“I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” ― Thomas Jefferson

Good morning. It is Friday, November 6, 2020, and I bring you some local news from the homefront today. We are coming towards the end of our combo program, isolation, and quarantine, and, praise the Lord, our Jimmy, the wife, and yours truly are still without Covid symptoms.  The election for President is still being waged as vote counting continues, legal challenges mounting, and folks are all over the page with their thoughts about what we just went through. The common thread from folks who lean towards a conservative agenda has to do with vote tampering and fraud. The other side who have claimed for four years how the 2016 election was stolen from Hillary Clinton now boldly say, "There's nothing to see here." President Trump, being the determined person he is, has tapped into this angst from his supporters and is attempting to make the most of it. Who could blame him? I would hate to see the final outcome be one where a large portion of the voting public loses confidence in our electoral process. That could happen. We are living in strange times which makes me think about this statement that our pastor so often makes from the pulpit, "Folks, think about it, from God's perspective things are not falling apart, they are coming together as He works to accomplish His plan and purpose." Amen.

Thus far, I've published 3,457 blogs. I have reposted the very first one several times. For a change, here is the 3rd blog I wrote back in 2007:

Fridays...then and now

Many years ago in a galaxy far far away when I had a staff of 150 I was continually amazed by the way in which Friday was worshipped by most of our people. Thank God It's Friday (TGIF) could be heard all around. For myself and most of my direct reports running a 24x7 technology operation that provided service in nearly every time zone in the world, Fridays typically meant little more than the day before Saturday. There seemed always to be another stack of stuff to review, work on, proposals to read or write, issues to settle, priorities to arrange, and the list went on and on. Looking back I have concluded that a fair amount of this work, which typically denied us any sense of normalcy in life, was self-inflicted. How could this be true given the overflowing in-boxes? It’s quite simple when you look at what did happen on those rare occasions whenever one of us scheduled a few days off for a trip or vacation or family outing. Somehow and in some way we could clear our desks in preparation for being gone. Why we didn't do more of this on a regular basis and not miss so many of our children's important activities is something we cannot now change but certainly, we can warn others not to do as we did.

Even in a small company environment like I am today, the TGIF slogan still reigns supreme. In the job I now have, I’m blessed to work in a wonderfully positive environment. I arrive at my desk typically by 5:30 a.m. and usually leave each day between 6 and 6:30 p.m. We are located in a somewhat isolated spot off a country road. The 30 minutes drive each morning would be idyllic if not for a large number of wildlife that still calls this area home. You have to be up on your steering wheel and careful as you make your way along the winding roads that lead to our facility. Wow! It's always something. It's not unusual to see whitetail deer nearly every day. While that sounds wonderful, many days it becomes tragic as they cross at the wrong time and are not only killed but often do much damage to the unsuspecting vehicle that hits them. So there you have it. Great spot, wonderful surroundings, but not without its own set of issues. This reflects life itself. So often people find the adage to be exactly true: "The grass turns out to be greener over there because it’s growing on top of a septic tank!"

It's like the fellow who retires, buys an RV, and is ready to travel and enjoy his remaining days. Yet, while cleaning his new RV he falls off the top and does major damage to his back. This is not a pessimistic view but rather an appreciation for the conundrums of life that makes it what it is. What do we do in response to how things work in life? We trust God, thank Him for the breath in our body, and we get up and seek to serve Him and others each and every day. We do understand that difficulties, trials, and challenges are an ever-present part of our days, but we do not lose heart because Jesus told us not to because He has overcome the world and we can be victorious in Him! More later.........

Thanks so much for your prayers and support during our time of quarantine. It is truly appreciated. Have a great Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. I will, if the Lord provides, do my best to have something, come Monday morning. Take care now, you hear? And, may God bless each one. Amen. .....More later.