Try holding your breath because this will only hurt a little. How many times have we heard that one?

It's Thursday, July 19, 2012, and the impact of the recently signed into law Affordable Care Act is already being felt. My eldest son told me the other evening that his health insurance coverage for him and his family provided through his job is being increased by 25% effective immediately. That will put his health care coverage at over $2,000 per month. The mandated no cost preventive screenings required in the new law are obviously not free to the people performing them. These kinds of promises where everyone gets something for nothing reminds me of how my grandfather used to warn me. He would say, "Son, that sounds like too much sugar for a dime." And, my guess is that we have not even begun to see the kinds of serious cost burdens, that, will have to be covered by someone. I am not against trying to provide services to those who cannot provide for themselves. But I scan the British newspapers and I can tell you there is a steady flow of horror stories based on their socialized government run healthcare system. For thirty years we taxpayers subsidized turning corn crops into fuel, called Ethanol. Last year that subsidy went away, some 6 billion dollars. Studies indicate that Ethanol now provides 10% of the fuel consumed in our nation. At what cost? Billions upon billions spent previously along with the impact on our dining tables from the associated increase in all the edible corn related products. (Corn syrup, corn oil, kernel corn, corn on the cob, corn flakes, to name a few.) That's only the tip of the iceberg in looking at what happens when government meddles in trying to manage and manipulate markets. Ethanol wouldn't even show up on the radar screen of something as massive as healthcare. Better hang on folks, we are in for a ride!

It is good to be back with you today. Yesterday I ran over to Alexandria, Louisiana to visit with my ailing brother in law. It was a turnaround trip which I used to do without even feeling it. Not anymore. The bones have a way of letting you know. They can be loud at times. But, we had a wonderful visit. It was just like old times. He greeted me like he has for the past 48 years, "Hello, brother in law, what time did you leave from over there this morning?" I had over two hours of one on one and we pretty much got caught up on all the important things in life, like NASCAR, the Saints, the Cowboys, the Rangers, the Astros, the Texans, the Rockets, and other related subjects. They have hit upon a regimen of drug therapy that has freed him from any pain and as he said, "I feel great, I'm eating good, but I have no air, none whatsoever." This is because of his lungs barely working at all. I was able to share a prayer with him and then we were on our way for the 230 mile return where I got back in time to teach my Wednesday night class and enjoy the fellowship of some of the sweetest people around. Thank you Lord for providing for us as we go here, there, and other places, and thank you Lord for the grace you are showing to our brother in law. Amen.

One thing my brother in law and his dear wife are blessed with are friends. Folks they go to Church with have flooded the place. I think he said he had some 40 visitors on Tuesday. There's people he used to work with at Fort Polk. There are his hunting and fishing buddies. And, of course, his family. One of the things this drug regimen has allowed him to do more of is one of his most favorite things in the world. TALK. He dearly loves to visit. He loves to communicate. He had really struggled in that area until they came up with this current treatment option. Now that's what I call a blessing folks. And, when you feel blessed you don't consider yourself to be lucky. No. We look up and send our thanks to our great God who provides for us, even something as special as helping us to do the very thing we love, something like talking. I suppose I still have my job here. The locks haven't been changed. I can still access my computer so I am off and running again. I do hope and pray that we all will think about the things we take for granted that God provides to us each day. I know a fellow laying in a hospital bed over in Louisiana who can tell you that he feels blessed indeed, very blessed. You have a great day and Lord willing I'll try to get something scratched up for tomorrow. Amen.    ....More later.