It's time. Me, you, each and everyone of us to turn our hearts and minds towards our God. Amen.

It is Tuesday, March 17, 2020, St. Patricks Day, but, it is somewhat eerie around these parts. Even though the kids are all out of school, there's not a lot of activity around. When Mr. Bentley and I made our pickup truck ride through the neighborhood yesterday morning, I noticed many more cars still in the driveways. Many folks are staying home. My, my, my, what a difference a few days can make! One thing is clear. We, as created human beings, cannot solve every problem. We are not in control. I saw one pundit who says the coronavirus coupled to the financial collapse will likely cost President Trump his reelection. Just a few days ago his reelection seemed to be a sure thing. We just don't know how all of it will play out, but, thank God, He does. He is already in the future, our future, and He will act according to the pleasure of His own goodwill. At any rate, when I drove around the mostly empty yards I couldn't help but hear the words of the Gaither song reverberating in my mind: "The marketplace is empty No more traffic in the streets All the builders' tools are silent No more time to harvest wheat Busy housewives cease their labors In the courtroom no debate Work on earth is all suspended As the King comes thro' the gate."

Southern-style Example.

Yes. I have seen with my own eyes the cleaned out shelves at the supermarket(s). I did notice there were still quite a lot of supplies of the things needed to prepare baked goods. Let me insert here how blessed I am to have a wife who knows how to cook. From Scratch. She told me at the outset we have flour and cornmeal, therefore, we can count on homemade biscuits and cornbread. On Sunday we had a Louisiana country meal fit for a king. She prepared field peas, fried okra, fried chicken nuggets, mustard greens, sliced tomatoes, and homemade cornbread. I sprinkled some vinegar pepper sauce on my stuff and wowie! zowie! talk about good! For dessert, she made me a big bowl of lime Jello. Yum Yum! At the store, I did find some fresh fruit and other staples. When I got home the wife asked if I looked at the toilet paper shelf. I told her I didn't because I believed we still had an adequate supply. She agreed we do. For now. We are doing our best to stay put as much as we can. The folks who were supposed to do the mask fit appointment called and asked to either cancel it or push it out for 14 days. They said the people who will bring my CPAP machine will do their own fitting, therefore, I canceled yesterday's session. For now. Or, who knows for how long?

I am glad to report I finally got over the 7 pounds lost hump. I was stuck on that one for a couple of weeks. I am now up to 10 and will be again in a holding pattern if prior history is any indication. You are correct. Those home-cooked meals do create some dynamic tension between them and the Paw Paw Mac Push Back from the Table diet plan. I've always been one who could make a few steps forward, maybe one back, and then pick back up and go again. I'm not on a time schedule. And, if ever I have been a work in progress it is now. I will not, let me repeat, I will not be shooting for that ideal weight target. If I were to hit that number you will be able to use my face cheeks as a coaster for your coffee cup. I remember a doctor I had for many years. He used to say that he thought it was healthier for folks to carry a wee bit extra weight when they get older. I used the wee bit in order to be very specific in the amount he was talking about. And, just so you know, it's the wee bit I'm working towards even at the present moment. Have a great rest of the day. Continue to pray. We can always do that. In fact, when people ask what they can do, tell them to pray. God loves to hear from His created human family. Amen. ....More later.