“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca, philosopher, (4 BC - 65 AD)

City of Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland

It seems like it should be later, but, based on the best information available to me, it is Wednesday, January 17, 2018. Maybe we feel that way because of how we all have been hovering over our computers and cell phones trying to track the potential frozen roadways. That can be somewhat tiring in and of itself. But, I do bid you welcome and I thank God to be here with this greeting for today. The other evening the wife and I watched a television program that was giving an overview of the Highlands of Scotland. It's amazing how much more a program like that means when you have actually been there and you recognize the locations visited. This particular program focused on the native foods served in that area. We actually recognized some of the particular castles and other sites that were featured. We greatly enjoyed our tour of Scotland. When we returned we talked about how that we would like to return. That was back in 1993. We haven't made that return trip yet. This is how it works. I talked to a fellow last week who was just back from a winter trip to Colorado. It was his first time there. He said he could hardly wait to get back up there and that he would like to forgo their annual trip to Florida and go to Colorado instead. News flash: I saw a posting from his wife that confirmed their condo and trip to Florida later this year. See what I mean? The program we watched reminded us of how much we enjoyed that trip. It may have reset our intention to return. Let me see. We were there nearly 25 years ago. In 25 years I will likely be in my heavenly home, but, if I am still hanging out here on the planet I will be 96 years old. Maybe I'll just watch the programs.

I think we all know that we tend to be pretty fickle. I've heard many folks wishing for those days when it's so hot you wonder if you'll be able to catch another breath or not. We tend to always find something to be perplexed, angry, disgruntled, and unhappy about. Here's a quote from an expert on managing stress in one's life, "People complain about cold weather during winter, about hot weather during summer and about rain in rainy season. People who are single are depressed that they are single, those who are married think that singles are having more fun, people with darker skin want to get fair skin, people with white skin want tanning and the list never ends. Sometimes I think what would happen to people’s life if you take their complaining habit out of their life?" (Subodh Gupta) Sounds like some of the same issues Solomon addressed in Ecclesiastes. He tried everything that his money, looks, and prestige could provide. Trying to find satisfaction. The good news is how he came to a conclusion that can help us all. It is straightforward and to the point, "Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) I can, you can, we all can be helped when we recognize and embrace what Solomon discovered. Amen. 

As we sat around the office on Tuesday, it was continuing to get colder and colder. The vehicles in the parking lot were mostly covered with a layer of ice with some spotty snow on top of that. We began hearing about roads in and around the Houston metroplex being closed because of icing. That always makes it somewhat difficult to know when to leave or how long to stay. Some in my family couldn't believe that I had come in at my regular time. Believe it or not, at 4:10 a.m. when I arrived it was still above freezing but that quickly changed. It's pretty rare for our geographic area to be basically in lock down due to the frigid temperatures. We shut down at noon and I came home to a big bowl of homemade chili. She made the cornbread about a 1/4 inch thick so it would be good and crispy. I'm sitting in my upstairs office as I write today's episode. Waiting. To find out what the lay of the land might be. So far, not a creature is stirring including a mouse. We do have professional rodent control and any of those little animals might want to keep that in mind. Maybe we should put up a sign. Here's my word to us all for today. Stay warm. Stay safe. And, thank God for the provisions He has given to us, even on a very cold day. It is still 18 degrees here. May God bless. Amen. ....More later. (There must be a reason the early people are calling and texting me to see if I made it in.)