"A dress that zips up the back will bring a husband and wife together." ~ James H. Boren

We are clicking right along. That's a very timely metaphor as I sit here at the keyboard here in The Home Office. I bid you greetings on this, another day in the neighborhood, Thursday, November 15, 2018. How do you like these colder temperatures? Nice! Me too! I didn't enjoy as much all the preparation we went through to get ready for the cold. On Tuesday, we moved all the outdoor plants into She-Shed Number Two. Some of these plants will make your back squeal like a piglet. They are that heavy. We purchased a new dolly with larger rubber tires. It helped. I wrapped the faucets just to be sure. The owner and operator of the She-Shed franchise on our property decided it would be a good time to mow the leaves. I drove the riding mower and she used the walk behind. The temps were in the mid to high 30's but the wind was blowing about 20 miles per hour. It was so much fun! You know. Us. Working together as a team. I'm not that skilled at driving the riding mower. I did run over a few things. She didn't say anything although when she discovered the scene of the issue she did an amazing pantomime with a lot of motioning of her arms. I couldn't read her lips, but, I'm pretty sure that I should not do that again. She may have been expressing her inner plane landing skills. Someone let me know if she is smiling. Needless to say, we finished a lot quicker as a team.

We are longtime NCIS watchers. (We watch some of the spinoffs but not as often.) I've noticed the commercials, over time, have changed to appeal to an older audience. I read a statistic that supports this trend. Those over 50 make up the majority who watch and nearly 30% of those over 55 say they do their best to never miss an episode. (Never miss is the catalyst for Must See.) Last Tuesday, the show opened and it had a lead in, sponsored by tag, and it was from one of those low-cost cellular companies. This company typically runs commercials on re-runs of Matlock, which we also watch, or Columbo, and yes, we like those too. I haven't tried to find out what the appeal of NCIS is to older viewers. The cast is made up of a mix of ages. Maybe it's the storyline which does take some paying attention to if you are going to stay engaged. Shows like The Voice blow away the competition in reaching that famed 18-49 demographic. And, the list could go on and on. I told the wife recently that one reason children today have a different perspective on values is based on what they watch on television. The programs they watch are for the most part on our 'never seen list', and, what we know about them, they are also on our 'never will see' list. Some of that conditioning shows up on NCIS as well. However, it is not the prevalent theme and we certainly can filter it out. The younger generation may not be able to do this as well. Don't quote me on this since I am not an expert, but, it is offered up in keeping with the focus of my daily visits, The View From Here.

The devotion I used for the older folks last Monday came from the first chapter of the Epistle or Letter from James. This is thought to be the earliest of all New Testament writings. Maybe as early as the mid-40's AD. Earlier than the earliest written Gospel. Most conservative commentators believe the writer James to have been pastor of the congregation in Jerusalem. They believe him to be the brother of our Lord. The occasion was a Holy Spirit inspired word of encouragement and instruction to those who, because of their expressed faith in Jesus as the Christ, had been run out of town, scattered, and were undergoing the difficulties that came with this calamitous event. The reason I chose this passage is that many of the older folks present that day have undergone some great changes in their lives. Some are sickly. Some feel isolated. Some are distressed. Many of them are lonely. There is the risk of becoming angry and bitter because of the circumstances. Their situation today is not how they used to be able to function. James gave his audience the truth and that is God's presence was still with them and God expected them to continue their walk of faith even through their difficult circumstances. This is a good word to them who showed up that day, it is a good word to me, and it is a good word to us all. Amen. ....More later.