Marital Bliss

Historical Insignificance

What I considered entertaining four years ago, and 44 years ago: http://vanilla-ststt.blogspot.com/2013/09/10-s-n-e-1.html

Salamonie September

The shores of Salamonie with trails and trees and tents

Beckoned warmly to us so off we went

We took our RV, though, we don't do tent anymore

'Cause we'd never get our butts up off the floor.

(without a derrick)

Four wonderful days in God's great outdoors

Then we had to come on home, more's

The pity.  Doctor app't, that's kinda funny

We're not sick, Doc needs the money.

(true that)

That car is pretty as cars used to be

And most the people in our group, you see

Are older than this vehicle

And this thought has to tickle--

(better preserved, too!)

Kent and Ricky joined us, too 

As they often are wont to do.

They hiked, I sat

Walking? not much of that.

(good times!)

This photo by Kent Harrison.

Disaster of the Heart

Received an email from son Carl a few minutes ago.  He labeled the picture "And the band played on-- or, What? Me worry?"

I see this photo as a perfect metaphor for the American view of life, 21st century.

My heart hurts.  There seems to be little concern for anything outside-- even steps outside-- the realm of personal gratification.  Even the news coverage of the multitude of disasters that are upon the country seems little more than entertainment-- reality shows designed by an anonymous producer for our amusement.  We have been entertained to the point of numbness, stupor, uncaring.

I hope I am wrong.

Five Metaphors

The Book of Jude, short but powerful, admonishes the Church to beware of false teachers, using these metaphors found in verses thirteen and fourteen to characterize these charlatans and pretenders.

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

1.  "These are spots in your feasts."  False teachers are blemishes, partaking to themselves but contributing nothing.

2. They are "clouds without water, carried about of winds."  False teachers drift like clouds above a semiarid land, holding out the promise of rain, but containing no water.  They are blown about by capricious winds, providing nothing.

3. They are "trees whose fruit withers."  A tree that bears no fruit is useless, dead; and these are twice-dead, for they have been uprooted from truth.

4.  They are "raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame."  Picture the wind-blown waves dashing against the walls of stone along the shore, the spray flying every which way, accomplishing only the erosion of the rocks.  Such is the effect of false teachers on the body of believers.

5, False teachers are "wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."  Travelers in the desert or on the seas may use a fixed star, e.g., the Pole Star for guidance.  But to rely on a heavenly body whose position varies with the motions of the celestial realm is to be misled, lost.  To rely on such teachers is to be lost. Note, too, the fate of such "stars."

 It is imperative that we check any teaching within the Church against  the navigational chart given us by God, that is The Holy Bible.  All teachings must be supported by scripture, else we will be led astray.

Rockport's Unwelcome Visitor

 

 Rockport seems like our second home, so many years we wintered there.  Ground zero when Harvey made landfall, Rockport is in shambles.  Hurts our hearts and we pray for the good people there, those we know and those we don't know.

It will take months to clean up and who knows how long to rebuild.

Now Houston is being pummeled with rain and some models predict the possibility of 40 inches of rainfall by the time Harvey is through with Texas.  Some places have already received more than two feet of rainfall.  Heartbreaking.

 Port Aransas where we have stayed on several occasions is also victim of terrible destruction from the storm.

The Big Tree on Goose Island near Rockport is said to be over 1000 years old.  A spokesman for Texas Parks says it survived the storm.  "Didn't get old by being weak," or words to that effect.

On this date I usually note that it is the anniversary of my mother's birth.  Sometime in the middle of the night August 27-28, 1908 Vera Morrell was born near Hartman, Colorado.  In the excitement of the moment no one checked the exact time.  She always celebrated the 28th as her birth date.

Mama with Dad, their children and the first four of their grandchildren.  The youngest person in this picture is now 58 years of age.  Mom would have been 52 here.

My Adventure at the Drug Store

Beautiful day for an outing, sunny, 77^o so I rode the wheel the mile to the drugstore.  Picking up a 'script-- again.

I entered the store, walked to the fourth aisle intending to use it as the freeway to the pharmacy.  Did you ever notice that in a drugstore these days the part which sells drugs occupies, oh, perhaps eight percent of the space?   So I turned left into the aisle and what filled my eyes but this display:

Today is August 24, says so right here on my computer.  Unless they have moved Halloween up from October 31 there is something very wrong going on here.  That's my opinion and I am sticking to it.

It was finally my turn at the prescription check-out counter-- have you noticed that this spot is the busiest place in your town?  Perhaps you live in a livelier venue.  I state my name and expectation, oh, yeah and my birth date.  Recently, though, they have cut some slack on this one.  Try stating the month and day omitting the year.  Works here.  Not everyone in line necessarily needs to know I'm 83.  (Like they couldn't tell by looking!)

You know the drill.  Sign on the thingy for the medicine, then pay according to the method of your choice.  I went to the screen to sign and saw this:

 As of now I know that a "real" signature is unimportant because when I scribbled my John Hancock with my finger it looked like this: {/

You can be B. Bunny or whoever you want to be!

Nice ride home.

Be blessed, I know I am.