“It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.” – Benjamin Franklin

Now that we are done with the Super Bowl I suppose we can all get on with our lives. Many of us older folks were pulling for Peyton Manning because, you know, he's like us. Give me a break. He's 39. My youngest son will soon be six years older than Peyton. But, it's always good to have the team win that you are pulling for. Here we go. Welcome back to another day and this one happens to fall on back-to-work Monday, February 8, 2016. Speaking of football, last week one of the local schools in our area celebrated the 99th day of this school year by honoring the player who wears 99 for the Houston Texans, J. J. Watt. Most of them wore their 99 jerseys. Their photo went viral and their story was even featured on ESPN. We have some of the kids in our local fellowship of believers that attend that school and I thought it was a very clever idea. Let me give a brief update on my latest near contact with some wildlife. They obviously have not gotten the message yet because again, I'm going down the road and doing my thing when I spot a doe coming towards the roadway. I slowed down but my headlights must have spooked her. She turned to run but a high fence was in her way. She turned back towards me causing me to again slam on my brakes. She turned again and this time found a path next to the fence and darted away. Around and around she went and where she would stop I certainly didn't know. I think that was my first spinner. I'm pretty sure my blood pressure was ever so slightly elevated but I continued on my journey. Just as I was settling down I caught some movement in the outside lane. Something or someone was there. It turned out to be a man riding a bicycle. He was wearing camouflage. On a bicycle with no lights. At 3:45 a.m. Okay. I suppose I had one of those Granny Mac moments, "What in the world is he doing? He's bound to be up to no good." See, y'all thought me making it from point A to point B each day was a piece of cake. Or maybe like Paw Paw Mac used to say, "It's as easy as falling off a log and not nearly as dangerous."  Right? Maybe not since now you know the truth.

I do not think I suffer from a persecution complex. I probably have plenty of other complexes to worry about but that's likely not one of them. It's just that they seem out to get me. They are lurking in the bushes. Riding bicycles without lights. Waiting. Plotting. Using scare tactics. They probably stay up late at night thinking up ways to unnerve the old man driving down the road in the white pickup. No. I didn't say it was a conspiracy. But, come to think about it, there are times when they seem to coordinate with each other. Thanks for thinking about that one. Before you send me the number for a shrink or you recommend some books on mental health, be aware that I am just having a little fun. I did share exactly what happened but as for it messing with my mind, I've hardly even given it a thought, or two, or three, or four, and maybe even several more. It could be one of those circle of life deals but I wasn't asked if I wanted to play along or not. I thought this life deal was all about opting in or opting out. Or maybe that's the healthcare system. Now I am really confused. At any rate I'm thankful that thus far I have been able to swerve, dodge, and brake my way each day without an accident. I also pray that it stays that way. Amen.

The other day I read about an actor who has been declared clinically dead after a prop failure during a live on stage performance. He was doing a scene where he was being hung and something went terribly wrong. Somehow the equipment used for the scene malfunctioned and he was critically injured. I tell you, when they say that truth is stranger than fiction, I believe it. These kinds of unintended consequences are certainly not new. A historical footnote from 620 BC told of a popular lawmaker who was smothered to death when supporters showered him with their cloaks in adulation. I read about a king who was mortally wounded when his throne broke beneath him and he fell. During the Victorian age, a prominent aristocratic young lady hid her boyfriend in a cupboard to keep her dad from finding him. He died of asphyxiation. In 1977 a Formula 1 driver died when hit in the head by a small fire extinguisher while speeding along at 170 miles per hour. He actually hit and killed a race official who was running with the fire extinguisher in hand trying to get to a car in flames. There were many, many others I found but needless to say we just never know. That's why we all should have our preparations made for when, regardless of the how, we leave this life and enter into eternity. My advice is to make peace with God through His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That way you are covered, period, no matter what. Amen. ....More later.