“Not being you kills the you in you.” ― Aniekee Tochukwu, Philosopher and Philanthropist

Me and Jack, we've got our own thing going!

Good morning and welcome. It's back to work Monday, January 11, 2015, and I do hope you are ready for the day before us. As everyone pretty much knows I do have folks that see me and think of someone else. I get it a lot. "Hello Santa, how are you today?" I've actually gotten used to it. My wife thinks I really enjoy people seeing Santa in me. Last Thursday I was off doing my thing for the Company and I was at one of the big box home improvement stores. I was working with a fellow who was assisting in placing a sizable order for insulation. Suddenly a fellow at the checkout register hollered out. "Look who it is." He was pointing at me. I meekly shook my head in acknowledgement. He was telling the clerk, "It's Jack off that Gold Rush program." Who? Jack? What in the world is going on here? Instead of feeling a ho ho ho coming on, it was more of a what what what? He then added the clincher, "Sorry Sir, but you must get that all the time." I have seen that Gold Rush program when I was clicking through but really had never paid any attention to it. That evening I was talking with someone at our great grand's little party and when I told about what had happened he slapped his forehead and said, "That guy was right. You do look like Jack. Why have I not made that connection?" He then found the 'Jack' on his smartphone and showed me his photo. His name is Jack Hoffman and I learned he is one of the main characters on the program. I guess Paw Paw was right. You do learn something new everyday.

The other day while driving down the road I was listening to a radio program that featured many religious leaders talking about the need for all religions in our nation to come together in supporting peace loving immigrants and in particular Muslims. The program was about tolerance and love. One of the Protestant leaders said there exists a particular group within our nation who take the Bible more literally, therefore, he said this group really does believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one goes to heaven unless they go through Him. (Gospel of John, Chapter 14) He said he had sympathy for these people and that he admired their dedication to their understanding of the faith. He added that much needed to be done to help this group to moderate their mindset regarding the beliefs of others. The lady hosting the program couldn't contain herself. She angrily blurted out how these narrow minded people who believe like that are the problem. They are unable to entertain or accept other beliefs causing them to be intolerant and an obstacle to the peaceful coexistence of all belief systems. I suppose I am one of the problem people. I do believe that Jesus is exactly who He said He is. However, I do not believe that would keep me from supporting people being able to live in peace even though I reject the religion they embrace. My point is how that more and more anyone who is identified as being serious about their new born status in Christ is considered in our modern society to be a problem and an obstacle. Something for us all to think about.

I know. I, at times, seem fixated on serious stuff. Life is serious. Just look around at the world we live in. I thought the current occupant of the Oval Office was supposed to clear up all the issues that were caused by others. He's now into his 8th year and I don't know about you but if they have been solved then I need someone to wake me up from the nightmare I must be dreaming. Just in the last few days we've seen the stock market off to its worse start in history. There's currently a new escalation in the Middle East, (Saudi Arabia versus Iran), that could essentially explode at any moment. During these two terms in office I can't remember more turmoil than that which currently exists. The price of oil has plummeted and is now considered to be a major crisis. Russia now feels emboldened to return to their cold war ways. The administration touts all their accomplishments while the majority of Americans polled seem to be too dumb to recognize them. That's the world we live in. Sure. I am aware that we need some comic relief now and then. Here's one for you, "What did the mommy bee say to her baby bee? BEE HIVE yourself!" ~ There's two fish in a tank when one says to the other, "Hey, how do you drive this thing?" ~ One fellow told his buddy that he slept like a log last night. He added that he woke up in the fireplace. ~ A truck load of tortoises collided with a trainload of terrapins. It was reported that it was a turtle disaster. ~ Okay. I've given you the half empty half full run down for today but do know that those of us who are classified as dangerous take God at His Word believing folks are trusting Him for the future. I would highly recommend this to anyone. Amen. ....More later.

Tomorrow is our day to think about our version of the Brady Bunch. Our Brady. It's his 10th birthday!

It's Friday, January 8, 2015, and tomorrow will be our Brady Darrell's 10th birthday. He is the last of the eleven grandchildren, (excluding our 6 year old great grand Madi), to move into double digits. Time is moving on. Brady is the youngest of our youngest Rodney and wife Mitzi. Most everyone knows Rodney as being pretty much a character to be remembered when he was a kid. Brady is following in that same tradition. He has a variety of interests from hunting to participating in sports. I understand he has the Hover Board pretty much figured out. I did see a brief video where he was riding it forth and back while eating some fried rice. Sounds a lot like our Rod. Have a great birthday Brady and know that we love you very much. MiMi and Poppy.

Welcome one and all. I may have dropped a few readers after my thoughts on the endless 2nd Amendment stuff. That's okay. I support anyone at any time choosing to read whatever it is they want to read. Or not read. Period. While I am at it I continue to be surprised by the number of ministers of the Gospel who participate in so much inflammatory dialogue dealing with political matters. Don't get me wrong. I have no problem in a minister who has deeply held convictions about our nation and her need to honor God. However, some of the stuff on Facebook posted by these men of God reads like the punch lines from the 'You might be a Redneck' series. Just me, but I would think it would be better to find ways to share Christ or build up others in the faith than to participate in what often comes across as language based on the lowest common denominator. No. I'm not in the business of telling others what they can and cannot say. However, it bothers me when I see stuff like that and I often share things that bother me in this forum. I'll put it this way. I don't come away with a positive feeling about some of the stuff I see. Again, just me, and I am unanimous in my own opinion, if in nothing else.

I better back off or I will have to add my own name to the distribution list just to make sure at least one person gets my blog each day. I suppose everyone is adept at spotting hypocrisy. A fellow I worked with many years ago told me about his upbringing in rural Alabama. He said the pastor where they attended Church repeatedly gave out a steady chain of sins that would send one to hell. He said that pastor would nearly collapse in the pulpit from getting so heated up and red faced along with the huge belly he carried. After years of that kind of stuff he said he had had enough. When he went off to college he swore off that type of so called preaching. (Sadly, he became a part of a religious practice that offers very little in terms of Bible truth.) I heard about one pastor when asked about his very large belly and he offered this explanation, "I suppose it more or less snacked up on me." I think what my former business associate was pointing out was this loud and boisterous preaching of self restraint and discipline in others while the one preaching carried with him a huge blind spot in showing the same in his personal life. You will likely never hear a sermon on gluttony but you will hear many that deal with self discipline. These disconnects turn some people off. We all have them. You know what I am talking about. Jesus in His parable advised the fellow trying to get the tiny splinter out of his neighbor's eye to first deal with the huge timber sticking out of his own eye. (Matthew 7:3-5) My point? Be careful how loudly you proclaim something until you've dealt with your own obvious flaws. Others see them. They see yours and they see mine. I guarantee they do. Enough already for one day and even for one week. Enjoy your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday and I will do my best to see you, come next week. Amen. ....More later.

Happy 6th Birthday to our Great and Grand Madi Girl!

Today is Thursday, January 6, 2015. That's a special day each year for us. It's the day we celebrate the arrival of our one and only great and grand Madelyn Joy. Madi is six today and we pause to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for her as well as asking God to watch over her as she continues her journey here. Like most kids she has gone through this phase and that phase. Right now she is reflecting a combination of enthusiasm and joy. She typically doesn't like photos that show her missing teeth but I do like her expression in this one and it is, after all, my blog. Happy Birthday to our Madi girl from Great Grand MiMi and Poppy. Amen.

Nothing gets folks stirred up more than the mention of 2nd Amendment rights. That's the one that gives us the right to bear arms. You can get Facebook and Twitter turned upside down with the mere mention of anything related to this constitutional provision. The President's speech on what he is going to do with executive orders to try and tighten the rules regarding the eligibility to purchase a gun got it all going again. I suppose we all have issues that are important to us as individuals. This one happens to also have some political capital associated with it. You can stomp and scream about any change whatsoever regarding guns and that pretty well gets you a certain percentage of the vote. Period. Then we have the financial interests. The gun lobby. And, the anti-gun lobby. They are real and some of their motivations regarding the subject matter are certainly connected to the monetary component. In the case of the gun lobby it would be the sales of guns. In the case of the anti gun lobby it would be the continued support from donors. These people do this stuff for a living. This is how our system works. Loud voices, money, ranting and raving, threats and counter threats. Folks will come out of the woodwork when someone makes a statement pro or con. Interestingly enough, I see so many who make impassioned pleas that essentially have copied the exact words used by one of the special interest parties. Maybe it was so much aligned with their own thinking they couldn't resist. Maybe. Or maybe the special interest wins again. Either side of the argument. They usually do. In case you haven't noticed. My reading of it all at times makes me think that what purports itself to be a debate becomes mostly a debacle. Too bad this level of passion is often missing when dealing with issues that relate to the plight of hurting people. Just my thrown down observation. And, just so you know, while I support folks being able to own a firearm, I have no interest in currying favor with any and all sides. Just me. Feel free to respond as you see fit.

My sharing of those comments will not make too many of those on either side happy. But, we all are entitled to our own opinion. I think President Reagan used to say that he knew he had the policy close to being right when neither side was particularly happy with his proposal. I actually think folks who spend so much time trying to analyze the President's tears as to whether they were sincere or not miss the point. He was talking about little kids being killed. Many of those children's parents were in the room with him. If that moved him to tears then so be it. That doesn't mean I would agree with his approach, but his tears are not the issue to me. They sure are to a lot of folks who comment about this subject. They sure are to people who host radio programs. I don't support him or any President acting outside and above the powers granted to them by our Constitution. At the same time I am not the one that can even make that call. That's why we have the third branch, our courts. I would think that's where much of this will be decided. And, just so you know, I have been known to disagree with the findings of the courts as well. (Like confirming the legality of Obamacare by interpreting it as a tax when it was never presented in the law as a tax.) Disagreements like that are our privilege in our free society. In general, I do not support the disobedience to the laws of our land but I do recognize there are times when individuals must make decisions based on their devotion to God and their conscience. Okay. Today's blog will not be made a part of the Congressional record. But, it is a part of my library so I do hope you receive it in the positive manner in which it was intended. And, may I add for all our consideration the official motto of our nation: In God We Trust. Amen. .....More later.

"My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor." ~ Phyllis Diller, Comedian, (1917-2012)

Good morning. It's Wednesday, January 6, 2016. I had my six month diabetic check-up yesterday. My appointment was at 10 a.m. No food until after the blood was drawn. Worse than that. No coffee. I think I found one website that presented the idea that coffee would not impact those tests. One. Dozens of others said not to even think about it. The one that said it was okay appeared to be somewhat questionable, therefore, I decided to follow instructions. It's a good thing the wife had made our New Year's supper Monday evening. I'm talking about fried pork chops, black-eyed peas, tomato gravy, cabbage, and cornbread. She had also made her some rice and regular gravy. That is a must have duo for her family and that typically includes breakfast. I'm not sure her family had ever heard of tomato gravy but that was part of our annual ritual, therefore, she was good enough to add that to our menu. The tomato gravy goes on the black-eyed peas. It was all very wonderful. It wasn't strong enough keep me from being somewhat wobbly through my fasting challenge until 11 a.m. the next day, but that meal was very delicious indeed. After having been gone for nearly a week she had something to say that Monday when I walked through the back door from work. She said she wanted to treat me to a surprise and something different for a change: A home cooked meal. I say Amen to that. Amen. Now I wait for the judges to send in their report so I can figure out where I finished in the diabetes competition. I should know something by the end of the week.

We are not into buying fireworks. We are not against fireworks. In fact, we do enjoy watching them at a special event or on TV. We did fireworks some when the boys were young and at home. Earlier this week I was at this convenience store near our Company and it had one of those very large fireworks stands beside it. Beside the fireworks stand was a travel trailer with a truck connected to it. The store people lease out this space for 4th of July and New Year's. One problem. This area received quite a bit of rain over the past few weeks. The travel trailer and the truck were both hopelessly bogged down. What I observed was a scene that Jeff Foxworthy could have both appreciated and told better than I. Three fellows were there scratching their heads, drinking their beer, and trying to figure out what they might do to solve this problem. They had an ancient pick-up truck with chains and multiple come alongs hooked to it. It had not been able to budge the stuck vehicles. I was in the Company's one ton truck and they kept eyeing it but I was on a schedule and couldn't have even thought about helping. They didn't ask. They were hollering forth and back and bumping into each other as they tried to figure out what they might do. It had probably sounded like a really good idea when they first moved to the site. I know that land. It holds water. They will likely end up spending their profits on a wench truck. I did feel sorry for them but at the same time I cannot deny that it was mildly entertaining and a good way to pass the time while filling up our portable 100 gallon tank with diesel.

Yep. He was right. They laughed at what he said. But, when it is all said and done, the late Yogi Berra nailed it: "You can observe a lot by just watching." I've pretty much made that my mantra during the 2,214 daily visits I've made using this blog as my vehicle. It may seem that I'm all over the page because life is often just that, all over the page. And, it is, after all is said and done, mostly in the eye of the beholder. I'm sure those three fellows had no intention of providing comedic relief to anyone. They were as serious as they could be and that was likely impacted to some extent by the number of beers consumed. Yet, I wasn't the only one observing their situation with somewhat of an amused attitude. It's like that time I flipped over in my chair while working at the big company. Everyone waited to make sure I was okay and then they rattled the high rise glass with uproarious laughter. It turned out to be an accidental event that brought a laugh. I will tell you this. Based on my many years in the observation business, well, I would rather be the observer and the one laughing any day. Just sayin..... Have a great day and may God add His blessings to us all. Amen. .....More later.

Mel Torme, Song, 'What Are You Doing New Year's Eve': "Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance Here comes the jackpot question in advance: What are you doing New Year's New Year's Eve?"

Good morning and welcome. It's Tuesday, January 5, 2016. Last Friday was, of course, New Year's Day. The wife was away in Louisiana with her brother and sister. Her brother Milton is not doing so well and it is a burden to all the family. Please continue to pray for them. This meant that I was home alone. Again. Earlier in the week I mentioned that fact to my mom and she reminded me not to be running up and down the stairs hollering. You know. Like little Kevin in the movie. How do you like that? A movie reference from my 91 year old mom. She no doubt connected that because I've written about it so many times over the years when I've been left alone at home. But, it was still pretty neat to have her say that out of the blue. On New Year's Day I got up and posted my blog, enjoyed a couple of cups of Community, spent some time in prayer and then set out to treat myself with breakfast. I've sworn off of I-Hop, therefore, I drove over to the nearby Shenandoah community to give Denny's a try.

All the younger staff there looked like they had been run over by a freight train. It was obvious they were operating with little or no sleep. I didn't have that problem. I was in bed by 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve and for me I slept in until 6 a.m. The four early twenties college buddies sitting in the booth behind me were in bad shape. Very hung over. They had spent their night partying with cocaine and liquor. They were trying to figure out exactly where they had been and what they had done. Their language was peppered with all kinds of expletives. They were essentially stranded and were taking turns trying to find someone who would come and fetch them. They had not been to bed. They felt sick. I thought to myself, if this is what we have to lead our nation going forward we are in a world of hurt. Fortunately, the lady waiting my table was in her forties and had not spent the night out on the town. She appeared to be bright eyed and very much a contrast to her younger comrades. I ordered one of those senior dishes with one large piece of french toast without the sugar, one egg over easy, and a piece of ham. That and two cups of their bold coffee helped get my day started. (They called it that. I didn't.)

I then drove over to the big mall and made a couple of laps. Dillards was having some kind of sale. Their parking lot was overflowing. There were hundreds waiting on the doors to open. I tried to remember if I had ever stood in line waiting for a store to open. I have gone to the store early but I couldn't remember ever being a part of a huge group like that. All the other stores were still asleep. The mall maintenance and cleaning crews were doing their thing. I passed by the pet store and two young ladies were cleaning out the cages. I made a mental note to add that job to one I hope I never find myself doing. I passed by the pretzel shop and the fellow there was very slowly making preparations for the day. He looked a little dazed and I greeted him with a hearty hello and he broke into a huge smile. Those folks who clean all those brass rails impress me. That's a big job in that mall. The mall walkers were mainly those displaying either gray or white hair. You remember my campaign: White Haired Lives Matter. They were all cheerful and we typically said our hellos as we passed. When I walk I walk very close to the edge of the stores and I do not cut corners. This is how my wife does it. Her influence impacted me. After all of that I called the wife and we visited and I told her I missed her being here. She said she knew that I did and looked forward to being back home soon. I then called my mom and we visited for a while. Then back home to play one of my favorite games: TV Remote control roulette. Just keep it going and going and perhaps it will land on something worth watching. Roulette. Get it? Have a great rest of the day and may God bless us all. Amen. ....More later.

“If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” ― T.S. Eliot

Now that we have opened the present and found it to be a brand new unused year, let's all see what we can do with it beginning here on this Monday, January 4, 2016. Last year at this time we were returning from our vacation out in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We had encountered an ice storm on the way out there and discovered why maybe that was not the best choice for a destination. We live and learn. Right? I also remember that on our way back we came by to see mom and dad. Coming through a tiny town in Louisiana I increased my speed before I became even with the sign that gave the increased speed limit. I received a ticket. I was furious. I checked into the background of the fellow who wrote that ticket. He was a jailer who was moonlighting as a traffic cop. I called the town office and they pleaded ignorant to everything except the collection of the money. In the end I sent the funds. I could see the sign. It was right there. Life is unfair. As you can tell I no longer even consider it to be an issue. I sent a money order because I knew and you know returning to fight it would be a wasted effort. I still remember his explanation. "You can't increase your speed until you reach the point where the grass changes color in the medium." Thank you very much officer!

Love birds, 1962.

Thinking about last year we had a great challenge involving some surgery for the wife. It occurred last March and it was supposed to have been somewhat of a routine procedure but it became more or less a month long nightmare before getting through it all. She ended up having three surgical procedures before getting things corrected. I stayed with her around the clock. We prayed a lot. Others did as well. God heard our prayers. The gastrointestinal issue has been pretty much taken care of. The experience itself reminded us that we do live in a fallen world and our bodies are certainly fragile. Even more so as we age. The entire situation also called to our minds the words Bro. Milton asked us to repeat our vows back in 1964: "In sickness or health..." Let's face it. Our program can pretty well take care of itself if I am down but when Mamma is incapacitated, it can go South in a heartbeat. Looking through my calendar book from last year with my notations about her and the things she was involved in, well, she is truly a servant of the living God and it shows up in the many ministry efforts she is involved in. I am so blessed to have her as my wife, companion, and Mrs. Claus. Amen.

I noticed also that I had posted many entries about troubles and trials in the lives of family, brothers and sisters in Christ, and friends. Some were emotional. Others were illness related. A few involved the death of a loved one. Birthdays. Weddings to attend. Graduations to recognize. In our family we had fender benders and car troubles and unexpected costs for this, that, or the other. There were issues to be addressed in a number of areas. Hey, it's called the fabric of life folks. That's pretty much how it works. I heard my granddaughter Tiffany talking about the challenges of providing Christmas for the children. I remember having those same thoughts when I was much younger. She said, "You look back and don't even know how you were able to do it. But, somehow you did get it done." I told her that pretty much sums it up. And, it does. While we believe we know something about some things coming in the near future, we can't envision all that we will face in this brand new year. We can be sure we will be facing challenges. It comes with the territory and all I can say is that I'm glad that God is going to be with us each step of the journey. We have His promise to help us face tomorrow: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Or, as Gloria Gaither's lyrics put it, "Because He lives I can face tomorrow." Amen.   ....More later.

"By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks." ~ Hebrews 11:4

Happy New Year! It's Friday, January 1, 2016. As many of you know I read a lot of obituaries. No. It's not a recently adopted morbid habit. I've been reading them for probably 35 or more years. I wrote yesterday about making plans and setting goals for the new year. After writing about that I happened upon the obituary of a young man. I don't know him. I don't know his family. But my eyes filled with tears when I read about him, his love for others, and all that he did to try and make a difference during his time here on the planet. Yes. It made me feel very small and convicted but it also encouraged me to look again, for the first time, at what I consider to be important in the life that God has given to me. I know what it did to me and I offer it with a prayer that it will be a motivation and encouragement to us all. Amen. .....More later.

Travis James Dafft, age 24, gained his special angel wings on Christmas morning, December 25, 2015. He was born at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands on February 1, 1991. All his disabilities, trials, challenges that life threw at him he met head on. He needed no words to bring people together, his infectious smile and twinkling eyes could fill a room. In his own way he has been preparing for his trip to heaven by working on a bucket list. He traveled to Mexico, Belize, and Honduras, swam with dolphins, manatees, loved indoor skydiving, ghost hunting in Galveston, San Antonio, spy school, hot air ballooning, if he could do it his mom made sure he could. He spent his last day on earth helping a group of men he befriended needing therapy. Made pancakes and brought them sleeping bags. Watched Christmas movies snuggled with mom in bed. Then went to see It's A Wonderful Life. He awoke in heaven Christmas morning greeted by his grandmother Rosa Lee Sheard. He had a passion for life and living everyday as if it were his last. He is survived by his mom, Teresa M Dafft (Sheard); his dad, Gary T. Dafft; his sister, Jennifer Wright and her husband, Charles (Bill) Bailey; nephews, Jackson, Christian, and baby #4 Bailey; niece, Julianne Baily, his grandfather, David Sheard & Elaine; and his honorary grandfather, Dick Betz; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins; his special buddy, Duke Messer; his special friends in Woodlands Shooting Stars, deaf blind group, Shining Stars, CISD, I run 4 Michael, Celtic Thunder, Ryan & Neil, and TSBVI. A celebration of his life will be held January 2, 2016 at 11:00 am at The Woodlands United Methodist Church. We ask that everyone wear bright colors. Red was his favorite. In lieu of flowers, we are asking you to donate to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in his honor, or an animal shelter in your area.