"Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine." ~ 1st Timothy, Chapter 5, Verse 17, New King James Version (NKJV)

Dr. Charles Swilling, 2004.

Good news! We do have a brand new work week to get us up and going today. Welcome back, to the second day of this brand new week, this one falling on Monday, February 17, 2020. These days we hear often about the passing away of notable individuals. The famous are in the news for days, like the recent Kobe Bryant coverage. Politicians, police officers, and other community leaders receive recognition for their many contributions. Rightfully so. Some religious figures also are singled out for coverage, like Dr. Billy Graham. Yet, there are so many pastors, missionaries, and other fulltime workers who have faithfully served the Lord and their flocks but they do so in obscurity. The wife and I attended the service for just such a man of God this past Saturday. Dr. Charles Swilling devoted over 50 years of his life to serving in smaller congregations, teaching seminary students, and in operating a publications ministry that was global in its reach. He was sold out to the calling God placed on his life. I had the privilege of working closely with him in leading several planning programs for the local Church where he served. His life may have been under the radar screen as it relates to his being well known, however, there will be many folks in heaven as a result of God working through his life. Think about that. His reward will be for his faithfulness in serving the God who called him and put him into the ministry. Well done, dear brother, well done. Amen.

I remember when the young lady, now my wife, and I started dating. I believe our first Valentine's Day would have been in 1963. Do the math, that's a lot of flowers, candy, cards, dinners, and all of the above, over the years. We could probably go on a cruise today with those proceeds. I was always one of those over-the-top guys. When we were dating I wanted to impress her with a token of my love. When we were married I wanted to show her how much she meant to me. I read one posting on Facebook about a couple who did not celebrate Valentine's because they agreed it was a commercially induced effort to generate income for those selling the gifts. Guess what? That's exactly what it has become. This year, 2020, total proceeds associated with this special day in our country alone was expected to top $27 billion dollars. That's with a 'b' in case you missed it. The couple who abstained from the purchasing frenzy said they instead would try to express their love for each other every day of the year. Good for them. I will tell you that our pattern today is not exactly like it was in our early years. I still make her a card every year. She still buys one for me. We typically go out to eat together and try to do so with all the other early birds wearing white hair. We were at the fancy steak house last Friday for an early supper. It looked like Luby's at 5 p.m. If you don't get that picture, wait around for a few more years. It will come to you.

I will be talking with a Sleep Educator this afternoon. I always attempt to be prepared for these types of appointments. I found out the person I will be talking with likely has an actual certification in coordinating sleep-related testing. This certification was established by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists in 2012. I put that in because of the word polysomnographic. I would guess one would need to be certified to even know what that means. I also read the details about the sleeping monitor device they will be using to conduct my in-home study. Being informed is always a good way to be prepared. All that research did help me. It actually made me drowsy. See? It's already helping. Just joking around. Yes. I do know that sleep apnea is nothing to joke about. It can be deadly. An estimated 22 million folks suffer from some type of sleep disorder and some 38,000 people die annually from heart/sleep apnea related deaths. Wow! Pretty sobering stuff. At any rate, I will see what they say and as always I will keep everyone posted. That's what I do here. You noticed? Good. Have a great rest of the day and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.