"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." ~ Michael Jordan

I don't have the camel with me but it is that day where he walks around reminding people about it in that most annoying commercial. That's right. It's Wednesday, January 15, 2014. I mentioned yesterday about the 1700 blogs I've written in this forum since 2007. I will admit that it is a lot of sharing. Gunsmoke only ran 635 episodes in its twenty year run. But, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting up each day and seeing what happens to make its way from my little pea sized brain to the electronic page. I know that during this long run I have been prone to be somewhat repetitive but when you think about it, my life has only so many reruns stored up. After all is said and done, it's the only life I have, so there you have it. Some have made the point that me doing them each day is likely a type of therapeutic outlet for me. There's maybe something to that but I have always enjoyed writing as a way of communicating, therefore, this daily visit has been a way of me doing that. And, perhaps more important than anything, I have always attempted to include a word of encouragement and truth from God that can help us all along our way. At the end of the day, that alone makes it worth doing, along with you getting to laugh some about my thrashing around adventures as I pursue the life God has given to me.

I know it is still early on with the new healthcare law but thus far it seems there's much confusion about the status of sign ups, and the impact the law is making on those seeking medical help each day. One thing is clear. The government wants to know everything about each individual's medical situation, period. The local employer is responsible for gathering this information. Even if you are not signing up, they are still required to collect exhaustive data about how you take care of your medical needs. That seems to be an overkill especially when folks like myself and my wife have coverage through a Medicare Advantage Plan. Earlier this week the feds released some early demographic data on those who have signed up thus far. This information says that the younger folks are not rushing to get coverage. The middle aged and older folks reflect the largest groups signing up and for those who have, some 4 out of 5 qualified for government subsidy. The design, to make it affordable, requires a very large number of younger healthy folks to pay the freight of their older and sicker fellow citizens. It's a big mess. That might sound less than technical but it's my take based on the testimonies of folks talking to me about their personal experiences, and what I've found in my own attempts to contact my medical providers. Obviously the system is overwhelmed at this time and I'm not sure it will get better. But we will see. Stay tuned.

Local employers and small businesses are being advised by their chosen insurers on how to handle the requirements imposed by the new law. Based on my contacts with a variety of folks, "Houston we have a problem." The insurance companies advising businesses have different interpretations of the law. Hello? That's why I am giving my early professional analysis in saying it's a mess. I thought I should clarify that. I know that laws are made to be changed, updated, and improved, or as some would have it, repealed. If there ever was a candidate for improvement, this one wins, hands down. But, that's just the way I happen to see it. Having the government take over everything pertaining to our lives goes against the principles upon which our nation was founded. While the number is debated, some believe that $15 trillion has been spent since President Johnson declared his war on poverty. Sadly, the statistics do not reflect great progress at all in eradicating poverty and certainly the lack of progress is astounding when considering the monies expended. I know. Instead of the bubble or trickle up, I more or less combined a volcano and avalanche for today's edition. Don't blame me. I didn't know about it either until it was done. Have a good day and remember in the midst of all this wailing and gnashing, God is still on His throne, and His plan and purpose continues onward. Amen.     ....More later.