HE IS EVERYWHERE!

Welcome one and all to what I am going to call Fun Friday, here on this March 18, 2011. One day I started playing around with some of the photo utilities available out on that vast information highway called the worldwide web, you know, the www stuff.. In doing so I came across some that were pretty easy to use and I thought I would just goof off today and show you some of the outputs. Computers and the internet can be fun. You do have to be very careful with so called free stuff. Sometimes the free stuff is where those creepy people dwell who seek to prey on unsuspecting folks, especially children. But, not all free sites are evil and with a little bit of caution you can enjoy seeing what can be done. I started out with a photo of yours truly. It's the one adorning this paragraph. I accessed maybe a half dozen sites and used some more than others to produce the results that follow. I also ask that you say a prayer for my brother, Donald. He is back in the hospital for testing and a thorough check-up. I do hope you will enjoy your Saturday and that on Sunday your thoughts will be turned upward because as I have so often said, there's a reason it is called the Lord's Day. May God bless each one. Amen.  And, I do hope you enjoy my little attempt at some Friday fun!              .......More later.

I have more but I think you get the idea!!!!!

Happy holiday from the jolly green giant! ........What?

Hello again and welcome. We actually bumped out a 39 degree reading early Tuesday here and I was ready to applaud. I even heard one of the weather people say that we should enjoy the cool while we can because it will soon be only a faded memory as we anticipate summer. It is Thursday, March 17, 2011, and it is Saint Patrick's Day, and I bid you an Irish welcome to today's rants, raves, and rambling words. I started to call it fast forward Thursday because this week has flown by. I did take the time to read a little about Saint Patrick the other day and he is very much an established historical character and based on reports of his service to Ireland, he certainly is due some recognition. I'll leave off any detailed discussion of how folks get to be venerated and elevated as a Saint, but I will say that those of us who have been saved by the blood of Jesus, we are already called out and set apart, and we are not waiting to become a saint, according to God's own word, we are one! There's not too much in the way of objective proof about Brother Patrick having anything to do with driving out snakes but not too many folks wearing the green today even know about those legends anyway. Every where you go today you will see folks wearing all sorts of green. If you forget to remember to wear green today, you supposedly give up your right to be called Irish since the wearing of the green is a requirement. But, not to worry, because in the grand scheme of things, let me assure you that it's not that big of a deal.

I don't have to wait until St. Patrick's Day to enjoy Irish music. I listen to it quite often. The fiddle, flute, accordian, drums, and their own version of the bagpipe are very appealing to me. Back when the Three Irish Tenors came on the scene, I purchased several of their CD's. Many of their songs speak of home, family, love, pain, war, sadness, and a love and devotion for country. That pretty well covers much of the fabric of life. Some refer to many of the songs as being tearjerkers. I can't argue with that assessment but I still love the haunting melodies that, at least at some level, speak to me. There's also some wonderful Irish Christian music that incorporates many of these wonderful instruments into praise, worship, and Gospel songs. We've never gotten that far back into our exact roots from the old country but there is a common belief that our grandfather's people were Welsh, Irish, Scottish, or a blending of some or all of the above. That would be fitting because in many respects I see myself as just that, a blended hue of a rainbow of colors, and in this case, it gives you more choices to blame when you try to figure out why you are like you are. I have heard about those who are white supremacists that find out when trying to establish their racial purity that they have slave blood in their heritage. I don't know about you but I find that to be not only poetic justice, but hilarious on so many levels. One thing we can know, whether you are a hodgepodge or a blue blood, we all stand exactly the same at the foot of the Cross, because Jesus died for all, red, yellow, brown, black, white, and all variations, and that my friend gives us something to be thankful for!

I know today will be a day that many will use as an excuse to over indulge in drinking alcoholic beverages, supposedly in support of the Irish tradition. I also know good people who differ on whether it's okay to participate in the drinking of alcoholic beverages. I know there are some who promote the view that taken in moderation it can be enjoyable and perhaps even medicinal. In the movies we see the Irish drunk portrayed as a lovable and cantankerous fellow. For those of us who have seen alcoholism up close and personal, or the tragedies associated with drunk driving, we know these to have no lovable characteristics. Some report the monetary loss associated with alcohol related issues to exceed $200 billion dollars.They tell us that an alcoholic has a direct impact on at least 4 to 5 other people, therefore, it is something to take seriously. If that number is correct and we have an estimated 17 million alcoholics in our country, then one can see how that number explodes in impacting directly perhaps as much as one third of our population. I know when I worked for the big company in the big downtown area that some woke up the day after St. Patrick's wishing they had not been involved in what they got themselves into. I'm not trying to grandstand for one view or the other, and I am not trying to tell others how they should make up their minds, but I do think it important for us to know the facts. I'm not one who thinks that the Bible mandates that every person be a teetotaler, however, here's my take: In this world, and in the environment where alcohol is for the most part misused and abused, one interested in maintaining their testimony and influence must look at the big picture when determining the choices they make. That was on my mind, therefore, I wanted to share it with you. I suppose it's like the song 'It's My Party, and I'll Cry if I Want to', where here on this page, good, bad, or indifferent, it's my blog, I'll write what I want to. Since I don't use a laugh track I often wonder if I should include a symbol where a smile is called for. But, that would again end up being in the eye of the beholding reader. I do pray that God will watch over and keep us all until we meet again. Amen.    .......More later.

Seems like only yesterday she was riding a Big Wheel, now our Kyleigh will soon be driving a set of wheels! Wow!

Before we get into my reading of the tea leaves for Wednesday's front page, I want to pause and recognize the 16th birthday of our beautiful granddaughter, Kyleigh. We have been blessed to watch this young lady grow and develop into the outstanding student and athlete that she is. This birthday comes with her full attention on the next phase of her life: DRIVING. That's right. She is ready to go and while it seems impossible, she will soon join the rest of those running here, there, and everywhere. Our son Rodney and wife Mitzi and the other children, Lexie, and Brady, are also excited on this, Kyleigh's special birthday. She is a natural leader and literally drips with talent and potential. We are so proud of her and wish her the best birthday ever. May God bless you, Kyleigh. Love, MiMi and Poppy.

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It is Wednesday, March 16, 2011 and I bid you welcome to my world, where the wheel spins and spins, and where it will stop, no one knows. You may not have noticed but some scientists are reporting that the earthquake in Japan actually altered the axis of the earth causing our day to be shortened by 1.8 millionths of a second. Okay, we are in good company because I never noticed it either. I could say something here about how that time flies but someone would likely think it to be inappropriate. Just thinking about those who measure and calculate these types of metrics is enough to give me a headache. It reminds me of some comments made by our Savior as He tried to communicate with the Jewish religious leaders: ^"Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed." (Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 16, Verses: 1-4) We are very capable of discerning many things, including millionths of a second, but often we stumble over that which is most important, that which has a lasting impact, that which will make a difference for time and eternity.

200,000 Chinese folks show up at a beach resort.

I'm not for a second, second guessing the importance of that 1.8 millionths of a second alteration. We no doubt have nuclear facilities, satellite, space, and other scientific instruments that depend on that level of accuracy. It still is razzle dazzle stuff to most of us. I suppose these difficult economic times do call for difficult decisions to be made. I've read that Churches are leasing space for all kinds of events. We are aware of sharing space with other religious activities but some are allowing caterers to rent, schools to occupy for a fee, and other similar types of revenue generating projects. I know of a local community of faith that rents their space from a religious group that meets on Saturday. It's a full function facility with no use on Sunday, therefore, I suppose it is a good match. I've even read about a funeral home in Indiana that is actually renting out its space for weddings and receptions. One reason for this is the fact that many special purpose spaces have had to shut down because of the recession and some of these other choices are being selected based on availability and price. The article stated that the wedding party seemed to have no problems with the fact that just down the hall there was a fully furnished display room full of caskets and urns. Of course there are places where crowding happens almost by default. Nearly 30% of all Chinese still live with their parents. With 1.4 billion people, well, you do the math.

I suppose we could close out with some favorite oxymorons. Simply stated, an oxymoron is two cojoined but contradictory terms. An example would be: deafening silence. Many are funny but only in the eye of the beholder. For instance, a music purist might think the words country and music put together to be a huge contradiction while those who like a little twang for their listening pleasure might see it quite differently. There are so many to choose from but taking into consideration my caveat about how one might see it differently, I'll give you some that caught my attention. Fresh frozen; act naturally; agree to disagree; awfully nice; well-known secret; vegetarian hamburger; dry ice; doing nothing; appear invisible; current history; eyes wide shut; fat free ice cream; going nowhere; gold silverware; and terribly good. I could have listed a few of the more famous ones, like: resident alien; true replica, government intelligence, clearly misunderstood; sanitary landfill; almost exactly, and for those who have to try and make computers operate effectively, the leading one is Microsoft Works, and on that one I could spend hours because it often is in practice, Microsoft Rarely Works. But, these are just samples. You can come up with some of your own. Some say that marital bliss would be at least a candidate but not in my home, but I might be able to come up with at least one good one if I think about it long enough. Meanwhile, I will withhold any further potentially dangerous comments and bid you farewell until we meet again. May God bless. Amen.             ......More later.

What time is it? Internal or external? Where? Am I confused or what?

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday, March 15, 2011, where our rain storms from yesterday have given way to some low 40's this morning and I am loving every breath of it, even though I have to operate in the dark because of the time change, but I'm sure that will work out also since we need the extra daylight. We do? Maybe we once did but I'm not sure we do any more. I just hate it when they mess with my internal clock. I know we moved the hands on the clocks throughout our houses but in doing so we have to admit that it does do a number on our mental sense of time. I did my best to keep my regular schedule on Saturday but by Monday the adjustment was being felt. I went from unlocking our shop facilities here at the Company in some beginning to be good daylight to dark dark, so much so, you can feel it. It is back to my flashlight and feeling my way around. I believe at one time the extended daylight was promoted as a way for there to be more time to do things in the evenings. You would not be surprised to know there are many studies about all of this available for review. Generally, it is reported that overall electrical consumption is down by 1% because of extended daylight. That may not sound like much but it's fairly significant when you consider how much is consumed in our country. Some think the data indicates some health benefits. Then we have the stats reflecting on automobile accidents and how it impacts driving habits. That may all be well and good but if the idea is to have people spend more money, here's exactly what I heard an economist say the other morning on the Wall Street Journal radio program, "If we are spending so much more at the pump, this means we have reduced the availability of discretionary funds, therefore, we don't have the gas to drive to the mall, and once we get there, if we don't have any coins in our purse, you can see what the overall impact is to the economy."

I almost understood what that fellow was saying. I suppose since we will not have the funds to do anything with the extra daylight we have, we can sit around, twiddle our thumbs, and look at each other, and be able to see things very clear in the extra daylight we've been given. There is no possible way for anyone breathing air on the planet to not recognize that we are living in some very strange times. I actually heard a mainstream commentator say the other day that if they didn't know better, they might think they are reading headlines out of the Book of The Revelation, as opposed to the newspapers. I think about how that Japan is thought to be one of the most advanced of all civilizations on the globe. They came up from the ashes of WWII and became technology driven before technology driven was even a buzz word. Their computer savvy, their advancements in robotics, and in engineering are all well documented and recognized. Today's economic upheaval hit Japan several years ago and they have been in the throes of making agonizing choices regarding their economic survival. While in the midst of this unprecedented challenge, they were still thought of as being one of the world leaders in all categories of expertise and innovation prowess. However, last week when the earthquake and tsunami hit, their lack of abilities to respond were laid bare. We all have seen how the "most well prepared nation in the world" has been reduced to grasping at straws as they deal with this horrific calamity. The bottom line is that we are limited folks, no matter how smart, or how prepared, we are limited. (Newswire: 400,000 Japanese homeless bed down in the cold without electricity/Japan faces potential nuclear meltdown.) When the backup to the backup fails, then what? And, that might just be a really good question for all those counting of human ingenuity alone to solve every problem. That's why many of us choose to apply ourselves and do our best while trusting God to take care of the results as He sees fit. Amen.

Some might think that to be a pessimistic view. Reality described in terms that mirror the truth God has given to us is always best, regardless of how folks choose to categorize it. I cringed when I read about a noted professor who has a string of theological degrees who recently said we have reached a time when the Bible is no longer relevant, especially as it relates to social issues, like marriage, and lifestyle choices. That comment reminded me of a Bible verse, "There is a way that seems right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 16:25) We who believe what God has said must never be ashamed or apologetic about the clear teachings He has chosen to provide to us. Because I have chosen to cover every word of every verse in the Bible study class I teach, it does not give any wriggle room, although, it does cause us all to wince as we feel the impact and often the conviction that comes from sharing the truth. I know some who rise up against the messenger with the attitude that says, "Who are you to be talking about such things?" But those who do their best to present the truth as it is given within its proper context actually only share what the Message Giver has provided, therefore, like the preachers in the old days would say, "Take it up with the One who gave us the word." I see potential for those dealing with the rubble in Japan. I read in the Book of Jonah about an immense pagan city called Ninevah and how they came to know God when confronted with His warnings of judgment. That means there is hope for Japan, and there is hope for every man, woman, boy and girl, as they come to grips with the limitations of their own abilities, and turn to seek God to meet their greatest need. Okay, that's it for today but ya'll take care now and Lord willing I'll see you real soon. Amen.     .....More later.

Every day we wake up and if we are able to get up and go, it is a day that God has blessed us with!

Debris and devastation from 8.9 Quake, Northern Japan

Good Monday morning. I bid you welcome as we start another work week here on March 14, 2011. Technology has brought us some amazing progress over the past 50 plus years. Our family got our first television set somewhere around 1956. Essentially, we were able to get one channel with a tall external antenna pointed in its direction. We were limited to whatever was showing on that station. This is where we got our news and weather. We could get a few other stations but they were so snowy, it was hard to watch them. Only on certain days when the clouds and all the signals seem to align, we could get one or two other stations clear enough to watch. After hearing about the historic earthquake that hit the east cost of northern Japan, last Friday morning I came into work and immediately called up a 24 hour news TV station live from Tokyo. The live feed images were stunning. I may not have understood the language but the devastation and the faces of panic throughout Japan communicated in real time a remarkable advance in technology. I could also switch over to CNN International to catch the dialogue in English. I could then go live to Hawaii and see the beaches where they were awaiting the threat of a Tsunami. It's called Live Streaming and I could never, as a kid watching Gene Autry on our new TV, have ever imagined this being available and enabled with a few keystrokes. Over the weekend we watched a news station from Japan where they translated into English. May God help is all I can think of as I think about the devastation there, especially the lives lost.

Whether it is Haiti, New Zealand or Japan, or any other place, including here at home, the one common denominator is found in the men, women, girls, and boys who have lost their lives or they have been injured, made homeless, or they are just scared breathless by these calamitous events. I was in a fairly mild earthquake, 6.2, at a conference out in San Diego in the early 1980's. I was in a huge hotel ballroom with several thousand people listening to a speaker when it hit. Never having been in one, it was like the most unbelievable experience one could imagine. Everything began to rock and roll and I couldn't figure out what was happening. Some people began to panic and run for the doors. The only thing I could think of was that a large helicopter must have landed on the roof. My natural response was to grab the chair in front of me. I did. But it was no longer on the floor although there were made a couple hundred hooked together. I later found out that this sensation was caused by the earth rolling underneath the building. We had a major aftershock during the night and I ended up on the floor in my hotel room. I don't know if it threw me out of the bed or I jumped out but it was a very frightening situation. When I returned home I actually scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist because of some chest pain I was having. Scary? You betcha! Now multiply my experience perhaps 1000 times over for what has happened in Japan, and your heart, like mine, will melt as you see the faces of those little ones on the TV screen. We've already heard from some of our missionaries on the island there and they are for the most part safe with only minor damage to property. The people of Japan are no different than people everywhere. They need the Lord God of heaven for their help but only a fraction in Japan profess to believe in Jesus as Savior. We can do what we can do, and that is to pray for them all, and support those who carry the Gospel to people groups all over the globe.

All of this instant communication presents us with tons of instant information but many question whether we are better off for it. Back in the day when I led the large organization at the big company we had a saying for those who were uniformed and clueless. They were said to be, "Fat, dumb, and happy." This was not intended as an attack on their weight or their intellect. It was a statement reflecting their lack of being on top of something or not being informed. I suppose as a kid that was how we grew up because we had zero access or contact with 24 hour instantaneous news feeds. We certainly didn't miss it. Today we have folks who are called news junkies and some admit to being addicted to the 24 hour news cycle. This can cause one to become reclusive and withdrawn as they live in their own detached world. One of the best ways to not let this happen is to become active in a local fellowship of believers, active being the operative word. The purpose as stated in the Scriptures for membership within a local fellowship has to do with building each other up, that's what edification means. You can't build anything or anyone up if you are not actively involved in the work required to see it done. That's right. Work. It takes serving to see ourselves fulfill the calling on our lives. Serving God first, and demonstrating our devotion to Him by serving others. Easy to say. Very difficult to do, but with God's help we can become all He would have us to be. Pray for the people of Japan and so many others suffering all over our globe. Pray for one another even as I send out today's edition with a prayer that God will bless you and yours. Amen.              .....More later.

Smile, it's Friday, March 11, Lawrence Welk's birthday! How about some polka music?

Here we are. Since you have landed here, you might as well come on in and visit a spell on this Friday, March 11, 2011. At a place I worked once I was greeted each morning by a wonderful Vietnamese American co-worker with these words, "How you f-e-e-e-e-e-e-l-i-n-g today?" And, that's how we all have to start each day with whatever it is we have on our plate. My wife prefers funny stuff in my blog. The one I wrote the other day on the current budget crisis and the implications of the Middle East turmoil is not the way she likes to start her day. I understand that sentiment entirely, however, the issues that face our country and world today are not going to go away by us looking the other way, or in choosing just not to think about it. But my wife is not alone. We have at least two generations that actually trust a comedy show more than any so-called trusted mainstream news source. This show parodies the current news and is super left leaning in all its views. What's so bad about that? The people on this particular show hate any and all things that pertain to true Christianity, conservative values, family values, or any other item that might have decency as part of its definition. Are you suffering from a case of sour grapes? I don't think so. It's more like us that do care seem to be standing by like Nero and fiddling while the foundation of truth is going up in flames. Sorry. I was supposed to be less gloomy today. Look on the bright side. I'll get back to you later on the bright side deal.

Let me see if I can transition to something that I'm sure a number of my regular readers can identify with. When in doubt, throw in a poem, that's one of the techniques I use. This one is entitled: My Forgetter and there was no author listed. 1. My forgetter's getting better But my rememberer is broke. To you that may seem funny But, to me, that is no joke. 2. For when I'm "here" I'm wondering If I really should be "there" And, when I try to think it through, I haven't got a prayer! 3. Oft times I walk into a room, Say "what am I here for?" I wrack my brain, but all in vain A zero is my score. 4. At times I put something away Where it is safe, but, Gee! The person it is safest from Generally, is me! 5. When shopping I may see someone, Say "Hi" and have a chat, Then, when the person walks away I ask myself, "who's that?" 6. Yes, my forgetter's getting better While my rememberer is broke,  And it's driving me plumb crazy And that isn't any joke. (The End) It's a little frightening to be reaching that stage in life where one of Paw Paw Mac's sayings is much more understandable: "Son, you would forget your head if it wasn't attached to your body." Maybe former President George W. Bush was on to something when he said he had "misremembered it wrong." That caused the elites to go absolutely berserk even though that word is in some dictionaries. Maybe the grammar or lack thereof was what set them off. Bottom line, many of us know all too well exactly what it means to live in a state of misremembrance. I may have just invented a new word but I'll probably forget to take credit for it.

Finally the finale. We can always end up with those wonderful Church bulletin bloopers. Typos, dangling participles, and unintended inferences brings a smile on almost anyone's face. I say almost because some are pretty much determined not to find anything to smile about. Here's some that actually caused me to laugh out loud (LOL, Facebook abbreviation, who said I wasn't with it?) when I read them. .....Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church. Come and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.....Miss Charlene Mason sang, "I Will Not Pass This Way Again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation........Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.....The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus".....Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.....Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.....At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.....For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs......Low Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. Please use the back door......Okay. There were more but maybe we will revisit them again one day. I do pray that you will have a wonderful Saturday and that Sunday will find you somewhere in service to honor the Lord's Day. Until next time, wishing you and yours God's best, I remain, your scribbling scribe. Amen.              .....More later.

Mark Twain was right: Be careful reading so much about health, you might just die from a misprint.

Have you ever noticed how one headline gets one person's attention, while someone else doesn't even pause? Here's one I read the other day on the Houston Chronicle website that caused me to stop, look, and listen to what it had to say: Study: 50-year-old with diabetes dies 6 years sooner. As Scooby would say: "Ruh-ro!" Let me see if I can figure out why I was immediately drawn to this news item. I am nearly 15 years past 50 and I am a diabetic, but the good news is that my grandson told me he thought I would be around for another twenty years and that sounds a little more optimistic than that article. But how in the world are you doing on this fine Thursday, March 10, 2011? Something else came up while we were busy going about our business. Subway restaurants passed McDonald's in total stores worldwide, 33,749 to 32,737. Of course, as grandparents, we typically visit the golden arches for reasons other than the quality of the food, and maybe you didn't know, but Subway's do not have playgrounds. McDonald's 25 billion in revenue is huge but Subway is no slouch with slightly more than 15 billion, and Subway has smaller stores and a much lower operating cost. When asked about this distinction for Subway, the McDonald's spokesperson gave one of those classic corporate sing song responses. He said that McDonald's, over the past two years, has been more focused on becoming better not bigger. They are working on getting better? Please don't laugh so loud, it's still early and you might break something. 

Speaking of breaking things, stuff does get away from me more than in the past, it just slips out of my hand. It can be embarrassing and often dropping something isn't the problem, it's the jitter bug juggling act you perform before it hits the floor. I suppose it's better to lose your grip in your hand than to lose it in your head since much is said about folks who lose their grip on reality. If you Google 'lost your grip' you will find a huge number of songs that have been written about the subject. I can't say that I have heard any of them, in fact, I didn't even know they existed. The lyrics of some of these songs are pretty depressing. It's all about losing your grip on someone you love, or something you enjoy, or on reality itself. I never knew that losing one's grip was such a well known subject, in a disheartening and depressing way. I know I sometimes come off looking even more foolish by trying to act as if what happened was not really unintended at all. Everyone knows that you blew it but you do your best impression of illustrating this message: I bet you thought I didn't plan for that happen. But, alas, all the charades aside, Humpty Dumpty typically cannot be put back together again anymore than recovering the spilled milk back into the carton. Or something like that. Might as well learn to laugh at yourself because you might as well join the fun already in progress.

You most likely heard or read about the Michigan high school basketball player who scored the winning basket and then collapsed and died. I read about his memorial service and it appears he was a strong believer in Jesus, therefore, based on his testimony, we know that he is "absent from the body and present with the Lord." (2nd Letter from the Apostle Paul to the fellowship of believers meeting in Corinth, Greece, 2nd Corinthians 5, Verse 8) Given that testimony I just wanted to say this about his passing: What a way to go! I know that may sound morbid and I would never underestimate the grief felt by his loved ones, teammates, and the entire community where he lived. Early reports indicate he died from an enlarged heart. Based on the reports I read, he also lived with a huge heart for his Lord and for others. One uncle said he never really understood the meaning of the phrase, 'larger than life' until he saw it lived out in his nephew's life. Here he was in the a state basketball final, 3500 screaming fans, and he sinks the winning basket, and then gets to go see Jesus. He also leaves behind a testimony that proclaimed it's not how long but it is what you do with the life you have that really counts. Let me see if I have my checklist completed. Talked about premature death associated with diabetes, check; Talked about Subway versus McDonald's, check; Covered the subject of losing one's grip, check; and then we saw in a young man, 16 years old, Wes Leonard, a testimony to us all. Today my stuff may be all over the place but maybe, just maybe, something in there somewhere spoke to someone, I know it did to me. See you next time and may God be with you all. Amen.         .....More later.