"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'." Erma Bombeck

Whew! I woke up this morning and discovered that it is Friday. That's a little good news for you on this January 17, 2014. Since hardly anyone writes checks anymore, I suppose the transition between one year to the next is no longer as big of a deal as it once was. I can remember, back in the day, always having to check and recheck to see if I had written the year correctly. Now, thanks to the electronic world we live in where 110 million people can have their private information stolen just by shopping at Target, we no longer have to worry about that date thingy. And don't be surprised if you see me using that 'back in the day' moniker more as we journey forward. I believe it not only comes with the territory but for most of us, it is well earned. I know the identity theft deal is no laughing matter. I used to joke about how that if someone stole mine they would be so disappointed being me, however, we all know that it can become a nightmare in a heartbeat, and, sad to say, it continues to spiral out of control. (Conservative estimates put the cost at over $200 billion per year.) They tell us that in Europe they have implemented a much better electronic card system that greatly reduces the exposure compared to the cards we use here in the states. Why don't we have it here? It cost too much money from the card issuer and the retailers point of view. It's always about the money folks. Always.

I now have a new cell phone. It was either a Christmas gift or a 49th wedding anniversary gift from the wife, I can't remember which, but it has brought a sense of tranquility to an otherwise anxious world. I mean that old one I had was pathetic. Most of everything you needed to be able to see had worn off. The duck tape was a nice touch but it embarrassed nearly everyone, except for me. That little worn out phone in many ways was a metaphor for yours truly, you know, kind of like a comfortable but nearly worn out pair of jeans. The new one is all shiny with bold features. It supposedly is waterproof, rugged, and industrial strength. I'll probably be really glad I have it with me if I ever go into a nuclear power plant. And, my new phone is capable of doing all kinds of things even though its operator is not. It came with the Amber Alert feature preset. That's nice but the wife wasn't as impressed at 2 a.m. in the morning. I suppose I'm not the only one getting used to my brand new phone. (As a disclaimer, let me add: Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.) 

How many times have I told you, being me is no easy job? (No wonder I have to get up so early.) You've bound to have picked up on that one by now. You may think I've worn out a few psychiatrist couches over the years. It's really not as many as one might think. In fact, the number is zero. Are you happy now? Maybe the famous bard was onto something: "With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come." (William Shakespeare) Milton Berle said, "Laughter is like an instant vacation." Given all the funnies I so often inadvertently bring to my day, perhaps I'm the one with frequent flier laughs. Or something like that. It is Friday so make the best of it, enjoy your Saturday, and Lord's Day Sunday. The chuckle head blogger will do his best, Lord willing, to catch back up with you, come next Monday. May God bless each one. Amen.  .....More later.

"I want to force the other drivers to find a way past me." ~ Jeff Gordon

Happy Thursday to one and all, on this January 16, 2014. I know most of you are aware that I often make my own feeble attempt to write satire. Some folks appreciate the humor and others, well, not so much. The wife conceded how the little ditty I wrote about changing the channels on my satellite radio while driving would have brought a smile to many, essentially, she thought it not to be very funny at all. See what I mean? Maybe it was that time when she reminded me that I had veered over into the other lane with an 18 wheeler bearing down on us. That was just a figure of speech as a metaphor to represent her concerns voiced at different times. She even has a problem with me riding on those little bumpety bumpety bump thingies that warn you about getting out of your lane. I've tried to explain that someone needs to try them out from time to time, and after all is said and done, they are there for a reason. Pretty straight forward and logical as I see it. She did, however, admit to a little laugh about the punch served at the Sunday School party but for the rest of it, to her, it wasn't even close to being one bit plum funny. I've been around long enough to know when she interjects the 'plum' word, it's time for me to tread lightly. That's why, as you can tell, I've pretty much stayed quiet about the whole thing.

Our Sunday morning Bible study time has been spent recently working our way through the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Many people steer clear of this great text because they feel only specialized experts can handle the text. That has always seemed odd to me. The letter itself was addressed to seven local New Testament called out assemblies or congregations. These congregations all had locations where they met. That's the recipients of the letter. That would be folks like ourselves with pastors, elders, and deacons serving alongside regular members. The message of the letter brings consolation and hope to those who serve the Lord faithfully regardless of the difficulties that may be involved. Sure, there are many symbolic images portrayed in the visions that God gave to the Apostle John. And that is why many people run from it. It's clear that with God's help given through the promised enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, these texts were relevant to common ordinary servants when they first received it and heard it read, and it is relevant to common ordinary servants today. It is the only writing in the New Testament that has a specific promised blessing for those who take in its message: "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapter 1, Verse 3)

I do not mean to imply that this study is easy because it does require diligence to evaluate the symbolic images that portray the reality of the coming ultimate victory as well as the judgments that will characterize the end times. It's purpose is to encourage and motivate faithfulness in the daily living of those who name the name of Jesus. It also sets before us the certainty of the judgments that, not if, but that will come to those who reject the salvation freely given by God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes. It is a sobering message but one worth taking in and making its reality a part of the truth we live by. Okay. That should end my little sermonette for today. I commend you to your own individual searching out of these great truths. Take care and make the best of the day we have before us, remembering to give God the glory for it all. Amen.      ....More later.

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." ~ Michael Jordan

I don't have the camel with me but it is that day where he walks around reminding people about it in that most annoying commercial. That's right. It's Wednesday, January 15, 2014. I mentioned yesterday about the 1700 blogs I've written in this forum since 2007. I will admit that it is a lot of sharing. Gunsmoke only ran 635 episodes in its twenty year run. But, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting up each day and seeing what happens to make its way from my little pea sized brain to the electronic page. I know that during this long run I have been prone to be somewhat repetitive but when you think about it, my life has only so many reruns stored up. After all is said and done, it's the only life I have, so there you have it. Some have made the point that me doing them each day is likely a type of therapeutic outlet for me. There's maybe something to that but I have always enjoyed writing as a way of communicating, therefore, this daily visit has been a way of me doing that. And, perhaps more important than anything, I have always attempted to include a word of encouragement and truth from God that can help us all along our way. At the end of the day, that alone makes it worth doing, along with you getting to laugh some about my thrashing around adventures as I pursue the life God has given to me.

I know it is still early on with the new healthcare law but thus far it seems there's much confusion about the status of sign ups, and the impact the law is making on those seeking medical help each day. One thing is clear. The government wants to know everything about each individual's medical situation, period. The local employer is responsible for gathering this information. Even if you are not signing up, they are still required to collect exhaustive data about how you take care of your medical needs. That seems to be an overkill especially when folks like myself and my wife have coverage through a Medicare Advantage Plan. Earlier this week the feds released some early demographic data on those who have signed up thus far. This information says that the younger folks are not rushing to get coverage. The middle aged and older folks reflect the largest groups signing up and for those who have, some 4 out of 5 qualified for government subsidy. The design, to make it affordable, requires a very large number of younger healthy folks to pay the freight of their older and sicker fellow citizens. It's a big mess. That might sound less than technical but it's my take based on the testimonies of folks talking to me about their personal experiences, and what I've found in my own attempts to contact my medical providers. Obviously the system is overwhelmed at this time and I'm not sure it will get better. But we will see. Stay tuned.

Local employers and small businesses are being advised by their chosen insurers on how to handle the requirements imposed by the new law. Based on my contacts with a variety of folks, "Houston we have a problem." The insurance companies advising businesses have different interpretations of the law. Hello? That's why I am giving my early professional analysis in saying it's a mess. I thought I should clarify that. I know that laws are made to be changed, updated, and improved, or as some would have it, repealed. If there ever was a candidate for improvement, this one wins, hands down. But, that's just the way I happen to see it. Having the government take over everything pertaining to our lives goes against the principles upon which our nation was founded. While the number is debated, some believe that $15 trillion has been spent since President Johnson declared his war on poverty. Sadly, the statistics do not reflect great progress at all in eradicating poverty and certainly the lack of progress is astounding when considering the monies expended. I know. Instead of the bubble or trickle up, I more or less combined a volcano and avalanche for today's edition. Don't blame me. I didn't know about it either until it was done. Have a good day and remember in the midst of all this wailing and gnashing, God is still on His throne, and His plan and purpose continues onward. Amen.     ....More later.

"Men don't care what's on TV. They only care what else is on TV." ~ Jerry Seinfeld

Good morning for the 1700th time. That's quite a few keystrokes I've left hanging around out on the grand worldwide information highway. If this was a video game I might get some free tokens or something. I know. That's likely not how video games work anymore but I can't know everything about everything. Sorry. It is good to say hello and welcome on this Tuesday, January 14, 2014. I've watched some football in preparation for the much over-hyped Superbowl, however, it is good to know that testing is underway at Daytona. You didn't know that? Well, I'm here to tell you that it was going on this past weekend. They call it the preseason thunder testing for NASCAR. Instead of waiting all year, NASCAR has what is arguably their biggest race of the year, first, that is, the Daytona 500 which will be run on February 23. I was busy switching forth and back from the football game during commercials, and that my friend, is enough to be a workout for your arthritic fingers. From gospel music to NASCAR to the football playoff game and back. If it was a favorite song, I stayed with that for a few minutes, and whichever one had no commercial running typically won. No. I am not interested in that device that skips commercials because I already have one and it's had lots of use. Me!

I will tell you this. If anyone ever needed a remote control device for their satellite radio in their car, well, I would be that person. I don't have to worry about being distracted by the cellphone, but, trying to change the channel on my little satellite device, well, it has caused me to hit a few culverts and I do have a scratch or two on my fenders. As they say back home, ''That's not good." It also gives my wife plenty to complain about. While she was away as a youth sponsor for a winter outing, I came into the garage where she usually parks and hit her step ladder and a couple of other things because I was switching forth and back between a couple of stations on the satellite. I wasn't happy about it because it appeared to me they had too many things in my way. I had no idea I would be dealing with an obstacle course just trying to get in my driveway. I know. It's not funny, and I have made a commitment to only change the station when it is safe, or if the coast is clear.

I did learn an important lesson. Never hit the step ladder in your own garage or they will wonder what kind of punch was being served at the Church class party you were coming home from. That's just a joke so don't write me. And, yes, I am going to be more careful with my changing stations while driving. I'm sure the wildlife on the roadways will be glad to hear that. Poor critters, they actually don't have a clue which way to run these days when they see me coming. Maybe that's why so many of them just stand and shake their heads when I pass by. You do know I'm mostly exaggerating for effect. Right? Mostly. Okay. Not entirely. I didn't say I couldn't use some improvement here. Last time I checked we all could. I will work on it. I promise. Now for the 1700th time I feel very comfortable in pointing us all to the Lord God of heaven who provided us a way, through the finished work of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, for each of us to be made right with Him. You can count on that. May God bless each one is my prayer. Amen.  ...More later.

"Work is a necessity for man. Man invented the alarm clock." ~ Pablo Picasso

You can relax. It's only me, and I only dropped by to say hello and wish you well on this back-to-work Monday, January 13, 2014. I was going to talk some about the history of the use of the idiom, 'on your mark, get set, go' and it's corresponding 'ready, set, go', but, while there's plenty of references and background information, there's no clear consensus when they were first used. We all know they are typically associated with sporting competitions, especially those that involve racing. Therefore, I will not use it to help get us started today even though you are more than welcome to do so if it offers some additional motivation. Some of my days seem to be more defined by the 'ready, fire, aim' approach but I will let you figure that one out. It is good, however, to be, as some often say, vertical, and able to function. It's not necessary to dwell on the alternative unless someone might prefer the horizontal as a choice, like maybe as in: sleeping in this morning. One of these days I might just check that one out because it's always instructive to know what people mean when they speak of such things. My grandfather always thought folks who slept in were more like a bunch of lazy dogs all laid up. Maybe that's where my internal early wake up alarm came from. Does anyone know of a hot line number that could help me to deal with this discovery? You do know I'm only joking. Right?

In case you missed it, I believe myself to be a thoroughly conservative person depending on how that term is defined. I am not a hater. As an observer of the news cycle, one would have to be totally tuned out and clueless not to see how the mainstream press functions. I am not a New Jersey Governor Chris Christie fan. He is identified as a Republican and currently has himself in a big mess over the closing of some lanes on a busy bridge that created havoc. The mainstream media have literally gone crazy over this development. Literally. They can't get excited about the IRS scandal, our people being killed in Benghazi, abuses of power within the current administration all over the place, the fact that the employee participation in the workforce is nearing a 40 year low, and any number of other seriously important issues. As it relates to these matters, there's no there there as far as they are concerned. However, because Mr. Christie calls himself a Republican and because he has aspirations for higher office, 'Katy bar the door!' (They just can't contain their love for Hillary who is the beneficiary of all of this.) Don't believe me. Please. Check it out for yourself. And, I'm not saying it shouldn't be reported....but I ask this: Doesn't these other issues which are even more significant warrant at least the same?

Again, I am 100% for holding elected officials accountable, and if there has been wrongdoing within Governor Christie's administration, then he should answer for it, period. I just find the both obvious and odious double standard to be rather sickening. Well, well, now that I have that off my chest I'll see if I can regain my composure here. To be honest, my blood pressure probably didn't increase at all because we have learned this to be the norm and I was just reminding us all of how it works. And for those of you who think I mostly get my input from Fox News or the well known screamers on talk radio, let me assure you that I believe most people are more than capable of discovering these things without those sources. I know that's how it works for me. But enough of that for today because we all have our own fish to fry, so to speak. Therefore, I commend you to trust the Lord for He is in control, over all things, and yes, that includes our nation. Have a great day and may God bless each one. Amen.   ....More later.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life here on this second Friday of the brand new year, January 10, 2014. Best I could discover, that 'first day' quote may have been coined by a 1960's group devoted to drug rehabilitation. One fellow commented that it is a universal truth for every day except one, that would be your last day. I suppose on that day it could be updated to say, 'welcome to the last day of the rest of your life'. I know you are so very pleased that I cleared all of this up. I appreciate you appreciating me for appreciating the need to provide this important information. You know. Like the song. "I was looking back to see If you were looking back to see If I was looking back to see If you were looking back at me." That 1954 song was written and sung by Jim Ed Brown and his sister Maxine, who, later, along with their younger sister, Bonnie, became known as The Browns. It is a good song, by the way. You can call it up on YouTube along with several of their other big hits. We have an older fellow in our Church who grew up living in the same little town with The Browns in Arkansas. He actually dated one of the girls when he was in high school. Is it a small world, or what? No. This is not national useless trivia day. I would never want to limit my sharing of stuff to just one day a year!

They have something on Facebook called throwback Thursday. This is where people put up images of themselves or others from their past. This is an interesting feature that shows how folks have changed. Looking around the world we live in often makes me feel like I'm mostly living a throwback life so to speak. I'm not talking about the proverbial Mayberry good old days mentality. I'm thinking more about the way in which our world functions today. We are fast becoming a very coarse society where life unfolds in an almost profane way. I'm also not talking about them, you know, those out there, somewhere. I'm thinking about me, myself, and I, and all of us that name the name of Jesus and how that we are in many respects playing the game by the world's rules. I suppose in one way it seems that we are surrounded by brokenness, inside, outside, and all around. Yet, the reality of our life in Christ informs us that we are called to live differently, even in a dark world. The Apostle Paul spoke some about this in his letter to the local fellowship of believers meeting in Colossae, (Epistle to the Colossians). The Amplified Bible reports Chapter 2, Verse 8 in this way: "See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah)." No one said it would be easy folks but may God help us to be a light that does brighten the corner where we are. Amen.

Yeah. I know. That's tilted a little towards the 'heavy' stuff for a Friday, but, it is something I have been, continue to be, and no doubt will do more of in the future, and that is to find myself wrestling with these types of issues. The old man still at war with the new man, if you get my drift. (Romans Chapter 6) But, we are not without hope, because we are also told that victory can be achieved because, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1st John 4:4) That's a truth we all need as we continue the journey God has appointed us to travel. I do hope you've had a productive week. They say that last Monday, being the designated official back-to-work and end-of-the-holiday, is the saddest or most depressing day of the year. That's supposedly because of the jolt back to reality where all the holiday bills must be dealt with, and the daily grind must be once again pursued. I didn't know about it so I suppose I'm thankful I didn't feel down and out on that designated saddest day. Who said being ignorant doesn't have some benefit? Just joking. Now is the time for us all to wrap up today, enjoy our Saturday, and honor our great God by meeting with other believers on Sunday. That's not such a bad prescription. If you ask me. Take care and may God bless each one. Amen.      ....More later.

Happy Birthday to our Brady Darrell, 8 years old today!

First things first. Today I pause to join in the celebration of our grandson Brady Darrell's 8th birthday. You've heard of daddy and his shadow, well, may I introduce you to our Rodney's little shadow, Brady. I'm sure Rod scratches his head sometimes when he thinks just how much Brady is like he was, and is. Brady is a remarkable young fellow who enjoys life. His dad was always the life of any party and Brady is able to hold his own as well. He's well taken care of by Rodney and Mitzi and his sisters Kyleigh and Lexie. We do love this boy and pray God's blessings upon his life. Happy Birthday Brady from your MiMi and Poppy.

My old stomping grounds this past Monday from central Louisiana.

Rise and shine and give God the glory...glory! That's one of the lines from the children's song and it's not a bad way to get us going here on this Thursday, January 9, 2014. I would suppose there are a whole lot of folks living in our great land who would just as soon not be hearing anything more about 'walking in a winter wonderland'. Those who have been cooped up for days with snow and ice surrounding their world, well, they are ready to sing a new song. Perhaps they would rather be humming 'In the Good Old Summertime'. I can remember growing up in Louisiana how excited we were as kids, when, we would on very rare occasions have snow on the ground. It was so much fun. We ran and played and had ourselves a ball. However, we soon learned the limitations of our jeans and jackets as they were not well suited for the cold and wet. Our shrieking for joy eventually turned to shivering as we ran out of socks and new layers to replace the wet ones. That's how it goes in life folks. All our hopes and dreams here are temporary at best, but we, like Abraham, are looking for that place of perfection, our heavenly home, that eternal city whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:10) Amen.

While serving in the Obama administration, former Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel gave us this memorable quote: "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." There's a new crisis in the making that obviously has many folks in a panic. Recent news reports indicate there could be a shortage of Velveeta Cheese leading up to and including the time when the Superbowl will be played. What is this world coming to? I suppose we in our household are fortunate since we don't typically use Velveeta in making a dip, but given the amount of news coverage devoted to this subject, I suppose there are plenty of folks who do. Maybe the government can come up with a plan to help alleviate this potential disaster. That might improve the President's sagging poll numbers. Think about it. No one should have to live without their Velveeta Cheese dip. My personal advice: Don't pay any outrageous price for a black market processed cheese product, especially if it is being sold out of the trunk of a car. If you should get your hands on some, make certain it has the following ingredients: "Milk, water, milkfat, whey, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphate; contains less than 2% of: salt, calcium phosphate, lactic acid, sorbic acid as a preservative, sodium alginate, sodium citrate, enzymes, apocarotenal (color), annatto (color), and cheese culture."

Okay. That's my public service notice for today and I know everyone will benefit by me keeping us all informed. Or something like that. For those of you thinking about writing your member of Congress, please don't. The reporting like this is a huge crisis is very real, but my take on it is all in fun. Got it? I hope so. Now, get out there and have yourself a really great day and whatever you do, don't forget to give God the glory...glory. Amen.  ....More later.