The pic here is a cake! Yesterday had a most fabulous time with friends in Salt Lake City. There was a house warming party; Dick had bought a house and had it remodeled. A lovely new crib.  Amazing Greek food, and a lot. At least thirty people there. A full spread, lots of laughter, good conversations. They’re an Italian family, so the desert was Italian. A great combination.

Some things happened over the past few days, which I’ll be writing about in more depth. Main things were two funerals, Aretha Franklin and John McCain. Aretha went through some horrible things in her life. It looks like memorial turned into a political rally against whites, Republicans and lots of Trump bashing. What the hell? Focus not on her. That’s what Leftists/Democrats have been doing of decades at memorials. They've corrupted everything with their politics. Sports, religion, movies, journalism, and of course funerals. I’ll chronical that sordid history. Then John McCain’s memorial was the same, though mostly it was Trump bashing. I’ll be speaking ill of the dead. He did some amazing and good things, and led a good life. What he did his last few years was destructive to the country and his legacy. Even to the end, to his funeral and memorials he blocked people from attending. Never heard of anyone doing that; they wanted to pay their respects and honor him.

Well, I’ve done some yardwork this morning, now need to assemble some furniture.

All days are good. God is good.  

Wet Pants

Come with me to a third grade classroom....... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good ...

Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car ..

Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the faith.

This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.


The Prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings .. Amen.

Author Unknown

A Woman and a Fork

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said. "What's that?" "This is very important," she continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at her, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?" she asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor. She explained, "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming....like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork, the best is yet to come." The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that she had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with her shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to "Keep your fork." Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share. Being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.

Author Unknown

(I know this is a bit sappy, but I like the sentiment.)