Matthew 6: 25-31 ~“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Good morning and welcome, it's another day, and we get to live in it here on this Monday, October 12, 2020. The above photo is from a fellow Christmas performer, Santa Walt, and it illustrates how photographers are going to attempt to get good shots while maintaining distancing protocols. That photo was from his first session of this season. Walt is a very interesting fellow. He served in the Marine Corps and is a retired Los Angeles police detective. They live out in Arizona. This past year has been very tough on him. He has undergone multiple surgeries, a variety of cancer treatments, and, is now wearing a colostomy bag. He is a very strong believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and his faith and his God-given fortitude have helped him through this long ordeal. I have prayed for him and kept up with his journey via Facebook. Throughout the process, one of the things that impressed me is how, no matter where he went and what he was doing, he was still in character, bringing joy to as many as he could. 

JoAnn and I from several years ago.

I ask that you whisper a prayer for my sister JoAnn today up in the Dallas/Plano area. She is scheduled to undergo some fairly serious dental surgery later this morning. She has needed this work for years but because of her leukemia and other health-related issues, it has not been something she has been able to schedule. I know she is very anxious about this procedure, therefore, please seek a calm spirit and peace on her behalf. She knows God is with her. Because of her health challenges, she has had to live an almost reclusive lifestyle. While her leukemia is referred to as treatable, she has, for years had to live by the numbers, treatments, more needles, complications, and all kinds of side effects. Her children do check on her but they are no longer next door. However, God gave her a 'best friend' many years ago and that lady has stood by our sister every step of the way. She and I typically talk several times per month and I know her life can be tough at times. She always talks about the needs of others. She always tells me she is praying for me and my family. May God go with her today as she deals with this latest challenge. Amen. (And, I hasten to add, she would never want me to write about her.)

A teenage boy who has made photos, over the years, with us as Santa and Mrs. Claus told me at Church yesterday that he is looking forward to us making a photo with his new baby sister. I told him I didn't know if we would be actually handling any children this year due to the hangover of Coronavirus concerns. He seemed dismayed and pleaded his case on behalf of this sentiment, "You've always made photos with us, you have to make one with her!" I told the wife about it and she said perhaps we could make an exception. I had hoped we would have something more in the way of prevention by now, but, we are still a couple of months away from Christmas and as we all have learned to say, we have to wait and see. But, time is moving on and as last Friday's stats show, our county is still adding cases, hospitalizations, and deaths each day. I agree with President Trump's encouragement for us not to live in fear. I believe he meant we should not be dominated by an overwhelming dread of Coronavirus. At the same time, we do need to be prudent and vigilant as we continue through this chaotic time. God be with each one is my prayer. Amen. ......More later.