"THE TV COLUMN: Not in 18–49 age group? TV execs write you off". ~ Column from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Good morning and welcome back. It's Monday, February 2, 2015, and I'll just go ahead and say it, I'm glad to get that 24x7 relentless coverage of the Superbowl behind us. Don't get me wrong, it was a closely contested game and one of the most competitive in recent memory. I suppose one of the facets of growing older is in not allowing stuff to get you all stirred up like it did when you were younger. I will admit that I found myself a time or two moving in that emotional commitment direction in trying to help the players on the field but I quickly pulled it back in. As for as this particular game, if I watch it, okay. If I don't, that's okay too. No wonder the TV programmers care little about my age group. It's the 18-49 population they target. Sure, I do get a little tired of the type of advertising featured on many of the programs we watch. We get the same ads about hearing aids, emergency notification bracelets, and arthritis pain relief medications, over and over again. Hey, I might be in that age bracket but I still have enough flexibility in my fingers to work that remote control. I typically have at least two alternative programs to switch to when those commercials come on. I hit the first one and if they have collaborated to run the same stuff on both channels, I hit the next one. They say they want people to be actively engaged. I suppose I show up ready to go. I understand why I'm no longer a candidate for some type of weird smelling body wash that will make a girl swoon twenty feet away, but, shouldn't they do something to show a little respect? That's right. It's all about the money. I would entertain that device that eliminates all commercials but we can't even figure out how to DVR something when we are watching it. Maybe there is something to that 18-49 key demographic. I'm tired now. Maybe I should consider a nap.

Last Friday I was out on the road early and I heard a sermon preached by Dr. Chuck Swindoll. He was beginning a new series from the Book of Job entitled, "What do you do when you lose everything?" Job has always been a fascinating writing to me. Job was most likely alive and active somewhere around the same time of Abraham or before. That makes his account one of the oldest in our Bible. One of the things that has always impressed me is how much God had revealed of Himself to people who populated the earth. Job had a loving relationship with God. Even his so-called friends who mostly accused instead of bringing comfort, they had many insights into God and His working. They were wrong but much of their basic premises were rooted in truth. Job did lose everything. As I took in that message I was also made aware throughout the day of the heart wrenching saga of a young 15 year old boy, a high school freshman, living in our surrounding area who had contracted a very rare form of meningitis. He would not survive this disease but was being kept on life support for the harvesting of his organs. On Friday evening I saw his parents on the news. Tears came to me as they shared the life and times of this God loving young man. They expressed thankfulness to God for their son and the testimony of faithfulness he had shown in loving and caring for others. Just a few days earlier they never dreamed they would be dealing with what became a 'Job' like experience in their life. Here's my takeaway folks: Job could, they could, and each of us can do all things through the power of God living in us. (Philippians 4:13) Amen.

On a lighter note, here are some actual questions asked by lawyers that were compiled from court records across the country. ~  Now, doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, in most cases he just passes quietly away and doesn't know anything about it until the next morning? ~ Q: What happened then? A: He told me, he says, "I have to kill you because you can identify me." Q: Did he kill you?" ~ "Was it you or your brother that was killed in the war?" ~ "Were you alone or by yourself?" ~ Q: I show you exhibit 3 and ask you if you recognize that picture. A: That's me. Q: Were you present when that picture was taken?" ~ "So you were gone until you returned?" ~ "You don't know what it was, and you didn't know what it looked like, but can you describe it?" ~ Q: Have you lived in this town all your life? A: Not yet." ~ One final anecdote: A Texas attorney, realizing he was on the verge of unleashing a stupid question, interrupted himself and said, "Your Honor, I'd like to strike the next question." ~ Well, some of them were slightly humorous to me. Take care and remember to take each day seriously and to hold tight those you love. Amen. ....More later.