Sending a bunch of happy birthday greetings to our Brady-Boy!

Poppy with Brady, then, AND, look at him now!

It's so hard to believe that by this time next year, Lord willing, both our Brady and our Alex will be teenagers. They are our most recently born grandchildren. Not to worry, we do have great grands coming up as well, however, it is hard to fathom how time gets away from us and our Brady is a great example of this. He is a remarkable young man who is all boy with everything that entails while at the same time he demonstrates a sense of purpose and character that is both noticeable and commendable. We thank God for him and for his family. He is, after all, our baby boy's baby boy! Happy Birthday Brady, and may God continue to lead, guide, and direct your way. Our love, grands, MiMi and Poppy.

Yep. Another day. Another birthday. Someone who follows us on Facebook told me one day that we sure have a lot of birthdays in our family. That would be a correct assessment and it leaves us with a grateful heart and one given over to thanking God for our family. Today is Tuesday, January 9th, 2018, and the pursuit continues. I'm not into making New Year resolutions per se, however, the way it works with me, I am typically being challenged to change nearly everytime I come in contact with thus says the Word of the Lord. It's at this time of year when the sermons from the pulpit tend to emphasize the opportunities found in the brand new year. One recent Wednesday evening message shared these keywords. Forget. Focus. Finish. Forget about the things from 2017 and/or the past that may hinder progress moving forward. Focus on what God would have you to accomplish in 2018. And, stay with it, each and every day, and Finish strong. There were Bible verses for each point. The bottom line: I did feel a sense of conviction about the life God has given to me and what I have done with it, and what I am doing with it now. That's how resolutions work in my realm. The Holy Spirit who resides within me works to reveal to me that which God would have me to know and respond to. I always come away knowing that I still have much to do. Amen.

I realize that I talk a lot about me, myself, and I, in these daily visits. It actually comes with the territory since from the get-go this blogging exercise has been and continues to be from my perspective, the way I see it, my thoughts, and my opinions. It is a personal blog. I am the person, therefore, it does meet that printing standard acronym, WYSIWYG. What You See Is What You Get. While I can apologize for the lameness of the writing and the material from time to time, I really can't do that much about it because it really is my life. Or, the popular vernacular, 'my so-called life'. The only one I have. I'm not sure if writing these blogs has made me a more keen observer of things as they unfold before me, or if I was doing that already and the blogging is just a way to pass these observations on. My guess is that both are correct in an 'all of the above' context. I must tell you there's so much I lose along the way. I have a great encounter that really cracks me up and I make a mental note that I should write about it for my blog. One problem. That file labeled 'mental notes' revolving around in my brain has a way of hiding from me, and, there's no telling how many really great stories I could have told but they got away from me. I know. I know. I could use a few good new stories from time to time. Thanks for hanging in there with me and always remember that I am, at best, always and forever, a work in progress.

I mentioned yesterday about old people issues as it relates to taxes. I saw a blurb on Facebook talking about how that an individual pays Social Security taxes for their entire working life. When they begin to receive the retirement proceeds based on those taxes paid, the income they receive is taxed again. At 71, I am still a full-time employee for the Company I work for. I am also a retiree from the Company I worked at for many years before. I am also a recipient of the proceeds from the Social Security taxes I have previously paid. I am also a professional Santa Claus and I receive payment for many of my Santa related appearances. I pay taxes, including Social Security, as a result of my fulltime job. I pay taxes on my retirement income from my previous employer. I pay taxes including self-employment Social Security taxes from my Santa Enterprise income. This doesn't include the state and local taxes we pay. Let me be clear. I'm not asking for anyone's sympathy, I'm just sharing my story. This is why I am anxiously awaiting the changes represented in the recently passed federal tax overhaul. I have no idea if I will be helped or hurt. But, it does offer some glimmer of hope. At least, for the time being. Since I am attempting not to be a complainer, please accept my comments as either 'just sharing' or maybe even educational. I do thank God for His many blessings and I hope you do too. Amen. .....More later.