“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” ― Henry Ward Beecher

Welcome to one and all. It's a good day in the neighborhood as we embrace this back-to-work Monday, January 29, 2018. The popular Christian singer and comedian, Mark Lowry, has been doing a daily Attitude of Gratitude video each morning as a way of counting his blessings in 2018. Some of them are funny, but truth is, we all have so much to be thankful for. For instance, I'm thankful for Glimepiride. That's a tiny little pill that was added last August to help manage my diabetes. The doctor added it because my A1C hit 7.2, the highest it has ever been. (Anything over 6.0 is problematic.) The new pill is only 2 mg and I break it into 2 tablets, taking one in the morning and one in the evening. Well, the doctor knew what he was doing. That little pill along with the Metformin I take, it knocked the bottom out of my A1C as indicated by the 6.1 that I registered last week. That's a praise the Lord if I ever heard one! The above photo taken last week shows some of the people who attend our little Thursday evening singing, praying, Bible study, feasting, and fellowship, gathering in our home. Sister Carol took the photo. We were missing at least a half-dozen or more due to illness and other reasons. I put the photo up because I am so thankful for all of those involved in this activity, our love for one another, and how blessed we are to be able to enjoy our time together. That's a little taste of my version of having an Attitude of Gratitude for 2018. Amen.

Just so you know, last Thursday evening the women folk were so loud in enjoying their time of laughter and fellowship, it made it hard for us men to carry on serious conversations. They were laughing up a thunderstorm over there. And, we had important things to discuss. You know. Really important, things about work and work-related experiences. I noticed my buddy, Bro. J. R. kept cupping his ear with his hand trying to catch what I was saying. The wife told me later what all the commotion was about but I suppose it was one of those ladies things, therefore, it's best for us to just sit closer together next time where we can visit. One thing was unmistakable. There was sweet joy in our house. Having just studied our Lord's Prayer as recorded in John Chapter 17, we all were aware of the true joy found in knowing God through His Son. We also learned what He cares most about for His own. That joy in the house also reminds us all of how we can live it out in our daily lives. JOY. J is for Jesus, put Him first. O is for others, serve them even as He came to serve. Y is for you, we put ourselves last as we find true fulfillment in mirroring our Savior's mind. ("Let this mind be in you which was also in Him....." Philippians 2:5-11)

Just when you think you've heard and seen everything, suddenly there's this contagious form of idiocy where kids are actually eating Tide Detergent pods. Medical experts have attempted to get the word out on what the chemicals in those products can do to the body, but, thus far, it still seems to be a fad that is not slowing down. Here's one for you: I read one fellow's puzzlement when he installed one of those smart home control boxes that you can talk to. The box could respond to almost any name but did not recognize the name, Jesus Christ. It immediately responded to queries about Mohammed, and even Satan, but not Jesus. The user of the device is hoping he has a malfunction on his unit of some sort. However, the company that makes it has yet to respond to his questions concerning this matter. That blurb reminded me of the lyrics of a song the wife and I sing, "I'm glad I know who Jesus is, I'm glad I know who Jesus is. He's more than just a story, He is the King of Glory, and I'm glad I know who Jesus is." My prayer is that everyone who reads today's episode not only knows who He is but, more importantly, they have put their faith and trust in Him and the blood He shed on the Cross so we all might be saved to spend eternity with Him. Thanks for showing up today. Take care and may God bless us all is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.