“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” ~ The words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John, Chapter 16, Verse 33, as rendered in the Modern English Version (MEV).

That wasn't the sound of my alarm clock going off. I haven't set one in maybe 30 years or longer. It may have been our little whimpering pup who has done wonderfully sleeping through the nights, but, when he's finished his dream state, he's ready to rumble. That typically means one of us has to get up. Truth is, however, we bought and paid for him, therefore, he does have some say in the matter. Hey, for those of you still punching a clock, good news, it's Friday. This one finds its place on the calendar as January 18, 2019. I would like to tell you that when you woke up this morning the world is in better shape than when you fell asleep last night. I checked the headlines this morning and came to this conclusion: The more things change, the more they stay the same. And, not just here in our beloved nation. It's a mess folks, all over the world. For those of us who have as our goal to live by faith, well, that can present challenges. Our pastor recently dug down into what it means to live by faith. Believing God. No matter what. Knowing that what He has said is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. No matter what. Understanding the things we see are not the gauge we use, it is 'thus says the word of the Lord'. He has just started a series that will walk us through the truths as provided to us in the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 11. I'm looking forward to this series because, to be honest, seeing the chaos all around makes me know I need THE TRUTH in my life. What say you? Amen.

Here's a little ditty I wrote about the cold weather eleven years ago: ~ I do know that with the variety of medications I am taking, (I do need to blame it on something), I am no longer quite as resilient against the cold as I used to be. Remember that running joke about my Granny Mac and her telling me she hoped someday to see me cold like she was all the time? Instead of going out on the driveway on a frigid day in short sleeves and looking up and saying, "Not today, Granny!", I might be soon bundling up like an Eskimo and mumbling, "Guess you are finally happy Granny because I'm really cold." To be sure I haven't reached that point yet but I can begin to see myself on this slippery slope. It seems more to be my feet that gets colder and sometimes when I get into the bed at night I find myself spending more time stretching over to my wife's side where she has the warming blanket going. She noticed this increased access into her domain and a few days ago she actually repositioned the blanket so that I would have more of it on my side. I was outraged. I told her it was nearly impossible for me to sleep with those hot wires all over my body. She laughed and moved it back to her side and said she guessed she would just have to share her domain with me each night until I was warm enough to move over. As if she really has a clue. Doesn't she know I am dealing with issues and I have this medical condition and I'm taking all these pills? Whatever happened to the "Compassionate Conservative"? It's one thing to answer to Granny Mac about this cold natured business but I will not be subject to taunting in my own home! I do hope you find the little things in your life to be a source of laughter because when it's all said and done, "You might as well laugh than cry." ~

For those who are new to my blogging venture, or, if you just happened to land on it unknowingly, let me give an overview of my style of writing. I call it convoluted colloquialisms served up with a twist of Southern slang. One of the things I learned when working for the Big Company is how important it is to get your point across. As the person in charge of computing and telecommunications for a Fortune 500 company, I did, on occasion, send out a memo to the entire company. You would not even imagine how many reviews it had to undergo before it was published. People who make a living making mincemeat out of other people's writing, well, at times they had a field day with mine. One thing I did learn from all of that gnashing is how important it is to get the message communicated. Some believed in the use of a minimum of words. Others thought the clear explanation was important. Me? I just sat back and was often amused by the finished product. I've said all of that to say this. I have no proofreaders or editors to check my work. Therefore, it most likely comes across the way it comes across because that's the way I thought it and that's the way I wrote it. Yes. I do have automatic spell checking and a grammar program that makes recommendations. You may have noticed. I don't always take their recommendations. I thought an explanation may be helpful to those who are still scratching their heads. Have yourself a most wonderful Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. Pray. For each other. For so many in need of a special touch. For our nation. For our world. Amen. .....More later.