There are plenty of recommendations that start like this: Long winded but worth the read.

I know, already. I did not begin my shorter essay approach yesterday. It was that obvious, huh? But today is a new day and after all, it is Thursday, July 28, 2011, and when we get to the end, then we will know if today is going to be different. If I had a clue I would share it with you. My soon to be 2000 daily missives were written from scratch. Some days are better than others. However, I feel like some of my blogs have been pretty decent. They resonate with me too. Those who are thinking about blogging have to make decisions about what they will write about, and if their intention is to acquire an audience, they have to determine if their stuff will be of any interest. Some may write because it is a way for them to get it out of their system, so to speak. Perhaps they don't really care about an audience. For me, it has been and continues to be mostly about sharing. We are blessed to be such a diverse group of folks here in our country and each of us see things through our unique individual lens that translates into how we view the world, our interpretation of the experiences we've had, and the challenges that have helped to shape our life. In my case, I readily admit that it is all over the page and because of this it can come across as very discombobulated, confusing, and at times, perhaps a little wacky. That's not such a bad summary of life as viewed from my pew. Part of my struggle, and I think it is shared by most believers, is in our daily challenge to conform our thinking and our ways to that which God has given to us in His word. That, my friend, is the greatest challenge for me and because it is, I do spend a fair amount of time talking about it. Can this be communicated in fewer words? Maybe. We'll see.

I know we all are made up of these incredible ironies. In my case I watch and follow NASCAR but also enjoy seeing the 24 hour news feed from China presented in English. It was tragic that this pop singer Amy Winehouse died last week at age 27, presumably from a drug overdose. I usually try to spot check the culture now and then but to be honest, I've never heard even one of her songs even though I read that she has won multiple major music awards. I don't follow women's soccer, in fact, I don't follow any soccer, but I did watch the second half of the world title match between the American women versus the Japanese women. It was exciting and went into overtime and the US lost and we all were let down. I'll most likely not see another one of those anytime soon. We all have different interests. Why would anyone want to see a news broadcast emanating from Communist China? I am interested in their spin as they attempt to portray themselves as somehow legitimate players in the world. The other day in their reporting on the shooting in Norway they interviewed a Chinese government official who discussed the fine balance that must be pursued in allowing openness for the people while also protecting from terrorism. Do you see the sad irony? A government known to terrorize its own people commenting on the delicate balance of freedom. Many folks watch that and come away thinking how reasonable he seemed to be. I came away saying what an absolute sham. See what I mean? You may like Amy Winehouse's songs. I wouldn't know. We all are different but knowing the truth about places like China is important if we are to make sense in trying to live in this messed up world.

We're planning on visiting mom and dad this weekend. I arranged for someone to cover my Bible study class. My class members were shocked. This will be the first time I have missed in a number of years. I told them I knew they thought that I thought our local fellowship could not function if I were not to show up. I reminded them that this was not even close to the truth. I remember some of my staff had similar feelings when I left the big company after nearly 24 years. However, I also very much well remember that I left on a Friday afternoon and the doors of the big company opened on time the following Monday and the stock did not go down and everything continued as normal. We are not designed to be irreplaceable but we are called to make a difference. My mom will soon be having some bladder repair surgery. She is 87. She asked the doctor if it was wise for an 87 year old to undergo a surgery like this. He told her she was a very young 87 and that having the surgery would likely improve the quality of her life. That had to make her feel better even though she is apprehensive about the surgery. It will be coming up in a couple of weeks and I ask you to say a prayer for her. Now, class, here's your assignment for today: Go out there and find someone to cheer up and be encouraged yourself because God is still on His throne, and we belong to Him! Amen.         ......More later.