The top left is a professional photo of mom and dad, made at their local Church. The top right was when they were visiting our brother Donald in the hospital. The bottom left is the year they came for Thanksgiving at Chris' and Sherrie's. And, the bottom right is one beloved by us all, it's them holding hands for the annual prayer walk in their little town.

Good morning and welcome to short work week Friday, September 8, 2017. That's because this past Monday was Labor Day. I think it's interesting how that a holiday can take on a different persona given the circumstances coming out of an event like Hurricane Harvey. While I did see a few people we know that did the normal Labor Day cookouts, most people had other fish to fry as they sought to recover from all that had happened during the previous week. Tomorrow, September 9, is the day mom and dad would have celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. I know it must be tiresome to some for our family to seemingly wallow in our love and appreciation for these two, but, their story has become a defining part of who we are. We can't escape that as the reality of our lives today, and, to be honest, we don't want to. I know for me it seems I bump into them often in the day by day pursuit of my journey. I wouldn't even hazard to guess how much space they have occupied in my blogs over the years. My mom used to tell me that I made her and dad feel so special in my desire to honor them. I always told her that was good because it was exactly what I was trying to do. And, it was. And, it is still my desire. We have never claimed them to be perfect, but, my oh my, how blessed we have been to have had them in our lives. I thank God every day for that. Amen.

I am not a climate skeptic, however, I am aware that many have turned the entire issue into a money making opportunity. Believe me, I am well aware that greed can do a lot of damage. I remember a police officer who used to be in my Bible study class. He was in a special unit charged with the responsibility of investigating environmental crimes. He used to tell me about how many times he had seen small business owners dumping hazardous chemicals into neighborhood streams or drains. Some buried their hazardous wastes in drums next to playgrounds. Why would anyone do something so dastardly? It costs money to have those chemicals disposed of properly. My point is that I don't think for a moment that humanity, in general, does not have the capacity to do damage to the environment God created and gave to us. At the same time, this recent cooler air I felt driving into work with my window down reminded me of the promise God made to Noah. "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22, New American Standard translation.) I think those who intentionally pollute, endangering the lives of others, should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. At the same time, I'm taking God for His word on the subject and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

We've come to the end of another series of our daily fireside chats. Some of you will immediately recognize that reference to be connected to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his radio visits with the American public. He did some 28 of them during his time in office. His came at a time when our nation was dealing with a cataclysmic financial crisis, the Great Depression. Many believe those visits helped ordinary American citizens to cope during those difficult times. As for my 2,643 visits, well, they mostly have been made up of my homespun machinations and scatterbrained observations dealing with just about every topic one might imagine. I do know one thing. When and where I have included thus says the Word of the Lord, well, those inputs transcend anything that might come from a mere mortal. God's words have the potential to change a life, for time and for eternity. I can't be sure of all of the stuff that I've come up with, but, I am assured that when a Bible verse has been used, it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I've been privileged to enjoy many personal fireside chats with folks near and dear to my heart. Many of them came as we sat by the fireplace. My Granny and Paw Paw Mac, my parents, my wife's parents, especially her dad, our dear Bro. Milton, and so many more. In fact, while I was writing this I thought of one conversation Paw Paw Mac and I had as we sat in the den with the fire glowing. I was in my earliest days of falling in love and believe it or not, he recognized the symptoms. He had some choice observations that I have never forgotten. I can't really go further than that. See? A fireside chat that made an impact. What do you think about that? Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday, and I will do my best to catch back up with you, come next Monday. May God bless. Amen. ....More later.