Happy Birthday to our twins, Alesha Camille and Amanda Faith!

I will tell you one thing, there are some things that make you wonder. More on that later. Hello and welcome. It's Thursday, August 6, 2020, and I first pause to wish our twin granddaughters, Amanda Faith and Alesha Camille, a very happy 22nd birthday. Alesha Camille stays busy working at her job at one of the big fabric stores. They have been very busy providing material for those making masks during the challenging times we are living in. Amanda Faith is a newlywed and she continues her work at the big mall as one of the lead people at Victoria's Secret. (If you pass by that store, there doesn't appear to be many secrets at all.) She and husband Manny are getting started on their new life together. These twins are a part of who we are and we thank God for them and pray His blessings upon them as they celebrate their 22nd. Amen. Our love, MiMi, and Poppy!

Well, what do you think about it when you buy goods and services and the provider refuses to accept cash as payment? This happened to my wife this week at the big box store. I've researched what's going on and supposedly, the best I can determine, it has more to do with a coin shortage than anything else. I know some are saying it is because of the potential for COVID contamination, but, based on all I found and read, it appears to be related to so many businesses being shutdown earlier along with the US Mint not producing as many coins because of staff shortages related to the virus. The wife reported there were many customers complaining about it. The staff said there were registers taking cash but when the wife moved to that register they too refused cash. She asked a simple question, "There's a bank right behind you, how is it you can't receive cash?" According to the big box store website, they will take exact change or rounded up to where it's just paper bills, no coins. The wife said the local folks obviously didn't know this or they never offered it as an option. I have seen plenty of folks writing about end-time events and how buying and selling will be controlled by those in power. Having this type of situation at the very least shows how possible it could be. And, by the way, there is no standing law dictating the form of payment a seller is compelled to receive. I didn't know that. Did you?

How about some other developments? There is no limit to how devious folks will attempt to get you to open their email. A relatively new one for me is when they take the name and ID of someone I exchange emails with and use that name to tag the one they want me to open. You can typically tell if you look closely, but, it does require that you do just that, look very closely. I continue to hear and read about those scheming to defraud elderly folks out of their funds. This is typically done by phone. The person calling knows exactly what to say to confuse and panic the older person on the line. They trick them into giving them their account information. All kinds of government agencies and businesses are trying to get the word out about them not doing business that way. Sadly, many older folks may not get that word. I will not say out loud what I think about anyone who would do that kind of thing to folks living on fixed incomes. The Bible says something about folks having a 'seared conscience' or no conscience at all. I know we all have sinned and we do continue to sin because even as believers we still battle our sinful flesh. However, to intentionally take from the elderly is something worthy of the harshest punishment. In my humble opinion. Give me a break. We are talking about our parents, grandparents, and those who are in the sunset of life. I suppose it's good I have taken my blood pressure medicine. Stuff like that makes me need it. What say you? May God help us all is my prayer. Amen. .....More later.