Luke Chapter 2:41-42, "And every year his people were going to Jerusalem at the feast of Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went out to the feast just as they had been accustomed;..." As rendered in the Aramaic Bible in Plain English

Hello there, my, it seems like only yesterday.... Just joking around a little on this brand new day, Thursday, January 11, 2017. We are hosting a Bible conference at the local assembly where we are members. The conference includes day sessions as well as evening services beginning last night and continuing through Friday night. I plan to make the evening services, Lord willing, but, it does require some planning and effort to get home, get ready, and then fight the traffic to get there. I continue to be so impressed and encouraged by the older folks in the class we are a part of at our local fellowship. Rain or shine, they are there. Many of them are well into their 80's. A number of them do have physical challenges but they let very little come between them and their being at the meeting place at the appointed times. One lady recently told me this little story. Her husband is closing in on 90. One particular stormy Wednesday evening he suggested that perhaps they should stay in. They do drive a good distance to get there. She said she asked him if he would make the same decision if he had a doctor's appointment. They showed up. The point of my sharing this is not to put a guilt trip on anyone. It is to encourage us all to elevate our appreciation for the priority and significance of our participation in any and all things that pertain to our worship of and service to our God. That's all. By the way, that's not a new thing with me. I saw it consistently played out as a pattern, in living color, in my growing up days by observing the life and times of my Paw Paw Mac.

I had that on my mind and that's why I shared it. I do at times have more to talk about than just the weather. Although the weather has been a news item this year, especially in the cold we've experienced. Last Sunday evening we had one of those freakish storms roll through. I was tired and went to bed just as it was getting cranked up. I could tell it wasn't the normal thunder bumper. Someone told me the next day there were 50 mph wind gusts associated with that storm. I do know this. It was raining hard. I went to sleep. I suppose I must have thought she would wake me if I needed to be awake. Raining hard. As best I recall, that was my last recollection. I slept through the storm. In the wee early hours of the next morning when I got up, I saw she had a couple of containers to catch water in our fireplace. Wow! I've only known that to happen once or twice before in our more than 30 years in that house. I slept through it. One thing did get my attention. I was really impressed with the way the rain had washed my pickup. It was practically gleaming. I also noticed a lot of standing water in various places as I drove into work. Maybe my wife is right. "You could sleep through almost anything."

The prognosticators tell us we have another round of feels like in the mid 20's coming up on this Friday and Saturday. 'Feels like' maybe we are going to have winter this year. Interestingly enough, the global warming alarmists who said many years ago that we would never experience winter again, (no more snow), are now saying the extreme cold we are having is caused by global warming. I am actually not into conspiracy theories as it pertains to climate change, however, it would seem they could at least be consistent in their stories. I've never doubted in anyway whatsoever the ability for God's created human family, in its fallen condition, to do things that are detrimental to the environment. However, God made some promises to Noah that I continue to believe because of Who promised them, "While the earth continues to exist, planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease." (Genesis Chapter 8, Verse 22) Does that mean we should abuse and pollute the earth without regard for the damage it might do? Absolutely not! That would be totally inconsistent with the stewardship responsibility we have before Almighty God. I think I've given us all more than enough to think about for one day. Until next time, may God add His blessings as we continue to pursue the life He has given to each of us. Amen. ....More later.