"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes." -- Frieda Norris

Good morning and welcome back to that place where I am often prone to say it's where the rubber meets the road. That little idiom, rubber meets the road, is intended to convey this is the place of the main point, where you can find the moment of truth. Example: Training is great for an athlete but the race is where the rubber meets the road. Or should that be where the athletic shoe hits the road? Maybe it is made out of rubber. At any rate, as you can tell, I have once again inflated the importance of my little visit here each day. It's Monday, February 9, 2015, and we find ourselves right smack dab in the selling-of-love week, you know, Valentines. (Spending expected to exceed $13 billion, with a 'b'.) I thought about asking you know who if she thought the statute of limitations has run out on our Valentines purchases after 50 years. It certainly hasn't run out on our love. We do our best to remember to tell each other that every single day. I was listening to one of those radio sports channels the other day. I'm not exactly sure what demographic they are shooting for but they were hyping some glow in the dark lingerie from the PajamaGram folks. The more I thought about it, well, it might be a good substitute for some of the night lights we must have to find our way around when we have to get up in the middle of the night. Go ahead and laugh. You know you want to. It's okay. Look around and make sure no one sees you, then bust off a good one. It will do a body good.

Recently I saw an article with a current photo of the model Twiggy. It was snapped while she was out walking. They called her frumpy looking. She is now 65. She was not wearing make up. The gist of it was to question how this person was once the face the world sought after in terms of an ideal beauty. Hello? Doesn't everyone know about something called the aging process? I'm not trying to be overly sensitive here, but my word folks, if God grants us the years, we certainly are going to end up looking different than when we were 50 or more years younger. I read a quote the other day that said a truly wise man would never wish himself to be younger again. I know some folks weather the journey better than others. Often, health and even the challenges faced can make a difference in our appearance. And, I'm not saying we shouldn't do our best with what we have. The late Dr. Adrian Rogers said when addressing the issue of ladies wearing make up that every old barn needs a coat of paint now and then. I will admit at times I have trouble with how younger folks go out of their way to show respect for my white hair. "Me? You talking to me?" But, think about it, it's a blessing and one we should never be ashamed of. (Genesis 25:8 "Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.")

To be honest, I sometimes surprise myself with the things I write about. I am, after all, my first audience. Maybe that's part of the enjoyment I get from these daily visits. There are days when I sit down and have absolutely no ideas to work with. Next thing I know I am proof reading stuff that's causing me to scratch my head. I started to say it keeps me young but that my friend would be very hard to prove. I don't know if we had any rubber meets the road for you today but it wasn't for a lack of trying. When I use the word trying I typically include that my wife often says that I am very trying. Insert laugh here. Okay. That's going to have to do for today. I'm still working on the 'To Each His Own' and it's connection or lack thereof to the 'It is what it is'. Stay tuned. See you next time, so in the intervening time period, or meanwhile, or until we connect again, make sure to make the best of the day the Lord has given and may He add His blessings to us all. Amen. ...More later.