Philippians 4:7: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Hello to one and all on this Tuesday, September 20, 2011. Confession time. Yesterday I came loaded and ready to write another scathing assessment of the woeful weather forecasting here in our area. You know the one where I go off on those big percent rain projections that end up bringing in nothing. I was ready. But I changed my mind faster than I might have believed. What brought on this sudden change in direction? It was that prediction being played out on my windshield, that's what! But don't think that I am ready to cut the local weather prognosticators any slack, I'll just save it for another day, but not a rainy day, just another day, we want to keep as many of those rainy days as we can. Yes. I am well aware there are places in our nation, even as I write this blog, who are praying for rain to stop, for rivers and creeks to subside, so they can deal with the aftermath from the flooding they have experienced. That pretty much reflects the condition we all share. The human condition. Words from a Gospel song we used to sing comes to mind. "Someone will get a blessing as promised by the Lord, Someone will then rejoice and happy be; Someone will be heart broken and crying mournfully,  Maybe its you, and then maybe its me,  Maybe its you, and then maybe its me; who'll be the next to face eternity? When the day has come and gone, He will call somebody home, maybe its you and then maybe its me. Someone will be in sorrow and tears will start to fall, No comfort, peace nor happiness they’ll see, Some one will have their troubles, be filled with misery,  Maybe its you, and maybe its me, Maybe its you, and maybe its me, Who’ll be the next to face eternity, When the day has come and gone,  He will take somebody home. Maybe its you, and then maybe it's me. Someone will die tomorrow, as many have today, This life is so uncertain, we can see, Someone the call will answer, we know not who ‘twill be,  Maybe its you, and maybe its me, Maybe its you, and maybe its me Who’ll be the next to face eternity When the day has come and gone  He will take somebody home. Maybe its you and then maybe its me." The good news? We are in His hands and the Apostle Peter said that we should cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for us. Amen.  ( See 1st Peter Chapter 5, Verse 7)

Speaking of songs, they were playing some at our house on Sunday that we love dearly. It's the sound of children laughing. And, running, playing, and having a great time. It's the sound of the ladies chattering and the guys giving their commentaries on the football game on TV. The sound of teenaged girls giggling mixed in with the beeps from the guy's playing their computer games. To us, it's the sound of love. The sound of family. And, yes, getting ready for and having a great time together can be exhausting, especially for us older dudes, but, in the end, we sit back and relive the sights and sounds that God has privileged us to be a part of. I told someone at our local Church meeting Sunday evening that our house looked like it had been run over by a freight train, but we were happy that it did. Family. Family matters. Diversity. You betcha! Differing views, differing problems, but we are bound together by the bond of love. We are family. In something as seemingly trivial as us all singing happy birthday to a six year old, we connect into who we are. That little guy matters to all of us in our family just like the rest of our kids, and each other. God designed it that way and we do not take it for granted when He allows us to share a wonderful time together. We give Him thanks because He alone is worthy of all praise. Amen.

I thank God that He allowed me to see our great granddaughter and to observe how she has made a huge impact on our eldest son, her Paw Paw, or whatever she ends up calling him, because right now it's still up in the air. In exactly the same way, her mom gave me my name, Poppy, along with making a very similar impact on my life. It's tough trying to work and raise up children and do all the things that need to be done. But, there's something about that first grandchild that resets the clock and gives one an opportunity to rethink some things and to slow down a little and take the time to soak up the joy that this child brings. I know. My boys wondered when her mom was born where this daddy was when they were growing up. I know his girls no doubt have similar feelings. Obviously, I could have done better as a dad, and I know he feels the same way, but, what a joy to experience it all through the cycles of life that God has given to us. My prayer is that being a granddad has helped to make me a better dad due some to the white hair and the little bit of wisdom God has allowed me to attain. I can still remember when my eldest son and I stood together and we first saw his first little one laying in that crib in the hospital nursery. It was emotional for him and I. We were able to a great extent to repeat that experience with his first grandchild, and all I can say is that God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good! Slowly but surely I am beginning to become comfortable with my status as an older fellow, at home, at work, and in our local fellowship of believers. While I know I am a high mileage vehicle, I do thank God he has brought me this far. Have yourself a great day and may God bless each one! Amen.      .....More later.

“He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Job 36:27-28

It is a brand new work week on this Monday, September 26, 2011 and we had us one great time of family and fellowship yesterday as we gathered to celebrate Alexander Benjamin's birthday. We always thank God for our times of being able to be together as a family. I actually drove through a rain storm this morning. Rain storm. That's right. Rain storm. It was raining so hard at times I had the urge to find a safe place to pull off. I was driving and thanking God, driving and thanking God. On Saturday we had a wonderful shower and some of our grandchildren even got out in it and played. Our Alesha, one half of our thirteen year old twins, came into the house and tried to made a funny. She said, "Poppy, there's this stuff falling from the sky, it feels wet but I've forgotten what you call it." You know this drought has been bad when the kids begin trying to do stand up comedy. The Lord God of heaven knows we need this rain. And, so many have been praying for rain. I well understand a fellow I saw on the news who was leading a prayer meeting for rain. The clip showed him crying like a baby. He was sincere as he sought God's intervention. It reminded me of that account from the Old Testament where Judah's King Hezekiah had been given only a short time to live according to the word from God spoken through the Prophet Isaiah. After delivering this message Isaiah left his audience with the king. Hezekiah responded by turning his face to the wall and crying out to God. The Lord then spoke again to Isaiah and told him to return to Hezekiah. Isaiah had a new message from God that told Hezekiah how God had seen his tears and had extended his life. Wow! That's always been an amazing passage to me. God saw his tears. What a thought! God cared about Hezekiah and He cares about you and I today. Amen. (You can read this wonderful account from 2 Kings Chapter 20, and Isaiah Chapter 38.)

Some people are happy that all the news on the economy is bad and getting worse in nearly every category. They feel this way because of their opposition to President Obama and they think the worse it gets the better chance an opponent will have running against him. In fact, some are so opposed they find themselves cheering for the piling on of one bad report upon another. I couldn't disagree more. There are probably very few, if any, areas of thought and philosophy where I would be in agreement with the President, yet I do not wish for more misery on the American people who have and are continuing to suffer in this catastrophic economic collapse. This leads me to my first point and it has to do with an overwhelming persuasion that I would never vote for President Obama's reelection, however, I am not so inclined as to make my vote worth more based on the increased misery of my fellow citizens. Secondly, I remind us all that it will require an opponent capable of beating the incumbent president and thus far I've seen very little to give me confidence in any of those running for the Republican nomination. To those who appear to relish and applaud the pain of others for the so called greater good, I remind us all that behind the woeful statistics there are real folks, moms, dads, and children who are struggling every day just to survive. That's my thoughts about where we are and I felt like it would be good for us all to think some on this matter.

I'm not able to put a disclaimer on my views. You know like the one they use on television. "The information shared on this program does not reflect the views of this station." I also can't add one of those exception comments like they do at the end of a drug commercial. When the exceptions are longer than the ad itself and the voice over has to read it at a minimum of 100 miles per hour, that could really cause one to wonder. No. These won't work on this blog because here you will find what I think on any number of subjects. There are folks who do not share my views. You would have never guessed that to be so? You do need to get out more is all I can say. And, even closer to home, you may be one of those who have a different view based on your own experiences and deliberations. Welcome to America, where we can do just that. Examine, investigate, evaluate, and come to our own conclusion. Yes. I believe in God's truth being the final arbiter of truth but not everyone does and for even those who do, they might see it applying in a different way. There you have it. Thoughts, ideas, and opinions from where I sit and I can assure you that I really do try to make it 'The View From Here'. I am so thankful for the freedom of speech and I know that God has given our nation the opportunities and the privileges we have. Thanks for tuning in and may God bless us all as we continue our journey forward. Amen.         ....More later.

Happy 6th Birthday to our Alexander Benjamin!

Today is Friday, September 16, 2011, and I bid you welcome. This upcoming Sunday is another one of those special days for us in our family. It is the birthday of our Alexander Benjamin who will become a six year old. If you haven't noticed, our grandchildren are special to us. Hey, and I am glad to say that they are, for the most part, all characters, and that my friend, is one of the things that distinguishes our lineage. That's right. We all are a bunch of characters. Alex is the baby boy of our middle son Jimmy. I looked over the toys recommended for his age group. Sorry. He has played one too many video games with his brother for any of that stuff to make sense. Those items for the 6 to 8 year old category would be like getting him crib toys at this point. I'll have to settle for the games rated for Everyone, ten and above. When I was six there's no telling what we were using as toys but I can assure you it had nothing to do with computers or video games. Watching Alex figure out a game he has never played on his MiMi's laptop is amazing to me. He cannot read yet but he has played enough computer games to get the hang of it pretty quickly. He also has a built in support line with his brother and he does use it from time to time. We do thank God for this child who seems suited to bring joy wherever he shows up. God knew this Poppy would need to be ministered to by an abundance of grandchildren and we love them all. Happy Birthday Alexander Benjamin. Love, MiMi and Poppy.

Here's some 'GRAND' quotes that I thought were interesting. Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting. ~ Author Unknown  What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars' worth of pleasure. ~ Gene Perret    Grandmothers are just "antique" little girls. ~ Author Unknown   Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild. ~ Welsh Proverb   A grandmother is a babysitter who watches the kids instead of the television. ~ Author Unknown   Never have children, only grandchildren. ~ Gore Vidal   Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you're just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric. ~ Pam Brown   Grandchildren don't stay young forever, which is good because granddaddies have only so many horsey rides in them. ~ Gene Perret   Grandmother always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete. ~ Marcy DeMaree   Grandmas never run out of hugs or cookies. ~ Author unknown   Grandmothers hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. ~ Author Unknown   If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first. ~ Lois Wyse   My grandkids believe I'm the oldest thing in the world. And after two or three hours with them, I believe it, too. ~ Gene Perret   If becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice, I should advise every one of you straight away to become one. There is no fun for old people like it! ~ Hannah Whithall Smith   It's such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother - that's why the world calls her grandmother. ~ Author Unknown   Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. ~ Mary H. Waldrip   You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother ~ Proverb

Time flies when you are having fun is the way the saying goes but it also flies when you are, you know, busy. And, today's blog ends another active week of busyness where we seemed to always be on our way to the next thing on our schedule. That's the way it works for everyone? Good. Then we are not alone? I'm just joking because we are so thankful to have things to do and places to go and people to see and activities to participate in and schedules to keep, and sometimes we all get a little winded in the process, however, it's still a blessing because often I enjoy what I call a good tired. A good tired comes at the end of a day where you have put forth your best effort, or maybe helped someone out, or you accomplished an important task. That good tired leads to a good sleep and I, for one, do enjoy that outcome. I know. Many folks have trouble sleeping and I'm not bragging because I don't, I'm just saying how thankful I am that typically there's not too much time between my head hitting the pillow and when that far away place of deep sleep takes over. My wife says it can happen in mid sentence and it amazes her. While science still tries to figure out why we need sleep, I know that God designed it into our make up, and here's what Solomon recorded in Proverbs 3:24 "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet." I do pray that you and yours will have a good Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. May God be with us until we meet again, here, for another ride on the old Blogmobile. Amen.       ....More later.

You know you're old if they have discontinued your blood type. PHYLLIS DILLER

Good Thursday morning. It's September 15, 2011. I do find more and more that the number one source for laughter in my sphere is none other than yours truly. I must be one of the most forgetful people I know. Just the other day I came up to a door, saw my reflection and immediately stepped to the side so I could open the door for that elderly gentleman. Duh! It was little ole me! The sight alone was enough to throw me off track. See what I mean? I know that I will eventually get used to being a full fledged member of the club but right now I have trouble seeing myself in that distinguished group of older folks. Even when folks do show particular respect and recognition for my age, it is foreign to me to the extent I initially wonder why they are being so nice, and then it dawns on me, it's because of the white hair. Oh my! I'm not saying it happens all the time because our society pretty much erased that part about respect for elders, however, there are some out there who buck that trend and while I appreciate it very much, surely there are others that are more deserving. You know. Those old folks that are more aware of their position in life. Perhaps in my case, ignorance, while not bliss, it may be the only thing keeping me from showing my Medicare card to anyone willing to look at it. Excuse me while I pull my pants up under my chin as I practice for that time when it will become habit. Just joking. You can laugh. It is permitted on this blog.

I give you my permission to laugh at my antics because, brothers and sisters, you have not even heard much of a sampling but I'll save the really good stuff for my memoirs. And, while we joke about the medicinal value of laughter, it is an established fact that a laugh a day does help our bodies, therefore, I suppose there is some merit to the adage that it will keep the doctor away. Some have said good hearty laughter increases blood flow as much as a 20 minute walk. Here's a little story that I thought was funny. "A Polish man moved to the USA and married an American girl. Although his English was far from perfect, they got along very well until one day he rushed into a lawyer's office and asked him if he could arrange a divorce for him. The lawyer said that getting a divorce would depend on the circumstances, and asked him the following questions: Have you any grounds? Yes, an acre and half and nice little home. No, I mean what is the foundation of this case? It made of concrete. I don't think you understand. Does either of you have a real grudge? No, we have carport, and not need one. I mean. What are your relations like? All my relations still in Poland. Is there any infidelity in your marriage? We have hi-fidelity stereo and good DVD player. Does your wife beat you up? No, I always up before her. Why do you want this divorce? She going to kill me. What makes you think that? I got proof. What kind of proof? She going to poison me. She buy a bottle at drugstore and put on shelf in bathroom. I can read, and it say: 'Polish Remover'."

It beats listening to the news. Right? That's the program where they always say good evening and then for the next 30 minutes they tell us why it isn't good at all. But, I watch it anyway because I want to know even if it is a little depressing from time to time. I watched the entirety of the Republican debate Monday evening, 2 hours, except for the 30 minute nap I grabbed midway through one of the long answers. That's the one thing age has brought to me. The ability to nap. I've never been much of a napper. I well remember how funny it was to watch Paw Paw Mac dozing in his rocker. Now, my grand kids get to enjoy watching their Poppy snooze a little here and there. Oh but I was not really sleeping, I tell them, just resting my eyes. Then a voice is heard from the kitchen, "Poppy, don't be teaching them to lie. You were sleeping and they all know it!" The five o'clock news is not the only source of getting it straight. But, we also all have a good laugh. I tell them I wish they wouldn't be so noisy when they doze off and they all protest and point the finger at me. Now Paw Paw did not like it when we laughed at him but so far I get a big kick out of them having fun, at my expense. I stress the so far, because that is subject to change, if you know what I mean. If none of this brings a smile then commit to finding something about today that you can laugh about. It will do a body good. Amen.     ....More later.

"Son, quit leaning on the saw, you know better, I didn't eat your breakfast so don't make me carry it too!"

It is Wednesday, and I bid you welcome here on September 14, 2011. When I was a young lad this was the time of year Paw Paw Mac went out to gather firewood for the upcoming winter. My grandfather did not have much in the way of formal education but there was not much he couldn't do with his hands and using his head, as he would say it, for something other than a hat rack. We used the old fashioned crosscut saw. That's the one you see with a painted farm scene hanging in people's dens. But we used it to fell many a tree and then cut it up into appropriate lengths for the fireplace. If it had been left up to me I would have probably voted to wait until it became a little cooler but with the cooler weather came the wet weather and some of the areas where we cut wood may have been inaccessible. I can see that now. But as a young teenaged boy, it seemed like mighty hard work out in the heat. In one of the lives that God had given to me in the business world, I had to do a significant amount of planning for the future. I often thought about my grandfather and how he prepared for the winter. He would painstakingly get everything ready before we left for the woods. He would check and recheck to make sure we had everything we would need including backups if the primary didn't work. He had to make sure the old pickup was serviced and ready because it would be coming back home loaded down, and I do mean loaded down. Lessons in life are not always taught in the classroom, many of them are caught on the fly. Thanks to my grandfather and many others for preparing me to have a fairly decent run in the management game in the high tech world of communications and computers. 

Looking back. That's not a good thing for some folks since they have so many bad memories from their past. I have many regrets but not so many bad memories and I count myself to be blessed to be able to greatly enjoy a walk down memory lane. Sure. At the time I was involved in many activities I had no clue they would end up being a special memory, later. The good news for me is that I did come to realize this at a fairly young age. I thank God for this because I did try to show my appreciation to those who had poured so much into my life. It was later than it should have been but the fact that I did it at all is a blessing because I've had so many special people who contributed to my life. In my family and in my extended world in our community, folks that went out of their way to make a difference in my life. You never had it that way? I'm sorry. Maybe some had it better than they think but they've never been able to see it that way. Whatever the case, we know that God ordained that we should help one another as we make our way in life. I've not done as much of that as I should but I do recognize it as both a privilege and a responsibility. And, if I need to know if it can really work, I can always do myself just a little remembering of those who did it for me. May God bless their memory. Amen.

Can I conjure up some really bad stuff from the past to agitate about? I could and most likely I have but that is about as useless as a screen door on a submarine, which used to be a funny, that is, way back in the day. We've all got some scars and I know some people who are still fighting battles about perceived slights from people who have many years ago gone on to their reward. I'm not being critical but I just can't see anything positive at all that can come from that kind of thinking. And, as I have told others, no one is having trouble but the individual who dwells on such matters. When I've heard some of what really bothers folks, it isn't big, in my way of seeing it. I know. Different strokes for different folks, but I just hate to see people lose out on the good memories that can become islands of refreshment and they truly can become, as the song tells us, Precious Memories. No. I am not working to replace Dr. Phil. And, no. I've never watched Dr. Phil but I do know who he is. At the same time we can always encourage one another and that's what I am desiring to do. Have a good day and don't forget to remember the good things from your past. Amen.     ....More later.

I may not know about today or tomorrow, but I know the One who does!

Made it to Tuesday and it is another day here in the neighborhood, on this September 13, 2011. I suppose we all should be happy the superstition landed on Friday the 13th and not just the 13th or we would all be wringing our hands every month. Joking only. I have been surprised over the years at the number of people who are superstitious. Even among the family of believers. I've even heard preachers say something and then pronounce a 'knock on wood' comment on it. Maybe it was just a figure of speech. I do hope so. It has been ingrained into our psyche from our earliest days and I will be the first to admit that the knee jerk is there when the black cat races across in front of my bumper. Thankfully, it is only a fleeting thought as faith always supersedes silliness. But it is sad that some folks, even believers, still read their horoscope each day, for fun they say, but when they act upon what they read, well, that's another story entirely. The New Testament writer, James, thought to be the half brother of Jesus the Christ, he said that believers should seek each day with an appreciation for the Lord's will. ("Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”  But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil." Chapter 4:13-16) That's where our confidence comes from, when we say it and mean it,  'Thy will be done.' 

We offer thanks to God that the most significant exposure from the recent wildfires here in this area has now been greatly reduced. This was accomplished thanks to the tireless efforts of local firefighters, volunteers, and units that have come from all over our country. Many residents, displaced for 8 days are more, are now beginning to be able to get back to their homes. Our county lost eight dwellings and another fifteen structures. Compared to the huge potential for loss, this is a small number, however, for those who have lost all their belongings, it is about as huge as it gets. Thus far, we have had no loss of human life in our area. The loss of homes in neighboring counties has been much greater. The huge fire that raged for days up near Bastrop, Texas goes down as one of the most destructive in our nation's history. I've seen those faces on the news at night. It puts a knot in the belly just watching. We are blessed to have both firefighters and law enforcement people in our local fellowship. Many of them have been on the front lines throughout this great challenge, often working with little or no sleep. I pause to recognize their efforts as well as to offer a prayer for their safety and well being.


I can tell you this. We, like most places, go through periods of fire danger each year, but no one would have ever predicted this season's destructive fires. It had never happened before. This has been some summer and it's not over yet. We have a day sometime next week with an over 50% prediction of rain. Next week folks. I've never heard so many people talking about that day. With all due respect, they have trouble with next day but folks are rallying behind a prediction for next week. This shows how desperate we are here in these parts for rain and it also tells us how dependent we are as people. We've always prided ourselves on being pretty much able to take care of our own business, reliant, and sufficient. Hurricane Ike helped strip away any sense of our being able to take care of business by ourselves. God would have every person to know that we need Him. We need Him in our personal walk for salvation, and we need Him in our daily walk to help us through the unexpected challenges that will, that's right folks, that will come into each life. May we find this truth early and not late is my prayer for this Tuesday. May God bless each one. Amen.    .....More later.

It's Monday and time to get up and get with it!

Hello, it is Monday and back to the grind, as they say, on this September 12, 2011. No grind for me, just a great place to come to each day and help out where I can. That's not to say that I don't know what a grind is like because I have many years of some up close and personal experience with those 70 hour or more work weeks. I am pleased to report that mom and dad are well. They celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary last Friday. Talk about a blessing. Our mom and dad have been there for all of us kids from the get go and in mom's case she's been at it now for over 75 years. We kids do take a lot of care and feeding, if you know what I mean. I was able to visit with them again this past Saturday. While I was there I tried to configure their new laptop so that I can log into it and be there with them remotely as they continue to improve their use of it. It didn't quite work out but we have not given up yet, meanwhile, I made some additional changes to help make their usage a little easier. It was a joy to be with them and to enjoy the big breakfast dad always fixes when we visit. I know. Some of you thought 'prepares' would have been a better word but remember we come from a place where nearly everyone talks about how they are fixing to do something. If that usage passes itself off as communication, the other will have to do as well. 

I did watch the President's address the other evening. I was tuned in to hear something really meaningful because why else would he call for both houses of the Congress to meet. I listened to what he had to say. It didn't take me long to come to a conclusion. This was nothing more than a campaign speech and in particular a way to try and bolster his chances in 2012. The tone. The substance, or lack thereof. The threats. The teleprompter. It all seems so same old same old to me. I don't think too many of the nearly 20 million folks either un or under employed came away impressed or inspired. After he finished the pundits took off with those on his side spinning like there is no tomorrow and that might be exactly true, when you think about it. With his approval numbers so low, it's hard to know how to take his threat to take his proposal out to the public. The folks he has are going to be with him, no matter what, so getting them to agree with him seems pointless. The other 60% who have soured on his ability to get anything done, well, I didn't hear anything in his speech that is going to get them running back for more. No wonder the markets tanked. No wonder we all are left wondering. What a mess, what a mess!

Dad touching the name of his son.

I'm channeling William Bendix from the old Life of Riley series, "What a revolting development this is." But, these past couple of days did tend to reignite our sense of what it means to be an American as we all paused to reflect upon the attacks made on our nation 10 years ago. That patriotic spirit on display at the NASCAR race, the special commemorations in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and in that field located in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and in all the NFL openers, it was refreshing, it was humbling, and it was needful. Our sermon on Sunday emphasized the word picture of those first responders running into the World Trade Center while others were running away. The point was that, as believers, our faith should cause us to take action to make a difference as we see towers crumbling all around us, in families, in individuals, and in the principles that define us as a people. Gripping stuff. Convicting stuff. Enough so that I am driven to seek God's help that I might be one who would act upon the faith I have in Him, that I might be used to help someone along the way, and make a difference for time and eternity during my sojourn here. It also makes me aware that we need to pray for our government leaders, specifically, that God would direct and guide them each day. May God bless our nation again is my prayer. Amen.            .....More later.