“A certain man once lost a diamond cuff-link in the wide blue sea, and twenty years later, on the exact day, a Friday apparently, he was eating a large fish - but there was no diamond inside. That’s what I like about coincidence.” ― Vladimir Nabokov

Good morning. Welcome back. Let's see what we can stir up for you on this Monday, May 11, 2015. I want to send a shout out to whoever it was that spoke to the traffic coordinator on my little route. After writing about it, they must have gotten the message because on my very next commute I came through with flying colors. It was like they were all afraid of me. I might have even sensed them bowing down to me. Not one stop. Not even one. That is, except for that last left turn. And, he didn't mess around in getting me a green light. That's what I'm talking about! What's that? You think what? It all might be purely coincidental? That's a good one. Keep thinking that Bucko and you might end up not letting things bother you so much. We do all love a good little gloating story now and then. Right? I worked with a big fellow one time who loved his ice cream. He always bought two scoops at the same place. One day he went in and the two young guys began to argue about whose turn it was to wait on the next customer. After way too long one of them finally came over. My co-worker reached and grabbed him and shook him real good. He told the workers there that when they saw his car turning in they had better have the scooper ready to go. They both were shaking. Next time he came for his afternoon treat he turned into the parking lot. To his surprise, one of the fellows ran to the door and held it open and the other already had his cone prepared. Whoever spoke to that traffic fellow, thanks. Tell them to keep up the good work.

Tax payer funded training that included teaching IRS employees how to line dance.

No. I am not this foolish most of the time. I just play like I'm one of those types occasionally when I write. Thanks for noticing. Well, we just found out what happens when you work for the IRS and you cheat on your taxes as well as not paying your taxes. You get promoted and you get an annual bonus. A recent report from the auditing arm of the government indicated serious issues with IRS employees who are delinquent in paying their taxes. The interim commissioner promised Congress to improve things. However, he is the only one at the IRS who can keep an employee from being fired for cheating or not paying their taxes. He exercised that option many times and even went further by promoting the cheats or granting them a bonus. I well remember seeing him being interviewed at a congressional oversight hearing. Because of confidentiality, he, of course, could not discuss individual cases. That's the old circular logic runaround. The law will not allow me to talk about the lawlessness in my own department. Is there any wonder why people who work hard and try to live by the rules are fed up? You don't have to take my word on this matter. Look it up. Read it for yourself so you can join the rest of us who are fit to be tied!

Well, we all can sleep better at night knowing the months delayed $5 million dollar investigation into the use of deflated footballs in the NFL has now been published. It doesn't come right out and say New England and Tom Brady also known as Tom Terrific were caught directly cheating but it does say the preponderance of the evidence indicates that is exactly what happened. This has caused an uproar throughout the fruited plain. It was a clear violation of a printed NFL rule. People who like Tom Brady and the Patriots think the whole situation is nothing more than an absurd example of idiocy. Those on the other side think he should do time at Gitmo for his crimes against humanity. While most of it is silly here's something that is troubling to me. So many callers I've heard on sports radio have related how they were taught to cheat as little kids playing in competitive games. This was done by their coaches who often were supposedly the role models in their communities. That to me is saddest of all. I never experienced that as a kid playing baseball but then again I was in a small town and maybe we had not learned all those neat tricks yet. What have we learned today? Society in general is a mess folks unless you missed it. Take care and may God watch over us all is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.

"Motherhood is a great honor and privilege, yet it is also synonymous with servanthood. Every day women are called upon to selflessly meet the needs of their families. Whether they are awake at night nursing a baby, spending their time and money on less-than-grateful teenagers, or preparing meals, moms continuously put others before themselves." ~ Charles Stanley

It may not be marked with an X to let you know your exact location, but, let me assure you this is the place to be get Friday started here on this May 8, 2015. This upcoming Sunday is the day set aside to honor our moms. It is a celebration that comes very naturally to me and my clan. I can surely identify with Dr. Stanley's comments in today's title for we have been surrounded by, served by, influenced by, blessed by, and changed for the better by the moms God has placed in our lives. The photo shows just four of the women that have blessed my life as examples of Godly motherhood. My Granny Mac and my mother-in-law have gone on to their reward but I am thankful to still have mom, my wife, and my daughters-in-law and one granddaughter mommy to honor on this occasion. There are others. My wife's grandmothers, my aunts, and the moms who taught me in the classes where I attended school. In addition, it would be impossible for me to name all the wonderful moms that have contributed to my life that were members of local assemblies where we attended. Can moms still follow God's plan for their calling? They most certainly can and I thank God for those who did just that in making a difference in my life. Happy Mother's Day. Amen.

It happened again the other day. They were doing something with the traffic signals to see just how irritated I could get. At 3:45 a.m., I am essentially on a deserted roadway minding my own business, doing my best to get from point A to point B. However, on that particular day every light changed. No crossover traffic. Nobody. Nowhere. But they still changed. They cycled. They made me stay in one spot even though I was the only one on the street. Right turn. Left turn. All the invisible cars could go but me. It added maybe a whopping 5 minutes to my commute. I'm not sure what it added to my blood pressure but I can assure you it didn't cause it to go down. I finally made it through the maze even though on the very last left turn I ended up having to make the turn against a red light. Here's my thinking. All these intersections have those little monitor cameras for traffic control. Someone at the control board recognized my little car. They called their buddy over and invited to watch while they have some fun. They told their associate to keep a close eye on the driver to see how long before the steam comes out of their ears. It could have happened that way. But here's the truth: I did get fidgety and a little frustrated, but, it also dawned on me that it was not a big enough problem to let it ruin my day. Looking at it like that made me feel better. A little. But, if you happen to see that traffic dude, be sure and let them know that I would like to have a word. Thank you very much.

The previous little tidbit was subjected to a fair amount of embellishment, however, the basis for the report is 100% accurate. You think what? Maybe I suffer from a little tinge of a persecution complex? I don't think so but I will not deny that the Coasters tune did come into my mind, "Why is everybody always picking on me?" I agree. I wouldn't want to be me either but my response, sadly, is summed up by this way overused euphemism, "It is what it is." You do know I'm just playing around. Maybe they wouldn't recognize me if I changed cars. Okay. Enough of that. It's been some week. I had such a great time with my mom last weekend but she ended up in the hospital this past Tuesday because of a virus. At 91 she is still a fighter and we are thankful that she should be able to go home today. I've also been very busy getting ready for our Mom's Day celebration. I have my mom and I've already given her a table plant and a homemade card. This weekend we are planning a get together and if all goes well all our moms will be there. My wife, my three daughters-in-law, and my granddaughter. Wow! That's a lot of moms to honor but we are so looking forward to the entire gang being together again! As they say back home, that surely is enough to say grace over. Until next time, happy mother's day to all you wonderful moms, and may God bless us all is my prayer. Amen. .....More later.

"A baby is God's opinion that life should go on." ~ Carl Sandburg

If you landed on this particular blog by mistake I believe the escape key will get you back to where you came from. Just trying to be helpful on this Thursday, May 7, 2015. You can be for or against unions all you want to be, but, you cannot doubt the power of those that represent federal employees. The lady who previously headed up the Drug Enforcement Agency testified that she did not have the authority to fire agents who were involved in egregious behavior. She said they were protected by the union they belonged to. What had they done? In South America they had participated in sex parties with prostitutes provided by the drug cartels. Yes. She had to resign or in her case retire. It was a huge embarrassment to the current administration. I wonder what the real issue was? Is it because she told the truth about her hands being tied? Or, does this reflect the current state of our government in terms of how employees are dealt with, regardless of the situation they are found to be involved in? The current Secret Service Director recently talked about the limitations he had in disciplining agents who had broken the rules of conduct. One agent had driven drunk and crashed through a gate at the White House. Unions may play an important role in some areas of our economic structure. I remember as a young worker I joined the union to work on the construction of a dam. The company decided they no longer needed to pay electricians to do nothing more than to connect the cable of a bulldozer to a portable light plant. They would drag the light plants around so that work could be done at night. A laborer could easily do this job. It had nothing to do with operating the light plant. One night I arrived to find the road blocked by union officials who had shut down the job until the company agreed to restore this duty to union electricians. Even as someone very young this made no sense to me. Take that mentality, put it on steroids, and I think you get an idea of why our government is so messed up. (Yes. It is an opinion piece.) I know folks who I respect and love and they are committed to the union they belong to. I very much believe that folks should have the right to associate in whatever way they choose, or not to do so if that is their persuasion.

Since I have moved into rant mode, let me hit another hot button topic. Black lives matter. Police lives matter. Latino lives matter. Asian lives matter. Girls lives matter. (I will not even comment about the absence of White lives matter, or Boys lives matter.) We have heard this as a mantra over the last several months. Many of those espousing this as a right to life slogan want nothing to do with one that says All lives matter. Those who oppose abortion are not invited to participate in this sudden preoccupation with the sanctity of life that has gripped so many lately. In fact, those who promote this onset appreciation for the value of life often say the lives of the unborn are not comparable. In other words, the unborn life is not really a life so we don't want to hear about them as we attempt to raise the consciousness of how that certain lives matter. I even saw where one celebrity was forced to walk back her comments concerning all lives matter to make sure everyone knew she was on board with abortion. She caught flack for saying the wrong thing. (Political correctness run amok.) I don't know if we are living in bizzaro world but our social fabric today is unraveling as we see huge disconnects in people's vision of baseline morality. This disconnect cannot be missed. That is, if people are paying attention. (Opinion piece number two.)

Thanks. I appreciate the recommendation for me to take a few deep breaths and regain my composure. Just kidding. No wonder my mom worries about the stuff I write about. One of the things I enjoy is hearing someone tell a story they read in my blog. Often they can't remember where they heard it, (and I surely don't tell them), but it does show that occasionally my stuff does have legs. (Whatever that means.) On a lighter note, where I grew up we had Redneck jokes without calling them that or even having a name for them. Just country folks doing what they do. But, as the well known comic says, you might just be one too if.... ~ Your old car has now become a main storage unit. ~ After your divorce you can still call your ex, Cuz. ~ The Roto-Rooter man calls for backup when he visits your house. ~ You were arrested once for how you acquired your girlfriend's roses. ~ You've actually burned your yard instead of mowing it. ~ Your kids have taken a siphon hose to school for show and tell. ~ You carried your fishing pole when the family went to Sea World. ~ You've tried to use your belt buckle as a form of identification. ~ You've used a red rag in place of the gas cap on your vehicle. ~ Your idea of taking a cruise is making a trip to Dairy Queen with the wife. ~ Okay. Maybe one of those will make you smile. If not, don't forget to keep the delete key handy. Until next time may God bless us all is my prayer. Amen.  ....More later.

"If it is ever right to do God's will, then it is right to do it - today!" Quote from a printed Bible Study, www.netbiblestudy.com

It's still very early but so far it's a good day here at the old blogger ranch and I send out a big ole howdy to everyone tuned in today's episode, on this Wednesday, May 6, 2014. I suppose most of us have stuff we need to work on all the time. There's always something. Right? I was really on track to hit my target on my weight but something happened on the way and I'm pretty much restarting again. I really thought I could make more progress on my diabetic blood glucose numbers, and, on some days I do quite well. On others, I think seriously about seeing how far I can throw my testing equipment. Then we have our attitude and the testimony and influence we want to have on others. It's certainly not just our actions, it also has to do with our reactions. It's a struggle to make progress in this old life, but, we have God to help us as we deal with the obstacles we face. Just recently I heard someone talking about seeking the Lord's leadership in a matter that some might think to be trivial. They wanted to be sure so they sought God's will. Guess what? God used a specific circumstance to answer their question. Now that's something we all can learn from. Take it all: small, medium, and large to the Lord. What was that I said last week? There's always tomorrow, but in my case, maybe I need to look more at 'today'. What say you?

Our government drops the ball a lot folks. They knew about the Boston boys who did the bombing. They had their suspicions. They were following up, but, the investigation faltered because of the bureaucratic maze that exists between all the variety of agencies involved. Our government knew about the Garland shooters. One in particular had been on their radar screen before. They knew that he was radicalized but because of how it was all handled he remained free and available to do his dastardly deed. I fully realize that freedom in and of itself provides situations where bad people can do bad things. However, it is galling to me that we spend billions upon billions and when something does happen we discover all this ineptitude at work within the so called elite agencies who supposedly are there to protect us. The Fort Hood shooter showed signs but not enough was done beforehand. Chain of command, protocols, procedure, and the process itself stood in the way of doing what should have been done. My very small amount of insight having worked for the USAF, the Veteran's Administration, and the US Army, tells me not how hard it is for things to be dropped, but, how easy. I'm not an alarmist but doesn't these kinds of things, time and time again, begin to make us all wonder? Pretty scary if you ask me. You didn't but I shared it anyway.

My wife sent me a note the other day saying she has no clue how my mind works. She said when she reads my blog she gets the idea that if you don't like one subject, move on because Lord only knows what is coming up in the next paragraph. Thanks. I think. She might not know how my mind works but she does know me. I think sometimes I was stuck with one of those kaleidoscope thingies in my head. It also gives me an opportunity to throw out one of my favorite words as a possible explanation. Discombobulated. Back to my theme for today. If we have something to do that will serve the Lord and help others, it would be best for us to busy ourselves in the doing of it. Today. It may be a word of encouragement or testimony. It may be a phone call or visit to comfort someone hurting. It may be a random act of kindness. Making His will our priority will change our thinking along with our sense of urgency. Okay. That should do it for today. I pray that God will provide for us all as we continue our journey here. Amen. ....More later. 

"My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world." ~ Billy Graham

Good morning and welcome. It's good to visit with you today on this Tuesday, May 5, 2015. I was thinking about the homing instinct that most of us have when we dwell on our hometown where we grew up. I say that fully realizing and respecting those whose memories do not afford any pleasant thoughts. But, for the most part, home is a matter of the heart. I've been in Texas since 1969 and we've lived in the same house since 1984. That is our home. That's the one our boys identify with and I'm glad they do. At the same time I consider that little hole in the road of a town over in Louisiana to also be my home. There's a special place in my heart for that little place. I've said all of that to say this. I think God wants us to feel even more anxious to travel to and be in our real home. I know sometimes we think about heaven my home and it's more of an escape than a treasured anticipation. God has told us in His word that our homecoming is precious in His sight: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15) How powerful is that? May God help us as believers to get past the melancholy as we develop a sincere yearning to be home with our Lord. Amen. You can file that one as my thought for today.

Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Ben Carson has thrown his hat into the ring as a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. This is an African American physician who is distinguished for his intellect, courage, and his stand for moral and spiritual values. You can already hear folks saying he will be a fringe entry and if anyone supports him they will be wasting their vote. Really? I will tell you this my friend. While I am not certain who I will vote for, I get really sick and tired of people telling me about how that I must be pragmatic in the use of my vote. If it is based on my conviction I will gladly WASTE my vote as a way of taking a stand for those things that we believe in and cherish. And, I thank God for men like Dr. Carson who are willing to put themselves through all that awaits his run. May God help us to elect those who honor Him is my prayer. Amen.

No. I am not on a roll. I just got up in a sharing mood/mode and you by now are aware of that famous computer technical designation WYSIWYG. It's actually pronounced wiz.i.wig but it actually means 'what you see is what you get.' I'm not going to attempt to appropriate this print format symbol, but, it's like the old adage goes, if the acronym fits, well, it just fits, it does. This means that on most days I am pretty much following the 'what you see is what you get' format. But, my readers have all the power. It's just a delete key away. Do we live in a great country, or what? The wife and I were watching some program the other evening and they had this joke. She commented that from her vantage point it was a sign of the times. ~ Two people were sitting on the park bench when one observed: "Look at that young person over there with the short hair and jeans. Is it a boy or a girl?" The other replied: "It's a girl. She's my daughter." Puzzled, the first person said: "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were her father." To which the final response: "I'm not her father. I'm her mother." ~ No wonder we live in the state of Confusion. Okay. You can think about that one and I'll say goodbye for now and ask that God will add His blessings to our day. Amen.  ....More later.

"Quite frankly, Russian aggression in Ukraine and its illegal occupation of Crimea remind us that we still have a good deal more work to do to guarantee the strategic vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace." ~ Joe Biden

Good morning folks and welcome back for another run on this Monday, May 4, 2015. I so much enjoyed my quick visit over to see mom and dad. I cannot say much more except to express how blessed I feel. I know some of you are not on Twitter. I am. I follow some 40 different Twitter feeds. Some 98% of them are news feeds. I even have the English Pravda Twitter feed. That's the Russian political news source that is associated with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. I know all countries spin news for their own purposes. I have pointed out the spin that goes on within our own government. But about the only news the Russian mouthpiece for their Emperor Putin can conjure up is anything they can think of that attempts to slander the United States and our way of life. Much of it is based on the most superficial of contexts and it would be laughable except for the fact that the Russian people are gobbling this stuff up which allows Putin to paint the West as the bad guy. We end up being the reason for all their problems and all their economic woes. Meanwhile, he comes off as the super hero good guy who is trying to stand up for Mother Russian. I'm not saying we don't have our own spin masters who busily try to report stuff to their advantage but I must tell you the comparison is comically different. Check it out some time. Google English Pravda and see what I am talking about. I had that on my mind and wanted to share it. As for the quote in today's title, my comment in response to our Vice President is: "You think?"

My drive over to my old home place in Louisiana this past Saturday was great. I could ride along with the windows cracked. That's what we used to say when we wanted some air. You know. BFAC. Before Air Conditioning. I was riding along listening to some Cajun bandstand music on a local Houston radio station. It is one of those stations that typically has people on it that are so far out in left field they aren't even in the stands, they are outside of the stadium. But, on Saturday mornings they play Cajun music. For some reason I enjoy the box accordion Louisiana Cajun sound. I was able to listen to it for maybe 45 minutes before the signal began to fade. One song in particular seemed appropriate. It was a lamentation of a homesick man as he wished he could go home. The name of the song was: 'Take Me Back to La Louisianne'. And, that was exactly what I was doing, going back home!

Best of all: Time well spent with mom and dad!

I also listened to quite a lot of satellite radio. The Mayweather Pacquiao fight dominated the sports channels. I found the coverage to be oh so hypocritical. Many of the major outlets had folks on debating whether they should even be covering it because of Floyd Mayweather's record of domestic abuse and other personal issues with him. Should we even be talking about this? As they continued wall to wall reporting on every minute detail. See what I mean? I also listened some to NASCAR. You never know what you might learn. Did you know that it takes 1250 gallons of diesel just to mow all the grounds associated with the Talladega Superspeedway? That's okay because I didn't know that either. It was also the Kentucky Derby race day. It was also the seventh game of the playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and the LA Clippers. It was also the Astros opportunity to win their 9th game in a row. It was also the announcement of a baby princess born to Prince William and wife Kate. The BBC news was saturated with coverage of this little girl's arrival. I heard plenty about Baltimore and all the sad events unfolding in that city. Throw in some symphony, some bluegrass, and some southern gospel and I think I had enough to help make the trip fly by. Best of all, I got to spend the day with mom and dad, one more time. That was the best blessing of all! Take care and I will see you next time. Amen. ....More later.

Happy 91st Birthday to My Mommy!

Hello and welcome to one and all. Today is Friday, May 1, 2015, and this coming Sunday on the 3rd my mom will celebrate the 91st year of her sojourn on the planet. I always preface my plans with a Lord willing because that's the truth. Therefore, Lord willing, I will be up early in the morning to journey over to visit with mom and dad in honor of this occasion. I know that everyone pretty much knows that I love and appreciate my mom. I've attempted over time to explain what a remarkable woman she is. There's not too much in the way of challenges in this life that she has not dealt with at one time or another. She is a tireless and faithful prayer warrior on behalf of her family which includes an ever expanding clan. I do not take for granted the blessed privilege I have in being able to talk to her every day. It is indeed a blessing from the Lord. Happy Birthday Mom from your son and daughter.

Lord willing. You do know that I didn't make that up. Right? The earliest text of the New Testament was the inspired word from James, the son of Mary and Joseph, half brother to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His writing is very practical. Here's what he had to say: "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, Verses 13-16) In a part of what many believe to be the greatest sermon ever recorded, The Sermon on The Mount, Jesus talked about trusting God with the unknowns in life: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew Chapter 6) Okay. I hope I've made my point about why we should live our life with a 'Lord  willing' perspective. Amen. 

I may not be able to go to Louisiana tomorrow but I've made arrangements to do so, Lord willing. Those verses certainly do not mean we are not to make plans or to be busy in carrying them out. It reminds us that God should be a part of every plan we make. You thought you heard music? No. I had not intended on giving an invitation or receiving an offering. Just sharing folks. Just sharing. I make no apologies for sharing life lessons through the lens of truth, God's Holy Word. I remember a person who was desperately needing some advice one time but they told me they didn't want any of that God and Bible stuff. That's a tough one. The wife and I used to sing a song that had this sentiment: "Jesus is right for whatever is wrong in your life." That my friend will always be the bottom line, period, end of story. Okay. Thanks so much for tuning in this week. I do hope you enjoy your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. I will do my best, Lord willing, to meet back up with you come next Monday morning. Amen. ....More later.