“Don’t look at the calendar. Just keep celebrating every day.” ~ Advice from Ruth, 100 years young.

Welcome back. Today is Monday, June 22, 2020, and our race continues. That's how the Bible describes the life we have as a believer. As in, we are to run the race set before us. (Hebrews 12:1-3) Part of our race is to encourage others. I feel compelled to encourage by giving advice as I learn things in the phase of life where I currently dwell. As one grows older it is best not to carry two different objects in your hands at one time. Trust me on this. You can easily put the used coffee individual serve container in the drawer with the potholders and find the potholder being put in the trash can. I will not explain how I know these things and I am not going to hide behind the one you so often see on Facebook: Asking for a friend. I just thought it best to share this practical tidbit to help you along the way. Another thing. If you are going to answer any question put forth by your mate, make sure you know the question first. Guessing may be better than nothing but it can have serious consequences. An example might be, She asks, "Do you think my new hairstyle looks okay? Since you missed the gist of what was said, a wrong answer might be, "I was almost certain I took the trash out this morning." I've tried the two most likely guesses, Yes Mam, and No Mam, but, they are fraught with peril. I can hear you. Why not just pay attention and you won't have to worry about trying to guess. I would recommend thinking of that before, not after. Hopefully, I've been able to help someone out there as they deal with the reality of life. 

I think it was four years ago that I made my last excursion on the Saturday before Father's Day to honor my step-dad. I always carried him a container full of grilled meat with all the trimmings. That was my habit and while I miss doing it I can look back and remember our special times together. The fellow in the photo on the left is my dad. He left for his eternal home when I was seven years old. Our son, Chris, and his wife have been up at the Grand Canyon for the last few days celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary (last Saturday). They did the train experience and really enjoyed it. My dad worked for the railroad company, Kansas City Southern. When he died we moved into the house with my mom's parents, Granny and Paw Paw Mac. The railroad folks issued us a rail pass and I used it the most. The folks on the trains I rode all knew my dad. They told me how exceptional he was. They most likely exaggerated this for my sake but it did make a difference in my life. The fellow in the middle is my Grandfather, Paw Paw Mac. He was the father figure that impacted me the most growing up. My wife's dad, the Preacher man, Bro. Rawles also greatly influenced my life. The last photo is of my step-dad for 40 years although we just called him 'dad'. He stood by me and the rest of our huge blended clan regardless of the situation. Regardless! My point? I count my blessings for His provision of these dads in my life. Amen and Amen. 

A lady in our neighborhood posted how she had seen a fox crossing the road with a small animal in its mouth. She couldn't make out the animal and thought it might be a small kitten or small puppy. She was warning people to keep up with their pets. Someone else responded and said they too had seen the fox and the animal was a small squirrel. The other morning I looked down the street at around 5 a.m. and I saw the silhouette of a coyote about two blocks away. He was likely on his way back to his den. You might recall the late-night rendezvous Mr. Bentley and I had when we were charged by two adolescent armadilloes. On our Sunday morning ride around, Mr. Bentley and I spotted a large red hawk and it had something pinned in the grass near the wooded area in the back of our sub-division. Our middle son recently killed a mature copperhead out near the trash containers just outside our garage. We are not living in the wilderness but we do have several wooded lots very nearby. This is why I am always on the alert especially at night or just before the dawning of a new day. Oh yeah, I didn't even mention those nesting owls. I don't know exactly how large they are but they can stir up a tree and make a lot of wind noises with their wings. Mr. Bentley is currently right at the 20-pound mark and that works in his favor but I still want to protect him as much as I can. This wasn't even on my radar screen 18 months ago. It is now! Have a great day and may God bless. Amen. .....More later.