“Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.” ― Aberjhani, Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays

Hello everyone and welcome. It is Friday, July 10, 2020, and we open up the envelope and find this nugget of truth to help us get on our way, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." I know that's somewhat of a 'duh' in the same way you always find what you lost in the last place you look, but, in all fairness, while it may sound trite, it is the day God has given to us and with His help, we can make something of it. Reading the first-hand accounts of some folks we know who are battling Covid-19 is quite chilling. This virus is a beast and it represents a life-threatening situation for many who contract it. We have a distant nephew over in Georgia, nearing his mid-fifties, who was confirmed and admitted to the hospital with some minor breathing issues. Within hours he was rushed into ICU and shortly thereafter he had to be intubated. That was a week ago and he is still sedated and struggling to breathe. His wife was also admitted but she has since been released. Their son, in his mid 30's has been confirmed and is confined to his apartment. They have a grandson who has down syndrome and other health complications and he too is hospitalized but praise the Lord he is some better. This one situation has pretty much turned their lives upside down. The other grandkids were sent to Florida to stay with relatives while another daughter and son-in-law are quarantined at home. Another fellow we served with in Church a number of years ago was just released from the hospital after 16 days. He posted a daily journal detailing his experiences. It seems his story was one step forward and two back along with a number of 'you forgot to say may I's' along the way. My point? It may not seem serious in a material way to those of us who have escaped, thus far, in having to deal with it, but, whatever any of us can do to help control the spread, I say, let's do it!

Here's a Friday Flashback from July 10, 2007, ~ Blog Fatigue? Today I am going to take a break from sharing some great revelation of new facts, information, stories, and intrigue as it relates to the life and times of this blogger in his sojourn here on earth. Why? Have I run out of things to write about? The answer to that question reminds me of my mom driving over to our huge city many years ago. She had never driven in a downtown situation like the one here. I don’t know how, but she was able to get within six blocks of where I worked. She parked her car, found a phone, and called me. I was finally able to figure out the general area where she was and left immediately to meet her. When I arrived she was exhausted but very pleased she had made it. When we got to where her Ford Pinto was parked she was right up against a large sign which read: “Don’t Even Think About Parking In This Spot”.

This is my answer to whether I’ve run out of material or not. In fact, this morning I started several different stories but they did not resonate and I ended up scrapping them, for now. There’s so much material, so many memories, so many unforgettable experiences, people, and places, but so little time. This week has been somewhat hectic since here at the workplace we are a little shorthanded and it is vacation season and I have been very busy running here and there. Hey, that sounded almost good enough to make that the excuse for not doing a blog today! At any rate, I’ll never forget an elderly gentleman at a Church we attended many years ago who always said the same thing when you asked him how he was doing. He would look directly at you with a gleam in his eye and say, “If I kicked, I ought to be!” Guess that’s a good way of putting it. This is the day that the Lord has made and we have the opportunity to rejoice and be glad in it, this very day, and if given all that God has done for me, I kicked or complained, well, I guess I deserve to be kicked myself! ~

Reading that flashback from 13 years ago only reinforces my often mentioned assessment: The more things change, it is the more they stay the same. That's okay because it reflects life. Thanks for hanging in there with me this week and thanks for the several emails I received talking about some of the things I mentioned. It's always good to hear from folks and it is also good to know someone is paying attention. Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. I ask you to whisper a prayer for our granddaughter bride, Amanda Faith, and her groom, Manny, as our eldest son Chris, will conduct the wedding ceremony tomorrow. Take care and know we all, each and everyone, need the Lord every step of the way. Amen. ....More later.