Psalm 7:17 "I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High."

Good morning and welcome. It is Tuesday, October 13, 2020. I hope today's visit finds everyone doing tolerably well. I thank everyone who offered up a prayer for my sister JoAnn. She did get through the dental surgery and is now recovering. She sent me a note with a lot of emojis depicting praise to Almighty God. She will be on some powerful drugs to deal with an infection, but, overall, she is thankful it went as well as it did. Thank God for hearing and responding to our prayers. Amen. 

I admire people who can remember very early childhood memories. That would not be me. I've known people who can make back to as far back as 2 or 3 years old. I've written much in this venue about how my early childhood memories are pretty much blotted out by the sudden death of my dad in January of 1954. I mention it again because there has to be a vault of stuff there for me to share. And, as you know, all too well, I could use some new material. You have to be careful with old photos because sometimes they make you think you know more than you do. (My conclusion.) I could no doubt invent some, but, I wouldn't feel good about that. I've never denied that I can come up with some glimpses but they are fleeting. I sometimes tell myself, "Son, you were seven years old when he died, you need to get a grip." You know. Self-talk. I do remember a lot of the details surrounding his death and what followed. The stuff before? It remains a mystery of sorts. I may wake up one day and it all will come rushing back to me. But, don't count on it.

When I was neck-deep into ancestor research, I remember how getting information from my mom was like finding and pulling hen's teeth. I would tell her about a startling fact I had discovered in the records and her response would be, "Son, why don't you let sleeping dogs lie?" One thing is sure. It will not make any difference one way or the other if I ever get to find the combination to that vault. It all comes up again when I get an inquiry from a distant cousin who is seeking information on our family history. I suppose with all the online services out there today, nearly everyone at one time or another will at least give their family a go. You say what? You've never been bothered by stuff like that. Good for you. One thing is clear. We are all put together differently and I will be first in the line for those marked as odd. It is good to know that you know how God is always the same and believe me, He knows it all. He is, after all, all-knowing. He also loves. Even me. Even though I lost five or six years of my memories. He still loves me. For that, and so much more, I am thankful. Amen. ......More later.