Doctor: “Which do you want first, the good news or the bad news?” Patient: “Give me the good news.” Doctor: “You’re about to have a disease named after you.”

Hello and welcome. It's Tuesday, March 4, 2025, and, I am just back from taking the wife to a doctor's appointment. That's something many folks do but it does seem that us in the older group do it more often. The plan that we are a part of has clinics spread throughout the Houston metroplex. You typically have to go to the clinic where the doctor that you want to see happens to be. We drove a little over 30 minutes in a blinding rainstorm but made it all in one piece. Mostly. I usually do not but this time I went into the examination room with the wife because the doctor is my doctor also. He is a podiatrist. When he came in I announced that I was there as her interpreter. Her appointment was at 9:30 a.m. That's late if you want to get a close parking spot. That's one reason that I try always to get a first of the day appointment. They do have 'free' valet parking, but, I don't mind walking, so, I dropped her off and was then thrown into the job of finding an open parking spot. Where do all these people come from? Row after row. Every location. Every day. Here's a side note. Old people forget how to park. I'm not complaining, just reporting. In the row I finally found a spot I had to navigate my way around an older model Cadillac. It was parked about three feet away from where it should have been pulled up to which caused the back end to stick way out. Road block! While we were waiting we met some folks and starting talking. They were very nice and the lady wanted us to stay in touch. So, when we finished the appointment, the wife waited on the lady so they could exchange phone numbers. I went for my morning hike out to the car, located it, negotiated my way around the Caddy, and fetched the wife. They say all's well that ends well. Just think, over 100 years ago most everyone had a horse and only the rich had an automobile. Today, everyone has a car and only the rich have a horse. My how the stables have turned. 

Here is the March 4th morning devotional as written and published by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). Since it gives insight into God and His working among His own, well, it's still very timely for us today:

 

 "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Morning Thought

If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say, "Still will I trust in the Lord;" when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God's grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring-that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as he is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night-I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit's work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master-works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, stedfast, unmoveable,-

"Calm mid the bewildering cry,
Confident of victory."

He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you, never dream of it-hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end.

 

Okay, have yourself a spectacular day and may the Good Lord bless and keep each one. Amen.