. Got it? Good. Based on the information I have heard from the current administration, I am, at this time, supporting the military action in Iran. I am convinced many of the news sources are actually rooting for our armed forces to lose because of their hatred of President Trump. You can have your opinion. That's mine. I'm not saying there is no propaganda coming from the administration because the reporting is typically done to form a positive view of their actions, however, this joint military action alongside Israel makes sense given the threat that Iran poses along with their long term status of being the number one sponsor of radical terrorism. I can understand why some people do not care for President Trump. His history, his mannerisms, and, his commentary at times has contributed to this dislike. However, to root for Iran in the coverage of the news is unacceptable and it is why the FCC has threatened to investigate some of the news reporting entities. It's one thing to be biased, liberal versus conservative, but, to manipulate the news in order to support a sworn enemy of our country is frankly beyond the pale. I am not enjoying the higher prices at the pump, the grocery store, and, just about any and everywhere things are purchased. Hopefully, the report that these spikes are temporary will be proven to be true. Meanwhile, I support our troops and I pray for a speedy completion of this conflict. Amen.

That particular ongoing hostility may not be the elephant in the room, but, it is one that impacts us all. And, especially, the lives of those who lose loved ones as a result. Me feeling one way or another can never come close to the pain these families are dealing with. May God comfort them and may they look to Him for help going forward. Amen. Join me in praying for the soon resolution of this conflict. Again, I want to thank you, the readers, of my blogs. I appreciate the comments I receive from time to time. And, I especially love to hear the wife of my youth chuckle when she proofs my daily posting. It makes me think that if it brings a smile to her it might just do the same for someone else. At times, there's not too much smiling going on in a world that literally is in such a mess. Only God can help us but it's good that we all can do our part to cheer each other on as we, together, continue our journey here. I remind us all of this truth. As believers, this world is not our final dwelling place. It's not folks. It's really isn't! Here is an old hymn that has an idea about that place we call home:

Is Not This the Land of Beulah? (1882): Often associated with the line "I am dwelling on the mountain". It became a popular Methodist revival song written, or arranged by, William Hunter or John W. Dadmun. You can hear this on YouTube sung by several different groups including the Gaither Homecoming choir.

Lyrics

I am dwelling on the mountain,Where the golden sunlight gleamsO'er a land whose wondrous beautyFar exceeds my fondest dreamsWhere the air is pure, ethereal,Laden with the breath of flow'rs,They are blooming by the fountain,'Neath the amaranthine bow'rs. (note unfading, undying, forever flowers)